Wendy Murdoch's article (Jan. Feb. issue, #33?)

[Mecate]

Has anybody read Wendy's article, "The Role of the seat and Leg -- Or, How I Get my Horse to Go Forward"? She defines the riders' legs as the accelerator. In keeping with the analogy, I believe she is saying that the slight forward tilt of seat is the equivalent of turning on the engine. I thought really accomplished riders were supposed to be able to use their mental & physical energy -- not their legs -- to ask for and receive their horse's forward motion. Since I respect Wendy, I'm a bit confused.

For those out there who know from experience with one of these guys, what would Buck/Ray/Bryan/Martin say to/about this? Did Buck say at some point that he bumps his horses' elbows? Has anyone hear of moving your seat in a cadence slightly faster than your horse's gait as a signal to move out (from a standstill)?

[Cinch]

I don't think there is any set way to get a horse to go forward. Sometimes mental & physical energy is enough. Sometimes it takes a little more. To me it all kind of runs together, almost in unision, but it usually goes seat first & then legs.

[Mares Tales]

I think in the beginning a person might have to make it clear to the horse what is expected so thats when you see people bumping the horses sides to get the first ideas of "forward", especially if the horse gets a little stuck or lost. After that, the horse then has something (the bumping) that he can depend on as a signal to go forward. After that, the rider refines and refines until it`s just a thought or bringing his own life up and focusing where he wants to go and then the horse follows the riders feel and the rider has given the horse a place to go.

Some horses just naturally have the urge to go forward right from the start, could be that their flight instinct is right there on the surface or the rider did a really good job with their groundwork or the horse is more sensitive.....a number of reasons..... and then the rider just blends in until he can establish some common ground to where the horse waits enough to understand how to follow the riders "life". (IMO these are the easy ones) Some horses need a little more help or are a little more stuck and a rider would then have to encourage some forward (as much as it takes but not over) to get to the place where he would be able to release and reward and let the horse know that`s what the rider wanted by then being still and blending in with the horses movement once he GOT forward.

How one approaches "forward" in the beginning all depends on the individual horse but the rider should always be working towards "refinement" where forward is just the rider using a thought because when a rider thinks forward, his body automatically makes the changes, so very subtle as they may be and the horse can feel it and then "goes". Just like the horse follows the riders focus and goes where the rider looks without the rider actually pulling on a rein or using a leg....the horse FOLLOWS A FEEL (our focus, the life in our bodies). We are all working towards our horses FOLLOWING OUR FEEL but in the very beginning, that might look a little crude when trying to help the horse with the idea of what we want the horse to do.

[Mecate]

On following the feel, yes, I'm with you. Nice post, Mares Tales.

[reata]

Yes Mares good Post.. and I agree with everything you have said ..
I would like to add something..:o
We have to be consistent too.. with the way we ask for things.. Not mechanical but consistent and with feel.. Then the horse has something to compare with and he knows what we want and hes happy to help out .. it just gets better and better. They are so smart and can feel things we never dreamed they could if we are just consistent..
"see how little it takes" RH

[Mulie]

I guess this kind of relates to the Riding Thoughts thread as well. I've been doing alot of experimenting with how lightly I can ask for something. If I'm just futzing around I can stay really light and have found her to be amazingly responsive. When I'm in a situation where I have to get something done RIGHT NOW all my own lightness goes out the window. She lets me know it too. Hopefully she'll eventually get me trained.