any advice for a serious 'leaner'.....

E

el_Snowflakes

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 May 2009
Messages
3,318
Visit site
Hi all,

I have posted on here before about my mare who has a tendancy to lean on my hands when i ride. Well, at the minute im really struggling with this. Im not in the position to have lessons at the moment so Im looking for some sensible advice please? :D

She leans so much that even in walk, my arms ache. She wants to pull forward so much that i find it hard to sit up straight. I would have to literally be riding on the buckle to feel softness in my hands. Its really hard going and i just dont know what to try. I rode her in a french link but she was being very stroppy and hard to control so today i rode her in a NS elavator and her mouth is split already (she has had a couple of weeks off due to injury so i know the cut is fresh) any sensible suggestions are welcome ;D
 
Let go! It takes 2 to pull. Make her carry her own head instead of doing it for her.
If you feel that she will take off with you if you drop the contact, you could try a PeeWee bit or something with 2 reins so that you can take a hold if you need to.
 
Could there be a soundness issue which causing her to lean in your hands, has she recently had her back, saddle and teeth checked?
 
I would get her checked out, and then if there's nowt wrong with her, drop her. She has found that you'll do all the hard work for her and is loving it! If she gets heavy, either bring one hand up reasonably sharply or give both reins away totally (and lean back!)...
 
I do let go and nothing happens. She just wants to carry her head super low but i cannot ride her like that. She has no soundness issues. She regularly has her back done, her teeth were done a few months ago and her saddle was fitted recently also....? :(
 
My boy was getting to the point of leaning on my hands just like your mare. He's now had his back, teeth and saddle done and he's totally different.

Working properly from behind, hold my hands higher so I dont get into a tug of war and flexions all help stop him working on the forhand and leaning on my hands.

Cross posted :- impulsion and flexions is what I would try with her.
 
lwvtb said:
My boy was getting to the point of leaning on my hands just like your mare. He's now had his back, teeth and saddle done and he's totally different.

Working properly from behind, hold my hands higher so I dont get into a tug of war and flexions all help stop him working on the forhand and leaning on my hands.
Click to expand...

well mine has had all the usual checks and no problems. What do you mean by 'flexions'?
 
Forgive me if I'm wrong but I have always been led to believe that a bit with rollers should help, or a waterford.

(I've never used either so don't quote me on it, maybe some one else could enlighten??)
 
My ex racer used to lean like an absolute ****** . I ended up lunging him for 4 weeks in a pessoa on the low setting so that if he leant, the sheepskin part encouraged him forward and to carry himself. This made a big difference as he had by the time I got on developed a different set of muscles. When we got onto the ridden stuff , I ended up with a set of little bobble spurs on so I could keep the forward motion as he had a major tendency to drop off the leg and then go back to the leaning. We did lots and lots and lots of transitions to activate the hinds and keep the forehand elevated ,lots of circles and changes of reins to almost keep him guessing so he couldnt become to relient on what was happening - he was at his worse when we are on the outside track just going large. It does get better honest and if he slips back we go back in the pessoa for an extra session a week :) I am just starting on another leaner who is just the worse thing I have ever ridden but he will got hrough the same process and hopefully will start to take responsibilty for his sizeable mass :P Obv they have both been checked teeth,saddle,back etc and all ok
 
PonyFeet10 said:
Forgive me if I'm wrong but I have always been led to believe that a bit with rollers should help, or a waterford.

(I've never used either so don't quote me on it, maybe some one else could enlighten??)
Click to expand...

The NS elavator has a roller.....she has been ridden previously (before i got her) with a waterford but im reluctant to use it incase it causes her pain. I understand a bit is only as harsh as the riders hands but theres not alot you can do when a horse is such a puller.
 
toomanyhorses26 said:
My ex racer used to lean like an absolute ****** . I ended up lunging him for 4 weeks in a pessoa on the low setting so that if he leant, the sheepskin part encouraged him forward and to carry himself. This made a big difference as he had by the time I got on developed a different set of muscles. When we got onto the ridden stuff , I ended up with a set of little bobble spurs on so I could keep the forward motion as he had a major tendency to drop off the leg and then go back to the leaning. We did lots and lots and lots of transitions to activate the hinds and keep the forehand elevated ,lots of circles and changes of reins to almost keep him guessing so he couldnt become to relient on what was happening - he was at his worse when we are on the outside track just going large. It does get better honest and if he slips back we go back in the pessoa for an extra session a week :) I am just starting on another leaner who is just the worse thing I have ever ridden but he will got hrough the same process and hopefully will start to take responsibilty for his sizeable mass :P Obv they have both been checked teeth,saddle,back etc and all ok
Click to expand...

thanks, thats helpful to know. I may try the pessoa. Funnily enough her old owner used to lunge her in a pessoa so this is probably why! I would get someone to help me do it though as I have never used it before. Maybe if i can develop her hind a bit more it will be easier for her to carry herself :D
 
My boy is very similar to this. He leans and rushes through everything. It sounds as though she is relying on your hands for balance and to 'carry her'. As others have said, you need to take away what she is leaning on. It's hard to explain without watching you ride but it's not so much about dropping contact- but more keeping your hands light and push them forward using your seat to ride her into your hands. Easy to say but difficult to do!
 
Regan said:
My boy is very similar to this. He leans and rushes through everything. It sounds as though she is relying on your hands for balance and to 'carry her'. As others have said, you need to take away what she is leaning on. It's hard to explain without watching you ride but it's not so much about dropping contact- but more keeping your hands light and push them forward using your seat to ride her into your hands. Easy to say but difficult to do!
Click to expand...

Yes very Regan! :D

I have been having a look online a noticed a gadget called an 'equi-ami'? anyone used one and are they better than the pessoa??
 
I have an equi-ami. I like it, and used it a couple of times a week this last month or so when I couldn't ride. Mine took quite some time to figure it out but now works very nicely in it. Just make sure you don't put the ropes too low. Also, I find it's not thaaaat good at getting them to work long and low :)

Haven't tried a pessoa on my horse (though have seen it used with a showjumper I used to work with, but he made it verrrry tight and tied the horses down so I'm not sure this counts really!).
 
My boy leans as we go up through the paces, or rather he did. He's 17hh and i'm only 5.2ft so it's clearly not an acceptable situation for me to be holding him up!!

I've worked with my instructor and found that in 20m canter circles, if i push both hands forward for a couple of strides then retake the contact, then the same with the left hand and finally the right, he learns to hold himself.

I've ordered an Equi-ami as my instructer highly recommends then and since he's just come back into work (following dental work) we will be using it to help strengthen the muscles. However he's first lesson back was last week and he was awesome, the only time he leaned was when he was tiring so we repeated the release and take up of contact until he remembered and then ended it on a good note. Also worth noting he came to me in a vulcanite pelham and we did the whole lesson on only the snaffle rein, that's a big progression for us. :)

Key thing is to let go intermittantly and keep him moving forwards, her words ring in my ears........His only option is forward!!!
 
I have the same problem with my young mare relying on leaning on my hands to carry her. I've been for one lesson with her and have seen a dramatic transformaion in her already:
The key is not to give them something to constantly lean on by you leaning back against them.
What helped us was keeping an elastic contact on the outside rein, giving and taking gently whilst asking for a bend on the inside rein by again giving and taking the rein (a circular motion with your fist). If you feel the horse begin to start leaning again, a quick, sharp retake of one or both of the reins should give them a shock and bring them off the forehand.
Also, when you halt, before you move forward, put some pressure on the reins (without pulling back) and wait until your horse begins to give their head, then give your reins and push forward into a good active walk, encouraging them to stretch down and use their back. I found 2 dressage whips were good to encourage an active walk and remind her to use her hindquarters and get her moving away from my leg.
Another good exercise is walk-canter and canter-walk transitions - hard but should engage the hindquarters more and teach the horse to carry itself without relying on your poor hands.
Try all these exercises in a 20m circle and so loadsss of transitions like 6 strides of trot, 6 of canter, 6 of trot etcetc.
I've found all this really help my mare, both of us are a lot happier now.
Good luck!:)
 
I have a leaner. I used a waterford and it did not help, she leant on it with all her force.

She goes nicely in a french link snaffle at the moment, when she leans (in any bit) I have been told by my instructor to give and take the reins so she has no constant pressure to lean on. She also told me to get cross with her when she does it as she is purely taking the p*** out of me, as soon as she leans I was told to push her forward, so she's working herself properly behind and give up and then retake the contact, she then gives up and stops leaning.

I also find, whilst schooling, ensuring that I have plenty of inside bend, when she is bending properly, she does not try to lean and works properly however getting the inside bend can sometimes be a bit of a battle and we used a brilliant schooling exercise.

That works when we are schooling however if we are doing something 'exciting' my horse knows exactly how to run off with me by leaning and taking off, I have not yet found anything or any bit that can stop her leaning or sheer power when she does that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top