Improving balance in young heavy horse

[Magicmillbrook]

We have now had our new heavy weightcob for about 6 weeks and it is going very very well

She is proving to be so kind and genuine, and loves to jump, however it has become apparent just how green her flatwork is and we want to work on this before we progress the jumping. On arrival she was grossly overweight, which cant help. She has lost about 25kg according to the weigh tape but I can see that her crest has softened, the fat pads on her shoulders and rump are much smaller and you can just about feel ribs (if you press hard!)

So

1 - has anyone got any advice on what excercises we can do. We have been doing lots of walk trot transitions and school moves. We have been working on getting a nice rythmical trot, and sticking to going large or doing big circles in canter. We have also been attempting the spiraling excercise however this worries her a bit and ends up in a trot as fast as I can excercise!

2 - What degree of schooling would you expect in a 6 yearold heavy weight. I had heard that big horses are slower to mature, is this true?

Thankies

 

[Spudlet]

Re 2 - yes as far s I know this is true, think she could keep growing for another couple of years yet!

She sounds lovely

Will be even better when she stops being a Ribless Wonder

 

[Magicmillbrook]

LOL ribless wonder, she was a shoulderless wonder!

 

[Ginny24]

Can't help with flatwork. (sorry)

I'm not really sure how much schooling I would expect from your horse. I don't think I would be cantering yet on circles etc. especially if you say she is struggling. How is she in trot?? Can she bend well?? I would focus on getting trotting perfect before moving up to canter. Remember she might be finding it slightly more difficult too if she is still a bit overweight.

It is true that bigger horses are slower to mature ('bigger' in taller and wider sense

) I would probably expect her to mature in-between 6 and 7yrs, possibly 8 depending on her height, though that is unlikely.

 

[Magicmillbrook]

She can be quite good in trot when we have steadied the trot and got her listening, she will then bend well. Other times she rushes, gets very long and drops her shoulder to the inside and goes totaly to pot.

 

[Spudlet]

Given that you say she's a bit of a fattie, I'm guessing she's quite unfit too? Schooling will be very hard work for her if this is the case, so maybe hack gently to fitten her up and keep schooling sessions short and sweet for the time being - there's no rush after all. She'll find everything much easier when she's fitter, and it will also put less strain on her joints when she is the right weight.

That would be my inclination, though admittedly I find schooling quite boring so tend to school on hacks anyway rather than heading into the school