Calming him down on grass?

H

Hovis_and_SidsMum

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 January 2007
Messages
2,711
Location
Lincolnshire
Visit site
Ever since I've come back off holiday Hovis has been going really well in the school. Very responsive and comes back to me quickly from all paces.
However I can't say the same on grass! Now some of it is possibly me as I had my first fall from him at a show whcih was outside in a field. That day he was very fiesty and we parted company over a fence.
Since then I can't seem to control him when his feet hit grass! He's strong, excited and much less balanced.
I've been practising taking him in tne jumping paddock at the yard and just riding him around the jumps on the grass but I'm tensing and he's being a big pain in the bum.
Any ideas on how to calm his excitement?!!
 
I would think that maybe he is more excitable on grass as they generally are, and that you are making him a bit more tense after what happened last time.

I would suggest either just walking round the jumps as you have been doing, on a very long rein and see if you can just enjoy it, amking him as calm as possible. Then he will also learn that being on grass doesn't always mean that you are going to canter/gallop.

Or if you cannot control him like that, then use a training aid to help you. If you maybe rode him in draw reins or similar a few times, to make you feel confident and in control you will feel more confident and therefore making his less excitable?
 
practice practice practice! oh and more practice!

every bit of grass you come to make him trot with lots of transitions up and down so that he doesn't know what to expect. sounds like he's decided that speed is The Thing on grass and you need to remind him that it is still on your terms.

Only canter when you choose and if he is strong bring him straight back to trot. It will take a while then suddenly it will click that he only gets to canter if he is calm and quiet.

if possible school him in a field so he learns that fields are where he listens and learns.

good luck, i'm sure he'll twig quite quickly!
 
choose a warm day and work him well in the school (ie make sure he's tired - don't need to gallop around, lots of transitions, school figures should do the trick) then take him for a wander around the field, ideally on a long/loose rein if you can bear it. Don't even consider the possibility of working him out there. Just treat it as a cool down session the first time.
He should be pretty chilled which will help your confidence.
Next time walk around the jumps if you wish, but don't ride at them or look at them. Make him think that walking round the field is nice and relaxing if slightly boring.
Once you're feeling better in walk, do some walk/trot transitions and so on until he's prepared to listen to you. Continue to make it his 'chill out' after a good session in the school until you've got more control.
 
Is this a field he grazes in ? I only ask this because horses can often resent having to work in their "own" fields and can often be silly about it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top