Counted walk

On April 7 I wrote the following statement here on my blog
”My other argument for why the hand is the primary aid is that the bit placed in the horse's mouth will give the educated rider a very effective tool to influence the horse's posture. I don't think this can be replaced with either body language or visualisation”.

As an example on how the rider can influence the horse's posture I would like to discuss the counted walk.

Counted walk
I heard this term for the first time at a clinic with Craig Stevens.

The counted walk is a slow walk (read my last blog entry about the footfalls in the walk)where the horse takes short steps (each hoof moves forward no further than a hoof length) as well as keeps in a slow tempo with a prolonged standing phase for each hoof.

What have the counted walk and posture to do with each other? Well, it is like this. You ask the horse to produce the counted walk by asking the horse to elevate its neck and head.

When the horse raises its head and neck, according to Craig, the construction of the vertebrae in the cervical spine means that the horse can no longer bend in the neck. When the horse raises its head to its anatomical maximum, the entire spine from neck to tail, not just the cervical spine, will become straight. As the rider I don't have to keep the horse straight by the use of external influences from either reins or legs. The horse keeps himself straight due to his internal structure. It is in this way the rider can affect the horse's posture and balance the horse to move its legs equally, which is another way to say the horse is straight.

I wrote that the skilled rider can affect the horse's posture. What I mean by that is that, for this to work, the rider can not ever pull back with her hand, or hang on the reins. The contact between the rider's hand and the horse's mouth must also be light. The horse must not hang or press on the bit, nor challenge the rider's influence by either weight or force.

The counted walk is a very effective tool for the rider to influence the horse's posture. When you try this exercise remember that a light contact is a must. You will probably also notice that your horse will be uneven in pace or that his hind quarters deviate to one side or the other. This is your horse trying to communicate to you: "oh gosh, I do not think I can manage to be completely straight and go slow". Take it slow and let your horse strengthen itself little by little, do not require too many steps in the beginning, one or two may be enough.

Thanks to Mark Stanton of Natural Horsemanship Magazine for proof reading!