Napping or genuine difficulty?

E

evejames

Member
Joined
25 February 2013
Messages
10
Visit site
Hi all,

We backed and lightly rode our 7 year old section c mare the end of last summer.

She has been brought back into work, both ride and drive this past couple of months.

She has a lovely canter but has a problem turning. I aak for bend and she will turn her head but not her body. I do this in a field so we have lots of space. She is like this on both reins.

Do you think its napping or a strength issue? I have been giving her the benefit of the doubt but I dont want to ignoring it if she is just being nappy....!

Thoughts and advice welcomed.

E
 
This is just a greeness (baby - although she's not a baby) issue and simply to do with her inability to be supple through her body, given the fact she's spent 7 years moving her body as she wishes in the field. Unfortunately, driving only continues this situation, so you should concentrate on her ridden schooling work quite carefully at the moment.

You should concentrate on very simple exercises that focus on getting her straight through her shoulders by using your direct and indirect rein aids. Imagine the arc of a circle - your horse's body, from head to tail, should follow this arc of the circle. Direct rein aids [where the hand opens outwards away form the wither] asks for bend through the head, neck and shoulder. When this rein aid is used, you're more likely to get a jack-knifing feeling where only the head and neck move, especially on a green unbalanced horse.

Indirect rein aids [where your hand moves across the wither] can be used on both the outside rein (moving across over the wither toward the inside hand) and inside rein (moving your hand over the wither toward the outside hand) are really effective as they cue/ask the shoulder to move also. So, you get a 'straight' turn where the whole body moves and not just the head/neck. Getting control over the shoulders is importance as the horse has more proprioceptors for his forequarters than hindquarters, so in theory the hindquarters should be straight, if he is truely straight through his forequarters. Once the shoulder does move the hands must return to 'neutral' and never stay in the indirect position continuously or when the horse has given you the required movement.

So, when turning right say, you can also cue this (give the aid) but using your outside indirect rein to ask the outside/left shoulder to turn also, thus avoiding just the head & neck turning, as the shoulders will turn also so you can keep her straight.

Straigh lines, 20m circles, serpentines, etc. But, at first even just turning a corner in a school will be a challenge for her. For her to be straight, her head should be located in line with the wither (or in the middle of her chest - not touching her chest!) And if you do use a school her head should not be flexed slightly to the inside along the long side, as this again is not true 'strightness' [unless you're using it as a suppling exercise and specifically asking for it.]

As a someone who has driven also, my experience is that unless you do spend quite a bit of time doing ridden schooling work, the driven horse becomes quite crooked, on the forehand and very stiff in the shoulders, as their body has to remain rigid between the shaves. If you do make her supple when under saddle it will keep her sounder and fitter for longer.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top