training spanish walk

[blob]

Question for those who have done this successfully in the past:

I'm trying to teach MM spanish walk to get a bit more shoulder freedom. She has gotten to the point that she understands a tap with the whip at the elbow means to lift a leg and she is happy to offer each leg alternating. However, she is lifting her leg the way she would to have her hoof picked rather than reaching out. I've tried tapping different locations but i seem to get the same response either way. Any tips on how to get her to bring the hoof out in front rather than back?

[tlkidding]

I did some clicker training and voice command of "up" and held the whip right in front of the leg just above the knee. When his leg touched the whip, click and treat. Eventually I moved the whip further away from the front of the leg to get him to lift the forearm more before he touched the whip and got his treat. I also taught him to kick a big yoga ball with the same cues around the same time. I think being able to see the yoga ball and have it visibly move helped him connect the dots to the cue to touch the whip.

[khall]

You can lead the horse forward as they lift it up to encourage that reach. Or keep tapping the lower leg sometimes in the front sometimes on the back to get them to reach out.

[blob]

You can lead the horse forward as they lift it up to encourage that reach. Or keep tapping the lower leg sometimes in the front sometimes on the back to get them to reach out.

The tapping in front or back hasn't worked, sadly

[Flight]

I got stuck at that point too. I tried tapping in different spots but what really worked was a food treat. They try more stuff to get the food so it took hardly anything for mine to wave his leg forward for the treat reward.
But be careful! Dont stand in front of them for a while afterwards with food in your hand, otherwise up comes the leg and whack! You cop it on your shin or crotch ...

[khall]

Blob you have to annoy them with the tapping in order for it to work. Juliet really wanted to just fold and in one session had her reaching. You tap and lead the whip out as you tap

But the leading the horse forward with the bridle just as they raise the leg works too

[blob]

I will try to coordinate the walking and then go to annoying, ha

[Kyra's Mom]

Not that I really know how to teach Spanish walk but Kyra and I have been working on [i]something[i] for a little over a year now.

You just have to keep evolving it. Kyra just lifted her lower leg at the beginning. It probably took her 3-4 months before she started anything resembling a jambette (leg lifted out in front). And when she did...she nailed me one day . Not her fault but my bad positioning. At least I knew she was capable . I just tried different spots to bother her and eventually found up by the elbow to be the best. About 3 months ago I was able to evolve to just saying LIFT and flicking the whip in an upward motion by her elbow. She actually started giving me much more effort if I wasn't actually touching her with the whip. She can get a pretty good jambette with the left front. Right front, not so much but sometimes. She does get height, she just doesn't always hold it out. I have a book on in-hand exercises and that author says it takes a year to establish the Spanish walk...I figure to add in another year since like most of us, I am winging it and learning as we go. And, will it be correct? Probably not but like you, I am doing it for shoulder mobility and she is definitely getting some there.

Karen Rolhf has several little lessons on SW but it is a subscription service but for $24 (one month) it might be worth it to join for a month?

Right now, I am working on stopping the Spanish stomp. I went back and reviewed the videos and I was not fast enough with my voice reward and she has ended up stomping rather than placing her foot down nicely. I am making some headway there.

My computer is about dead and I can't add a short video that I did this winter. I think I posted it on one of the training threads but I couldn't find it. We managed a few steps with her...and got a little exuberance that I didn't want. Most of my sessions are pretty short...5 minutes or so.

Susan

[Tanga]

I resorted to lifting up the front leg really high and saying "up" to get them past that point. Once they got it, it worked very well.

[galopp]

Where the horse reacts to create jambette is a matter for each horse. For some it is in front of the leg, for others back, still for others get the horse to jambette (and even hold the jambette from holding under the leg). Usually bamboo is easier, or the stiff end of the whip.

After the horse learns a single jambette, then one continues with ONE SIDE, continuing the walk, extend only one leg repeatedly. It is one exercise where treats are very useful (just like piaffe). Then with the other. (But NOT parking the horse out by only focusing on the forelegs. ) When the horse alternates, in hand, then start with the ridden work. Lifted lightly to make the legs.

Be VERY careful about too high/too long because the horse will start to hollow the back, or worse yet sway behind.

The thing with jambette is that it is useful for developing passage in a horse which cannot seem to figure it out even if they have a great piaffe.

And NEVER start jambette until the regular walks are in order, the horse is up and out to the bridle, and capable of collection. mho