Horse turning to left

[Rootsinriding]

Hey everyone,
I’m currently loaning a past riding school horse who isn’t really used to riding without following a tail.
We started off really well and she was listening to me for around a week however now she’s had enough of me asking her to work even after 2 days off lol.
Now anytime I ride her on the left rein she will constantly be trying to pull inside. I’ve tried keeping contact on my right rein, leaning on my right stirrup and even tap her shoulder with my whip any time she leans in to try and get her to stop but she doesn’t seem to be responding. She used to fall in on the left shoulder but at this point she’s yanking the rein trying to make me turn to the left constantly.
She’s totally fine on the right rein and she’s usually worse the more people are in the arena. I think she’s just taking the piss and wanting to follow a tail at this point.
Anyone have any more suggestions?

 

[JackFrost]

It's not at all unusual for riding school horses to become very one-sided, and used to doing one thing.
I'd say she 's not 'taking the piss', she's just more comfortable on one rein than the other and probably finding it difficult to give you what you are asking (and maybe testing you to see if she can just do the easy bits!)
Keep gently working on her weaker/less flexible side, helping her with clear aids and balance. It can be a slow process to get improvement and depends a bit on your own level of riding. It may genuinely be difficult for her.
Could be useful to get an instructor to ride her and report back to you what they are finding in terms of her flexibilty, obedience etc, and see if she goes the same for all riders.

If she were your own horse, you'd get a physio/chiropractor and saddler to look at her to identify where she has stiffness and tightness or any actual discomfort in bending one way, don't know if this is a possibiltiy.

 

[Rootsinriding]

I’ve ridden her for years in lessons and although her left rein is her weaker rein, she’s never tried to cut across the arena she just occasionally falls in. At this point she’s strongly trying to pull inside which I’ve never had to deal with before.
I’ve asked my instructor and she’s suggested she is just trying to get out of work.
Getting a saddler or physio unfortunately isn’t in the cards either

 

[LegOn]

She might mentally be able to focus more when she is following a tail and ignore some issues that she has in terms of pain or discomfort and because she is following and doing what the rest of the lesson is doing, it will mean that a rider is asking less of her, so maybe the contact is less... this could mean she needs her teeth done or like others mentioned - physio/saddle fitter would be of benefit aswell.

Whatever is happening when she is a lesson and following another horse, it means the demand on her is less - without that, it seems like its shown up some issues that might not be able to be resolved with training or riding alone.

 

[Rootsinriding]

She might mentally be able to focus more when she is following a tail and ignore some issues that she has in terms of pain or discomfort and because she is following and doing what the rest of the lesson is doing, it will mean that a rider is asking less of her, so maybe the contact is less... this could mean she needs her teeth done or like others mentioned - physio/saddle fitter would be of benefit aswell.

Whatever is happening when she is a lesson and following another horse, it means the demand on her is less - without that, it seems like its shown up some issues that might not be able to be resolved with training or riding alone.

You could be right although in most of my lessons she’s at the front or we’re doing exercises individually and so isn’t blindly following anyway. She’s fine in canter too it’s just only in walk and trot and last week I rode her most days on my own and we didn’t have any of these issues either.

 

[LegOn]

You could be right although in most of my lessons she’s at the front or we’re doing exercises individually and so isn’t blindly following anyway. She’s fine in canter too it’s just only in walk and trot and last week I rode her most days on my own and we didn’t have any of these issues either.

Oh okay, from your original post you said 'I think she’s just taking the piss and wanting to follow a tail at this point.' I presumed this was part of the issue.

Keep up with the training and hopefully you can work through some of the issues with her!

 

[MereChristmas]

Here is one suggestion.
My friend’s loan pony would hack out happily but if asked to turn one way unexpectedly, I forget which, would not. The dentist discovered a sharp tooth which was digging into the cheek. Tooth filed, problem solved.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

She is probably sick to death of working in an arena! Try taking her on a short hack. Otherwise if you really can't organise checks, when she wants to turn left but you don't want her to, rather than opposing her and getting into an argument, open your right rein and invite her to move that way instead.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I’ve ridden her for years in lessons and although her left rein is her weaker rein, she’s never tried to cut across the arena she just occasionally falls in. At this point she’s strongly trying to pull inside which I’ve never had to deal with before.
I’ve asked my instructor and she’s suggested she is just trying to get out of work.
Getting a saddler or physio unfortunately isn’t in the cards either

Why can't you get the saddle checked or a physio out?

Horses don't generally have the thought of I know I will fall out through my shoulder and hang on the left rein because a don't want to work.

I have to agree with Amymay get her out hacking for a bit and maybe cut you school sessions to a few a week, but you may find you need to do a bit of rehab schooling and exercises to straighten her up, so a physio would help you with that so will correct pole work and some lateral work, but it doesn't happen overnight especially if a horse has been working in a certain wonky way for so long.

 

[LegOn]

Here is one suggestion.
My friend’s loan pony would hack out happily but if asked to turn one way unexpectedly, I forget which, would not. The dentist discovered a sharp tooth which was digging into the cheek. Tooth filed, problem solved.

100%! My horse who goes really well generally - started to get heavy on the right rein for no reason, I had the physio check him over and then were was some suggestions from my instructor of trying different bits etc but I got the dentist out - he had grown a little more one side than the other so if his mouth is lopsided, he will be lopsided! 5 mins with the dentist - problem solved!

 

[HeyMich]

Try riding her all around the arena, but not on the 'track', as used in your lessons. So, small cirlces, crossing the arena, serpentines etc, and each time you ask her to bend, make sure you are using gentle leg aids as well as the reins. Then progress to using obstacles such as poles, cones, tyres etc. Mix it up, so she doesn't know where you are going next. Also, change pace randomly too, so halt/walk/trot in the middle, then halt at one corner, then halt after a pole etc. She should get used to the legs more, and rely on the reins less. Then, next time you are riding around the 'track' as you would in your lessons, she should be more responsive to your aids and less strong.

Oh, as please do ask if you can get a saddler and physio to see her too, it sounds like she may be evading pain somewhere.

 

[Rowreach]

Some useful suggestions on here already.

It could be that a week of working in a different way for you has made her a bit stiff - much like if you suddenly started going to the gym after not doing a lot. A few days of straight-ish lines (hacking is a great idea) would loosen her up again.

 

[Rootsinriding]

Thanks for all the tips!
I asked the yard owner about it today and they said they’d the physio out recently and she was fine. I’ll ask about her teeth but we had a ride today and she went well, occasionally trying to turn it but a tap on the shoulder was enough to correct her.
I wish I could take her out hacking but it’s so icy here I don’t think it would be the safest option.

 

[Equi]

Have you ever lunged her or free schooled her? Does she do the same type of thing then?

 

[Rootsinriding]

Have you ever lunged her or free schooled her? Does she do the same type of thing then?

Again she’s surprisingly fine when I’m lunging her which is why I’ve been told she’s probably just taking the piss. I would love to mix up the routine and get her out hacking or even in our outdoor arena as she’s probably bored to death however everything is totally frozen. I’ve been trying to mix it up with different exercises and polework and working on transitions which she does seem to enjoy and seems to get her listening to me and usually then she’ll move as I ask.