Crossfiring

[Mulie]

Okay, I've created a problem with my mule and am hoping for some suggestions.
In teaching my mule to lope on the lead or loose in the round pen I've managed to miss the fact that she's crossfiring. She's pretty smooth and I just felt the way her hind end was working was because of the sand in the round pen. I should have known better. Anyway, now she is really good at it. So now I ask her to come back to a trot and start again. I'm probably not asking at the right time, which caused it in the first place, but the poor thing is pretty confused since she thinks she's doing what I asked. And when I ask her again since I'm obviously not doing it at the right time I think there's nothing different to her to indicate she needs to do something different. At what stage do I ask for the lope, and if I ask at that time it seems like by the time the kiss gets out of my mouth a different foot is down. She's very willing and picks it right up but she's getting frustrated, can't blame her. Right now I'm not working on it til I get some advice. This speaks to another problem I have. I know that there are certain times in the footfalls that are best for asking for certain things, but by the time I figure out where I'm at and ask for the manuever, I think I'm too late. Thanks for any advice you guys have.

[Mares Tales]

Well, since your mule thinks that is what she is supposed to be doing and it isn`t coming from tension then an easy way is to try a smaller circle and ask. It would be harder for her to crossfire and stay any way balanced on a small circle, large enough to make it possible but small enough to make it uncomfortable to crossfire and stay smoothly upright, then increase the size of the circle as soon as she`s on the proper lead and balanced. Remember with your timing that the canter starts with the outside hind leg pushing off and carrying so try to ask for your canter depart from the trot when the outside is about to hit the ground. I know how people overdo things so that is why I hesitate to suggest the smaller circles so use some discretion and once you get a proper canter, leave it at that and go do something else.

I might get some flack for this but.......this is one reason why I teach all my horses to longe, know the words and have learned the proper use of the longe whip. Longeing is a skill like anything else. With the longe whip I can better time my canter departs and address which ever foot I choose for whatever I am working on. I can ask a certain part of the horse to bend more or move outward. And just because you use a longe line doesn`t mean your horse has to learn to lean against it or pull.....the same slack can be in your longe as in your leadrope or your rein.......you just have to find that right place where its not dragging on the ground. The down transition; canter to trot, is another fun one to play with, asking the horse to bring his forehand in just a bit when the outside hind hits the ground and backed up with some body language from you to ground that outside hind foot and you can get a lovely balanced canter to trot transition if you have coordinated it all together.

Of course, all this will make a person more aware of why timing of the footfalls is so important overall because they can actually see what`s happening when they are on the ground. You then transfer that feel to when you are on the horses back.

Whats the saying?..."Timing is everything?" well maybe not everything but it makes a HUGE difference because horses are quadrapeds and a knowledge of their locomotion is essential to your communicating with them.

[greenbroke]

sounds like your working pretty hard at it.

you might want to get her out of the round pen and let her get straight for a bit. maybe go loping on the trails with a friend or something.

[Weebonilass]

Is it something that she does on the longe line also or only under saddle? My gelding was really bad about it when I first started working with him and I was told by a very wise older woman by the name of Gincy Self Bucklin to go back and work on his trot Respecting her opinion, I did. We spent a lot of time on his trot and when I started asking for a canter/lope again, I found that his cross-firing happened less and less.

He still has a tendency to do it, but when he does it now, I know that he's tired and it's time to quit.

Of course, if you are sure it's what you taught your mule, this probably won't help.

[Mulie]

Thanks for all your replies.
Weebonilass- I can see where working on the trot might help, since I think I might let her get a little strung out unless I'm paying attention to that.
Greenbroke, yes I do think getting her out moving would be good, unfortunately right now I'm dealing with an injury and can't ride, so I've kind of spent more time than I'd like in there, although we do get out and do some other things just to keep busy. As soon as I'm able we'll definitely be getting out.
Mares Tales, I will try a smaller circle. The way I understand what you're saying is to let her continue loping til she fixes herself and then allow her to move out into a more generous circle after she does?

[Mares Tales]

"Mares Tales, I will try a smaller circle. The way I understand what you're saying is to let her continue loping til she fixes herself and then allow her to move out into a more generous circle after she does?"

Actually no. What I am saying is that it will be much harder for her to crossfire (disunited canter) if you ask for a canter on a smaller circle, she has to reach farther under herself with her inside hind foot to stay balanced on the smaller circumference. (collected) As soon as you see that her canter is "true" (correct lead front and back), increase the size of the circle and make it easier for her, then quit. YOUR timing is the main thing here.......asking for the canter at the correct moment and setting her up for success. You will also have more precision on a smaller circle. If you have trouble getting the canter from a trot, then try cantering from the walk, again when the outside hind is about to hit the ground and is the source of weight bearing and propulsion for a balanced strike off.

IF you just run her into a canter and hope that she changes, there is little chance for her to set herself up to collect and balance herself correctly, she will probably just get flat and run on the forehand and you are likely to get the same results as you have been getting and it will not be explaining to your mule what your desires are with any finese. I am not saying that it will not work, but I AM saying there is a better way.

You are a smart person to figure out that she is doing what she thinks you want her to do and not get mad or try to punish her for what YOU have taught her, you`ve got the right attitude. Now you just have to teach her something else using some finese.

If you can, play with another horse or mule that`s really responsive and calm on the longe line or in the roundpen, practice some really precise up and down transitions until you can get with the feet and get some lovely strike offs again and again. Play with those smaller circles and see what happens and how it effects the horses balance. In other words, get good at it before you try to explain things to your mule. You will want to be able to keep things real clear to her so as not to frustrate her or confuse. Try to feel the feet and the rythym of their movment all the way through your own body, be part of the entity of mule/person instead of Mule.......and........PERSON. This will transfer to the saddle someday.

Now you know why it takes a countless number of horses and a few lifetimes to become a good horseman.

If you get this part, it will open up a whole different level to your horsemanship. Good Luck and have fun.

[red]

I am thinkin that Mares is pretty right on this subject..remembering that Rome was not built in a day, that sometimes you have to break things down to the small little pieces, and then build back up, so remember to reward the try..specially if this mule thinks that she is doin what you wanted..you have all the time in the world to help her. The bigger her body is, the more likely she will respond in the way you want, just because she is big and can not travel out of balance for any length of time...it is physically impossible..so you got that goin for ya....It will take her twice as long to unlearn it..but once a mule "has it"...it is there for a lifetime...Mules are, as you know, thinkers, planners and plotters...lol....and she thinks she knows the plan, and is plotting to make it work...so treat her with the respect that all of her intelligence commands. One more thing...make sure she is evenly trimmed...sometimes, if they are unbalanced in their trimming or shoeing, they compensate for that unbalance..from the ground up. Great thread, and thanks, Mares, for the clarity and good sense.

[Mulie]

Mares, thanks for the clarification. Yesterday I worked her but didn't ask for a lope. Spent my time trying to really get with where her feet were so I will be better at asking at the right time when I do. I really need to spend alot more time on that myself.
"Thinkers, planners and plotters" I love that, Red. No problems on her feet, she's always trimmed or shod regularly. And beleive me, I always respect where she's coming from.