Trainer and former judge Tom Powers gives advice on how to smooth out a rough ride and present the best package for western pleasure.
When it comes to riding horses, sitting the jog is perhaps the toughest challenge for novice and experienced riders alike. Depending on your horse's style, this is one gait that can be downright rough. In a performance environment, if your horse's jog is anything less than smooth and fluid, it may mean that you'll have to trek out to the practice arena to fix it. Renowned trainer and former judge Tom Powers demonstrates how to master the rough ride.
All About Speed
When it comes to conquering the jog, speed is everything. As a judge, Powers says that speed is the only variable that can be used to sort the contestants fairly in an arena filled with highly trained animals. In the show arena, the main thing judges look for is a horse that is smooth and somewhat short-strided. The horse that moves too quickly at a jog is likely to be more difficult to ride. Often, he will pick up his feet to high which causes him to break at the knees. This, in turn, causes him to stab his toes into the ground which produces a rough trip for the rider. A horse that moves too slowly will often drag his toes or even trip as he tries to maintain an excruciatingly pokey pace. At a jog, it is easy to lose your center of balance and find yourself flopping around the saddle as you try desperately to get your seat back.
Ideal Movement
When a horse moves at a jog, he should travel with true cadence, with his body in the correct position, consistent speed and smooth, controlled forward movement. You can determine the correct position by imagining that there is a box surrounding your horse's body. Regardless of his gait, he should keep himself within the lines of the imaginary box as he moves. His shoulders stay up, his hindquarters are well underneath his body and his head and neck are flat and level. His nose is directly perpendicular to his ears. If his nose is extended out too far, his balance will be thrown off everywhere else.
As he places his feet on the ground, his hooves appear to just sweep the dirt and he never scuffs or stabs his toes into the ground. His feet seem to float above the ground, lightly making contact with each stride. Each step comes with effortless ease and regularity; his gait is not overly animated. This horse is fairly simple to ride because his movements are smooth and not bone-jarring for the rider. The rider looks calm, confident and in control.
Rough Riders
What causes a horse to be rough at the jog? Surprisingly, the primary reason is because he doesn't allow his rider to control his speed. When a rider asks for the jog, the horse mistakenly reads the cue to mean go faster or lengthen his frame. In the proper position, all movement is actually generated from the horse's hindquarters. That is, the hindquarters acts as a sort of anchor, keeping the horse's body centered and collected. When the horse lengthens his body position, his shoulders tend to drop and he will flatten out his back and stop initiating movement from his rear.
Feeling this error, the rider may use his legs to cue the horse to round out his back and slow his pace, but the horse assumes the rider still wants to go faster. As the horse's front feet strike the ground, he will still pick them up high and pound them into the ground with each step. This hip-jarring action can unseat even the best riders.
While shorter backed horses are typically easier to ride at a jog, it doesn't mean that long backed horses can't learn to be just as smooth. However, if your horse is long strided and/or long backed you will have to work harder, because these horses can be difficult to teach to slow down and step daintily.
Most riders make the same mistake in trying to look smooth. As the horse moves they will rock from one hip to the other, thinking this will help them absorb some of the horse's action. In fact, this driving seat does just the opposite and actually encourages the horse to move faster. Instead of rocking, sit in your saddle with your weight evenly dispersed on your seat bones. If your seat is quiet, your horse is more likely to relax and slow his pace.
Applying Yourself
The following three scenarios identify common problems and solutions that will help improve your horse's jog.
Problem: Your horse's stride is choppy and hard to ride.
Solution: One way to smooth out your horse's jog is to tweak his style slightly. First, you want to shorten his stride in the practice pen and teach him to round his back as he moves, instead of flattening it, which can cause his stride to become uneven and choppy.
Continued:
Moving around the rail at a jog, place your heels into the horse's rib cage and pull your feet upwards; he should respond by rounding out his back.
Then, use your entire leg in a subtle flapping motion to create a rhythm for the horse to move in sync with. At this point, he will likely increase his speed so use the reins to slow his forward motion. The bridle will act as a wall that keeps the horse from moving his head out beyond that point. When he pulls his nose in and rounds his back, stop him, back him up and repeat. Do this until the horse begins his jog by rounding his back instead of merely lengthening his stride. It will take a few weeks before you begin seeing results, but be patient. Many times, conformation dictates how the horse moves; his choppy gaits are comfortable for him, if not for you. It will take time for him to adjust to the new way of moving.
Problem: Your horse is so long strided that he runs circles around other horses in the show arena.
Solution: Many times, horses become long strided because of cues inadvertently sent by the rider. The rider may be leaning forward or using too much leg, which will cause the horse to jog faster. First, check that your body position is correct. You should be sitting straight in the saddle with your seat well underneath your body. Your lower back should be soft and your shoulders directly above your hips. Sitting deeply in the saddle will encourage the horse to slow down and take shorter steps.
Once your body position is correct, you can work on the horse. As you urge the horse forward, let him get out in front of your body. You should be slightly behind the horse's motion. Using your legs, encourage him to move his entire body laterally.
Once you can get him to two-track, then you can begin applying that control directly to the jog. As you urge the horse forward, use your legs to drive his motion. If he lengthens his stride, use the reins to check his speed. If he continues to stretch out, immediately ask him to move laterally. Eventually, your horse will respond by shortening his stride in response to your subtle cues.
Getting your horse tuned into your body language is also helpful. As you move along the rail at a jog, sit deeply in your saddle signaling a stop. If he doesn't stop right away, gently pull on the reins. Repeat this several times until the horse begins to feel you sit deeper in the saddle and responds by stopping his forward motion. This allows you to slow your horse almost invisibly with your seat.
Problem: At a show you are so worried about how quickly your horse moves that you can't present him in a positive way.
Solution: In the show pen, it is all about presenting the horse to the best of his ability. Everything you do in the arena conveys an image to the judge. If your shoulders droop and you are staring downward, you send an image of defeat or that you lack confidence. Keep your shoulders back, chin up, and hands still and low on your horse's neck to convey poise and confidence through your body language.
While sitting the jog can be a challenge, if you have your horse's speed under control, you will be better able to master this sometimes rough gait. Show situations present unique challenges to all competitors and doing your homework pays off.
TIP: Two-Track Maneuver
To learn the two-track maneuver, use a martingale or snaffle bit with draw reins to encourage the horse to flex through the poll and keep his head still. Moving in a straight line, begin by asking your horse to move away from your left leg by applying pressure to his left side. As he steps away from the pressure, use your reins to move his shoulders in conjunction with his hindquarters. When he moves freely and easily in that direction, reverse the movement and place your right leg into his side, moving him leftwards and away from the pressure of your right leg. When he moves from side to side, he should appear to float across the work area. The goal is to teach the horse to move his body away from subtle leg cues. This exercise should be performed at a walk, jog and canter to ensure that the horse recognizes even the most subtle cues.
Meet Tom Powers
From his Triple Challenge Ranch in Alto, Michigan, Tom Powers has experienced success in many different show arenas, from reining, cutting, hunter under saddle and western pleasure. Tom is a former judge for both the American Quarter Horse Association and the Quarter Horse Congress. In Michigan and Virginia he plays host to two of the largest western pleasure futurities in the world.
