Clean Run Magazine - July 2007 - 42

V-bounce Apparatus for Set Point Work By Susan Salo, photos by Jeanine McAnaney Using the I was first introduced to this apparatus many years ago by the most brilliant horseman I have ever known, Gene Lewis. He would have us walk the horses up to this apparatus and just allow one trotting step as they stepped into the apparatus. The power the horses generated was, to say the very least, impressive. They could easily jump out over 4' oxers without the usual forward motion of canter, just one trotting step! The reason is the look of the V-bounce: it appears to be a trap, and as such, the animal’s weight transfer is easily felt by a rider and is also easily seen by a handler watching a dog perform it. For several years I traveled with a PVC version until one day Jim Basic made a very nice welded version that I now use as my at-home one. We use this same apparatus with the horses (longer jump poles) to teach them to rock back over their haunches as they prepare to leave the ground. This movement produces an amazing amount of power from the animal, and in consideration of that, I have modified how I use the V-bounce in my teaching. 1 When I was asked to write a short sidebar for the V-bounce apparatus (see “The Construction Zone” in this month’s issue) I was thrilled because I have been asked by handlers from the far corners of the world for the specifications for building this device. When I considered what I would choose to say, it became very clear that a short sidebar would not suffice. A few years ago I saw John Rogerson from England do a short seminar on jumping. He used several things that came directly from the world of show jumping for horses, one of which was to have a person rattle the jump bar in the jump cup as the dog approached the jump. The second of which was for someone to be near each jump and roll the pole in the jump cup so that the bar kept moving as the dog approached. Horse trainers have long used this method in the warm-up ring to “rock the horse back” on his haunches before he leaves the ground to jump. If it was understood why this method was so impressive to the dogs, he did not share that part so I rather suspect he did not fully understand why it all worked so well. As the animal approaches something that looks different or impressive visually (trappy, perhaps?), he will generally shift his weight back over the haunches to keep the option open of stepping to the side and not committing to the jump; and therefore, the effort is very nicely done when he does take the jump. The problem with the suggestions offered by Rogerson is twofold: first, a trainer would generally never have that many helpers to stand by each jump; and second, if the dog lacked considerable confidence, he would not commit to a jump where a person is standing by it. These two problems lead us to the V-bounce. 42 In the early days of its use, I had the V bars on the front and the back of the apparatus as I still do today. I have, however, broken down how I teach it and always begin with just the bars on the front. The dog needs to first be “invited” to step into the V, and therefore, I initially leave the V slightly open for the dog to step in and then jump. It is very important for the dog to enter the V from close proximity as shown in Figure 1. Once the dog becomes comfortable with the apparatus, I then close the V so that the ends come to a point (but never cross). By this means we are defining the area in which the dog has to organize his body and legs to come off the ground. I refer to this spot as the set point. I consider this set point to be of the utmost Clean Run | July 07

Clean Run Magazine - July 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - July 2007