Exercises to stop my mare rushing when schooling

[rowy]

I have a tb mare who is 17 years old and obviously when younger has been pushed and kicked about so now she gets anxious and rushes everywhere (particularly in trot). This thing is she is lacking in muscle over her back as well so i am trying to get her to stretch which is very hard when she is going speedy all the time!
Because of the tenseness and rushing many people have said she goes in a false outline, do you think so/ she is hollowing a little bit since I am doing work without stirrups):

Also, any tips on how to get her to go from trot to walk/ halt without sticking her head in the air?
This is a pic of her current condittion, how does she look?
http://s957.photobucket.com/albums/ae58/rowy_01/august 10/?action=view&current=036.jpg

she has gone downhill since we moved as we only have hacking on roads or schooling in a field until we get a menage march next year. I was lunging her with a pessoa a couple of times a week which really was helping her to step under herself and help her back muscles. but since we moved i haven't lunged her because only on grass

 

[Jennyharvey]

She looks like a nice we mare.

Can you ride her on a loose rein?

I never want to have to control the pace with a short rein. I want my horses to do all the paces that i ask for, without rushing or pulling.
I think, like you say, she has been kicked on, and possibly pulled in the mouth too.
I would recommend the one rein stop again for this. It enables you to disengage the hindquarters without pulling her head up, and when she gets good at it, you should be able to walk, trot and canter on a loose rein.

Only when you can do this work on a loose rein, will you be able to encourage her to lower her head and still be in control.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmpDSbXPtzU

Basically, any time your mare rushes off on you, ask her to bend to a stop. But its best to teach it well before hand so she understands it.
I promise you, if its taught right, you will be able to ride without her rushing because if everytime you bend her to a stop, she will learn that its easier not too. It will also teach her what speed you want. If every time she rushes and you bend her, then she should learn that you dont want her to rush off.

Like i said, when you can ride her without having to use your reins to stop her, you can concentrate on using them to work on her outline.

Good luck.

 

[xloopylozzax]

*sorry for essay and odd verbal diarrhoea in places*
half halts are your friend, as are indirect (snappy) transitions and changes within a pace.

my mare used to do this, was a culmination of- faster means we get home quicker (we only school on hacks, no arena unfortunately) and i can evade working really hard by just speeding through the contact and going flat.

i've stopped it by stopping if she starts to rush (and stopping straight away when i tell her, no creeping forwards), wait until she stops going gogogogogogo under her breath and actually waits for me (usually sighs and drops her head) and occasionally asking for rein back- doubles as getting her back on her hindquarters and stops the rushing so much because its easier to go forward slowly than backwards until she stops rushing.

repeat this every few strides/between lamp posts first in walk:halt, then a few strides of trot back to walk then progress into trot:halt, canter:walk etc keep it varied to keep her on her toes.
basically the aim is dont give her time to rush by setting on working in one gait all the time

second was the half halt- my mare didnt really get these (my fault completely, we just hacked for a year or so and she stops and goes and is great fun, but scuppers any competition plans!)
they started off crude , but she soon got the hang of it- we played with "little walk" and "little trot" with lots of little half halts in the end to just get a very very collected pace in place of changing into trot or halt.
best thing i found to slow the trot was sitting trot, with a halt:trot transition, just a few strides then back to walk building it up, but not pushing for too much too soon- if she starts to rush you've done it for too long, you want to be back in walk before she gets too onward bound.

a change of bit helped me aswell, i went from a pelham (used it for show purposes and it just stuck even when we werent competing) into a single joint eggbutt snaffle just so she couldnt set and lean in it.

hopefully some of this helps, and hasnt bored the pants off you, I now have a lovely balanced, collected responsive horse to ride again instead of one who sets and goes at her speed!

 

[rowy]

Thanks for the detailed replies! I tried the lots of stopping and going exercises yesturday and she seemed much improved and by the end she was on a long rein, lowering head rounded to the floor which is great!