Horse drifting purposely??

[Fingerontheneckstrap]

My horse was a bit one sided when I got him due to a past tendon injury. He would overbend on one side, and then not bend enough on the other.

We worked a lot with my instructor to get him supple on both reins again and now he is perfect on both sides and really gets the aids. He’s even schooling some medium dressage movements at the minute!

However!! He can be a little on the hot side and much prefers his jumping to his dressage. We have focused on getting him fit a lot earlier this year which has made him a little bit mischievous at times, and it has been just this year that he has developed a new party to trick to get out of dressage schooling …

We will warm up as normal completely fine and once we begin to properly work and he realises jumping or hacking is not on the agenda today, he will “drift” like he used to (but in a very exaggerated way and this time on both reins at times, but mainly his old “bad” rein) in only two spots in the arena - one is a corner out to a path leading to a separate arena that has a showjumping course, the other is a straight fence that leads out to the gate… are you catching my “drift” here (no pun intended)… he wants out!

That being said he never drags me or has a rearing fit because he wants to go out, but it’s a very polite drift over to somewhere else. He will absolutely ignore my leg and rein aids trying to push him back over because he’s set on drifting off, and when i do push him forward and ignore the drifting he does go past and hurry away but he does not learn his lesson and does it every single time!! I think the 2 seconds of me politely trying to get him to counter bend give him enough of a break that it motivates him to keep doing it.

I generally just avoid these areas of the arena at the minute by doing serpentines, loops or circles but it genuinely drives me insane when I’m practicing a test and he does that.

To preface, he never does this out at shows or in other arenas, and if there are jumps set up in the same arena he drifts in that he knows he is jumping, he wont do it. He is regularly pampered by the physio who was out just last week and said he is probably the most muscled and supple he has ever been. In my opinion, he’s just trying to get out of work. We’re schooling some slightly more advanced dressage movements for both of us so I know it’s hard, but we are not doing it every single session and he only does flatwork in the arena max. 2 days a week, so he has a lot of variety.

Any ideas of exercises or activities to either get him to counter bend and actually remember I am there, or to get him to snap out of this drifting habit would be much appreciated!!

 

[Lois Lame]

I don't think he's trying to get out of work, he's just hinting that he'd rather be doing something more interesting. And that seems fair enough.

I think you have to look at it in a different way: he's testing your patience.

Perhaps you need to change your mindset a little. Just give the little aids that you have to give, and keep going. I don't think you should alter what you want to do or where you want to go. Just act as though everything is hunky dory and 'lighten up' a little . I think you are taking it too seriously.

Think of it as he's expressing his opinion and you are expressing yours. Keep things light-hearted.

He sounds like a lovely horse.

 

[Lois Lame]

Oh, and another thing, you know when the issue will crop up, so start your aids a little sooner. Pip him at the post, so-to-speak.

He's not going to 'learn his lesson'. I think that's the wrong mindset. You have to be ready and prevent him from doing it.
Just my thoughts.

 

[Juniper Jack]

Any ideas of exercises or activities?

Yes, take him over to the jumps and let him pop a few. It will make him happy and let him know life isn't going to be all dressage from now on 'til the end of time. Hopefully you will get a happier horse who won't mind dressage so much. You don't have to do it every day, or a course of Liverpools and triples, just a change for both your brains now and then.

 

[dorsetladette]

It's sounds like very low grade 'napping' think naughty kids pony making a bee line for the gate at every opportunity. He's just being more subtle about it. Outside leg and ride him forward into his bridle before he starts to nap. As he's only currently 'drifting' I think you solve this pretty easily.

But to keep him 'on side' while doing flat work can you stick a little cross pole in to pop over every now and then? It's never enjoyable to ride a horse that isn't enjoying his work, so makes it more fun for both of you.