Brilliant lesson last night - but he tanked off AGAIN!!!

[bex1984]

Had a lesson last night, and my instructor taught me and my clever little pony the beginnings of working in an outline! It was very exciting; Murphy was just about starting to work properly and I was so pleased with him. He was also doing little quarter turns on the forehand and little bits of rein-back, and some good bending.

I know it doesn't sound like much but I am a novice and my ponio has no schooling, so it was an achievement for us

Unfortunately, he also tanked off twice in canter, back towards the gate of the school (not while he was being asked to work properly). He hasn't tanked off in weeks - I was using a dutch gag until last weekend and he didn't tank off in that but is now in a Pelham and is not as easy to stop in that, but I struggled to get him into canter at all in the gag, and he canters happily in the pelham!

Anyways, I managed to stay on while he tanked, and I think I just need to sit up, get my brain in gear and react a bit quicker when I feel him start to tank!

And I am so pleased with him starting to work properly - I just can't help wondering if we'll ever find the right bit and get this tanking thing sorted!!

 

[OrangeEmpire]

sounds like a training issue rather than a bitting issue to me. When he tanks, what do you do? My TB used to tank so I put him in a situation where he did it then made him trot for ages. Then I'd ask for canter again and if he tanked he had to work really hard again over and over until he grasped that doing it my way got him an easy life, doing it his way meant he had 30mins of VERY hard work. Was like a miracle cure really, but you have to put an afternoon aside to work at it until he understands.

 

[bex1984]

He sets his neck and off he goes. He is always made to turn straight away (as soon as I can turn him!) from the gate and go, at the same speed or faster as he went there. It is a training issue I know, but he is very strong and you don't really stand a chance in something like a snaffle because he can just ignore you and keep on tanking!

I'm going to work on my balance as someone watching (whose advise I really respect) said I looked a little unbalanced when he was tanking and maybe that was why I was finding it harder to slow him down, and I think she's probably right.