Advice needed please!

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Lauren90

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Hi,

I've recently bought a horse about two months ago that had been out of work for 2/3 months.

I have several issues. One being that in the school all she wants to do is canter from the slightest of leg aids and when I eventually do get trot she still pulls and want to canter. If I hold her in she shakes her head high and dances or sometimes jumps up on her back legs (only slight, not rearing). She's currently being schooled in a loop ring to give me breaks.

I took her out hacking and she was fine going out but coming back, in the same bit we had the dancing malarkey as she wanted to go! Despite me holding her she managed to canter and eventually take off in to a gallop only to get spooked by something and stop suddenly to me falling over her shoulder!

She also has a flash band and martingale - as this is what she came with when I bought her. I'm currently trying her in a bungie to try and build up her neck and learn to carry herself better (she leans alot) - I want to try and avoid going in to a gag or anything to severe unless other options have been explored.

Thanks
 
Do you have an instructor to help you? Really its the back muscles & quarters you need to build up rather than focusing on the neck. Rather than trying to hold her back, which most horses will fight, you need to be pushing her forwards with your legs, carrying herself will come from working through from behind, rather than concentrating on what her head & neck are doing. If its a running martingale, I'd swop for a standing one. And I'd swop the flash for a drop, does the same job but only has an effect if she opens her mouth, whereas a flash is restrictive all the time so there's no reward for behaving. Really though, your best bet is some lessons on her though.
 
Well, throw the bungie away for the moment....

Sounds like you've got a little hot head, who is keen to work. I absolutely second the instructor suggestion.

Don't hack out unless you are with a steady partner, and then only in areas that are safe from heavy traffic. You need to remain calm and ride with a very soft contact, so as not to cause conflicting stress and fight.

Agree with the drop noseband, and I'd be inclined to use a standing martingale (correctly fitted) too.
 
She's currently in a standing martingale- really not much give in it at all and seems to fit her well!

She does like work, I think that's the TB in her as shes ID X TB.

Any exercises to focus on her hinds would be appreciated, along with any other suggestions. I'm know of walking/trotting on inclines and trotting poles can help a little.

Yes, I'm trying to find an instructor that will travel and come to the yard for lessons - no matter how good a rider we could all do with more coaching to adapt our style when required.

She's works well and transitions correctly on the lunge but just wants to canter when being ridden - weird! Back is fine so are teeth, all been checked recently!
 
Oops, wasn't thinking! If she does open her mouth, try a drop with no martingale somewhere safe. If she just came in a flash because that was the bridle the previous owner fancied, which isn't that uncommon, use a cavesson & standing. But really, if you get an instructor they'll be able to see what she does & give more accurate advice.
 
It could be that in canter she feels safe, this may sound strange but how long do you school for ? You might try just getting her to walk for 15 mins then come in, then up it when she gets the hang of it and add trot ignoring canter for a while when in the school.....keep working her on the lunge tho. X
 
Slightly Confused - thats literally all im trying to do, work on her walk>trot transitions not even trying to touch canter yet!
If her trot isnt correct then typically her canter won't be either. It varies, but usually a minimum of half hour, we only end on a good note! :)

Amy - she was bred for jumping and used for hunter trials etc. That's one thing that ran through my mind, she's been asking to canter, gallop and not much else, particularly schooling.
 
For your trot work, I'd do this uphill only, continuing on the flat, then come back to walk. Rather than in the school.
 
I'l try that. At the yard we have a menage and a jumping paddock which is'nt particularly flat and on an incline so I can start there. I don't want to take her out and school her just yet until I have her listening better - I don't want her darting off again like she did yesterday.

The jumping paddock is grass and the menage is sand, so we'll see how she goes with that - I know for alot of horses, once they feel the green stuff on their toes they think it's play time or get a bit excited. :)
 
How strongly are you using your leg, and how long are you trotting for?
Some horses are just ridiculously sensitive and you barely have the breathe for them to go up a gear! Also I would literally just trot for one or two strides to start with and then increase when she settles.
 
Broke but happy - I don't kick I squeeze, she responds better to that! As soon as she's moves I let off, she doesn't need much at all. Sometimes, she'll trot if you "click" at her or ask her vocally and there's not so much of a surge then - I'm trying to replace the clicking with leg aids, as you can't use vocal in showing etc.
 
Do you ever lunge her with the stirrups down on the saddle? We do it a lot with the babies being backed to get them used to things 'flapping' by their sides, may be worth doing to desensitise her to your legs? If you want to show then her taking off when a ride judge puts their leg on won't do you any favours! lol :D
 
No I havent! She's either lunged in a roller or with stirrups up - I could try that but I guess it's balancing act between that and her becoming dead to the leg. It's definately worth a go!

But yes - taking off with a judge certainly won't put her in the placed positions, no matter how reassuring/amusing it would be to see it happen to someone other than me! :)
 
I shouldn't think she'd become dead to the leg, just less sensitive. I've never had a problem with any of the youngsters.
 
Great - will give it a go and see!

Same with another rider, I've had two others get on both more experienced than me and both have said how strong she is and how much she leans and basically wants to do her own thing.

When you're watching from the ground it doesnt look like shes leaning at all, it's only until you get on her you realise. Same in terms of her head shaking etc - I think she was just allowed to get away with it before so doesn't know it's wrong and she's almost having a tantrum now and trying to avoid the bit when you put more contact on. That's where the martingale comes in. If you ask her to walk when she's in full swing of her tantrum or stop thats when the dancing/shaking and jumping comes in to play.
 
I wouldn't worry about voice aids just now, I'd freely use them then transfer them to leg aids just like with a youngster. If she trots well on the lunge with voice aids, i'd be using 'and trot on' under saddle too until she's more established too. Plus what can also help if she breaks into canter is continuing to rise in exactly the same rythym as you were before. Depending on how confident you are, if she does start tanking about in canter some jumpers will stop if you kick your feet out of the stirrups & drop the reins to the buckle. I'm not saying all will, sometimes you end up with a faster canter & have to get your reins & stirrup
 
Stupid phone. Back in a hurry, so try it somewhere safe if you fancy it, some do take it as a signal they've finished work.
 
When working in walk I would suggest using lots of exercises to increase suppleness through the body and engaging the quarters and the brain.
Turn on the forhand,turn on the quarters,shoulder-in,leg yielding,counterbend,walk halt transitions etc. Also start encouraging stretching by using the bend,so ask for bend and as soon as she softens and responds,give the hand forward. You can do this exercise in halt and then see if you can move off on a slight bend in a long low frame. Keep your weight back to encourage the hind end to engage. This will help relax her back and hopefully teach her that the contact need not be a battleground.
 
amymay said:
Agree with the drop noseband, and I'd be inclined to use a standing martingale (correctly fitted) too.
Click to expand...

But not together.

A standing martingale should only be used with a cavesson.

I would try a drop or a grakle and see if she goes better than in the flash. If not go back to the flash and try a standing martingale instead of the running martingale.

ETA: Oops sorry just seen this has already been pointed out, and that she is in a standing already.

Alternative suggestion to deal with the head tossing, what about a market harborough or harbridge? They can be used with a drop or grackle...

Also what mouthpeice have you got on your loop ring snaffle?
 
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I haven't ridden in a market harborough or harbridge but I could try it - that was one of the reasons for me using a bungie, trying to get her to drop her head a little and when she does the pressure gives. I was hoping to get her to carry herself properyl before using different bits devices as if that failed I didn't want to have forced myself out of options.

I'll have to check on the loop ring but I believe it's jointed.
 
Lauren90 said:
I haven't ridden in a market harborough or harbridge but I could try it - that was one of the reasons for me using a bungie, trying to get her to drop her head a little and when she does the pressure gives. I was hoping to get her to carry herself properyl before using different bits devices as if that failed I didn't want to have forced myself out of options.

I'll have to check on the loop ring but I believe it's jointed.
Click to expand...

You need to make sure she is comfortable in her mouth first, if the loop ring is single jointed swap it for something double jointed ASAP as single jointed bits often cause discomfort with the nutcracker effect. You may find that with that change some of the head tossing when you try to take up a contact stops.

I'm not suggesting that you use stronger bits, more that you get one she is comfortable in because she won't drop her head until she is comfortable.

I would go for a lozenge link first, probably with a full cheek and a drop noseband (not done too tight) and see if she is less fighty. If you can take up a bit of a contact without fight like that I would start trying to get the outline (and build the correct muscle) by doing hill work, lots of transitions and circles etc. If you do need a bit of help to give her the right idea and build the correct muscles then the bungie or something like a market harborough or harbridge would just help you out a bit more than a martingale.

I wouldn't stick with the loop ring, a lot of horses dislike the action or find it confusing. I'd get a nice mouthpeice that isn't too thick and go for gentle, if she isn't accepting the contact then stronger won't help.

If she lunges correctly the best place to start might be lunging in a pessoa or similar.
 
Thanks Kat - I'll try the drop band and full cheeck with lozenge and see if that does anything to help her resistance. The work I was going to do tonight was purely getting her to accept the bit and then start walking, troting. Once we've mastered her listening and carrying herself correctly, dropping the bit severity may help her more - including using a full cheek with the lozenge link.
 
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