Leaning on the right rein?

SuperSketch

SuperSketch

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How can I stop this guys as its driving me to distraction? I've tried everything now but my pony just isn't getting the message.

He has had everything checked - no problems at all, I've been riding round with barely any contact (Obviously enough to feel) and I'm seriously running out of ideas. He leans a little to the left but its not nearly as bad as what it is on the right rein. I'm reluctant to change his bit although a lady at my yard has suggested trying one with full cheek pieces but I would have thought that your have made him lean even more? (Correct me if I'm wrong here lol) He is in an Eggbutt snaffle with a single joint at the moment. My instructor suggested a brush picker on the right hand side but I'm worried that will make him one sided or cause him pain but he thinks it will be fine. Has anyone had experience with using one of these?

Another lady at the yard whose horse recently got pts rode him whilst I was doing my final A-Level exams to help me out and it seems to have gotten worse since then. He is still fairly relaxed but its frustrating because he used to carry himself really nicely. Any suggestions are appreciated. :)

Cookies and ice-cream to all who finished. :)
 
Are you sure that you don't have an imbalance that might contribute to this, or perhaps the lady who rode him if he has only been bad at this since then? (assuming teeth have been recently done) If he is one sided, then lots of work to even him up is the way forwards! Lots of circles and serpentines, also lateral work is v helpful too. Given time he will slowly muscle up evenly and learn to have closer to equal balance on either rein. I wouldn't use a brush picker as I think this just hides the prob rather than fixing it. Must admit that I'm not a fan of single joint bits, as soon as there is any contact on the rein, the joint bends and will poke your horse in the roof of his mouth. A french link or lozenge would be a better choice and is happly accepted by many horses. I personally prefer eggbutt cheeks as my mare prefers a little stillness to the mouth piece. But it really comes down to your horses preference. I don't see any harm in trying full cheeks, so long as you aren't holding him up, then he can't lean. Even if that means alot of forwards work on a very loose contact it is worth it as he needs to learn to carry himself at all times.
mmm, thanks for cookies and ice cream, excellent pud for my lunch!
 
If this is new behaviour, then I would suspect it to be pain related. Having said that, how often and for how long did the other lady ride him? If she had uneven hands or let him get away with leaning on the one rein, then it may be learned behaviour. My loan horse does this, and I've only recently discovered that it is due to lameness in one leg, despite having had him checked over thoroughly in the past.

Full cheeks could help with steering, provided the issue is not pain related. You should be able to school him out of it in his current bit, though (but I'd say a double jointed bit would be kinder). Simply do not allow him to lean - if he tries, give with that rein to let him know he has to carry himself. Send little vibrations down the offending rein to keep open a dialogue, and make sure he is working properly into the outside rein from inside leg.

Hopefully someone can suggest some helpful exercises for you to try. :)
 
I know how you feel!

One of mine does this one the left rein and I'm sure he does it cos he can tell that I have a weaker left shoulder!

I try not to hold him up at all (partly cos it just makes my shoulder hurt). I'll start working him in - lots of bends and circles to get him flexing. He generally works well for a few minutes before starting to lean. I try to never let him get to the point where he does take a hold (easier said than done!) by constantly changing the rein. If he does start to lean I bring him back to a walk - do a bit of free walk and then pick the reins back up again.

When I got him he was weaker on one side that the other and I've been told that horses will always have a side that they prefer (like beign right handed). I've tried to build it up gradually and working like this means he goes longer and longer without leaning.

Not sure if it 'correct' but it works for me as I can't have him leaning for more than a minute or two as otherwise I'm in too much pain!
 
Thanks for all your help and advice guys :)

I had another lesson today and I wrote down all of your suggestions and my instructor and myself went through them as the problem is new:

- We trotted up and inspected each leg and there is no lameness.
- The lady who rode him whilst I was doing my A-Levels rode him for around 8 weeks but I was riding him as well, although I was just riding him at weekends...
- We spoke about me having an imbalance towards one side and we came to the conclusion that if anything I was a little towards the left (I'm left handed so this makes sense) but it still didn't answer my question as to why my pony is leaning to the right lol!
- We scrapped the brush picker idea and my instructor brought a selection of bits with him to try. He went like a giraffe in a loose ring french link snaffle and I had no control in canter whatsoever. We then tried a fulmer french link and was a little better but seemed to try and evade the contact a little more. So we finally tried a hanging cheek french link snaffle and he went MUCH better in that, he felt lighter in my hands and didn't lean half as much. We're going to try a fulmer with a single joint and a hanging cheek single jointed snaffle to see if is any better in them.
- We did lots of 4 loop serpentines, figures of 8, simple changes, counter canter, changes of bend, leg yield, shoulder in, walk pirouettes etc and we came to the conclusion that I need to keep changing the bend and as soon as he starts to lean, to bring him away from the side that he is leaning to by doing a shallow loop or shoulder in/leg yield then bring him straight back to the original bend (Hope that makes sense!).

My nan is going to hack him and lunge him in the Pessoa for 18 days as I'm now sitting in Heathrow airport waiting for my flight lol, and she has said she'll keep him working whilst I'm away with his bending. She has been riding for like 60 years or something crazy like that so I'm leaving him with very capable hands lol!

Sorry for another crazy long post lol! Thank you very much for your help and I'll keep you posted as to how he is improving once I'm home. :)

Cookies and ice-cream if you got this far! :D
 
Shilasdair said:
Yes, I read your post that said he was sound, but it might be worth getting him checked out by a vet rather than an instructor.
S :D
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My instructor is a fully qualified farrier also but due to many years in the trade, is now retired due to being physically unable to do his duties everyday. He knows a lameness, even a very slight one when he sees it. I want to investigate other causes first as I'm not totally convinced, especially after the dramatic improvement today that it is a lameness or joint/tendon/tissue problem although if I'm still having problems when I get back from my holidays, I shall investigate further with a vet. I'm 90% sure it was his bit and he was just becoming a bit fixed and evasive throughout our schooling as he isn't leaning when doing anything else. Thank you for your suggestion though :).
 
Hi,
Have no advice but am interested in your post as my horse leans also - but on the left rein! My mum said to lunge him as he is leaning on the rein as he is feeling unbalanced and it's just his way of trying to get his feet under him and not fall over!
 
My horse has a soft tissue issue in hindleg. Can't see it, scanned clear and flexion superb. It's an old injury with adhesions which causes tightness. This is reflected in her stiffness, contact and subsequent bend. Three vets later all saying same thing!! Limited movement caused by injury although none would have picked up on it without her history. Beware of masking issues before you have had your horse properly checked out. Best x
 
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