Getting a good trot in the school?

[Elsbells]

I ride most days but never try to school my mare as I don't have the skill too. This afternoon though I watched a friends lesson and after they had finished, I popped into the school where they had left the equipment out, for a bit of a try for myself by myself. Ellie my mare has never liked schooling and a friend who has tried to help me a couple of times has said that she is a very hard ride. I have had to work at just getting her to go onto the bit. Out on our hacks though, which she likes, we don't seem have the same problems and in fact she's very forward going.

I was amazed that we did so well tonight and would like to do more. We did some ropey but passable shoulder in down the long side, leg yielding and rein changing around 4 bollards at walk. She was very supple and quick at this for the first time ever and I think she could perhaps do some barrel raceing but, I just cannot get her to trot any sense. It's very bumpy and although she'll drop her head into an outline, it's so very brief and then all she wants to do is lift her head up and flick off into a canter.

She is an x showjumper so could that be why? Or do I just need a few/lot of lessons?

I'm really pleased with her though as she is trying now and not freaking out at going over the poles, when before it was a definate no no.

 

[Spudlet]

Lessons might help, it can be really good to have someone on the ground to point out the things you can't see, and it might also help you to feel more confident in your abilities, and give you some new things to try too.

If she is getting bored or stressy in the school, maybe try starting with short sessions then going on a hack, and gradually building up? When I rode a horse that was bored with schooling and would refuse to walk in, we would sometimes literally just walk in (eventually!), walk and trot round once or twice then go straight back out for a walk around the roads (this was in London) so he wasn't always anticipating another boring schooling session.