Pelham. To waterford or not

As confused as ever. Went back to basic loose ring. Much better. We had her teeth done. Bearing in mind I've had her for 3 or. 4 months. Which were apparently a state. But went for a hack. Bobbing along. But once she's had a trot. She's got the urge to go faster and faster. Am away on hols. And there is a rather fab tack shop down the road with a huge bit selection. Hmm. What is loose ring. For most of the time. But helpful when someone decides to ****** off? I think she actually prefers single jointed. Tried a lozenge hanging cheek. And she just chewed and chewed. And basically tied on spit it out! Single joint she seems much happier in!
 
What about a kimblewick. I tried one because my mare is a fussy cow and my instructor wasn't happy with her in the snaffle. It's not a bit I would have considered trying but she is going nicely in it! It's one with slots and an elastic curb. We tried it because of the port to see if that suited her and found that actually the whole bit suits her. I have the reins on the bottom slot. This is in addition to the schooling I mentioned earlier in the thread.
 
FfionWinnie said:
Are you having lessons? Interestingly my mare who can be strong and excitable when catering and jumping is no worse if I ride with no reins as I found out in my lesson last week. My instructor made me ride with no contact and only a very minimal amount of steering allowed too. We worked on slowing her with my seat and voice, and it was a real eye opener for me and I am going to do a lot more of this.
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Yes. Ride with your body, not your hands.
 
I try my utmost to be as light as possible and ride with my seat. Because she can pull and pull. I saw a kimblewick today. Hmm
 
Well, it's not about being as light as a feather really, you need to influence her from your seat. E.g. When cantering, use your legs to dictate the rhythm, count exactly the beats and ask her with your seat to do it. It means sitting into the canter more than you may be used to.not rowing, but tall and moving from your middle, not your whole torso. It should feel like you are doing a sexy dance! The hands just need to be steady, not soft, not hard but in an "asking" fashion with the inside rein only. Support with the outside.

Work in circles. Very hard to explain in a post... But imagine you are on a swing and you need to get moving using just your legs, not push off from the ground. Soon you will be swinging away but the initial effort is huge. That's the sort of balance we are talking about when influencing a horse that just wants to get away from you. Your legs will hurt and your stomach will be sore but you will know then that you are riding with your body.
 
Ok. Sounds really interesting. When swinging with my legs. Alternately do you mean? Sorry to be dense. But it sounds like it might be really effective and want to be clear in my mind!
 
The swing analogy was just to demonstrate weight and balance... The movement of your body to move a static object. My fault.

No swinging with legs on a horse needed. Please keep legs still and by horses sides :D

When you ask for canter, you control that motion with your body so that you influence the rhythm and the pace. So sitting into the swing of the canter from your bottom then absorbing the upward movement at the same time. Imagine your bottom is the source of the canter first beat and count each canter movement.... Not each footfall. You inside inner thigh keeps the horse out on a circle, the outside, stops the quarters from swinging out and losing the rhythm. It is a bit like squeezing a tube and swinging at the same time! It feels like you are moving a lot, but you are not to onlookers. It should feel like your bottom muscles are gently pushing the horse into each canter stride in a wave motion. This will have a collection effect and the horse will not be able to rush out from underneath you as you have control of her body.

Does that make sense?
 
Something else I have just been reminded of... Laterals! Lots and lots of lateral work. From halt all the way to canter.

Use that inside thigh to move her literally out from small circles into big ones on both reins in walk trot and canter and use leg yields, shoulder in, quarters in etc as much as you possibly can along the long sides. Try and move her with your thighs and bottom when halting. Just "think" left or right when at halt. Put a pole down on the ground and walk sideways from one end to the other. This engages not just her abs and legs but your thighs, bottom and core muscles. It will be really hard at first. Just do one or two steps. Don't lean. Just imaging pushing her sideways with the outside thigh.

Sounds weird... But so much fun.

Just remember, the rein only needs to support the outside shoulder and ask for bend on the inside.

Eta... Rein backs are useful before trying the halt to sideways!
 
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tallyho! said:
That'd do it FW! :D
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Yes it is amazing her different attitude to cantering now (over two weeks on so its not tiredness still lol). It is no longer the yeeha she thought it was and actually its quite hard work so actually I will trot when you say now. If she doesn't, I just make her work harder in canter. We have come to an agreement over it now I think :D
 
Wagtail said:
I would steer clear of waterfords - terrible things. If you understand the anatomy of the mouth, you will understand why. The bars of the lower jaw where the bit sits are very thin and easily damaged. Waterfords have nobbles which lie either side of the bars thereby exerting severe pressure on the delicate tissues, particularly if the bit is pulled sideways in the mouth. Obviously if you have incredibly still and gentle hands, the bit will be fine, but if not, can cause a lot of pain. Even the best rider can temporarily lose their balance and cause pain to the horse with the waterford.
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I think you have misunderstood how a waterford works.Almost every other type of bit applies some form of leverage action which multiplies the force applied to the contact area of the bit.What you feel through your hands is not what the horse feels through his mouth . Snaffles ,french links ,they all apply leverage. A waterford does not. Obviously you must never saw at the horses mouth with the bit.Yes this would cause damage.
 
FfionWinnie said:
Yes it is amazing her different attitude to cantering now (over two weeks on so its not tiredness still lol). It is no longer the yeeha she thought it was and actually its quite hard work so actually I will trot when you say now. If she doesn't, I just make her work harder in canter. We have come to an agreement over it now I think :D
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A long time ago a horse bolted with me on the beach. I just had to go with it for a while but managed to turn his neck so he would stop... Anyway. There was no way he was going home after that.... So I made him gallop the full length of the beach... 4x. By the end of it I almost had to force him to run. He never bolted in open spaces again. As for the beach, I think he almost dreaded it.

Thee are limits obviously as as long as you know those, using reasonable measures of giving in to what they want until they are sick of it can be useful :D
 
tallyho! said:
A long time ago a horse bolted with me on the beach. I just had to go with it for a while but managed to turn his neck so he would stop... Anyway. There was no way he was going home after that.... So I made him gallop the full length of the beach... 4x. By the end of it I almost had to force him to run. He never bolted in open spaces again. As for the beach, I think he almost dreaded it.

Thee are limits obviously as as long as you know those, using reasonable measures of giving in to what they want until they are sick of it can be useful :D
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:D its a good feeling beating them at their own game isn't it:cool:

I knew a pony years ago who bolted with each new rider. You would only stop her if you threw the reins at her and kicked her on. It was like an initiation she did with everyone. Folk had ridden her at fences/walls etc and she would jump whatever was in her path. The guy I worked for bought her cheap for his daughter and rode her out himself to see what she actually did. He was a big guy and said he could not stop her or change her course so that's what he did and she was fine after that! She was a brilliant and clever JA pony :)
 
I've tried a waterford in the past, my horse can lean and snatch on it no problem at all. The only bit my horse feels happy in is a kimblewick, no leaning, pulling or snatching at all, I personally think he just doesn't like anything with a link in, doesn't like pressure on the lips.
 
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