Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: Point and Patient

“The technique of point them at it and be patient makes braver horses because it both sets the expectation — over or through — and gives them time to slow down, process and be smart about it.”

Welcome to the next installment of Thoroughbred Logic. In this weekly series, Anthropologist and trainer Aubrey Graham, of Kivu Sport Horses, offers insight and training experience when it comes to working with Thoroughbreds (although much will apply to all breeds). This week ride along as Aubrey shares her logic on how to develop bravery and a thinking response in your horses.

Yesterday, Neil (Lute’s Angel) temporarily confused me but then made me cackle as we nearly crashed headlong out of the arena and through the marshy area that rings its northern and eastern sides. Neil is a super good kid, but he is not usually marsh-tromping brave. It takes him a second to go over the soggy bit on the trail near the lake. Similarly, the natural ravines that occur around the barn were once big ole “oh hell no”s. So it took a second to figure out why he was very intentionally trying to do something that usually makes him worried without me being aware of asking him to do so.

Turns out, Neil has figured out that if I keep him pointed at something and give him a second to process it, his job is to get over or through it. So when he shied at something near the far end of the outdoor, I turned to look at what it might have been, pointed his nose in that direction and let him look. I must have added supporting leg. He paused, flicked an ear on me but then did as I unintentionally asked and headed right about out and over the marsh with an air of, “well OK, if you say so.”

Neil (Lute’s Angel), Littles and Walker hacking out at the farm. Photo by author.

It then dawned on me as he was nearly pulling me through the brush and muck out of the arena (and not back up towards the barn or in any logical direction) that this super smart kiddo had fully learned the lesson: if I point you at something and let you pause and think, the right response is this: over or through. Apparently he has taken it to heart. I’m still laughing and shaking my head. Sure, we’ll fine-tune that response a bit, but what a good learning-to-be-brave horse.

The new property my horses are on — the Wilkins Farm in Bath, NY — is a stunning space that is basically on the top of a small mountain. The water from the summer storms runs off fast, cutting ravines into the soil and rock base. There are trails and a pond along the edges and plenty of spaces to do out-of-arena work. It’s good for their brains (and mine) to take a break from the circles, and it provides ample space to train the skills a horse will need both inside and outside the arena: the confident “forward and over.”

Yes, you might have seen this pic before but it sums up the space, and how handsome Neil is so well. Photo by Sarah Hepler.

The first time Neil encountered the two-foot wide ravine, his flight response kicked in — try to spin and get out of Dodge. My goal was not just to get him over it, but to get him to think — slow his brain and “run” response down, and then make good, safe decisions about how to get to the other side. So I kept his nose pointed at it and any amount of trying to turn around or run off was shut down by wide hands and steady, patient leg. I gave him time, rewarded the forward, and kept his “nope, nope, nope, run!” response in check by simply letting there be only one way out of this debacle: over.

*Patience is key here. If a rider rushes them or slams them at the fence, fear will shut down the thinking process. They need to make the right decision and know that it was to think first and jump second, not in the opposite order.

The watery area next to the pond tends to make all of the horses pause and think. Photo by author.

Nonetheless that first leap over, you’d have thought alligators were going to come up and get him. But it got better… and then even better. It took him about four completed efforts before he would walk up to it on a loose rein and pop over, landing in canter for one stride and then back to walk. Good Neil.

Juice (Pulpituity) back in the day (2019) demonstrating his version of “there are gators down there” at Chatt Hills. Photo by Kassie Colson.

The technique of point them at it and be patient makes braver horses because it both sets the expectation — over or through — and gives them time to slow down, process and be smart about it. Galloping them at things they’re worried about — especially cross country obstacles — gets horse and rider pairs no where in the long run (or into increasingly dangerous, confidence-upending situations). And if we keep letting them drop a shoulder and turn and circle past it, we train the ability for them to use their flight response to get away from the issue — effectively training them to run out.

Sure, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with walking a horse past a scary obstacle that they are worried about — in fact giving them a good long look from the side helps them truly see what it is and conceptualize its shape and depth. But that must also be intentional, slow, and patient.

Neil also learned to go through water the same way. Photo by Sarah Hepler.

Sailor, the semi-feral (never previously race trained nor backed) five-year-old Thoroughbred who came into my barn a few months ago, has also learned this lesson. If he’s scared, he knows to slow down and take a breath. I will give him time to process the situation and then we’ll go back to work. This deliberate processing pause has allowed him to trust me and become braver and more confident.

Once-semi-feral Sailor being a super good kiddo for his first time in the indoor. Photo by author.

Yesterday, I took him into the indoor for the first time. He was nervous and I could feel his heart-beat while standing next to him. I walked him around in hand a few times, letting him slow down and look as we encountered the banners on the walls, the tractor, the hanging lunge equipment on the rail. He would have preferred to drop a shoulder and run, but by keeping him pointed on his line, he sniffed them, waited, and decided they were not at all an issue. When I swung a leg over, we had to slow down and take it all in again, but he thought about it and took a breath. By the time we walked a second lap, he was on the buckle, brave, and ready to work.

Oh, and in that first time in the indoor, he cantered for the first time with a rider up. Zero antics, no problematic speed, just a properly good, brave, kind kiddo.

I’m sure it is no surprise that one of my intentional aims is to produce brave, forward-going horses. Some are naturally more confident than others, sure. But setting them up for success means introducing things with patience, trusting one’s seat and remaining relaxed and confident as one allows them to figure it out without turning away. For Neil and for Sailor, the “point and patient” technique will set them up not just to conquer the indoor arenas or the random ravine. Rather, the confidence acquired from doing things deliberately and slowly will translate into making them braver, more confident horses across all situations.

Frankly, I cannot wait to get Neil out on cross country to see how he goes. I have a feeling that once we use the ‘point and patient’ technique to sort things out over Amoeba and Starter fences, his wheels will start turning and he’s going to eat up the course — including water and ditches.

Littles showing off how she handles water obstacles. Photo by author.

So go ride folks, and if they spook, slow down their feet, point in the direction you want to go and take it all nice and slowly.

About Kentucky Performance Products, LLC:

Research has shown that when used in combination, hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine, and manganese sulfate support cartilage structure and optimal joint function. Horses with healthy joints feel better, perform to their potential, and stay sounder longer.

Joint ArmorTM is a research-proven, super affordable formula that provides your horse with the nutrients necessary to support both healthy joint cartilage and synovial fluid.
Joint Armor:

• Maintains fluid motion and flexibility in joints.
• Provides high levels of both glucosamine and chondroitin, plus 100 mg of hyaluronic acid.
• Supports normal cartilage development and reduces joint deterioration.
• Is affordable; one jar lasts up to 75 days.

The horse that matters to you matters to us®. KPPusa.com