Help please - Stiff on right rein

[Kate_13]

My horse has been stiff on right rein for a while, he has his back done regularly, saddle is fine and teeth done often.

I know it is a balance thing and he has only been properly schooled for past year.

He used to buck going into canter on right rein, now he does't. I have to point out that left rein is perfect in all gaits.

He still doesn't pick up the correct lead every time on right rein and also it is like he doesn't know what to do with his legs. He drops his shoulder and falls in.

How do I make him more supple on this rein? I am doing plenty of circles and encouraging the bend.

Any advice welcome. Thanks

 

[Equetouch]

If your horse is stiff on the right rein I would personally look at the near hind. Whichever rein you are on, then the outside hind is the weight bearing one, and often tension or stiffness elsewhere starts from the weight bearing leg either having a problem or the muscles, tendons or ligaments being tight or shortened.

A good physio/sports massage therapist can sort things out for you, but you must first consult your vet.

 

[Oldred]

Obviously difficult to be certain without seeing him go but, from your description, the horse is probably using his right foreleg as his main 'prop' leg. By that I mean he is one side dominant - like most of us! He may well be feeling 'good' on his left rein because he is bent this way naturally so, luckily, he will go better one way over the other. The thing to do is to pay a lot of attention to straightness. In walk make sure you are really sitting level yourself and you have both his long back muscles underneath your seat bones. If one side of his back is down relative to the other, here is your problem.

Its a tricky 'feel' thing (in my view) whereby you use your leg on the side that is falling out to guide/push across to help the horse to take weight more equally over both front legs. Your lower legs combined with seat also make sure the horse keeps his back up on the dropped side.

Also be sure to not let the horse hinge at the wither (turn it like a bus rather than an articulated lorry - a Mary Wanless image) and keep the horse's nose in the middle of the chest - not letting head and neck go the opposite way to the wither.

This is hard to explain in words - much easier on the ground or on the horse!