exerecises for a green young horse?

[abbie.b]

hi, i have recently just brought a 5 year old 16.2 thoroughbred mare. she was bred to race but never raced due to growing too big! how ever she has been through the training. i have brought her to bring on and hopefully event. wondering if anyone has some good tips for when schooling her, she is VERY unbalanced through canter but works nicely in trot - on a soft natural outline, any help would be appreciated!
thanks

 

[**Vanner**]

Lots of stuff that works on getting her listening to you, using herself and improving her balance. You'll be wanting to work on straightness, turning and then bending:

Serpintines, 15 and 10m circles, tear drops, diamonds, centre lines for straightness (very under rated as an exercise if you ask me), figures of eight to name but a few!

Do them in walk first then build up in trot.

 

[AbbeyandApache1]

I ve got a five year old myself however hes a traditional cob gelding and is only 13hh. Heres my advice: 1 keep her occupied work on circles, figures of eight, rein changes serpentines... etc, and do lots of transistions as it keeps her attention on her work rather than on other things... and it stops them from scheming (if you have a schemer, hence i say this i had a 13.3hh terror of a mare). ok?

 

[only_me]

I wouldn't do any small circles (smaller than 15m) personally as not going to help balance, much better to work on large circles, serpentines and circle spirals, and allow her to find her own balance.

Keep her rhythm regular and really work on her stretching her frame long and low so she starts to work over her back, building up topline and strength so she has the ability to work in balance

And I find doing lots of transitions helps balance - but it is no good doing 40 bad transitions, you must do every transition correctly - aim for 10 good walk to trot trans where she may not be in an outline but is reacting to the leg and moving off (and accepting) from the lightest of touches

The 4 year old I am riding atm is a tb and is very unbalanced in canter (she has only been broken 3 months) so I am not doing any schooling with her really, focusing on hacking and getting her to stretch low correctly outside

If you can hack then that would be the best way to help them find their balance, up and down hills (trotting up hills & long and low is a fab way to build up topline), over different ground letting them find their way

 

[abbie.b]

Thank you for all your replies! As you've al said I have done lots of work on larger circles. I have currently been hacking up to 4 times a week as the hills around us are brilliant to build up muscle.

She works nicely on a circle but when taken large around the school the legs are everywhere - typical baby! I would like some more exercises for her to help train her, she works best when learning new things but is a very sensitive and forward mare. Die to this if she is put under too much pressure she can sometimes feel restriced and panics - showing some very impressive acrobatic moves! Any
More help would be appreciated
Many thanks!