Horse heavy in my hands - how can i correct this??

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eatonbraynat

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I have been seriously 'training' my 8 year old cob, who previously was just field kept for a looooooong time for the past 20 weeks. He has progressed fantastically. We have had lessons and had all back, teeth, you name it we have had it checked and altered and checked again!!!! He is working well on the bit and we have done a couple of showjumping shows, dressage and a xc event, nothing over 2'6". Two things really, we progressed so fast that now i cant see any progression as we could before and i feel like i am stuck in a rut. Although i know this is prob due to the fact that things are now harder as we have worke through the initial stuff really quickly.

Secondly, now when i ask him to work in an outline he is quite heavy on my hands, and i dont know what to do to correct this. I am so impatient, i want to see instant results and he has spoilt me doing so well so quickly, but now i feel like i cant do anymore and im not capable. Any encouragement would be very welcome. Cookies to all :)
 
Cobs tend to be "on the forehand", mine certainly is! I'm doing loads of transitions to engage his back end and try to get him off it. For example on a 20m circle I try and fit on 4-6 walk-trot transitions. We've just started doing halt to trot and trot to halt too. Also we are working on turn on the haunches for the same reason.
I also try to not give him anything to lean on, so if he carries himself nicely my hands stay soft and quiet, but if he leans I play with the bit - like tiny half halts to remind him to carry his own head!
I'll be watching this thread to pick up some more tips!
Good luck. Don't be disheartened, it will come in time. x
 
Thank you Just Jasper some good ideas. I am also starting to have more lessons with my instructor re this. I get very frustrated with myself, (never my horse) but i know these things take time. I can get carried away though and over do the schooling, how many sessins a week would other people do????
 
I'm afraid you've gone too fast really. You can't say that he is working 'on the bit' or 'in an outline', if he is heavy in your hands. As said above, transitions are good to get him off the forehand and carrying his own head. I would also drop the contact, (if necessary ride on the buckle) and ride with your seat and legs. Take him hacking over as varied terrain as possible. Jumping could also encourage him to be on the forehand, so I would go back to pole work for a while, until you see some progress.
Cobs do tend to like someone else to do the work!
 
Interestingly, jumping (correctly) tends to help lift my big cob. His excitement means he brings his hind leg through and its easier to get him to engage and carry his weight behind more.

What works wonders for us is trot - almost walk - trot transitions, really activates the hind leg.

Rein back also good

Shoulder in / shoulder fore
 
I'd suggest something my trainer said to me many years ago.

HE's TOO HEAVY FOR YOU TO CARRY SO DON'T DO IT... The second he leans on you, drop the contact. Also never give a rein signal that he doesn't respond to Short sharp rather than long pull) and the second he does accept your signal. let the rein go slack again. The second you nag or allow him to lean you are perpetuating the problem... Also loads of transitions anything to get the forwardness... If you don't give him a contact to lean against then he simply can't do it. It can be quite scary if they are heavy in the hand but I promise he'll only stumble (if at all) once or twice before he works out that that is no longer an option.

Blitz
 
My tb at the beginning of a session can be quite heavy in the contact and I used to try everything to get him off the forehand and working from behind -usually epic fail as he is soooo long and like the titanic to turn :) so I was given the same advice as above the moment he starts to lean or the contact isn't to your liking - give it to them . The first few times you could feel him thinking she'll catch me in a minute and he got longer and longer and heavier and heavier and eventually it just clicked that actually he could hold his own fat head up and I didn't need to do it for him :) Everything improved once he realised this and he settles far quicker at the start of a session now
 
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