Issue with going in straight lines

[Scot123]

Looking for advice please . I don't have an arena, but have a small area fenced off in the field which I can use. We mainly just enjoy hacking out but I have an issue!

Either in the 'school' or out on hacks my horse just will not walk in a straight line. This can be really annoying/dangerous on the road as she will constanfly drift out into the middle of the road, so I have to be fairly regularly using my outside leg to bring her back over. It's the same in the school - she will go down the long side shoulder in and bum out and often no amount of inside leg will bring her back over, you can feel her actively fight against the leg. The same issue on both reins, though left rein maybe slightly worse.

When my child rides (on lead rein) I have noticed she still does the same thing.

She recently had back and saddle checked and all was fine.

Please can you offer advice on what I might be doing wrong, or what I can try to help with the problem?

 

[TheMule]

You need to teach her to be off the leg- teach her what leg pressure means, horses will naturally push into pressure so she needs to understand to move away from it. I find this easiest to teach in hand on a verbal cue and then translate it into ridden work- she should be able to do a basic leg yield and shoulder in both ways minimum to be safely rideable on the roads

 

[Red-1]

Is it always the same way, when in the arena?

It isn't that unusual to drift out into the road for a baby (as a result of noseying at what is on the inside), but if the horse always drifts the same way in the arena, I would suspect there is an as yet undiagnosed issue. It could alternatively be to do with the camber of the road hurting a joint, from experience.

If you are holding the horse with your leg, then that can become habit. Horses start life as 'into pressure' animals, it is us who teaches then to be away from pressure. To train, I would set a line on the arena, if the horse goes into pressure, I would be sure not to use a holding leg, but be quite staccato in and out, 1,2. If that doesn't work, I would use a schooling whip to be a bit annoying. I wouldn't use a stronger and stronger leg, just a flick that annoys with the long stick. I would be the same to attain an upward transition, a light leg aid then a flickey stick.

The lack of education to be away from pressure often means it goes hand in hand, to have a horse who is not quick to march on and is driftey.

Also, watch out that you aren't using the rein to move the horse out. If you do, the effect can be to make the hind end swing in. If he doesn't already know a leg yield I would teach that, get help from a trainer if necessary. IMO, it is an essential tool to use when on the road, it helps obedience and reaffirms the away from pressure message.

ETA - Ha, cross posted with Mule!

 

[Scot123]

Thank you both very much. She is quite inexperienced so probably is still going into the pressure instead of away from it. I have taught her to move away from pressure on the ground by using my hand where my leg would be so that she steps over and she does this very well from either a very light pressure or saying 'over'. But when ridden, she ignores those same instructions. Is there anything else on the ground I could do that you would suggest?
She actually does it on both reins in the arena, though worse on the left rein.
I'm trying to keep an even contact with both reins and just using my leg to bring the hind end over - would that be correct?
Unfortunately as I've moaned at in previous posts, we are out in the sticks and have no instructors anywhere close and it's a long and expensive journey to get anywhere! So your advice is appreciated

 

[Ownedby4horses]

A very good simple trick I was taught by a western trainer was when doing things in hand, use your empty riding boot in your hand, rather than using just your hand, so that you are simulating the same feel as when using your boot when onboard. It seemed a bit odd when I first tried it but it definitely helped me.

 

[Scot123]

That sounds sensible - and worth a try, thanks!

 

[18hhOlls&Me]

outside rein and inside leg is the precursor for led yield and is very useful in developing straightness. Its an absolutely essential part of a horses training and will provide the foundation for good flatwork- essential for everything from hacking, jumping and dressage. Consult with a trainer as well who can see from the ground. But outside rein and inside leg turns your horse from pulling from the front to behaving like a 4 wheel drive!

 

[Red-1]

Thank you both very much. She is quite inexperienced so probably is still going into the pressure instead of away from it. I have taught her to move away from pressure on the ground by using my hand where my leg would be so that she steps over and she does this very well from either a very light pressure or saying 'over'. But when ridden, she ignores those same instructions. Is there anything else on the ground I could do that you would suggest?
She actually does it on both reins in the arena, though worse on the left rein.
I'm trying to keep an even contact with both reins and just using my leg to bring the hind end over - would that be correct?
Unfortunately as I've moaned at in previous posts, we are out in the sticks and have no instructors anywhere close and it's a long and expensive journey to get anywhere! So your advice is appreciated

Yes, the first thing you could do would be have someone on the floor beside you, so you use your aid then they 'explain' from the ground. But, if the horse is not whip shy and knows it is a communication tool fro ground work, they generally 'get' it when you annoy them with flicks, they take a slight side step and you stop.

I am not talking about beating them with it, just annoying them enough that they care to search for an answer, which you give as soon as they yield even in the mind, before the body actually moves.

Sometimes I have set poles up, a channel down the 3/4 line near the start of the long side then a second channel slightly to one side. Use the correct leg aid, keeping them straight, and help them understand with a flick, and then they leg yield to the second channel. A person can help from the floor to start with, but if you really pay attention and tune in and reward even the slight thought or inclination by removing the pressure, then I find that very little pressure/flick is needed at all.

Once they get the exercise, you can practice the correct aids. I may set up the 1st channel on the centre line, just as you turn onto it, then at the other end of the centre line have one channel each side, so you decide left or right, whilst keeping them straight.

I fond that leg yield is a combination of turn on the fore and turn on the haunch, so do teach both first as static turns. A lot of the success of this is in the setting up of them, bit in placement of the horse on the school and using the natural inclination of the horse. Once they 'get it' then make it more pure to the aids.

As per my original post, I would also make sure the horse steps forward willingly and generously from a touch to the leg, as without that, the sideways won't work. For them to 'hear' you ask for sideways, your leg has to not also be asking for forwards. For your leg to be silent when going forwards, the horse has to respond to the leg willingly and generously, and then self maintain.

So, I kind of gave those in the order of 'if everything else is done' so backwards as to the way I would teach them!

 

[P.forpony]

Straightness problems like this, barring a physical problem, are almost always due to lack of suppleness and flexibility.
A horse will always have a good and a bad side like us, so good side muscles are more flexible and stretchy and bad side are tighter and stiffer. This ends up with the good side doing more work than the bad side.
The effect is the same as you riding with one rein shorter than the other, neither you or the horse can straighten up even if you wanted to.

If you rely on leg or hands to maintain straightness then you will end up with difficulties using these aids later on. If you have to leg yield to keep straight then when you actually want a leg yield you'll have to work twice as hard.

The most simple way is lots of suppling and bending work encouraging the horse to stretch and lengthen on its stiff side. Once you get both sides of the horse working equally then the straightness will magically appear.

 

[Scot123]

Thank you all for taking the time to really explain this to me, that's great. I will carry on with what you are suggesting and see how we get on. I'll really concentrate on 'outside rein, inside leg' and do lots of bending work. I will also flick with the stick! And continue with the ground work. The one area I fall down on is having somebody on the ground to help. But we are booked in for a couple of weeks of instruction later in the year, so will aim towards that! Many thanks again.

 

[Regandal]

It can help if you put a bit more weight in the seatbone and stirrup of the direction that you want to go in, without doing gymnastics in the saddle of course.

 

[Carrottom]

Your person on the ground doesn't need to be an instructor,. Could you ask a friend, show them how you ask on the ground and ask them to do the same as you ask from the saddle.

 

[Old school]

Don't be disheartened, my mare is walking straight after 15 months. It is apparently quite difficult for them.

 

[Scot123]

Thank you all so much for your help and positive words. I really want to crack this because 1) it's so annoying and 2) it's just not safe on the roads. I'll put into practise what you've been saying. I suppose that's also true - it doesn't need to be an instructor on the ground, I feel a bit dim, I didn't think of that . I'll really spend time on suppleness exercises as that's not something we've done much of, and as you say pforpony, I don't really want to have to be constantly leg yielding as apart from anything else it's very tiring!

Thank you!

 

[milliepops]

The only thing I'd add to the advice already given is to make sure you actively ride forward and straight. It's easy to get stuck into correcting a sideways drift and you can end up missing the obvious thing about giving the horse a positive instruction rather than a "don't do that" negative type of instruction.

 

[palo1]

I find with young horses that it really helps to envisage riding down a tunnel which is just wide enough to ride through; it helps to concentrate the mind on maintaining straightness though with a real baby I would only ask for the 'tunnel' for a few minutes to start with; plenty of praise then a break etc until it becomes far easier and more normal for the horse to stay straight. I have known, but not used myself, people to use 2 schooling whips (NOT for whipping obviously) but for guidance but that can make for rather a 'wide load' lol!!

 

[Scot123]

You know, I think I'm probably guilty of that milliepops. I do sometimes find myself just concentrating on stopping the sideways motion so that I'm maybe not giving a positive forward instruction. I think I'll find that quite hard to change - that's when a good instructor would be so good to have. But I'll do my best!
Also, yes, I've heard of the 2 schooling whip idea but I just know I'd tie myself in a knot if I tried it

 

[milliepops]

I mentioned it because I've done it myself in the past, you can get so hung up on pushing the horse sideways to straighten up that you actually make it all harder, end up with over corrections etc. sometimes a clear instruction to go forwards, straight, is what the horse needs to understand what it should be doing. Imagining a tunnel or a tube or whatever works for you is a great visualisation, i have found that useful when jumping narrow fences too because it makes you ride in the same positive way.

 

[Scot123]

Thanks, I'm going to try this as I definitely am guilty of overthinking/anticipating the sideways action. Really helpful advice x

 

[Carrottom]

An instructor once told me that "my hands are the corridor through which I ride my horse" I found that helped me to ride forward.

 

[sbloom]

And if you're not sitting perfectly straight, and few do, the horse has to step out underneath you to support your weight, so it's very hard for them to go straight.

 

[palo1]

And if you're not sitting perfectly straight, and few do, the horse has to step out underneath you to support your weight, so it's very hard for them to go straight.

That is a very good point!

 

[Adoni123]

When I have a problem with this, I do diamonds in the school (field is fine, I just use little cones for the school in the field) and aim for one stride straight per line and go up from there, makes them think a bit more. Going large is sometimes too straight and they lose focus. Serpentines are good too!

 

[Spotherisk]

To add, could you get someone to film you riding, it can be quite shocking when you realise your left shoulder is up and your left hip down, and the right leg gripping, when you thought you were straight as a die!

 

[sbloom]

To add, could you get someone to film you riding, it can be quite shocking when you realise your left shoulder is up and your left hip down, and the right leg gripping, when you thought you were straight as a die!

100%. It's amazing when you straighten someone up, and their saddle, and they feel awful as they thought they were straight before!

 

[P.forpony]

The only thing I'd add to the advice already given is to make sure you actively ride forward and straight. It's easy to get stuck into correcting a sideways drift and you can end up missing the obvious thing about giving the horse a positive instruction rather than a "don't do that" negative type of instruction.

Absolutely this too ?
An instructor of mine who really helped, insisted on riding green or young horses with hands very wide. The reason being it creates an arrow or a funnel to help them find the middle. If they start to drift just push them forwards into the middle so they find straightness themselves instead of using an aid on one side to correct and ending up with the yoyo effect
As they get straighter the hands get closer together again.

 

[milliepops]

yes with a young horse especially it's important to give them the "how to do it" instruction rather than just a "don't do that" one. as they don't naturally know what a straight line even IS, let alone that you intend that they go in a straight line, or any idea about how to do that well
Same as they don't know what to do in a corner, or how to get round a circle etc. no pre-installed software

 

[Country Mouse]

Has your horse ever been in harness? I had one like that, he was always making room for the cart. Stayed out from the gutter, though he was straight on that line. I think he worked it out for himself in the end.