Embob1
Well-Known Member
Morning 
I don't often post on this site anymore but I'm in need of some advice.
I have recently started riding again, my friend found me a share horse, I have been riding him now for about 3 months.
He's about 15.2hh, cob and is around 15 years old.
His owner does not ride much, hence why I am riding/sharing, so he's quite unfit. He's already a lot fitter in just the few months of riding and is already starting to work for longer periods of time and is even working a bit rounder, and a few people on the yard have commented on how he looks fitter
The problem is, on the left rein he works with his head pointing to the outside and will not go into the corners - he cuts them out and tries to rush past them, no matter what I do I can't get him to work his head into the inside or push him into the corners more. I think it's because he's really unbalanced on that rein, and to work on the corners problem I have tried doing small circles in each corner and it helps a bit. I have tried riding with my outside rein a lot looser to see if it was me pulling his head to the outside but there was no change.
So my question is, how can I build up his balance on that rein? On the right rein he is fab and works really well, it's just the left. I work each rein evenly when I ride him.
Also, his canter his pretty unbalanced, which again I put down to his fitness, he's already a lot better but are there any exercises I can do to build up his balance in the canter? Or his fitness/balance overall? I have access to a sand surface school, a lovely big field with 2 dressage arenas set up for use, and a mile round tarmac track. Hacking (road and fields) is also a possibilty but I can't go out alone and is sometimes difficult to go out with others.
Sorry for a bit of an essay and any help is much appreciated Thankyou.
I don't often post on this site anymore but I'm in need of some advice.I have recently started riding again, my friend found me a share horse, I have been riding him now for about 3 months.
He's about 15.2hh, cob and is around 15 years old.
His owner does not ride much, hence why I am riding/sharing, so he's quite unfit. He's already a lot fitter in just the few months of riding and is already starting to work for longer periods of time and is even working a bit rounder, and a few people on the yard have commented on how he looks fitter
The problem is, on the left rein he works with his head pointing to the outside and will not go into the corners - he cuts them out and tries to rush past them, no matter what I do I can't get him to work his head into the inside or push him into the corners more. I think it's because he's really unbalanced on that rein, and to work on the corners problem I have tried doing small circles in each corner and it helps a bit. I have tried riding with my outside rein a lot looser to see if it was me pulling his head to the outside but there was no change.
So my question is, how can I build up his balance on that rein? On the right rein he is fab and works really well, it's just the left. I work each rein evenly when I ride him.
Also, his canter his pretty unbalanced, which again I put down to his fitness, he's already a lot better but are there any exercises I can do to build up his balance in the canter? Or his fitness/balance overall? I have access to a sand surface school, a lovely big field with 2 dressage arenas set up for use, and a mile round tarmac track. Hacking (road and fields) is also a possibilty but I can't go out alone and is sometimes difficult to go out with others.
Sorry for a bit of an essay and any help is much appreciated
Thankyou.