Dang, It’s Respect Again

This morning, I briefly ran my hill issue by the trainer who started Tweed. 

Me: Hi. I have a question for you. What do you do when you have a horse who wants to rush down a hill and be sloppy? Tweed does that when he gets emotional about certain hills.

Trainer: Just support him in the face like you would collecting in an arena and get him to use his butt.

Me: That’s the method I’m using, but he will start to head toss to get out of it.

Trainer: Well not being tuff enough then. Probably just pushing through because he can.

Me: So a respect issue?

Trainer: Yes. 

Sounds so simple, doesn’t it? 

My trainer up here figured it out, and suggested we work on the foundational stuff again this Tuesday. The basics of using his body right. It is better to push his buttons and find his “NO” in the arena and work through it in a safer place than on a steep hill where we can get tripped up. 

He still needs the exposure, though, so I will continue the trail work, too, alongside it. Kind of an ALL of the above approach: fitness, exposure, RESPECT. 

Come to think of it, that’s how my starter trainer works all her horses. They get the foundational stuff first, everyday, then they move out on the trails to finish off.