TRAINING THE HORSE TO ACCEPT VAULTING 1

Training horse to accept approach by vaulters:

This should take between one and three sessions. Can start to teach this once horse is confident in the lunge and going with rhythmic, regular paces, calmness and contact. Accommodate speed of teaching to horse’s reactions.

Have horse on lunge in walk

First test reactions to person approaching down lunge line towards shoulder in walk.

Likely reactions to vaulter approaching down lunge line:

• Perfectly happy and unfazed
• Likely to stop to chat to vaulter
• Likely to run away

Perfectly happy – should learn very quickly in one session. If happy in walk with person approaching and patting shoulder then dropping off, proceed to working in trot fairly quickly.

• Establish rhythmic, relaxed trot.
• Person approach halfway to horse in same trot rhythm then return to lunger.
• If happy, increase approach and arrive at horse, at all times gauging his reactions.
• If OK get a flow of people running to him fairly soon.
• Try to reassure him that lunger is in control by talking to him.

Likely to stop:

Horse is probably not worried , just sociable, so encourage him forward fairly strongly with voice and whip.

Could have someone leading him.

Likely to run away:

Be prepared to take a little more time and trouble as he is worried. Repetition of small movements towards him and back to the lunger until he is relaxed.

Have someone leading him from the outside

Someone on his back etc.

Work more on bonding with lunger.

BEV Ltd. Resource pack 2005 Coaching doc. Training the vaulting horse 4