My Young TB and Leg Aids

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DurhamGal

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Hi All,

I've recently taken on a 4yr TB mare and we are planning our first BE80T event in May. She’s a very sweet, quite timid, mare who was trained as a point to point racer (but never raced). XC and jumping are definitely her strong points but I'm really struggling with her flat work. I can’t get her to relax in the school, slightly touch of the leg and she’s jogging.

I personally think she just hasn’t been trained to use any leg aids (i.e. any leg pressure to her means 'go, go, go!!). I've been trying to get her to give me a nice bend on corners/circles. We are pretty much there in walk, but in trot, it all falls to pieces. Any inside/outside leg pressure and she really tries to run away from you. I check her to get her to slow down and come back to me, but then she gets herself all frustrated ('your telling me to go fast, then you want me to slow down' sort of thing) then eventually spits her dummy out and has a tantrum in the middle of the school.

Two things to mention:
(1) she it really sensitive, very light mouthed and you have to be careful not to over girth her.
(2) I've been riding for a while but I'm relatively new to schooling & flatwork (I was more the get on a horse a charge about sort of child, I never had lessons) so I know that I need to learn as well as her. Although I'm doing pretty well with my other older TB.

Any tips or ideas on how we can improve ourselves would be much appreciated.
xx
 
I wouldn't usually be the first to suggest gastric ulcers, but since you mention she's come from a racing background and is hyper-reactive to the leg, it might be worth considering...

My youngster was similar when he first started under saddle - patience, persistence and keeping my leg lightly on him helped dramatically. I would be inclined to pop her on a circle in trot and worry primarily about using the inside leg tactfully to introduce the concept - never pushing, just soft pressure encouraging her to yield through her thoracic region. If she rushes, just quietly correct and start again. Then start asking for a stride or two of leg yielding out on the circle - just the idea of moving "away" from the inside leg. All the while, just keeping the outside leg present - worry about yielding to that when the inside is established.
 
JFTD said:
I wouldn't usually be the first to suggest gastric ulcers, but since you mention she's come from a racing background and is hyper-reactive to the leg, it might be worth considering...

My youngster was similar when he first started under saddle - patience, persistence and keeping my leg lightly on him helped dramatically. I would be inclined to pop her on a circle in trot and worry primarily about using the inside leg tactfully to introduce the concept - never pushing, just soft pressure encouraging her to yield through her thoracic region. If she rushes, just quietly correct and start again. Then start asking for a stride or two of leg yielding out on the circle - just the idea of moving "away" from the inside leg. All the while, just keeping the outside leg present - worry about yielding to that when the inside is established.
Click to expand...

Agree with all of this. I would definitely have her scoped for ulcers.

As for the schooling, as JFTD has said as well, keeping the leg on helps a lot. In fact, it is paramount. If she responds to the leg going on by going forward, that is a good thing generally, but if you can't keep a constant contact with the leg, then it means she has not actually accepted it. Same with the contact. If she is that light in the mouth, it sounds as though she hasn't actually accepted the contact much, if at all and just puts herself where she thinks she needs to be. Coming from race training makes it more difficult than if you just have a newly backed horse as they don't just have to learn, they have to unlearn, then learn a whole new way.

The circle exercise given by JFTD is one of my go to's for a lot of training issues. The leg yielding out, say from an 18m to a 20m circle is an excellent method for creating acceptance and softness at the poll and through the back without stressing the horse too much.

If you find that you put the legs on and she rushes forward and then you half halt and she gets confused and has a paddy, break it up a bit for her to help her understand what you want. When she does speed up, don't take the leg off, keep it there, very quiet, but there. Then, rather than half halting or asking her to come back to you straight away, allow her a few strides, give a small half halt and allow forward for a few strides again...not increasing or decreasing the contact with the legs. Just allow her a good few strides between half halts and ride very quietly and patiently, still hands, soft seat and keep at it. It won't take her long to realise that the leg contact is nothing to run from and that the half halts are just a check, a balancing and gathering tool, not to be confused with a stop signal.

Think of it as elasticity in training. You need to do it, but if you try all at once it is too much, so allow her some room to move forward, relax her brain and understand that it's ok.

I will say it's probably going to be a good idea to see if a trainer can come to you occasionally as we all need it from time to time as they can see things that we can't.

Good luck x
 
Interesting you would mention gastric ulcers. Initially we thought she had some back pain as she got very stroppy on one rein (especially in canter) and nodded her head quite badly. We got her back checked and all was ok. The nodding has gotten better, although she does still start to do it when cooling down after exercise. Also I found her tantrums a bit strange as she is so mild mannered and eager to please.

I've just had a quick read on ulscers: the yard she is at doesn’t have much turn out (which according to some articles can increase the risk). Also reading some of the symptoms other people have experienced... behaviour wise she fits the bill. (grinds her teeth and can get quite stressed sometimes when working). However she has lovely condition on her and is not off her food in the slightest.

Thanks for your input... I definitely think I will get her checked. I would hate to think I was putting her through any pain.
 
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Until this is sorted I would re-break her that is to say long reining and voice commands so she is waiting for you to tell her what to do. Some riders of flat horses just kick on at the bottom of the gallops and so they associate kicking or leg aids with cantering. Your leg aids will also be lower than she is used to.
I would also do ground work with a schooling whip to ask for leg yield and so on, she may have only ever have gone forward in a straight line, and also behind another, so all this must be very strange.
 
I would definitely check her for ulcers. What is she like to groom on her right side round the back of her side/tummy? If she dislikes being groomed there that can be sign. Plus girthyness when you saddle her.
I had a VERY similar mare. I actually did my schooling out hacking for the first 6 months. She just got herself in knots in the school and would start bouncing on the spot and having mini panick attacks. Circles made her worse, she didnt have any strength and was so unbalanced so that didnt help. I was being really soft and gentle too but she just got confused and upset as to why she couldn't figure out what I wanted.
Out hacking she would look and think forwards and I could get her used to my leg and hand together. We did lateral work along the road and transitions and all that stuff. I got her used to the school on the long reins and then when I took her back in to the arena to school a few months later she was fine! She went out and did her first dressage test not long afterwards and she was an angel, she ended up loving her dressage as much as the jumping :).
 
My old horse scoped positive for ulcers but to look at him he looked the picture of health. Lovely shiny coat, good appetite etc
I was only suspicious as he would grind his teeth was tense on one rein. Didn't like to canter on one rein. At this point vey said it was behavioural.
Then started not wanting to go forward at all. In the end I waited until that vet was on holiday and just booked a scope. His were grade 3
 
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