Ridden Training


 * Trials
 * Exercises
 * Rules
 * Results
 * Programmes
 * Dogs
 * Judges
 * Trophies
 * Training
 * Stable Dog
 * DaliMiles
 * Gold Gallery
 * Speed


 * Getting Started
 * Carriage Training
 * Ridden Training
 * Conditioning
 * Cycling

Training the Road Dog
by Anne Dickens

I have always considered that the Road Dog Trial is easier on the dog in the endurance section. The carriage horse normally has to trot for the majority of the course as, generally speaking, carriage horses have a harder job of it and it is easier for them to keep the wheels moving along, in which case the dog is in a constant working trot. On top of this, it is nearly always easier for a carriage horse to trot uphill, so likewise the dog must trot too. Whereas a ridden horse may walk and trot much more at the rider's leisure, perhaps with the odd canter, and the dog is able to have more rest i.e. more walking periods along the way.

Whereas in the obedience section of a carriage dog trial, the carriage dog has a solid object to focus on and to relate its position to i.e. the carriage. This is especially the case where the dog is trained to run behind the carriage – there is a physical barrier which it can focus on and which prevents it forging forward. This is unlike the Road Dog, which has only another living creature to relate to (as well as its handler), and although some dogs may follow directly behind when out on a trail, usually they are trained to work alongside the horse for the obedience test so that they are in sight of the rider, making a consistent position more difficult to train. I therefore think the Road Dog Gold obedience test is the Trial’s biggest challenge for our dogs.

In both cases, of course, the handler has two animals to control, and in both cases, they must be looking where they are going! This is what makes the Carriage Dog Trials so unique in terms of working dog trials. This is very demanding, so in both cases, it is often useful to have a helper in the early stages of training.

I am assuming your dog has been aclimatised to horses and has a positive feeling about them. It is much harder to train a dog which is apprehensive or frightened, so it is important to give them good and safe experiences with equines early on in their lives. (I know, one of my little ponies is unfortunately a ‘wannabe dog killer’ and the dogs know it, so I have always had to train with this in mind!).

Training a Road Dog, like a Carriage Dog, is to me as much about your on the ground work as it is from the horse, if not more in this case. If you achieve solid heelwork, stays and recall on the ground, you will find it will transfer to horseback relatively easily. It is much easier to make corrections on the ground and you can even practice some of the differences that will occur when you are on horseback.

For example, your horse may move in the stay which may disturb your dog. So when you are on the ground, start to ask your dog to stay in its stay position while you are moving about. So often you see people training stays by standing stock still themsleves, as they are concerned about the dog moving if they do! You want the opposite to be the case. Start by just moving your hands – and work up to dancing a jig in front of your dog while it stays stock still!

Similarly, you will be up higher when you are working from horseback. So start to do some work from a mounting block (or stepstool) so that your dog becomes accustomed to seeing you in an elevated position and to receiving and obeying commands from that position.

Think about your horse and try to emulate anything that might arise during your test. Does he head shake a bit? If so, start to get your dog used to that. And start to use words to the horse to sooth it that your dog will understand when it hears them.

A bicycle also makes a good training tool and means you can cover some distance at an extended pace without breaking too much of a sweat (for those amongst us whose running days are over!). A 'springer' is a useful device which provides a way of attaching your dog safely to a bicycle to keeps both your hands on the handlebars and the dog in a position alongside.

The beauty about the on the ground training also means that if you ride but don’t have a horse, but are lucky enough to be able to borrow one at a trials, you will be able to compete alongside all the horse owners out there. This is how I first competed with my bitch Munin and others have done the same since with some success.

As with any training, the key is to set your animal up to succeed. So when you are training mounted, working on a lead early on, and as much as possible thereafter, to minimise the risk of failure and confusion, is sensible. This way, the dog starts to understand its job and the position you want it to be in, as it can’t move very far from that on a lead. If possible, have someone else hold the dog’s lead early on. This means you can concentrate on reinforcing the position with positive commands and rewards without worrying about it getting away.



A word about reward. Bearing in mind that, as with the smaller carriages with a backstep, the nearer you are to your dog, the easier training is, so if you are able to train on a small pony, then you will be able to lean down to reward your dog personally with a kind word, a pat and, if you use them, a treat. If, like me, you need to ride a large horse, you are at an immediate disadvantage as you are further away and it may not be possible to reach your dog from horseback, so you need to decide how you will praise your dog in this case. It is amazing how dogs soon learn that for their handler to get on and off a horse can be a nuisance, and how much more easy it is to get away with disobedience! Our US judge at the very first Trials in 2003 gave me a piece of advice which I believe to be spot on and which I always try to follow "never once let your dog get away with disobedience from horseback". So make sure you have a strategy for correction once you are mounted!

You may be able to teach your dog (with the horse’s permission of course!) to put its front paws on your horse’s shoulder. This is a very useful thing, as not only does it make it easier to praise your dog, it brings your dog very close to you, which means it is safe and also means you will be able to clip a lead on and off, which is extremely useful when hacking out and about.



For the hock position your dog needs to be working on a figure of eight in a semi-circle behind the horse’s head no more than a horse’s length from the horse. In practice, this usually translates to your dog working alongside you as you move forward. I used to practice walking and running figure eights with my dog alongside me on the ground. This gets them used to the turning and the position, without the complication of the horse. This is useful as it is the turns which are a challenge as the dog when it is on the inside of a turn needs to slow down to keep pace with the horse (or the horse needs to go faster!).

To help keep your dog in a consistent position alongside, it is sometimes useful to use a long schooling whip to check him if he goes forward (also sometimes used in Carriage Dog training). Of course your dog has never been hit with a whip, so is not scared of it, and it can provide an effective barrier to stop him forging. It can also be used to scratch a dog in appreciation, much like some carriage driver's scratch their ponies bottoms as a reward. A hand is often also used to keep the dog's attention, they may think it contains a treat, or they may just be used to watching your hand. The whip and hand signals can both usefully be used on the ground and then transferred to horseback. Remember though, that like your voice, both of these techniques will be recognised as signals/commands by a judge and marked as such, so this should be borne in mind and consider gradually withdrawing them as your dog becomes more secure in its work.

The speed exercise does not require the dog to remain in a precise working position, but it must appear to be coming with you and should not precede the horse (except when decelerating at the end of the exercise where the horse might get the message before your dog!). Practice a canter with your dog regularly before the trials. The speed might create excitement and a playful disobedience, or it might generate fear of pounding hooves. Best to get your dog used to this pace and to enjoy it.

Your judge will be giving you a mark for overall impression. This will include your dog’s behaviour in between exercises. All judges are different of course, but as a judge I was always looking for a dog that appeared to be happily and mainly focused on its handler. If that meant it drifted from its appointed position from time to time, or was even distracted by a sniff, provided it was obviously working and under control, it was good enough for me. A good tip for the competition is to observe your judge when they are working their animals. This is likely to be what they are looking for in a competitor!

As with any training, if you can, practice all these things in a safe environment before venturing out on the roads and/or in company. Happy riding everyone!

Anne Dickens 2013