Feel as though I'm constantly nagging at my horse :(

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charterline

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Just a bit of a moan/rant really, and any suggestions welcome!

Ridden horse today, and as ever, I feel that I spend the whole time nagging him constantly.

Flat work isn't too bad, but today was a jumping session. Horse is an ex eventer so knows all the tricks in the book about how to get what he wants!

I feel as I am constantly nagging as he puts his head up in the air badly, use leg and squeeze on the reins to say no don't do that. Then up comes a corner. Head then tips in the wrong direction to spook at something, ask the same again. Trying to jump a course of jumps, horse thinks he knows what's coming next, and sticks head up, and too the side so he can cut the corner, as he knows best.

Out hacking, loves to find things to spook at. If in a good mood, will flex left and right when asked. If has spotted the extra spooky thing, no amount of leg and hand will make him flex.

Saddle ok, back and teeth will be checked over next few weeks, although highly unlikely these are the cause, as always checked on a regular basis, and horse always has "bad" habits.

Does it in cavesson or a flash. Drop ordered to see if this helps (as he tries to open his mouth to evade contact as well). Bit is the happiest he goes in.

Have regular flat lessons, and trying to sort out a jumping instructor. I can ride pretty well, but as above, I just feel that I am constantly nagging my horse to do something, but then if he wasn't constantly trying to evade what I'm asking for I wouldn't be doing it :(
 
No suggestions but I do feel similar! my horse can be really nappy and I feel guilty because I feel like I'm always smacking his butt to get him moving again! its really annoying! he's fine in company but started being annoying when he hacks alone!
 
This will be a boring post but have you looked into why he's evading the bit and sticking his head up?

Obviously it'll go up a certain extent when jumping but if he's going completely hollow then there's a bigger problem.

In your situation I'd probably give bitless a go to rule out mouth problems and go right back to basics so it's almost boring for him.

I'd do loads of getting him to collect and extend, and loads of really slow, long and low trot work. Then I'd reintroduce poles, then tiny X poles.

Don't let him canter at jumps until he's totally under control in trot, then go from there.
 
Bit less is even worse, and as much as I like riding Bitless, it just compounds the problem of cutting of corners.

If I'm doing "just" flatwork and poles, he generally isn't rude at all, just when the jumps come out the rudeness does.

It is better than it used to be to a certain extent, and when ever the stupidity starts, life gets very boring!

I'm pretty sure that the behaviour stems from knowing he can get away with it, as soon as you correct one evasion, he comes up with another one.
 
How soft are your hands? If you can keep a light contact and are confident with 2 reins what about draw reins for doing pole work? You could pop low cross poles in them too and you would have much better control over his head and neck.
 
charterline said:
I'm pretty sure that the behaviour stems from knowing he can get away with it, as soon as you correct one evasion, he comes up with another one.
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Then, don't let him get away with it!

Go into your school determined that you will be in charge this time and every time he evades as you approach a jump or corner, circle him away from it. It doesn't matter if you never actually get over a jump, so long as you have dictated what is happening. I would also put jumps out when you intend to do your flatwork and get him used to ignoring them. Poles on the ground might be useful for this.
 
You could be doing something you are not aware of. Get a friend to video you. It can be an eye opener!

Also, when you do something right, reward him and make much of him. My horse has learnt that when he gets it right he gets a pat and well done and we stop doing that exercise. He has picked this up quite quickly.
 
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charterline said:
Bit less is even worse, and as much as I like riding Bitless, it just compounds the problem of cutting of corners.

If I'm doing "just" flatwork and poles, he generally isn't rude at all, just when the jumps come out the rudeness does.

It is better than it used to be to a certain extent, and when ever the stupidity starts, life gets very boring!

I'm pretty sure that the behaviour stems from knowing he can get away with it, as soon as you correct one evasion, he comes up with another one.
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I would keep a jump or two up and work him round them, most older horses have their own ideas about what they do you just need to be cleverer than him in dealing with it, if he only sees the jumps when you plan on jumping then the first thing is to break the pattern, also lots of polework using them in a structured way not always going over them but working round them, gridwork will help you gain more control and should help get him listening more than going round a course.

A good instructor should be able to give you more ideas once they have seen him.
 
I'd doubt it's balance, given that he uses the same evasions out hacking as in the school, and none of the instructors I've used have said anything about loss of balance
 
You need to anticipate the behaviour not correct it once he's started it. Mix up your schooling, leg yield into corners and do lots of circles and work off the track so he hasn't got time to amuse himself.

A good instructor and if you haven't already start feeding him mag ox and look at his diet. Try feeding a handful of unmolassed chaff before you ride as well.
 
Here's a fun fact: "nagging" used to be the term for training a horse. To "nag" is to constantly remind;a nag is a horse = that's how to train a horse.
 
Cortez said:
Here's a fun fact: "nagging" used to be the term for training a horse. To "nag" is to constantly remind;a nag is a horse = that's how to train a horse.
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Ha! I never knew that - excellent fun fact.

I would look at his diet op, do a bit of research and see if you can eliminate anything that may not be helping with concentration. Other than that a good jump instructor would probably be the way to go, so you can try exercises in lessons and see what might make him a little more workman-like in his attitude.
 
I've tried different feeds, nothing seems to make much difference, I have ascertained that for some reason dodson and horrell feeds do seem to suit him the best though.

He won't eat chaff on it's own, and not keen of fibre feeds, such as pure feed
 
Does he jump well though when he gets there? Does it affect your ability to do a course? If not I would let him get on with it. It may have been how he's always gone, I've known some jumpers go horribly but jump clear and as soon as you try to 'fix' it they stop jumping clear!
 
To a certain extent it does, as he will slice off corners to get to the fence which then is approached at the wrong angle. Not so much of an issue at lower heights, but obviously will be when the jumps get higher
 
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