Help please! How do I get t'oss more forwards?

The mad TB

The mad TB

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I'm currently struggling with getting Conn more forwards in the school, any good advice/excercises you peeps have?

I carry a schooling whip and I don't mine giving him encouragement when he drops behind my leg but I can't be dealing with how often I have to do it! If I give him a bigger tap then he just bucks and then goes even more backwards thinking! I'm not inclined to use spurs when he's so young and I don't believe I have a stable enough lower leg.

:) x
 
Transitions :) if mine is having a backwards day I just change gear every few strides - really gets him forward and listening.
 
He might not truly understand what the whip means and therefore bucks. Same as anything else you have to teach them what the whip means
Start by. Using just the whip, no leg. You also need to be quick to respond to him
Tap behind the leg increasingly fast and a little firmer, keep going DO NOT stop until he steps forward. Then when he does you stop immediately and praise
Do it both sides and in all paces
Again like anything else he will get better if you get the timing right
 
I have the same issue with my 5 yr old cob. I mainly hack and only school once a week (very rarely twice) and for only 15 mins at a go.

I do lots of transitions - starting walk to halt, then trot / wLk then finally trot to halt to trot again. She's starting to get much more forward ( but still a long way to go yet!) I use a schooling whip and just give little taps if she ignores my leg, lots of voice commands so now when I say trot off she goes.

We also do a jumping clinic with an instructor once a month and she's very forward then as it's fun (although after about 25 mins she's very tired so we don't do much)
 
Do lots of fun things as well as schooling so plenty of hacking ideally at speed, jumping or other obstacles give him a job to do and engage their interest more. You can then school at the same time or just school with plenty of transitions and changes of direction.
 
Theocat, thanks I'll try that today, can tell he's going to enjoy it ;)

Tallyho! I wish! Unfortunately he'd kill himself and I'm not sure I could stop him... :p

Rachaelstar, did you do any specific exercises? How could I find a BD trainer near me? Don't think it counts as cheating ;)

Soulfull, really good advice thanks! I'll try that too this afternoon :)

Palerider, I'm afraid I'm with Cortez on this one, what do you mean?

Maxapple, unfortunately I cant hack him much as he'll only go out in company and it's getting so dark after-school :(

Cocorules, when he's out in company he's perfectly forwards (I cant hold him at times) and I do quite a bit of fast work to get him fit :) But the other ideas sound good as well

Thanks for all your help guys! x
 
Get him thinking forwards outside the school, then transfer it to the school. Preferably on hacks, fun rides, hunting etc. If it isn't possible to hack for long after school, then at least go out for 30 mins or so of good paced hacking, have a canter or two then do 20 mins of good forwards work in the school. Even 15 mins of good, forwards schooling is better than an hour of bad (i.e. not in front of the leg) schooling. Maybe twice a week lunge him with just a cavesson for a few mins on each rein & get him forwards then 20 mins good active work. Vary the schooling too, so maybe some poles, trotting in & out of cones etc. If you can try & school when someones doing fast work in the arena.
 
Pale Rider said:
Motivation I'd the key to this. Less is more.

Whips, leg or spurs won't maintain forwardness.

This sort of problem is fun as the solution is not what you think.
Click to expand...

Agree. Try clicking, it worked well for my horse. Having done the initial clicker training (ie click means reward), I just clicked everytime she went forward off a light squeeze from my leg. The trick is click at the moment of impulsion, if it doens't go forward, the negative reinforcement, ie whip. It doesn't take them long to work it out. Clearly stopping and feeding treats can get a little frustrating, so once established you phase it out.

It just completely changed our relationship and gave her a stake in going forward. Worked for us!

Alexander Kurland book is great or Hannah Dawson has a very interesting website.
 
What do you do when horse is too forward?
Horse is lazy and not going off leg > do transitions > horse starts to anticipate with 2 or 3 transitions > starts trotting before you ask and also rushing.
Do you take what you can get, or would you insist horse walks until you ask for trot?
 
fidleyspromise said:
What do you do when horse is too forward?
Horse is lazy and not going off leg > do transitions > horse starts to anticipate with 2 or 3 transitions > starts trotting before you ask and also rushing.
Do you take what you can get, or would you insist horse walks until you ask for trot?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't count rushing as forward :D

Nor would I just do walk trot walk trot, I'd be doing walk trot walk halt trot halt walk canter walk trot canter trot walk halt walk .... so they can't anticipate! I'd do a lot more than two or three - more like forty or fifty as starting point, in quick succession.
 
Theocat

Quote de fidleyspromise What do you do when horse is too forward?Horse is lazy and not going off leg > do transitions > horse starts to anticipate with 2 or 3 transitions > starts trotting before you ask and also rushing. Do you take what you can get, or would you insist horse walks until you ask for trot?

I wouldn't count rushing as forward

Nor would I just do walk trot walk trot, I'd be doing walk trot walk halt trot halt walk canter walk trot canter trot walk halt walk .... so they can't anticipate! I'd do a lot more than two or three -more like forty or fifty as starting point, in quick succession.

I'd agree with this.

In my world standing is a gait. So going from stand to canter, or canter to stop teaches them to do what is asked and not to rush or anticipate.
 
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