A schooling Question - Right rein issue in trot.

[Flibble]

Hi quick schooling question.

New boy falls in on left rein badly and grabs right rein when I put contact on it.

On the right rein he always (if I dont deal with it) goes ariound with his nose poking to the outside. If I try and turn right at B or E for instance the minute he feels contact on the inside rein he grabs it and shoots off straight and as you can imagine if I try and pull him up he goes quicker and harder in the wrong direction.

This mostly happens in trot and in fact his canter work is much better.

I have him booked in to have his Teeth checked but would like some suggestions of what else I can do.

I know I should have inside leg to outside hand but it is murder trying to get him onto the outside hand on this rein.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Lots of circles, transitions etc... Anything to get him bending and more balanced.

 

[thewestphalian]

He just sounds stiff and unbalanced. I'd probably forget trotting until he can bend correctly around your left leg in walk without your rein having to do anything more than flex his poll slightly. Maybe even take it a stage further and work him in hand until he can bend softly to the left and right in walk without a rider. Inside leg to outside rein is ideal, but it sounds like he's nowhere close to bending around your inside leg.

Getting the back checked is always a good idea with a new horse, especially if they obviously have stiffnesses. He sounds like something is very contracted on his left side.

Good luck.

 

[Flibble]

Spookily since I posted and had a few answers I have worked my way through it. It was a confidence issue between us.

Slowed the trot down a little because he gets unbalanced, flexed to outside and got a contact in my left hand used a strong inside leg opened my right hand and Bingo. Only get the problem now if he gets unbalanced and make sure I do big circles and ask him to work into his corners.

He seems to learn very quickly this horse is going to be a star!