MONTY'S CHALLENGE
Test yourself each week as I challenge you to answer the question below. I mean this. Sit down and write an answer. Don't wait for my answer next week. If you have been reading my Weekly Questions and Answers for the last six months, you should be in a position to do this. Send your answer to my team at: askmonty@montyroberts.com
Why should you bother? Because it will help you focus. There is probably a comparable question in your life that needs answering... or will be. If you can gain insight into how to go about answering a practical question that is loosely related to your problem, this exercise will help you answer your nagging question. Then read my answer. I want all of my students to learn to be better trainers than me.That's good for you and good for horses!
~ Monty
NEXT WEEK'S QUESTION
Hello! 200 lessons completed, Monty! I was recently watching Monty's videos on flying lead changes and I love the idea of keeping it as simple as possible. I have two OTTBs (Off The Track Thoroughbreds) who are doing flying changes all of the time, but I have one Quarter Horse Paint who I would like to actually spend some time on flying lead changes.
Going through the videos, Monty has the opposite leg to cue for the flying change, and I like that idea as I've grown up Hunter/Jumper/Eq and it's all about which rein to pull, placement of the legs, and pushing them onto the other lead. However, my concern is with keeping them balanced around the figure 8 and not falling in. Monty's demonstration with his horse who seems to have the training / natural bend and balance keeps repeating of holding the outside leg around the turns for simplification. I suspect he or some people would use that inside leg for preventing the horse from falling it, but I'm curious on when coming back to the straight away and the X for the cue, how to differentiate effectively that leg that was asking for inside bend to now asking for the opposite lead?
I plan to play with this and input some of my experience. I'm really trying to go back to foundational flat work as I will admit it wasn't as big of a priority as it should've been years ago when all of our horses were younger (and I'm now old enough to recognize that at 24).
But that is my main concern of balancing the act of letting them move forward naturally and keeping it simple with aiding them and reminding them to stay balanced, especially around a turn, so that we do not fall on our faces. This also goes into the fact that I've also done a lot of neck rope work and often ride in a bitless, both of which I love, and making sure all of this training is primarily coming from my seat, leg aids, and voice cues so as to help my horse the best I can and prevent confusion.
Thoughts or experiences? Thank you!
