Horse Struggling with outline on just one rein?

ShowJumperBeckii

ShowJumperBeckii

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Hello, most people that read my posts will know that i surely but very slowly managed to get ebony using herself and working very nice a round its a tad harder for her as her arthitis but she struggles with it on the right rein just wondered if anyone had any tips or advice too help me and her out with keeping her using herself on that rein... And also struggling in canter,but do i just keep doing what im doing in trot and it will come slowly?
thanks :) x
 
It could be that she's stiffer/weaker on that side - most horses have a good and bad side but what I do is work more on the weaker side to balance it out and it does work providing you've checked her pelvis, back, poll etc and checked that you yourself are sitting evenly...
 
Ummm, you did mention arthritis? Sounds to me that your horse is telling you that she HURTS. Rather than trying to make her "use herself" I would LISTEN to her and try to either allieviate her pain or face facts and retire her.
 
Thanks tallyho will try working on that, she had her back checked not long ago and was all fine
cortez- thanks but she had the vet out a few weeks ago for jabs and he gave her hocks a check up and said all was looking alright and too keep her moving would be the best as it loosens them up, i can get her using herself she just cant keep as round as the other side :)
 
lungeing on the rein where she is weaker (not overdoing it though) should help when you come to do some ridden schooling work. It should get your horse used to bending more and using the muscles on the weaker side. I'm not in to gadgets as such, but have found that doing this with a pessoa gets mine to use her whole body more, rather than bending her neck and falling out through the shoulder (she's weaker on the right too).
 
Even with arthritis, there's no reason why she can't carry herself properly (although she might find serious collection and lateral work difficult).

OP, I would firstly concentrate on making sure that YOU are definitely sitting straight and that your rein pressure is the same on both reins. You'll be surprised how many riders (me included!) think their horse has the problem, until someone points out that one rein is shorter than the other, or one hand is held higher. Try putting a bit of tape on each rein and then making sure that each hand is an equal distance away from the tape pieces.
Also, try a little bit of work without stirrups - if you are sitting off to one side, chances are you'll feel like you are going to fall off LOL!!

Also, don't fall into the trap of working the 'off' side more than the 'good' side, but do make sure you work them both evenly, and give her a bit more latitude on the side she finds harder. So, with a circle, on her difficult side, just move the outside hand up the neck a bit to allow her to stretch round your inside leg, before taking the contact back to ask her to come up a bit. That sort of thing.

Up and down transitions on both reins are a super way for the horse to get used to carrying herself. I start my schooling sessions with LOADS of these, every few steps. It shortens them up and gets them listening.

Do you lunge her? Lungeing done properly is a great way for you to firstly see where she's struggling and also to give her the opportunity to carry herself without a rider (who may or may not be sitting off to one side). If you do lunge her, once she's warmed up, try bringing her onto a smaller circle in trot and then letting her back out onto the bigger circle. Again, this will just encourage her to get her back end underneath herself, which will make it easier for her to carry herself.

Have fun! Hope it goes well.
 
With Arthritis, the more you do the better horses and humans are for it. Depending on age, every horse has a touch of arthritis and the best thing is to exercise.
 
ShowJumpingBeckii123 said:
Thanks tallyho will try working on that, she had her back checked not long ago and was all fine
cortez- thanks but she had the vet out a few weeks ago for jabs and he gave her hocks a check up and said all was looking alright and too keep her moving would be the best as it loosens them up, i can get her using herself she just cant keep as round as the other side :)
Click to expand...

get a physio to check her front end, my mctimoney practitioner came and checked my ebony, who was just like that for a while and fixed her a treat, Eb's problem was in her shoulder, only slight correction needed but the way she had been compensating really affected her entire way of going and caused uneven development in her muscles. she is now (or was till I stopped riding her in august) a completely different, far more balanced and supple ride
 
Cortez said:
Ummm, you did mention arthritis? Sounds to me that your horse is telling you that she HURTS. Rather than trying to make her "use herself" I would LISTEN to her and try to either allieviate her pain or face facts and retire her.
Click to expand...

I think you would find it pretty difficult to find any horse over about 12 years which wouldn't show some degree of arthritic changes, should we therefore retire all of them? :rolleyes:

As others have said, much better to keep her moving. Be completely disciplined with your own riding, make sure you are sitting evenly and most importantly, include a really good warm up and cool down programme every time you ride :)

ETA I have traumatic arthritis in my knee (at the grand old age of 30) and my boy has hock arthritis. We have both benefited from magnetic wraps :)
 
thank you :) maybe i could also try warming her up on that side just for a bit longer so shes even more loose and should make it easier for her? :p
dont worry about it china i knew if i used the word 'arthiris' id have at least one person telling im doing wrong and should retire/pts:p :rolleyes:
 
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