Horsemanship
How well do you communicate with your horse? Put your horsemanship to the test with essential workouts from Nicole Aichele and Adam Kemp. They explain how different disciplines are all linked by this common theme
Improve your communication and reap the rewards
WE’VE ALL HEARD the term horsemanship, but what does it actually mean? Barrel racing trainer Nicole Aichele and dressage coach Adam Kemp tackled this topic at the International Eventing Forum at Hartpury Equine in February. Although barrel racing may be an unexpected sight at an eventing forum, especially when combined with dressage, it was a fantastic example of how riders practising completely different disciplines are all linked by the same goal — achieving excellent horsemanship.
While it may seem that some people are born with good horsemanship — and perhaps they are better listeners and better communicators — it’s also something that can be developed with time and practice. “Horsemanship is knowing the horse,” says Nicole. “Training for both dressage and barrel racing is based on a common theme — understanding and educating horses. It doesn’t matter what discipline you’re in, horsemanship is so important.”
“Handling and riding horses can be
broken down into three levels — common sense, experience and horsemanship,” continues Adam. “Horsemanship is different from experience. It’s not about knowing how to ride or how to act around a horse; it’s about how and when you communicate with the horse.”
A good partnership
Any rider, from a complete novice upwards, can be told to squeeze their legs to make their horse go forward, and to sit deeper while putting contact on the reins to ask for stop. This is riding at its most basic — learning the signals to tell your horse to do what you want him to. Of course, the horse must also understand what these signals mean.
“Giving him these signals in the right way requires his understanding of the signals, but also your knowledge of the horse,” says Adam. “How the horse thinks, feels, his behaviour. Horsemanship is knowing when to ask things of your horse.”
It comes down to creating a good partnership with your horse, meaning that he trusts you and can confidently respond to whatever you ask of him.
“In barrel racing, I don’t need to do all the fancy moves like in dressage,” says Nicole. “But the avenue of getting to the top of the sport and the training I do with my horses can certainly relate to other disciplines. “My sport is fast, so I need my horse to react even faster. This requires what I like to think of as a 5G connection, and that’s what you should always aim to have with your horse. If you only have 3G, your connection will drop.”
“Horsemanship is different from experience. It’s not about knowing how to ride – it’s about how and when you communicate with the horse”
“While certain gadgets may be helpful, they are not the core foundations of horsemanship and are not required to make your horse good,” adds Nicole.
Practising riding without stirrups, or riding on the lunge without reins, are both fantastic exercises to help you learn to use your most important aid — your weight — correctly.
Try asking for different bends from your horse, focusing on using your weight alone. You can use 20m, 15m or 10m circles, serpentines and teardrops. The easiest way to do this is to look in the direction you want to go — you will subconsciously lean your body the way you turn your head. Be aware of how your horse moves, stretching through his neck, and keep a light rein contact. “You’re looking for a soft connection through the reins,” says Nicole. “You should be using your inside rein only as a guide for your horse — you shouldn’t rely on it.
“In barrel racing you only have contact on the inside rein,” continues Nicole. “If I have a young horse who needs more support on the outside rein, I can pick it up. But eventually the horse needs to balance and be able to carry himself without the support of the rein.” “We often talk about connection in dressage being between the leg and the hand,” continues Adam. “However, communication comes through your body and seat — just as in barrel racing, the reins shouldn’t be the primary aid.”