Bri
Well-Known Member
I thought a bit of flattery would make you want to read more..
I'm in desperate need of some help please, it's going to be a bit of a long one I'm afraid, but please bare with me and I will be eternally grateful!
I'm having a whole host of problems with my 4 year old and have come to a bit of a dead end as far as my knowledge extends.
Bit of background - I broke him myself last summer, (I did 2 others before him, so am not a complete numpty before anyone suggests that as a reason!!) he was hacked lightly until the winter, then turned away and brought back into work in Feb. He was doing very well - lots of hacking and schooling once a week which he excelled himself in. However he then started losing weight and was diagnosed with some mystery virus, which has taken him a while to get over and he did come back from it a bit uncoordinated and all over the place which the vet said was to be expected.
The problems have all come about as of the last few days. I had a lesson about 10 days ago, where the trainer wanted to work on walk to canter transitions - I wasn't overly convinced it was the right thing for him to be doing but stupidly bowed down to the more knowledgeable instructor and got on with it. Pony picked up the idea very quickly, was very good at them, lesson ended. All seemed fine. He had a week off due to my exams, and then I hacked him a few days ago where I noticed that in the trot he was a bit hollow and kept pre-empting the canter transition. I took him in the school yesterday and it had all gone to pot completely. He jogs through the walk, and when asked to trot, head comes up, he hollows his back and tries to canter. At the same time he was poking his nose to the outside and swinging his quarters in and whenever I tried to correct him up came the head, very fussy in his mouth and hollow back again. I went back to basics getting him to walk every time he jogged and then asking for a trot, bringing him back to walk and so on and on and on and on. Cue an hour later we finally managed walk and trot on a very loose rein. Tonight he was fine on a loose rein but as soon as I tried to take up smallest contact, quarters came in, head up and he tried to run away.
Right, so I can hear you all saying, get a good instructor/professional in to ride him. Which believe me I would love to do. However the guy I was having lessons with also runs the yard and would take it very personally if I got someone else in, and I really dont want to upset him as would make my life very difficult!
Just to pre-empt the usual responses - his teeth were done 2 months ago, saddle fitted about the same time. Back seems fine. I'm thinking perhaps he just felt overfaced by the walk/canter transitions and has lost confidence, rather than a pain thing but feel free to correct me if you think otherwise. He is ridden in a NS starter bit and is a very sensitive little soul anyway with regards to aids. I had to take his flash off a while ago as it was making him really tense and unhappy - so now I have problems with him sticking his tongue out the side of his mouth instead. Would playing around with different bits/nosebands help?
If anyone has got to the end of this epic amount of drivel and feels like they might be able to give me some words of wisdom/ a slap in the face/tell me to give up the horse before I ruin it forever (delete as appropriate) please do!
I'm in desperate need of some help please, it's going to be a bit of a long one I'm afraid, but please bare with me and I will be eternally grateful!
I'm having a whole host of problems with my 4 year old and have come to a bit of a dead end as far as my knowledge extends.
Bit of background - I broke him myself last summer, (I did 2 others before him, so am not a complete numpty before anyone suggests that as a reason!!) he was hacked lightly until the winter, then turned away and brought back into work in Feb. He was doing very well - lots of hacking and schooling once a week which he excelled himself in. However he then started losing weight and was diagnosed with some mystery virus, which has taken him a while to get over and he did come back from it a bit uncoordinated and all over the place which the vet said was to be expected.
The problems have all come about as of the last few days. I had a lesson about 10 days ago, where the trainer wanted to work on walk to canter transitions - I wasn't overly convinced it was the right thing for him to be doing but stupidly bowed down to the more knowledgeable instructor and got on with it. Pony picked up the idea very quickly, was very good at them, lesson ended. All seemed fine. He had a week off due to my exams, and then I hacked him a few days ago where I noticed that in the trot he was a bit hollow and kept pre-empting the canter transition. I took him in the school yesterday and it had all gone to pot completely. He jogs through the walk, and when asked to trot, head comes up, he hollows his back and tries to canter. At the same time he was poking his nose to the outside and swinging his quarters in and whenever I tried to correct him up came the head, very fussy in his mouth and hollow back again. I went back to basics getting him to walk every time he jogged and then asking for a trot, bringing him back to walk and so on and on and on and on. Cue an hour later we finally managed walk and trot on a very loose rein. Tonight he was fine on a loose rein but as soon as I tried to take up smallest contact, quarters came in, head up and he tried to run away.
Right, so I can hear you all saying, get a good instructor/professional in to ride him. Which believe me I would love to do. However the guy I was having lessons with also runs the yard and would take it very personally if I got someone else in, and I really dont want to upset him as would make my life very difficult!
Just to pre-empt the usual responses - his teeth were done 2 months ago, saddle fitted about the same time. Back seems fine. I'm thinking perhaps he just felt overfaced by the walk/canter transitions and has lost confidence, rather than a pain thing but feel free to correct me if you think otherwise. He is ridden in a NS starter bit and is a very sensitive little soul anyway with regards to aids. I had to take his flash off a while ago as it was making him really tense and unhappy - so now I have problems with him sticking his tongue out the side of his mouth instead. Would playing around with different bits/nosebands help?
If anyone has got to the end of this epic amount of drivel and feels like they might be able to give me some words of wisdom/ a slap in the face/tell me to give up the horse before I ruin it forever (delete as appropriate) please do!