Can anyone help me please?

[_daisy_]

I need some help/tips on how to get a horse working through from behind better than they are doing.
Shes 16.2hh but is only in a 6ft rug so is exceptionally short coupled and she finds it hard to work through from behind and get that swinging action going, so she goes very short behind and choppy, add the fact that she likes to rush at everything shes quite difficult.

 

[kerilli]

umm, i'd start by getting her teeth checked by someone very good, then her back done by a mctimoney chiropractor, then i'd put her in a full-cheek single-joint snaffle with a loose correctly-fitted drop noseband (the perfect combo for 99% of horses imho), and teach her to go softly and slowly forward into the light, accepting hand. if you slow her down with your rising, your breathing, your shoulders, and allow her more time to take the step, she should relax and start letting it come through.
easy to show, not easy to explain like this, i guess.

 

[_daisy_]

teeth have been checked recently - no problems whatsoever. Back also checked regularly - no problems there either.
She cant go in a single jointed bit as she has shallow mouth, and gets really upset when a contact is taken. I currently ride her in a loose ring KK training bit.

 

[kerilli]

then i'd just concentrate on getting her as soft and relaxed as possible in front and in her mind, until her back starts to relax and lets her start using herself. is she pulling herself along with her front legs, rather than pushing from behind? if so, gently working her as slowly as possible (but not with the hand as the brake) is the only way i know to get them working properly, tbh.

 

[_daisy_]

mmm relaxed is a word that doesnt exist in her vocabulary unfortunately (especially after todays ride!)
When she gets wound up (well more than normal) she does pull herself along but when shes trying to behave herself she will push from behind and she feels great, its when she forgets about what she was doing.
I havent schooled/ridden her for over 2 1/2years now due to her retirement but since coming out of that (roughly June) I want to start where I left it and get her back into her schooling again.

 

[H's mum]

Hi!
If she's just come out of retirement then I'd do what I've been doing with H to encourage her to work from behind over her back (she's just had an operation and is coming back into full fitness work and must work correctly to ensure she gets stronger)
We start by asking for a REALLY slow walk - a definite four time steady walk - initially I thought my trainer were mad as she asked me to slow H down so much I felt that we weren't moving forward enough... but sure enough the slower we got - the deeper I asked her to flex, the bigger the stride came from behind and therefore we got a bigger walk where H places each foot very carefully - We flex her one way and then the other, asking her to reach down into the bridle and ask her to slow off my seat - alternatively use a neck strap to slow your horse as this generally works well and means that you're not interferring with the horse's mouth - and it will encourage the horse to trust you and let it know that you aren't going to pull back -

When flexing, also ask your horse to bend through its back - one way and then the other always with a giving forward hand to encourage him to reach down - when you go into trot always make sure you're both balanced and he's reaching and that you're giving (holding hands with each other is a lovely phrase) - Tick tock along into trot but do push forwards riding from your leg into your soft contact and if he comes back at you flex him again or counter bend him if you're on a circle - the more flexible you get with him through his back the stronger he'll become - and the easier it will be for him to swing through with his hind legs - I'd do lots of half-halts and "almost" transitions - in that you ask for him to walk, but at the last minute, just as he's about to walk, push on into trot again - this will engage his hind legs - but be sure you're not asking him to go forward when you've got the handbrake on!
Lateral work will also help supple him up - and there's always cantering - something that my vet swears by to supple up/warm up older or more stiff horses as it's an easier gait for the horse to work in - I find that doing figures of 8 in canter on H supples her up far quicker than anything else!

Good luck!
Kate x

 

[hadfos]

Sounds like she has gotten used to the time off to me,lol!!Patience is the only key,if it was there before she was turned away it will come back,you may just have abit of attitude with it!!Afterall "why should she work when she thought she was going to spend all her days in a field",lmao,that be going through her mind i bet!!It is hard and frustrating,but..i would probably concentrate on real easy goals each schooling session until you win each one,i would probably introduce alot of pole work to get her thinking about where her legs are,different distances between each one so she subconciously has to shorten and lengthen herself to stop falling over them!Try lifting them slightly off the floor so she has to gather herself to step over them,may remind her about the job she is supposed to be doing!After that amount of time off you cant start were you left off unfortunately,the hard graft starts again!

Hope this is of some use,hard to pass comment really without seeing!!