A few schooling probs with youngster

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millyspaniel

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I hired out the local menage today ( normally have 1 lesson per week) to do some schooling with my 4yr TB mare. Shes very forward, not sluggish but is quite green. I laid some poles out for her and she was going over them lovely.
I have a problem though, everytime she finds something *difficult* she gets fustrated and starts throwing her head up and down, she is ridden in a martingale and i found this does work, shes not half as bad as she was. I was asking her to come down onto the bit very gently. Immediatly she strated mouthing the bit and throwing her head about like she does when shes fustrated. When she starts the head up business i normally talk to her and bring her back to a walk and let her chill then try her again. I have tried working her through it using lots of encouraging leg but its so hard to do anything with her when shes either got her head really high or dragging the reins down out of my hands
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she does these little jumps that throw me off balance
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I have had her teeth/back/tack checked and everything good, shes really good on a hack - never head tosses or anything.
Shes ridden in an eggbut snaffle - i have ordered her a loose ringe snaffle with lozenge to see if it makes a difference.
Its got me thinking - am i asking to much of her to come down into an outline?? have tried this with my instructer but shes just the same, am 100% certain its not my riding and am very gentle with my hands.
Any ideas anyone?
 
Others far more experienced than me will hopefully have some great advice, however, I think there's a fine line between getting the horse to start working in an outline, and forcing the outline.

I think you may find the loose ring with the lozenge will help - hate eggbut's, as do many sensative mouthed horses. I wouldn't worry about her comming down on to the bit - that will come naturally as she gets stronger, starts accepting the contact and starts working properly from behind.
 
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I think you may find the loose ring with the lozenge will help - hate eggbut's, as do many sensative mouthed horses.

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Am really hoping that the new bit will be better for her, she does have a very soft mouth
 
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how are you asking her to come down onto the bit?

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A consistent outside rein and small half halts on the inside rein and lots of leg squeezes. I have been looking at you tube vids of people trying to work this horses in an outline and alot seem to have the arms straight down, hands very low down and far apart - it dosent look right to me
Also i have been doing quite alot of 20m circles and bending exercises.
 
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is it possible that your horse is just bored? if theres not an issue on a hack this would be my first thought.

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I only take her in the school 1hr per week, on my lessons we have been jumping which she loves. It is just when i ask any more of her other than basic walk trot canter and jumping she gets stressy about it and starts the head thing.
 
asking a yougster to concentrate and do lots of circles ect for an hour imo is to much. can you imagine sitting a 4yr child down for an hour and trying to teach it something?

personally for your lessons id cut down to 30 mins twice a week, but go for a 15-20 min hack first to loosen the horse up ready to start work. (thats if its possible to break down your lessons. )
 
Normally she copes well - the lessons are 45 mins but sometimes run over for cooling her off etc......... as mentioned before we normally do jumping which she loves but would like to start concentrating more on her flatwork. I tink she just struggles sometimes of what i ask of her.
Any more suggestions?
 
At the age your horse is now a lot is happening in the mouth. I have a 4 and a half year old that I ride every other day. One session schooling (35mins tops) and the next a 45 min hack. I do not ask for an outline for more that a few seconds at a time, prefering him to go forward and naturally work onto the bit. He is ridden in a french link fulmer. I find that after 30 mins or so he starts to trip, a sure sign that he has had enough. Listen to your insticts and act on them, some babies can cope with 30 mins schooling tops, others an hour. Be generous in your expectations and be pleased when you achieve a small milestone. Remember at this age she is teething and shedding. Good luck. x
 
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