Perfect_Pirouette
Well-Known Member
Okay, so G's schooling has come on tremendously these past few months I'm so happy with him and we're consistently getting placed in Prelims and Novices and always in the mid 60's% wise so I am extremely pleased with him.
I will get days with this horse, like the past couple of weeks where he will just be fantastic, from the minute my backside is in the saddle he's working through from behind, in a lovely soft outline, is supple and just goes so so nicely.....
....However, we will also get days like today where I could strangle him as he is CONSTANTLY on the forehand. He doesn't hollow anymore, that's a thing of the past (thank god!) he will always be in some sort of outline now. However, I only want it if it's true and he's carrying himself and not just fixed there by me like he was today.
I tried EVERYTHING today to try and get this horse off his forehand and working from behind but to absolutely no avail. I tried lots of halt-walk-halt transitions and knew he was on the forehand instantly as he couldn't hold himself in the halt, if I lenghtened the contact at all he just dropped forward into walk. So I did lots of halt-walk-halt transition, lots of walk-trot-walk transitions, tried to slow the pace within the walk and trot, so got him walking really, really slowly and then pushed it forward again as I thought that might help him get his hocks underneath him but no, tried the same in trot. I then,after about 15 mins gave up with all the transitions and put him on a 15 metre circle and tried to leg yield in and out of the circle, then changed rein and repeated, this helped a little bit but not much. I then did some rein-back or should I say tried to, he is normally great at rein back but today kept evading and either moving sideways or forwards (he bloody knew what I was asking him to do, he's done it enough!) we finally got about 2 steps and I immediately pushed him forward into trot, this normally works great but 2 steps just wasn't enough for him to get his hocks underneath him.
In the end after about 45 mins I just gave up as it obviously just wasnt going to happen today. I SWEAR that horse just comes out some days actually thinking 'I'm not going to work nicely today, I WILL be on the forehand and heavy in her hands etc etc' I just dont see how he can work so beautifully throughout the week and then today just be such a disaster?
I have a lesson next weekend so will ask for advice then and see what my instructor thinks but does anyone have any other tips for lifting him off his forehand? And would anyone have done differently to me today had their horse been doing similar?
I will get days with this horse, like the past couple of weeks where he will just be fantastic, from the minute my backside is in the saddle he's working through from behind, in a lovely soft outline, is supple and just goes so so nicely.....
....However, we will also get days like today where I could strangle him as he is CONSTANTLY on the forehand. He doesn't hollow anymore, that's a thing of the past (thank god!) he will always be in some sort of outline now. However, I only want it if it's true and he's carrying himself and not just fixed there by me like he was today.
I tried EVERYTHING today to try and get this horse off his forehand and working from behind but to absolutely no avail. I tried lots of halt-walk-halt transitions and knew he was on the forehand instantly as he couldn't hold himself in the halt, if I lenghtened the contact at all he just dropped forward into walk. So I did lots of halt-walk-halt transition, lots of walk-trot-walk transitions, tried to slow the pace within the walk and trot, so got him walking really, really slowly and then pushed it forward again as I thought that might help him get his hocks underneath him but no, tried the same in trot. I then,after about 15 mins gave up with all the transitions and put him on a 15 metre circle and tried to leg yield in and out of the circle, then changed rein and repeated, this helped a little bit but not much. I then did some rein-back or should I say tried to, he is normally great at rein back but today kept evading and either moving sideways or forwards (he bloody knew what I was asking him to do, he's done it enough!) we finally got about 2 steps and I immediately pushed him forward into trot, this normally works great but 2 steps just wasn't enough for him to get his hocks underneath him.
In the end after about 45 mins I just gave up as it obviously just wasnt going to happen today. I SWEAR that horse just comes out some days actually thinking 'I'm not going to work nicely today, I WILL be on the forehand and heavy in her hands etc etc' I just dont see how he can work so beautifully throughout the week and then today just be such a disaster?
I have a lesson next weekend so will ask for advice then and see what my instructor thinks but does anyone have any other tips for lifting him off his forehand? And would anyone have done differently to me today had their horse been doing similar?
