Getting young horse off forehand?

iluvashy3

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2 December 2010
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I am a working student and I have a project horse (she's a pony actually) that I have to school and develop. She is a small cob, about 14.2hh, and she is eight. I work at a riding school and currently she is not really earning her keep there because she is only ridden by me and one or two of the regular young clients who are girls of about 13 who know her well and are good riders. When I first started riding her she would get very anxious and start rushing everywhere, especially if she thought she was going to canter or she was behind someone in a ride. I have managed to make her chill out and be less tense, and now I trying to develop her way of going and make her more rounded and balanced. She is very sensitive and forward going. She is very unbalanced when she canters, and her shoulders seem to be quite weak. I'm not sure if it's her shoulders or just her topline. She trips quite a lot and when you bring her out of the stable she always drags most of the shavings with her, so she doesn't really pick her feet up. Does anyone have any ideas about exercises I could do with her so that she gets stronger and less unbalanced and off her forehand? Thanks.
 

JillA

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1 May 2007
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Transitions - lots of them. And circles - lots of them, starting big and getting smaller as she gets more balanced and supple. And serpentines. Lots of them. All gymnastic exercises which get her stepping under with her hinds and so shifting the weight back
 
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