Three of us fox trotter people in the group lesson were assigned to ride three abreast…noses lined up. We were instructed to go at a flat foot walk. Well that is fine and good, but on the arena corners, some of us were walking and others were going much faster. On the straight-away, some of us had to fox trot to keep up. Lucky was doing a fine fox walk…a little faster than a flat foot walk and not quite a full fox trot.
Finally the rules were explained to us and we adjusted. The outside horse is the lead horse. The outside horse couldn’t go faster than the other horses could do their flat foot walk. We figured it out. We rode around that arena like we owned it. We were a force to be respected.
The best drill teams has horses that are very close to all the other horses. There’s not much room between horses when you are doing it right.
Here’s what Lucky Star did. He drilled his ears flat back and tried really hard to go faster than the other horses. I continually had to pull him down into a slower speed. With horses, ears flat backwards means “I’m going to bite and kick you.” It’s alarming for the rider to have a horse that broadcasts such a hate message to other horses. Other riders aren’t especially fond of people with horses that want to bite or kick their horse. The place for such a horse is out of the arena or control that horse! This ears back language is not wanted in a show arena either. Show judges typically do not place such a bad attitude, no matter how great they are performing.
So, I’m thinking, Lucky is wanting to hurt my drill team partners. But as we rode along, he didn’t attempt to kick or bite. hmmmm
Here’s what it is. Lucky Star is the leader. He was telling the other horses that he controls them. Ears back, “I’m in charge of you”. Going fast is another way to let the other horses know who is boss. The horse in front is the boss.
That’s what Lucky Star was saying. “I’m in charge of you. Obey me. Stay behind me!”
After the drill team successfully circled the arena in a flat foot walk, we were assigned to do a fox trot.
Since fox trot has different speeds, we were allowed to do this single file.
Lucky Star became the leader. We burned up that arena! Burned a hole in the track. We came around to the end of the arena where we normally balk, and Lucky Star fired his way through and we burned a deeper hole on the rail. We led the pack with Drill Team Lucky Star in charge. Drill Team leaders never balk. They stay in front…in charge and in control.
Boy Howdy!
Group lesson over for Lucky Star and treats administered into his awaiting mouth!