5 year old mare, tips to get her to work in a outline

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chilworth23

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Ok ive tried pretty much everything i can think of, from doing it on a long straight flat, to circles in sand school, to riding on buckle, to being as light n giving as possibile, to kinda setting my hands in one place, she is 5, ive had her since 4, she is broken, schooling and generally doing well, but i cant seem to get past this last thing!
 
Thanks,will have a look, but i have looked before and have tried everything people suggest, and she still doesnt do it, i dont know if i am doing something wrong or misunderstanding how to do it....sounds stupid i know, but u know what its like when u doubt ur self, she is my first youngster and was relatively wild and untouched till i got her, in november, so she has come one sooo much, thanks x:o
 
can you ride other horses round?

It is unlikely to happen in a straight line as she'll fall on her forehand.

Do you have lessons to get some help?
 
Get a good instructor.

For a horse to work in an outline it has to be working (pushing) from behind into the bridle. Young horses often have problems maintaining their balance, especially in canter and need to be shown by a sympathetic rider how to maintain their balance and therefore outline.

I am sure you know but there is a huge difference between a horse working correctly on the bit and being pulled into an outline with the hands.

You must ride forward with impulsion.
 
Ive had some friends who are instructors ride her, and after AGES she'll do it, for literally a few moments, theyve shown me and i can get her to do it, for a few seconds every now and then, but she doesnt seem to be able to hold it for more than a few seconds, and once she's done it, she wont do it again, she seems to have the attitude of well ive done it once, why do it again? i refuse to pull her into it, i'd rather start on the buckle of reins and spend hours working up to contact rather than use a lungie bungee or harbridge or anything like that. I have ridden other horses in nice outline, im not asking for her to be totally perfect, but just less poky nosed would be great, she's so nosy so i dont think that helps.
 
If the horse is not going forwards properly you will never get it to go in an outline. I have a newly broken horse and I work at it all the time getting him to go forwards into the bridle. Everytime I hack/school/sat on him. I work on a harder/stronger pressure contact until they soften and then I soften so they get rewarded for the right thing. With your horse it sounds like you need to instil some more discipline in both of you. How can you expect her to go correctly if you confuse the messages? If she pokes her nose flex her to the inside on a circle and ask again when she gives it to you soften and reward.
 
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You hold the contact until they yeild. It is a strong but even contact as soon as they soften you soften. Sometimes it feels like you are holding onto their mouth but they must learn. In 2 weeks my newly broken has a clear understanding as long as he is going forwards. He still turns into a giraffe when I lose his attention but as long as I am strict it will get better and better.

If they feel really solid against the hand and nothing is changing by twiddling your fingers and moving the bit you can get more of a result but it should not be continuous or else you both get into terrible habits.
 
Find an instructor to help you.
And most importantly use your legs, it's surprising the amount of people who pull the horses down infront and leave the back end trailing along.

I can sympathise though, I have a 5yo mare, she works in a lovely outline at home, we just get too distracted at competitions atm! :p
 
Sammi&Leigha said:
i think i have (well Lec has..) cracked it, i think i am being to soft on her mouth......
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When I was young, many years ago!, we were always told to aim for 'soft' hands. However now that I am more experienced and also compete at dressage and have training aimed at that I understand that this doesn't mean having a light airy-fairy feel (or no feel) on the bit. I agree with LEC that you must maintain the contact until the horse yields - this doesn't mean to have a pulling back feel though.

As others have said, legs, legs and more legs.
 
I dont' think you can ever be too soft on a horses mouth. Achieving an outline isn't about pressure on the horse's mouth. Horse should learn to carry itself without being pulled in. Lots of circles of varying sizes and lots of transitions should help. Keep hands as still and quiet as possible.
 
Ahhh okay! I think get a good instructor to take a look at what you're doing, just so they can see exactly what's happening! But I think the main thing to do is get her moving forward off your leg, softly through the back and into your hand nicely, again keeping a soft elastic-y contact :) Doing lots of transitions, circles, bending, maybe a little bit of easy lateral work, a bit of simple pole work.. anything to get her moving properly forward and flexible. Don't try and remain on the outline for too long because it is hard work, so after she does it, praise and leave it! That way you build her up gradually, the muscles can develop, and she realises it's what you want her to do :) Good luck! xx
 
i think ive been to light and easy on her mouth, putting on next to no pressure, ive had to re think the way i ride since i got her, she was so different to everything else i have ridden.
 
A horse learns to carry itself through correct training. Horses naturally carry themselves fine its just with a rider on top they can struggle! Its not about pulling the horse in or being soft or hard. Its about teaching them to soften the jaw and then be soft down the rein.
 
You mention she can be nosey. My old mare (16yo!) was really nosey and you had to keep her interested. Leg yielding, different size circles lots of transitions etc. I once had a group lesson and it was like riding a giraffe she just wouldn't concentrate. Never tried that again!
 
Unfortunately training a horse correctly is like baking a cake - there are lots of seemingly unexciting steps before you can get creative with the icing. If the basics are no in place then no amount of twiddling with your hands will create a true outline.

When your horse is forward, springing from behind, swinging and lifting through her back, thoroughly understanding and responding to the aids, supple through her neck and poll, soft in the jaw, happy to flex laterally, reaching long and low for the contact, then the outline you are looking for is only a half halt away. If any of these elements are missing then you are trying to ice the cake before adding the flour.
 
i would expect a 5 year old to work in a pretty consistent outline TBH. yes you need to get the horse going forward but if you don't have a consistent rein contact everything will 'fall out' of the front end and she'll dribble onto her forehand... i also wouldn't 'drive' too much with my seat on a young horse... i would give clear and consistent leg aids so that she was working forwards with hocks underneath her... :)
 
It took me ages to get my TB working correctly. I think alot was to do with her fitness level and lack of muscle. I just kept on going with it and was very patient and as soon as she softened i gave a little so she knew what i wanted her to do. Also lots and lots of leg really helped with my mare, and just little squeezes with the fingers and when she gives you give to. She will now work in an outline but sometimes looses it if her minds not on the job! then i just do lots of transitions, ie walk to halt, trot to halt etc and this gets her attention again.
It will take time, patience is the key! :D
 
Your position is critical. You must ride with bent elbows close to your sides and need to "give her somewhere to go" at the end of the rein or she will carry on poking her nose. Push her forwards into the rein contact, and soften but not throw the contact away when she responds. Be satisfied with short sessions of good work or her muscles will tire and she will resist. It takes a while to build the strength required.
 
I think it's very hard for people to suggest without seeing the horse or you ride.

Can you explain exactly what you do with your mare during a schooling session and for how long, might then give us a bit more of an insight of what's going on.

She's only young, sometimes it is very much an age thing and it can be quite suprising how a horse can change there way of going...even with minimal schooling, after 6 months of more maturity etc, I don’t think all 5 years should be classed as the same, physically there all naturally different.

Is she fully capable of doing so? back/teeth/saddle checked?

Is she working well up and down through her transitions?

Is there anything to do with her conformation or her own natural paces that is making it a bit harder for her?

If different people are riding her, perhaps she's not really getting the idea.

It all begins from a good active walk and the willingness to go forward, if the handbrake is slightly on in walk, you can forget about working in a outline.

Once she’s warmed up, don’t confuse matters working long and low…and seeing how best she works on various rein lengths, that’s where your going wrong, if she’s had time to stretch/warm up then it’s time to take a good contact, get yourself some reins with the notches on and from now on work using the same length of rein (this helps you to make sure you stick to it) she’ll learn to trust your hands and work around your hands and come soft that with the use of your leg and lots of transitions, ‘’your basically saying I want you here and from here this is where your gong to learn’’ but just do this in walk first, so walking and halting, only until she’s doing this correctly do you move up a pace otherwise she’ll go back on the forehand and run through. Make sure you don’t over do it, it will start off with just a few seconds of outline, then a week after a few minutes and so forth, and remember to let them stretch inbetween, if you make it comfortable for them and feel natural, they be more willing to work in an outline because it’s easy for them.

Good work comes from a good warm up, if you spend more time warming up and cooling down than anything else, you’ve had a good session, even something so simple as spend a few minutes flexing the head to your stirrups irons to loosen her up though her neck and shoulders can really help soften them through the mouth as well.
 
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