How to Switch Disciplines in Horseback Riding
Training a Horse in a New Equestrian Discipline
Nov 2, 2009
When a rider decides to switch disciplines, the transition can be confusing. However, there are ways to help the horse cope with a new equestrian sport.
Training a horse is always fraught with challenges to both horse and rider, but switching to a new equestrian sport is much different from starting a young horse who has no training at all. Horses, like people, form habits through years of training, and they are just as resistant as people to switching horseback riding disciplines.
Weigh the Benefits and Drawbacks
Before riders change equestrian discipline, they should ask themselves about the benefits and drawbacks of this transition. Older horses, for example, have more difficulty changing their habits than younger horses. Similarly, some horses are incapable of performing certain movements.
Only after careful thought should riders switch disciplines. This is especially true for riders who simply have a passing interest in a different sport, but enjoy the one in which they are currently riding or competing.
Find the Similarities
The easiest way to change equestrian discipline is to identify the similarities between the old and the new. For example, hunter/jumper horseback riding disciplines are very similar to three-day eventing, though they are completely different sports. Both require jumping, and that is a foundation upon which riders can build.
Similarities between disciplines might be as simple as the rider's position in the saddle or the way he or she cues for the canter. These similarities will make the transition go much more smoothly.
Western Versus English
The largest differences when trying a new equestrian sport is with moving from western to English riding, or vice versa. There are changes in tack, equipment, methods of communication, aids and a multitude of other factors that many horses resist.
When riders change equestrian disciplines between western and English riding, it is important to make the changes slowly. For example, English riders might want to use direct reining for the first few months, then gradually train the horse for neck reining.
Correcting Mistakes
When a rider changes horseback riding disciplines, his or her horse is going to make mistakes. The horse might even buck or rear, or balk when faced with unfamiliar circumstances, and the rider must resist the urge to get angry.
It is not fair for a rider to expect her horse to understand new cues immediately. Training a horse for a new equestrian sport can take months, so patience is the best virtue the rider can maintain. Train in baby steps and with as much compassion as possible.
Getting Help
It is a good idea for riders to seek help when switching equestrian disciplines, preferably from an experienced trainer or instructor. He or she can help the rider navigate these changes successfully, and can offer invaluable advice for moving the process along.
If a trainer or instructor is not available, it is still important to find help in other places. Read articles, watch instructional videos and publish questions in Internet forums to gain necessary advice. Training a horse might not take a village, but neither should it be a solitary pursuit.
To the Show Ring
Competing in another equestrian discipline is just as challenging as training a horse for it. Every type of equestrian competition is different from all the others, and an experienced horse might feel out of place and anxious in this new environment.
Riders can take their horses to school at competitions without entering any events. This will acclimate the horse to the different surroundings and ease him through the process. This is the best way to switch disciplines.
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