Just broken in horse working in an outline?

lialls said:
I've seen a few pictures of 'just broken horses' who are working in a nice outline. I'm interested to know if you can train a horse (through the ground work you do before) to work in an outline as soon as it starts ridden work? is it that it comes more naturally to some horses than others? or is it the way they have ridden from day one of ridden work?
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Basically, no! There is no groundwork that teaches a young horse to work in a 'proper' outline as soon as it starts ridden work!

People try - and hell they ****** up some nice horses along the way!:mad:

This is one of our home-bred/backed youngsters on his 2nd day ridden. You'll see there is a 'contact' - but no attempt to put him in 'a shape'! The horse needs to learn to balance himself under a rider - and his neck is a balancing pole!

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This is the same horse 2 months later! He's slowly developing his balance and self-carriage!

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And this is a LOVELY little mare who was screwed up bigtime by a so-called 'trainer' who lunged her in TIGHT sidereins (and apparently thrashed her every time she 'mis-behaved'!!) After 8 weeks they hadn't managed to ride her (surprise, surprise!) and she was sent home!!

She came to us - with back problems, mouth problems and a SEVERE distrust of people! It's taken weeks to get her to trust (a bit); she is frightened of a contact and regularly throws her head forward violently - I think she's just trying to see if she's 'free'! The smallest thing spooks her and she takes off at speed - fortunately we got her word perfect to voice aids before getting on so I can stop her without touching her mouth. She WILL come good with time - but I would happily shoot the b*tch who tried to start her! Thankfully, her owner is prepared to invest the necessary to try to undo the harm done by the so-called 'professional' who was recommended to her - and hopefully we will be able to turn her into a horse we can find a good home for (she's not suitable for the owner - who loves her - but couldn't ride her.)

I don't care WHERE her head is as long as she's quietly accepting a light contact.

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But she IS starting to relax a bit and drop down into my hand. It'll probably be another fortnight before I can get her long and low and completely relaxed!

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An outline comes easily WHEN the horse is forward, and relaxed, and balanced! It's not something you TRY to get - it's the natural result of proper training!
 
Really interesting post....JanetGeorge "An outline comes easily WHEN the horse is forward, and relaxed, and balanced! It's not something you TRY to get - it's the natural result of proper training!"
Perfect. Thank you!
 
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