Need some help correcting a problem - kind of outline related...

[Gingernags]

Dressage test at the weekend threw up a problem that was evident over the summer but that I have let go really as it wasn't affecting me that much. It has become apparent though that if I do want to improve our dressage, I need to think about it and how to fix it...

With the ginger one, if you want an outline all you ever had to do was keep your hands still and light and raised and she would just drop onto your hands. She was fine with the two people who competed her at the time and I just had to work a bit harder if I was schooling as it didn't really come naturally to me - I mainly hack and on a longer contact than normal.

With the last girl that we let compete her, before the big bust up, it became apparent that she taught Asti one of her bad habits. It was picked up by the friend who comes and plays with Asti now and again and is our showing ally and always helps warm her up (and the rider) and the riders other horse.

The rider - we'll call her R for simplicity - has a habit of not sawing as such but certainly giving and taking with alternate hands causing the horses nose to swing and in the orange ones case, her to fight the contact. I thought it was just Asti being awkward but with hindsight there were an awful lot more tantrums thrown in the ring than with anyone else.

As a result, its much harder to get Asti to work in a nice soft outline without more resistance than before which as I'm almost entirely self taught and we don't have the facilities in the winter for schooling other than what I can manage out hacking, is making it harder for me.

The comments in the dressage yesterday, though on the whole good, were that she needs to be rounder, at one point was above the bit slightly, another she was "coming against the riders hands" and on the whole though she is obedient and has good regular paces, needs to be rounder.

She is ridden in a loose ring french link snaffle and is far worse in jointed or straight bar bits.

I have to say she has stopped leaning as much which was part of the problem with R and that at one point she was, we thought, bridle lame through R's handiwork - and the same is true of her own horse and my showing friend saw that (rode him before he exhibited this and then has seen the change and ridden since and felt it) and agrees something has changed.

So what can I do to start to undo this problem? I find it difficult sometimes to keep my hands still and have to really concentrate, as you can feel this pull from side to side.

She has never been a horse that has needed too much asking for an outline, a really quiet squeeze of the reins and a bit of leg more than any "niggling" at her which was another thing R used to do.

Ideas? Anything we can try out hacking?

 

[6103claire]

You could try lots of half halts. This will help get her hindquarters underneath her more and then her head will naturally lower into the corret position. I would just try and keep hands as quiet as possible and use your legs too push her forward into the contact, without increasing the speed.

 

[filly190]

What type of reins do you use? I find the soft webbing reins are far better and you can be much lighter in the hand and more sensitive to the mouth. Remember when you first started to ride, the instructor saying a string and egg effect.

My mare if ridden in rubber reins does this and I find them dead to my hand. With webbing you can give the most subtle squeeze and be very precise.

Just a thought, it has worked for me. Lots of people prefer not to use them, as they feel they have less control, but with soft mouthed horses they really do work well.

 

[Petrie]

You could try a little tip Molly Sievewright at Talland gave me recently: little squeezes with your ring finger (on both hands.) Back this up with your leg, of course.

I think you have to do something with your hands, rather than just keeping them still and doing nothing, which could be rather fixed (which is perhaps why she 'came against your hands' in the dressage test) and won't really get her to flex at the poll. But you don't want to move your hands too much and swing her head from side to side, or saw, as you said in your post.

Half halts are the key to getting a really good outline and engagement. Why don't you book a flat work lesson with someone really good? You may only need one to get you going, then you can continue by yourself.

 

[melle]

I had this problem withs friends horse and I was told to really push my hands in front of me and keep them still. Think of pushing the horse into a light contact and at no time pull back to try and force an outline. Once the horse is going properly forward into the contact she won't be nodding from side to side like this.

The other thing to work on is the straightness. Practice riding fifty pence piece shapes, keeping her straight into both reins on each 'side'. That way she will learn to take an even contact instaead on nodding.

Surprising how many people do ride like your 'rider' and as you say it does make them look a little lame at times!