Please help me get him off my hands!!!

[Jane H]

I have had nine months off to have my babies and my lovely boy has been on working livery two days a week, ridden by BHS stage 2 and 3 students. It has been great for his fitness and stamina but because the classes are mainly about the rider there is a lot of trotting round the outside of the school for ages... Net result is that now that I have come to ride him he is very forward but totally switched off, and I just cannot seem to lighten him and specifically get him off the inside rein, which he is absolutely welded onto with a vengeance!

I don't have great strength in my legs and seat yet, but does anyone have good exercises that we can do to stop us getting into fights, and to stop me from over using my hands (and playing just into his!).

I find that if I push him forwards to try to lighten the front end it doesn't work at all, he just gets really really heavy and he desn't respond one bit to half halts... and that is a huge understatement!

All pointers would be very welcome!!!

Thanks

Jane x

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Loads of transitions and changes of direction, circles, serpentines and lateral work, to get him listening and back on his hocks.

 

[Fletch]

It sounds to me as if he needs a complete break from the school and some fun hacks instead - which will benefit you both.

 

[Tangaroo]

I agree with christmassparkle, lots of transitions and particularly leg yielding on a circle should help. My boy used to sit on my inside hand continually when i got him and i couldnt see how i was going to break the habit , but with a lot of help from my instructors he is now fairly even in both reins and very soft to the contact (most of the time!!).
A lot of hard work but its worth it in the end!

 

[Jane H]

I think you are probably right, but they will have to be short ones, my twins are only 8 weeks old and so 30 minutes riding is about as much as I can get at the mo!

 

[Jane H]

thanks!! he used to be really fab so I am hoping we can get back to that eventually!

Jane

 

[Tia]

[ QUOTE ]
It sounds to me as if he needs a complete break from the school and some fun hacks instead - which will benefit you both.

[/ QUOTE ]

Totally agree with Fletch here. Most of my best schooling work is done out on the trails.

 

[Nari]

Agree with the hacking idea.

If you have to go in the school, & with twin babies you may have days when that's all you can do, then I'd try riding him on no contact as much as possible so he'll have to listen to your seat & leg & carry himself. If you do take a contact & he starts to lean then I'd totally drop the contact in that rein for a couple of strides - it may not be technically correct (& the first couple of times make sure you're in walk & sitting back!) but it teaches most horses very quickly not to rely on the rider to hold them up!

He'll get over it, he's just taking the easy option because he's been allowed to. Given a bit of time he'll be back to normal.

 

[kerilli]

i agree with nari... YOU decide the contact you want, not him. if it gets heavier than you'd like, don't change anything else, don't use legs or seat, just lighten (push hands forward/give it away for a second, then take back the ounce or so that you want). repeat, repeat, repeat ad infinitum until he understands that he doesn't get to balance himself on your hands. he can hold himself up, he weighs 10x as much as you!
i think of it as self-carriage instead of helped-carriage.
btw, who on earth is teaching these students that having the horse welded heavily onto their hand(s) is the right way to do flatwork? jeeeeeez.
congrats on your babies, btw!

 

[Jane H]

Your point about the students is correct but really it seems that it is the structure of the exams that is wrong not the lady who is teaching the students. I have seen her teaching private lessons and she is great, but it seems that the stages are all about the rider and very little about the horse's way of going, especially 1, 2 and 3... Maybe the BHS needs to review what it considers to be important??

Thanks for the advice, feel much more positive about today!

 

[skewbaldpony]

Agree with the hacking brigade. Get out and have some fun. You need a friend who will happily swap some baby worshipping for the odd ride. I was once in that position, and it was a happy time for both me, and the new mum with the lovely horse! She rode, I doted on her twins (yes, they were twins, too!) and I got to ride him sometimes in return.
The girl twin is now an II I believe, so we did something right!!!

 

[JenHunt]

i would say lots of transitions and half halts to get him onto his quarters, off your hands and listening to you, but only once he's had a break from schooling for a while - sounds a bit like he's bored to me!