Keith_Beef
Novice equestrian, accomplished equichetrian
For the lesson this Sunday just gone, I was a given my usual horse, a tallish gelding (seventeen hands or so) with very high withers.
I've noticed before that he is reluctant to let me put the saddle on him, but he takes the bit into his mouth really easily, he almost puts the bridle on for himself.
Then when we go out to the arena, he has been reluctant to let me get into the saddle...
Once I'm on his back, he walks stiffly at first. The first few times, I thought it was just genuine stiffness from being in his box, so I would walk him around the arena two or three times before bringing him around to a mounting block. But even after he's already worked for an hour before I go to ride him, he shows the same stiffness.
I make a lot of effort to arrive early at the yard, to be calm and unhurried around him. I show him the brushes before I start to brush him down. I stroke his neck and shoulders before going anywhere near his withers. I show him the gel pad, felt pad and saddle before I put them very gently on his back. He's still a bit reluctant, but not bolshy or aggressive.
The first time I ask him to trot, he needs to be asked quite firmly and he trots stiffly, with limited movement in his shoulders. I can trot him around the arena once, and then he's fine. He'll do short paces, longer paces, faster or slower paces; within a short time he'll go from walk to trot and back to walk, or stand to trot and back to stand, easily. Then it's canter... again, the first time, he's reluctant to do it, but once he's done it he's fine with all the transitions.
Then after the lesson, I walk him back to his box, get him to stand while I open the door, ask him to stand for six or eight seconds in front of the open door before walking quietly inside. And then he stands for me to take off his tack, even if there is already feed in the trough for him.
After the lesson, I was talking with my instructor and told her my theory: it's as if he's scared that he'll feel pain. As if he needs to be shown that the work I want him to do won't hurt him; after he's tried and found out that it doesn't hurt, he's more than willing to do it again.
She replied, "It's not 'as if he's scared and needs reassurance', it's exactly that. That's why I give him to you. You seem to understand him, and he trusts you."
I still can't feel his legs crossing over when we do lateral movements. After six years of riding, I still have a lot of trouble with a seated trot.
But I really felt encouraged that I'd managed to understand the problem and been able to find a way to work through it.
I've noticed before that he is reluctant to let me put the saddle on him, but he takes the bit into his mouth really easily, he almost puts the bridle on for himself.
Then when we go out to the arena, he has been reluctant to let me get into the saddle...
Once I'm on his back, he walks stiffly at first. The first few times, I thought it was just genuine stiffness from being in his box, so I would walk him around the arena two or three times before bringing him around to a mounting block. But even after he's already worked for an hour before I go to ride him, he shows the same stiffness.
I make a lot of effort to arrive early at the yard, to be calm and unhurried around him. I show him the brushes before I start to brush him down. I stroke his neck and shoulders before going anywhere near his withers. I show him the gel pad, felt pad and saddle before I put them very gently on his back. He's still a bit reluctant, but not bolshy or aggressive.
The first time I ask him to trot, he needs to be asked quite firmly and he trots stiffly, with limited movement in his shoulders. I can trot him around the arena once, and then he's fine. He'll do short paces, longer paces, faster or slower paces; within a short time he'll go from walk to trot and back to walk, or stand to trot and back to stand, easily. Then it's canter... again, the first time, he's reluctant to do it, but once he's done it he's fine with all the transitions.
Then after the lesson, I walk him back to his box, get him to stand while I open the door, ask him to stand for six or eight seconds in front of the open door before walking quietly inside. And then he stands for me to take off his tack, even if there is already feed in the trough for him.
After the lesson, I was talking with my instructor and told her my theory: it's as if he's scared that he'll feel pain. As if he needs to be shown that the work I want him to do won't hurt him; after he's tried and found out that it doesn't hurt, he's more than willing to do it again.
She replied, "It's not 'as if he's scared and needs reassurance', it's exactly that. That's why I give him to you. You seem to understand him, and he trusts you."
I still can't feel his legs crossing over when we do lateral movements. After six years of riding, I still have a lot of trouble with a seated trot.
But I really felt encouraged that I'd managed to understand the problem and been able to find a way to work through it.