Help with ex racer, getting a out line

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thatsmygirl

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My ex racer is lovely but as soon as I ask for a outline he pokes his nose as far out in front that he can, he's only just coming back in work so any advise to try and help to get him to take a contact and not reach out for that finish line?
 
Ride him from behind and completely ignore where his head is, once his hind quarters are engaged and he's built sufficient topline his back will come up and his head will drop into an outline making a perfect curve from nose to tail.

Make sure you keep an even contact in your hands though so when he feels ready to work into the bit it is comfortable for him and he is rewarded for his positive behaviour.
 
The problme with ex-racers is that they are taught rein contact means go, not stop so to them any contact immediately puts them on high alert meaning it can be very difficult for them to connect contact to coming into an outline. I agree with above to ride from your seat and keep contact vey light. If you take up contact and the horse relaxes itno the bit immediately give with the pressure. Alternatively with my old racer- who was a complete pain would stick her nose out very stubbornly as soon as you took up the lightest of contact- i stuck her in a market harborough for two weeks (cheating i know and not the best way to go about it lol :) ) but just after two weeks she picked up working in an outline and once she had grasped the idea of working in an outline off of a contact she was really easy to school and i never had to use the MH again and she went on to become a champion riding horse! :)
 
Kokopelli said:
Ride him from behind and completely ignore where his head is, once his hind quarters are engaged and he's built sufficient topline his back will come up and his head will drop into an outline making a perfect curve from nose to tail.

Make sure you keep an even contact in your hands though so when he feels ready to work into the bit it is comfortable for him and he is rewarded for his positive behaviour.
Click to expand...

This^^^
 
Kokopelli said:
Ride him from behind and completely ignore where his head is, once his hind quarters are engaged and he's built sufficient topline his back will come up and his head will drop into an outline making a perfect curve from nose to tail.

Make sure you keep an even contact in your hands though so when he feels ready to work into the bit it is comfortable for him and he is rewarded for his positive behaviour.
Click to expand...


As said above. Some horses take much longer than others to work comfortably in an outline, my ex racer took a few months before she was strong enough to hold herself in a constant outline.

Just keep riding forwards and make sure he listens to your leg, once he is working properly from behind the outline will just come.
 
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