Kicking out at the leg...

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_jetset_

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I rode Grace this morning (second time since she's had almost 3 weeks off with an upper respiratory bacterial infection) and I have to say she is feeling really good at the moment. I long lined her first to let her 'express' herself without depositing me on the sand and she looks REALLY sound
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I was a little concerned because when I lunged her on Friday she looked a little unlevel at first, but I have now figured out that she genuinely does not know how to work into the side reins. Whereas this morning on the two lines, she started off really well and was so much happier
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Anyway, after 10 mins of long lining in walk mostly and some trot, I jumped on and she felt a bit behind my leg
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So, I did quite a few transitions (although I know this is where she improves so I must do a lot more tomorrow) and she felt a lot better and much more forwards. However, due to her PSD injury, she doesn't truly believe she can work through that side so gets a little stuck
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I asked her to do some leg yielding in the walk and trot which got her really stepping through with her left hind and flexing it, so when I picked up the canter and just asked for a bit more from that hind on the left rein I was quite shocked when she really kicked out against my leg
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I think normally I would have backed off through concern that there was something sore to develop that kind of reaction, but because I had just seen her working on the lines and it was fresh in my mind, I kept my lef leg on until her reaction was forwards as I was asking rather than kicking out. I kept flexing her left a little to get her off the left rein (she tends to have more weight in this one since her injury) and then really kicked her through.

It did seem to work, but I am just not 100% sure I was doing the right thing... Has anyone else got this problem or experienced it??? It was a real kick out at the leg with angry swishing tail, not just a buck
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I had a pony that when I first got her used to kick out at my feet. She was very athletic and would quite often get me!
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If she got really stroppy she would also try to turn her head round to bite my toes.
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It was just a case of ignoring it and keeping my legs on until she gave in. There was nothing wrong with her she was just a moody mare! Once we got to know each other she rarely did it - only if she was having a really bad day!
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my young horse recently went through a phase of kicking out at my leg. I thought it was as a result of me asking for more difficult from him as I'd spent the previous week or two really pushing him to work hard on his lengthen strides and lateral work when he suddenly seem to get a bit of an attitude. After a non productive session of him kicking out at every stride and at every time I then consequently told him off, I decided that maybe I'd been doing too much of one thing ie too much work solely in trot so next time I went in the school I just let him have a very quick warm up and worked him for most of the time in canter which he never protested at at all and finished on some good trot work. I think he was just a bit bored and needed to let off a bit of steam. He's been out in the field having a holiday since then so hopefully he won't start kicking out again when I start riding him again in a few weeks!
 
Don't treat it as a battle....
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She's telling you she's resentful of your leg & you need to get her onside rather than having a scrap with her.
 
I agree. I took the initial attitude of "he's being naughty so I'll tell him off" and as I've never had to give him a good telling off before, I learned quickly that he would give as good as he got so there was nothing to be gained by going down that route.
As in most cases when you have a problem with a horse, you have to work out ways to get them to do what you want without them realising. You have to think quickly and cleverly otherwise you end up in a stalemate situation. Hope that makes sense?!
 
Thanks... I didn't actually mean a 'battle', it was just a turn of phrase.

You cannot fight with this girl, she is too highly strung and besides, I would never want to have an argument with a horse to get it to see my way
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i agree with siennamum, i think with this type of horse you just have to make the aids as polite as possible, tread that fine line between polite and effective. just keep asking nicely, basically. repeat the aid, don't intensify it.
btw i think i have the record here, the grey in my siggy once kicked me, hard, on the instep of one foot as i put my lower legs slightly back to ask for rein-back... very eloquent on her part!
 
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Thanks... I didn't actually mean a 'battle', it was just a turn of phrase.

You cannot fight with this girl, she is too highly strung and besides, I would never want to have an argument with a horse to get it to see my way
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My clever little TB does this, Mrs Johnson (my trainer) says it is because I am 'shouting the instruction' rather than suggesting it. Basically he is a sensitive little soul and only requires a little more than mental suggestion, rather than the big effort of a transition I was making it!
Maybe 'tone down' the instruction and see if it works.
 
I think I have a more bizarre one, I had jawache from grimacing when my fella had a bucking spree about said transitions, I was clenching my teeth because his buck is so powerful it is like being hit up the bum with a frying pan!! And Mrs J kept shouting at me for annoying him!!!!!!!
 
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i agree with siennamum, i think with this type of horse you just have to make the aids as polite as possible, tread that fine line between polite and effective. just keep asking nicely, basically. repeat the aid, don't intensify it.
btw i think i have the record here, the grey in my siggy once kicked me, hard, on the instep of one foot as i put my lower legs slightly back to ask for rein-back... very eloquent on her part!

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Thank you for your reply... I think you are right. I just need to stick at it and keep my leg there quietly until she starts to comply.

I can't believe she caught your foot
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Pretty impressive!
 
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I think I have a more bizarre one, I had jawache from grimacing when my fella had a bucking spree about said transitions, I was clenching my teeth because his buck is so powerful it is like being hit up the bum with a frying pan!! And Mrs J kept shouting at me for annoying him!!!!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

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Is that Andrea Johnson???

The thing is, I do ask quietly with her, much more so than my other mare, because she is such a sensitive soul in reality... She never used to do this pre-injury which is what makes me worry
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But, I know she is sound and comfortable!
 
I put her on the two lines again this morning, and immediately she worked into the contact, really stretching over her back and working beautifully considering her lack of work. I did around 10 mins of trot work (I always do 10 mins walk first) and then jumped on. She started swishing her tail and humping her back as soon as I put the leg on, so after 3 circles I jumped off, took off my spurs and jumped back on!

OMG... the difference was outstanding. I could ride her forwards from the leg without any kicking back or swishing of her tail against me. Because I dropped the spurs I picked up my schooling whip to encourage her left hind and I could use this without any negative reactions, just positive and forwards!!!

I AM A VERY HAPPY GIRLIE THIS AFTERNOON
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She has never been ridden in spurs when she is fully clipped, only with her summer coat... she is a very sensitive lady about everything to do with her skin, including just brushing and spraying on fly spray etc!
 
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