'Needs to be rounder'

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gable

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I have done a couple of prelim dressage tests on my 15.3 cob. But we always get the same comments - 'needs to be rounder' How?
He is a cob, so I'm guessing he doesn't find it that easy?
He leans on the bit too!
Any suggestions other than giving up!
 
How do I get him off the forehand?
I do lots and lots of transitions when schooling - he is very responsive to the leg.
I do loads of bends and circles. Back, teeth and saddle all checked.
He leans and is very heavy in my hands. If I give him the reins, he is more than happy to trot round with his nose on the floor
 
YO rides her cob at adv med so cobs can most certainly bend! my boy used to lean badly and it took an awful lot of work to get him to stop using his nose as his fifth leg.
 
So let him trot around relaxed with his nose on the floor, keep a light contact, and ask hiim to go forward consistently - you can't go forward comfortably if your ploughing a furrow with your nose! When he raises his nose say thank you and take a light contact - don't grab and don't hold it.
 
keep at the transition, they are the best thing for getting them off their forehand. Also changes within the pace, working to medium to working etc

Cobs aren't naturally built for dressage so they do find it harder to work round and from behind...lightening the forehand can be quite a challenge!
 
gable said:
How do I get him off the forehand?
I do lots and lots of transitions when schooling - he is very responsive to the leg.
I do loads of bends and circles. Back, teeth and saddle all checked.
He leans and is very heavy in my hands. If I give him the reins, he is more than happy to trot round with his nose on the floor
Click to expand...

Please let me know as well. My mare is the same and i have her in a Waterford Half Cheek Snaffle. She still leans. I have also try the cherry roller. thank you. :)
 
A waterford is meant to stop them holding onto the bit, which is different from leaning. I find a loose ring is far better for the Welsh Cob who likes to lean
 
Lots of direct transitions, lots of circling, lungeing is also good because you can also see him working from the ground, and it can often ecourage them to work from behind more. Just carrying on asking him to go forwards, having a light contact on the reins. If he is working forwards correctly, in theory his head should lift into the contact. Just because he is going quickly and reacting to your leg aids doesn't mean he's forward, he needs to really be pushing from behind. Pole work can also help, as well as hill work if possible. If you do a few trot and canter poles, and what's really good is placing a pole on a circle, marking out s Lind for each quarter if that makes sense? And also placing poles in a fan or arc, on a 15m circle, going round for around a third, meeting closely at one and further away at the other, so it's like a third of the circle is made up by the poles, and you can spiral in and put getting the size you want. Does that make any sense?! Anyway, good luck! :) xx
 
These are all really helpful - thanks
My instructor has told me to sponge the reins. When I do he throws his head around or overbends for a few strides. Put more leg on and he just goes faster.

Will try poles and more lunging.

So in a typical 4 days schooling (we hack or xc the other 3 days) what would you suggest we do?
 
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