Pony Play Training Techniques, part 2

This is the second of a three part series to be published over the next three weeks about how to train your pony.

4. Lunging

• Gaits are learned on a lunge line. A bridle (the bit can stay in or be removed) or halter, lunge line, and dressage whip are needed. The trainer is there to look at how the pony is moving through the pony gaits when the pony is on the lunge line.
• The line is gathered in one hand in a figure eight wrap for easy giving of line.
• Give two clicks to move your pony out and follow the heels of your pony with your dressage whip to keep the pony away from you as you take the pony in a circle around you. It is important that the pony learns to keep tension on the rein or rope by staying away from you, so that the pony can feel your commands on the rein or rope.
• "Cutting corners" is a problem that must be corrected immediately. It is a bad habit you want to nip in the bud. It is when the pony shaves one side off the corners making a flat spot or the pony won't work full out on the lunge line but wants to work close to you. When a pony does not track a perfect circle but rather makes one portion flat, he or she isn't receiving any benefits of working on a circle and is learning that he or she can take control. To prevent a pony from cutting into the circle, take a giant step toward the pony while sending a wave through your lunge line to pop him or her on the shoulder and at the same time aim your whip at the pony's hindquarters. In this case you are using the whip as a visual aid, so you can use it as though you were fencing--en garde, lunge! You might want to incorporate a command like "go on" or "get out there." Never compensate for your pony's irregular circle by backing up when he travels closer to the center. Instead, make the pony move out and take contact with the lunge line.
• The LA Pony and Critter Club trains ponies to move using four legs, standing up on the hind two legs. Bio horses move on four legs. We emulate bio horse gaits in our training. The arms are relaxed at the sides, bent at the elbow and held horizontal to the ground in front of the body. In all gaits, the Trainer must look for good posture, the head held up and looking ahead, not down. Remember that gaits move in three dimensions: horizontal, vertical, and lateral. A gait should have an arc to it; ponies do not look like Groucho Marx when moving.
• The gaits: With most gaits, I like my pony to bend his wrist just after moving his arm with his leg, creating a "glump-glump" look and visually imitating the sound of two hooves being moved.
  • Walk: I look at my pony to see that he or she is walking at a normal pace, the normal distance of a walk for my human pony. The right arm moves out (with the elbow still bent) with the left leg and the left arm moves out (with the elbow still bent) with the right leg. This should be a comfortable gait, a gait you can use for your pony to catch his or her breath, to regain strength, or to relax in. 
  • Extended walk: The length of the step is extended and must have some lift to it. The movement of the arms is also increased and they are thrown out fully horizontal to the ground from the shoulder. I like my pony to bend his wrist just after moving his arm with his leg, creating a glump-glump look and visually imitating the sound of two hooves being moved.
  • Collected walk: The walk is collected, the length of the step shortened. The forearm is raised up, creating a slim V shape. When taking a step, the arm is slightly raised.
  • Trot: The trot is a jogging pace, the leg bending more at the knee to move faster and the step is longer than it is with a walk. It is important that the pony keep the arc, the height to the gait. The right arm moves out with the elbow still bent as the left leg progresses, and vice versa.
  • Extended trot: The trot is extended and must have lift to it. Again, it is important that the pony keep the arc and the arms should be thrown out fully horizontal to the ground from the shoulder.
  • Collected trot: The trot is diminished while still keeping the arc in tact. The forearms are raised to create a slim V shape and slightly raised when taking a step.
  • High step: The right leg is drawn up with the toes pointed down, the thigh raised to a 90 degree bend to the hip, no higher, no lower. The left arm moves out with the elbow still bent as the right leg moves out and vice versa.
  • Prance (west coast)/gallop (east coast): The basic motion of the prance is the same as the high step, but each leg is held for one count as it reaches the apex of its movement.
  • Canter: The canter is the three count step, the "waltz" gait. The other gaits are two count steps. The lead foot is to the inside of the track. If the wall is on the pony's right side, the pony leads with the left foot, while if the wall is on the pony's left side, the pony leads with the right foot. The canter gait can be used in a pirouette around the Trainer using reining or in a half pass gait using signaling.
  • Extended canter: The step is elongated and the arms are extended out as far as possible while still keeping the proper rhythm.
  • Collected canter: The canter is shortened and must have lift to it with the forearms raised into a slim V shape and slightly raised.
  • Side step: As a full pass gait, signaled to move left, the pony raises the left leg and left arm, in an arc movement to the left, followed by the right arm and leg until the pony's body is squared up. The motion is reversed to move to the right. The side step can also be used in a pirouette around the Trainer using reining.
  • Cross over: As a full pass gait, signaled to move left, the pony raises the left leg and left arm, in an arc movement to the left. The right foot and right arm are moved in an arc movement to cross over the left foot and arm. The action is reversed to move to the right. The cross over step can also be used in a pirouette around the Trainer using reining.
  • Spanish walk: For this gait, we train the human pony to move the feet as a bio horse would move its front hooves. The arms of the human pony are kept stationary, with the elbow bent at a 90 degree angle. It is very important that the human pony keep a tight core and raise the upper body off the lower body to maintain balance. When signaled to start with the right foot, the right leg is drawn with the toes pointed down until the thigh is extended from the hip at a 90 degree angle, no higher, no lower. The lower leg is then extended out to form a straight line from the hip to the pointed toe, the thigh lowering slightly at the same time. The toe is planted, the foot leveled, the body drawn up to balance on this leg, bringing the leg to a vertical position. Repeat with left leg. The pony may also be signaled to start with the left leg.
  • Tempi change: In a tempi change, the cantering pony will change which foot is leading. Tempi changes may be performed every four strides (fours), three strides (threes), two strides (two tempi), or one stride (one tempi). These changes are begun at intervals of four strides and worked down to one.
• Always work your pony equally on both sides. Whatever you do going one direction, you must repeat entirely going in the other direction. It is very important for your pony to develop balance, grace, coordination, and muscle development in a balanced practice. You want both sides of your pony worked evenly. If your pony is right, you may need to work the "stiff" left side to be as supple as the right and vice versa.
• It was during lunge practice that I developed a signal cue for ramping up and down gaits. I clicked my tongue twice to start at a walk, clicking again to move to trot, clicking again to move to canter. "Easy" took me back to trot and "easy" stated again took me back to walk.

5. Ground Driving

• I took my pony, Loki, out to a field and simply went page by page through this book, 101 Longeing and Long Line Exercises, reading and copying the diagrams in order for us both to learn them. This book has the diagrams of where you stand and how you manage the reins and dressage whip to have your horse move in each pattern.
• Taking your pony with head harness on, attach reins and with dressage whip in hand, move through gaits while doing:
  • Circles
  • Figure eights
  • Lazy eights
  • Diagonals
  • 'Round the corral
  • Box the corral
  • Serpentines
  • Boxes
• Train your pony with the following dressage whip cues and whistles so that you don't have to retrain your pony to move without voice commands. 
  • Tap in the middle of the back to move out
  • Tap the right shoulder blade to cross over to the left
  • Tap the left shoulder blade to cross over to the right
  • Tap the right hip to step to the left
  • Tap the left hip side to step to the right
  • Tap under the upper thighs to high step
  • Tap outside the left calf to Spanish walk, starting with the left foot
  • Tap outside the right calf to Spanish walk, starting with the right foot start
  • Tap the right upper arm to canter, leading with the left foot
  • Tap the left upper arm to canter, leading with the right foot
  • Tap the sides of the upper thighs to prance
  • Tap continuously to move in diagonal (half pass)
  • Give two long whistles to extend
  • Give one long whistle followed by one short to return to normal
  • Give two short whistles to collect
• The piaffe is a dressage movement where the human pony is highly collected, should retain clear and even rhythm of the gait, shows impulsion or energy of the gait, and stays in place. In classic horse dressage, it is done in a cadenced trot. The pony should remain relaxed and supple. He or she should not piaffe with short, jerky steps, nor should his or her legs be moving out to the side or crossing.