snurse
Well-Known Member
Need some advice about riding my horse in the sand school. Need just to tell you a bit about her. First, I don't know her background, except that it's clear she's been very well schooled at some time. I've had her 3 years, and she's 13. She is a total gem outside the school. Behaves near enough perfectly, slightest nudge for upwards transitions etc. Took her in the school after a while of just hacking her out. She seemed a bit confused, as if she'd never been in an outdoor school, but was OK to walk and trot. Refused to canter. Acted as if she thought it was too small - she's a big girl! Anyway, we eventually overcame that although I admit when she cantered she felt out of control - too fast and not very steerable. All right, I'm not the greatest rider, but this was odd behaviour from her. Since then (and I haven't used the school much since) she tries to get into canter all the time. She's quite difficult to keep controlled in trot. If we do canter she goes faster and faster, motor-biking round the corners and she's twice had me off, quite painfully, at these corners. She's much the same on the lunge. My very experienced instructor tried lungeing her with me riding and she shot into canter on quite a small circle and would not stop until I came off. So, to my question (at last). Can anybody suggest what is going through this horse's mind? Are there exercises I could try with her in the school that might overcome it? I'd really like to exercise her in there sometimes but it's the only place where this horse has hurt me and I'm cautious. She has always been good outside the school. I did wonder if it's fear. I noticed when I first had her, that she had a tendency to try to go fast at anything she wasn't sure of (like steep hills), but we got over that quite quickly. Sorry this is so long, but you have to know what a well behaved horse she is normally.
