TRAIN FOR TRAIL CLASS

By Cathy Hanson

Lesson Three

Cadence and Timing

▪ Cadence is “measured movement”, and it requires balance.

▪ Timing requires cadence and practice.

CADENCE

Cadence is created only when the horse is balanced in movement. The horse’s hindquarters must be engaged and the horse’s back must be lifted with the shoulders square. The horse must be able to accept and hold the bit. The horse must have the ability to become collected (maintain the optimum balance in movement) so he may maintain cadence for a period of time.

A horse can be collected in different manners. The collection needed by a reining horse is very different than that of a trail horse. The trail horse needs to be able to collect its body and create the cadence needed to work a walk obstacle at two feet, the trot obstacle at three feet and the lope obstacle at six feet—all measured movements.

The period of time a green horse must maintain cadence may only be the time it takes on the approach to and the crossing of an obstacle. As the horse advances in his training, he will be able to maintain collection and cadence for longer and longer periods of time.

You must learn the feel of collection before you can feel cadence. When the horse is properly collected, you will feel the hindquarters engaged or driving under you. The horse’s back will feel round and lifted under the rider’s seat. The horse’s shoulders will be square in front of the rider. The rider should not feel the front legs extending and reaching, or have the feeling the front of the horse is traveling downhill.

Once you learn to feel “collection”, you can begin to work on cadence.

It will help you to recognize cadence if you count each front foot step. It is easiest to learn at the jog or trot.

Count one for one front foot landing and two for the second front foot landing. One, two, one, two, one, two.

Click here to watch a horse trotting in cadence…count along with the steps.

When loping, count the leading foreleg landing as one. When the leading foreleg lands on the ground the second time, count that as two.

Click here to watch a horse loping in cadence…count along with the steps.

When walking, count one front foot grounding as one and the second front foot grounding as two.

Counting makes it easier to feel the cadence of your horse.

Now that you can feel the cadence, you must be aware of the timing when counting. Your count should be rhythmic and stay the same.

Does your counting speed up? This means your horse is changing his pace (speed) or his cadence (movement). Does it slow down? If yes, your horse’s cadence or pace is changing once again. So, just by riding around and counting you can teach yourself to be aware of your horse’s cadence and pace. This is important, because as the rider, it will be your job to create the measured movement (cadence) needed for any obstacle you will encounter. When the cadence changes, this means the horse’s body is changing. The horse’s degree of collection has changed. Let it be understood, that as the rider, you will always be working on maintaining collection (optimum balance).

Counting will also teach the rider to learn the correct steps to be taken between poles. Counting helps the rider recognize the steps needed within an obstacle.

The rider can either continue with a one/two count or count the correct number required for each particular obstacle. For example, to jog across a 12-foot box, the rider would count “one – two – one – two” or “one, two, three, four.”

Click here to watch a video.

Please note: that while only counting the front legs, the hind leg placement is just as important. If you learn to create the correct cadence and allow the horse to do his job over the poles then the hind legs will take care of themselves. This does not mean you cannot pay attention. For example, when crossing walk overs spaced two feet apart, each foot must step one step only between the poles. If cadence is lost and forward motion slows, the horse could potentially place two hind feet between the poles. This is incorrect. If cadence changes with a lengthening of stride, the horse could skip a slot with a hind foot. This is also incorrect.

Some of the errors that occur when the cadence is not correct follow:

“Chipping”--- Chipping refers to a quick short step taken directly at the pole. The horse adds this quick step to maintain gait and be more comfortable crossing the pole. Other than the cadence being off in the approach to the pole, the rider looking down can cause chipping. Where the rider looks is where the horse will go. Look up!

Adding or deleting steps--- When the cadence changes, the stride may be too long, therefore deleting steps across an obstacle. Or the stride may be too short, and the horse will add steps in the obstacle. Keep in mind that in competition not all obstacles will incur penalty points for a different number of steps. For example – a fan walk, trot or lope-over will be measured from a center line. However if the rider chooses to ride the obstacle wide or narrow, the distance will change and so will the number of steps the horse will take.

In most competition, any obstacles that have a “stride rule” are announced to the exhibitor. These will be the only obstacles at which the judge can penalize the exhibitor for the incorrect number of steps taken or skipped.

Stopping or breaking gait--- When the cadence is not correct most green trail horses will break gait. Some may even stop. This is most commonly seen in loping obstacles, the horse breaks to the trot. To correct this, continue counting, feel your horse’s cadence and look up. Praise and rest the horse when the obstacle is worked comfortably. Horses lose confidence if they continue to approach obstacles and their cadence is consistently incorrect.

TIMING

Timing refers to the horse’s foot placement just before crossing over the pole. If the horse is too close to the pole, this means the horse is too deep. If the horse is too far away from the pole this means the horse has a “long” spot.

Of course the goal is to have the perfect “spot” to cross over the pole so it is smooth and easy for the horse.

If the horse crosses the first pole in a poor spot, then he must adjust himself for the remainder of poles. An experienced horse can do this, but one that is just learning will probably lose his gait and hit poles.

Getting the correct “timing” can be hard. The rider must let the horse learn this skill. Try not to interfere with the horse by making adjustments…the horse needs to focus on the poles, and your interference breaks his concentration.

If the rider jumps in at the last second and tries to place the horse, the horse loses his focus on the pole as he tries to respond to the rider. If this interference continues the horse will not learn to go over the pole on his own, and he’ll soon lose confidence.

To create a smooth fluid and clean trail performance the horse and rider must work together.

When the horse looks at the pole, he is looking at it from a distance away. He uses “monocular vision” to view the pole and judge where he needs to place his feet to go over it. Due to the placement of the eyes on the horse’s head, and the fact that he has both monocular vision and binocular vision, the horse does not see the pole as he goes over it…. the horse picks his spot further back and remembers where to put his feet.

Yes, when learning, the horse will pick the wrong spot many times.

The rider will correct this in two ways.

First by creating the correct cadence so the horse has the correct length of stride. And secondly by leaving the horse alone and allowing the crossing to be ugly and uncomfortable. An ugly uncomfortable crossing will make the horse pay more attention next time, and therefore pick a better departure spot.

As a rider that can see the correct spot for departure, it is okay to decide to alter the course and not go over the pole if the horse is going to have a poor spot. The theory here is that getting it correct more times than getting it wrong is better for the horse.

It is important the rider is skilled enough to see the correct spot from a distance. Do not change the course unless you are sure the horse is going to end up at an incorrect departure point. It is not a good idea to turn away from the pole, when the horse has already committed to it – this will teach the horse that there is an exit door just before the pole.

Please understand – when I suggest you leave the horse alone I do not mean you stop riding at the pole. When you do nothing or stop riding it says to the horse “stop”. Keep riding the horse to maintain cadence and timing.

Other common mistakes the rider will make when crossing poles:

It is a mistake to lean forward as the horse trots or lopes over the pole. This unbalances the horse and tips him on his forehand. The result will be breaking gait and/or lengthening of stride.

To help correct this error, look up! In trail, never look down when trotting or loping over poles. Don’t let your pelvis rotate forward. Hold the stomach in.

An exercise used to correct this habit is: hold your arm up and out in front of you at shoulder level. Position your hand as if you were pushing on a wall. The tips of your fingers should be pointed up and be at eye level. Do not allow your elbow to bend.

It is a mistake to lift your hand as the horse crosses over the pole. Usually a rider makes this mistake without realizing it. When the rider elevates her hand, the movement interferes with the horse’s focus. The elevated hand will result in the horse lifting his head and not watching the ground. He will shorten his stride and have difficulty in making the distance. He may stop or break gait.

To help correct this error, make an effort to keep your hand in the small box in front of the pommel of your saddle. Shortening your reins may help you feel more secure and that alone my keep you from lifting your hand.

Many times standing slightly in the stirrup goes along with the lifting of the hand. The rider is lifting herself over the pole trying to help the horse. Be aware of sitting in the saddle, keeping the heels down, lower than your toes.

Applying additional leg pressure when crossing a pole can be a mistake. (There will be a time and situation when the horse will need extra leg support in going over a pole, but that is a special circumstance.) The mistake I refer to here is the squeezing of the legs because the rider lacks confidence. The rider squeezes because the rider is nervous; the squeeze isn’t to help the horse.

Again, most riders do not realize they are making this error. This incorrect use of the leg by the rider will result in an increase in speed and lengthen of stride – therefore changing the cadence. To help correct – remove your spurs if using them. Count out loud. Be aware of your legs clamping on the horse at the last second.

Riding crooked over the pole will cause problems as well. Riding crooked is always rider error. (Sometimes a rider will say the horse went crooked responding to an element of the course created to distract him. That is still rider error; the rider lost connection with her horse.)

Riding crooked happens for several reasons. The rider is not sure of the course and simply makes a mistake. The rider leans while crossing over the pole, causing the horse to drift. The rider does not pay attention to the rein in guiding. The rider does not support the horse with her legs to maintain straightness (support is different than squeezing at the last second as described above).

When courses are designed, walls, barriers, plants etc. will be included as a possible distraction to the horse. When a wall is on the outside of a wheel of poles, that barrier will make the horse want to drift in. The rider must be very confident of the correct line to follow and direct the horse accordingly.

When riding crooked, it changes the distance between the poles. That changes timing, and it places the horse poorly for the next obstacle.

When riding a course, one obstacle rides to the next. In a well-designed course, riding from one obstacle to the next should be done easily. However, when you ride a crooked line, it changes the natural flow of the path. The rider and horse will have to work hard to get back on track before the next obstacle.

To correct crooked riding, sit in the center of your horse. Keep your hand quiet and centered. Know your course. Look up and ahead.

Having a poor approach to a pole hurts the horse’s timing.

When riding young or green trail horses give them plenty of room for the approach to a pole, and be straight. Remember the horse’s vision? Give the green horse a chance to lock onto a pole and learn to see his spot.

Surprising your horse by turning abruptly to a pole will not help him learn his timing.

Crossing over poles at an angle is more difficult as the spot is harder to see. Cross straight over the pole and stay straight until all four legs have crossed.

All of these rider errors can interfere with the horse’s timing.

The best way to improve is lots of practice.

If your horse is struggling over several poles – then just ride over one pole.

You must still create the cadence and have the correct timing. Remember that when riding a series of poles, if you get the correct spot for the first pole – you will be correct for the remainder, as long as you do not commit one of the mentioned errors.

The first pole is the hardest to ride in the correct spot.

When training over several poles, make sure they are measured correctly.

When first teaching, do not ride over raised poles.

With enough practiced, your cadence will be perfect and so will your timing!

ASSIGNMENT:

1. What gait would you take when crossing the poles in the above picture? They are set two feet apart. 

2. How many steps between each pole?

3. What gait would you take when crossing the poles in this picture? They are set three feet apart.

4. How many steps between each pole?

5. Could you use more than one gait to cross these poles? Yes or No? Please explain.

6. List the gaits you could take when going over these poles, which are set six feet apart, and how many steps would be between each pole for each gait.

Please send your report to cathyhansonqh@gmail.com