natural head carriage advice???

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lisa_lou

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My 7 yr old mare was ridden by someone else for a year and always looked to be going in an outline but lady riding her used to carry her hands very far back by her thigh and very low (almost to the point of the reins being in a side rein position) Equissage back lady said my mare has a slightly broken neck where she has been forced to use the wrong muscles for a fake bend in the neck but can be corrected with lots of proper schooling. I have now stopped her riding her and am now cracking on with her myself and really want to get her schooling good so i can compete in dressage etc. I am trying to ride her uphill to stop her being on the forhand which she has been used to. On a 40 mins session i spend lots of time trotting circles, figure eights, serpentines to supple and get her listening but she takes a good 10 - 15 mins before she will begin to come down off her own accord and does this on and off for another 10 mins before she rounds nicely and works consistently in an outline in every gait.
A few people have said to me to get on at her now to reduce the time it takes for her to come down onto the bit by applying lots of pressure with the outside rein and lots of inside leg, another said lots of soft jabs on the outside rein?? Is this right? Surely the contact on each rein should be soft and equal on both shouldnt it? Also should i be trying to get her head down quicker or if left with soft reins will she continue to drop head quicker as she builds up the right muscles???
 
Sounds like bend / neck flexion has been forced on your mare and I would say any strong riding now (read force) will not help.. that's my gut feeling.. hard to say exactly as it really takes someone knowledgable on the ground to see what is happening and how best to address this to enable the horse to work correctly.. I would suggest you ask around and find someone who is able to work with you and your horse. If anyone suggests forcing the horse into an outline sack 'em
 
I suppose it depends entirely on the horse. If she is capable of working in a nice, balanced, natural outline but does not do so initially when being worked then she may not be comfortable enough until this point in being warmed up and to encourage her to come down before she is ready by means of niggling may counter effect. you may simply cause her to revert to the previously stiff outline just to please you because she thinks it is what you want. I think with time and correction in muscle an outline will naturally come quicker when she's being worked anyway, just give her lots of praise and keep a relaxed rein when she does come into an outline as a reward and i am sure she will get her head round it in no time.
 
Don't know about the schooling issue but you (and others!) have to remember that your mare has developed muscles from being improperly ridden so it will take time for her to adapt to your way of riding now. Personally, I would be letting her adapt in her own time without any pressure so that she doesn't feel strained in any way. A good way of her finding her own balance and ability to carry herself correctly is riding over any terrain rather than just in the school. If you want to force her outline, you do risk the chance that she will come up sore and resentful from being asked to use her muscles differently from what she's used to which might bring more problems. Just my immediate thoughts, feel free to poo-poo them as nonsense.
 
thanks guys, just really fustrating, yesterday when i rode she was going round like a giraffe for a good 15 mins then she just gives in and worked beautifully, really soft in hand and rounded lovely. In the last 2 months she has built up in the right places loads. I just wanted some reassurance that it will get better :-)
 
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