help with young horse - resisting

[millyspaniel]

Since changing my mares bit ( was in a eggbut snaffle) she has started going really well, she has stopped the head tossing now and seems alot happier with it (loose ring snaffle with lozenge)
She is 4yrs old,quite green, tb and is very sensible.
When i ask her to come into an outline (out hacking) she resists and doesnt seem to know what i am asking from her, i donrt want to start using gadgets - but someone suggested a bungee to help her out a little.
I only do this out hacking as i dont have free access to a menage, after a few mins of resisiting i never push her and just try again for a few mins the next day.
I was having lessons but found the instructer not really helpful although she said i was asking her correctly she was still resisting.........
Any suggestions?

 

[BFG]

Ensure she is going forward and appreciate it will be very difficult for her to carry herself in that way.

She is only 4 and green as long as her teeth are good and she is happy in her mouth i would just keep doing what you are doing and asking little and often, try not to pull her into and outline and keep a constant contact and leg on the rest will come when she develops the strength.

 

[OrangeEmpire]

I found with my youngster that asking her to look left for a bit then right for a bit started the idea in her head that she didn't need to fix her neck. It only took time and patience to progress from there to her softening properly. Think of doing stretching exercises that encourage suppleness (sp) rather than asking for shape for now.

I'm sure I need hardly add that the majority of asking should come from the seat and legs not from the hands...

if you give her the idea of relaxing her neck and encourage her to use her bum more, you should find she'll soften naturally over time.

 

[millyspaniel]

I ask her alot from my legs - more so than my hands, i hate to see people pulling there horses heads in - see-sawing the reins

i just give little squeezes on the reins and keep my leg on, she does drop her head for a secound or 2 then resists, i do reward her when she softens up. I guess it is just time and patience

)

 

[alesea]

[ QUOTE ]
I ask her alot from my legs - more so than my hands, i hate to see people pulling there horses heads in - see-sawing the reins

i just give little squeezes on the reins and keep my leg on

[/ QUOTE ]

Personally I wouldn't do this- if you think back to what you teach horses right from the basics, pulling on the reins, however lightly, means 'stop', and pushing from the leg means 'go'. What you are asking from your horse is for her to 'stop' and 'go' at the same time, which is giving her rather mixed signals. Confused horses are horses that are 'resistant' (unless they're in pain, anyway).

Considering that she is young and has never been asked to work in an outline, and therefore does not have the physical (muscular) ability to do so, I would be actually asking her to slow down (e.g. on an imaginary scale, go from an 8 to a 5). That isn't to say that she should lose all of her energy, but it will ask her to put more weight on her hind legs, and from there she will begin to build up the muscle to support herself in a natural outline.

You shouldn't need to 'ask' for an outline- provided that the horse is straight and active (no matter how 'forward' they are going) they will form one themselves. Remember that she's only a baby and until she develops enough muscle to support herself she cannot go truely 'forward' without falling on the forehand and therefore becoming unbalanced.

Obviously this is only my opinion, but I hope it gives you a few ideas- good luck!

 

[OrangeEmpire]

stretches all the way then! sounds like you're a nice quiet rider, just need to give her the idea now.

Edited to say: I do find that doing the squeazing thing with the fingers is often counter-productive however as it comes across as nagging. Stretch to one side by opening that hand and gently pulling (bad word, implies force!) the head round - only a little give to start with. You want a natural development to outline work rather than a quick fix.