Re-schooling an older horse

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jo_pearl

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Hi all,

I have a 14year old mare who I wish to re-school so I can do some dressage.

She works lovely in walk and trot but does sometimes get tense when working in an outline and kind of runs off but she is slowly starting to relax.

Her canter is a different issue very tight and tense and 4 beat

I lunge her in a paessoa 3/4 times a week and ride her 2/3 times a week aswell

She is very sensitive off the leg.

I was wondering what is the best way to school her to get her to be less tense and to relax and also to help teach her to canter correctly in a nice light contact.

Would long reining help?

All suggestions and advice be fantastic!!!
 
Back to basics. Relaxed, straight and forward in walk then trot then canter. Long reining may help - I did a lot when my horse was a youngster and still do it if I have a particular.issue but it must be done well.

Riding probably more beneficial - just from a feel perspective.

I personally don't like pessoas. I find horse can tuck behind the contact and go crooked in them. Id rather long rein/double lunge, side reins or nothing.
 
That is an awful lot of lunging which may be too much for an older possibly stiff horse, I would lunge no more than once a week, if that unless there is a good reason and you are seeing results, I suspect it is not helping her learn to relax, that you would be better off riding her more and teaching her from on top.
She must accept the leg, being sensitive is good but too reactive will make it harder for you to get her stretching through and relaxing, until she can maintain a relaxed frame in walk and trot she will struggle in canter so I would probably canter out hacking and possibly some light seat work in the school, cantering on the pessoa may be causing her to be tense and in 4 beat if it is too restrictive, I would take it off and see if she finds it easier to stay in balance without being fixed into the gadget.

You could try long reining but in my experience working with an older horse is best done by correct, consistent riding over a period of time, you also need to rule out any physical reasons for her tension as she may be starting to become stiff with age and limited to how far she can progress with a new way of going.
 
I lunge her as I am starting to see a difference as her muscles are developing in the correct places.

I am having regular lessons with an instructor to help.

Her tension comes from her last rider who was very rough and whip happy and heavy handed. I bought her as she had been to 8 dif trail homes and I instantly clicked with her.

There is nothing nasty in her at all she just doesn't seem to understand when I give her the reins as she's so used to having someone hang off her mouth in stupidly big bits
 
I had no choice a couple of years ago but to mainly exercise my horse via lunge work/pole work in hand, due to limitations on facilities and time. It massively improved my horses way of going.
 
When you ride her is this in the school or hacking? Lungeing and schooling puts alot of stress on joints so I would be aware of how much work you do in the school. I would get her out more and enjoy some canters out hacking. You can also incorporate a bit of schooling out hacking rather than circles in the school. Lungeing once a week is enough imo.
 
I took my horse back to basics when he was about 15, I had never schooled him properly before that. I lunged him about 3 times or so a week in side reins and it certainly helped teach him how to work with his head low and stretch his top line. His canter was choppy and tense and my instructor had me really push the canter on to teach him how to canter with more forward impulsion and a 3 time beat before even trying to have him canter in any kind of shape. I also rode him in draw reins, under instruction from a very respected dressage instructor which encouraged him to lengthen his top line, he was never pulled down by them. The draw reins only came into effect if he lifted his head and tensed his back, they were loose if he stretched his top line and worked on the snaffle rein.

It took about 2 years before he started getting respectable dressage scores and his whole outlook has changed. He now gives me outline when out on a hack without being asked. You can see him shift his weight and lighten in front when in the field and trotting and cantering with his mates.

It has been very hard work but worth it in the end. My horse has learned a new way to use his body and he actually prefers it to the tense uptight way of the past. I also have him treated every 2 or 3 months by an equine neuro muscular therapist to keep him supple and relaxed.
 
ZondaR said:
I took my horse back to basics when he was about 15, I had never schooled him properly before that. I lunged him about 3 times or so a week in side reins and it certainly helped teach him how to work with his head low and stretch his top line. His canter was choppy and tense and my instructor had me really push the canter on to teach him how to canter with more forward impulsion and a 3 time beat before even trying to have him canter in any kind of shape. I also rode him in draw reins, under instruction from a very respected dressage instructor which encouraged him to lengthen his top line, he was never pulled down by them. The draw reins only came into effect if he lifted his head and tensed his back, they were loose if he stretched his top line and worked on the snaffle rein.

It took about 2 years before he started getting respectable dressage scores and his whole outlook has changed. He now gives me outline when out on a hack without being asked. You can see him shift his weight and lighten in front when in the field and trotting and cantering with his mates.

It has been very hard work but worth it in the end. My horse has learned a new way to use his body and he actually prefers it to the tense uptight way of the past. I also have him treated every 2 or 3 months by an equine neuro muscular therapist to keep him supple and relaxed.
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Thank you :) gives me hope! I know it won't happen over night just want to have some advice especially with people who have been in my position. I'm starting lessons with a dressage instructor now :)

The yard I'm on the own is a fully qualified equine muscular therapist and the horses get checked often by her so I'm lucky there
 
Mine is 17 now and after a year of hard work I'm finally seeing some results, the improvement in her way of going is drastic. I've not done much other than quiet and consistent yet determined riding. I try to lunge her at least once a fortnight in side reins (3/4 times a week is a lot). I very occasionally use loose draw reins when I feel like a bit of reinforcement. I also like using raised trot poles, mine is a naturally lazy and downhill horse so anything which gets her to pick up is helpful. Other than that it's just been time, an older horse needs time to build up gradually, whatever you do don't rush it.
 
be positive said:
That is an awful lot of lunging which may be too much for an older possibly stiff horse, I would lunge no more than once a week, if that unless there is a good reason and you are seeing results, I suspect it is not helping her learn to relax, that you would be better off riding her more and teaching her from on top.
She must accept the leg, being sensitive is good but too reactive will make it harder for you to get her stretching through and relaxing, until she can maintain a relaxed frame in walk and trot she will struggle in canter so I would probably canter out hacking and possibly some light seat work in the school, cantering on the pessoa may be causing her to be tense and in 4 beat if it is too restrictive, I would take it off and see if she finds it easier to stay in balance without being fixed into the gadget.

You could try long reining but in my experience working with an older horse is best done by correct, consistent riding over a period of time, you also need to rule out any physical reasons for her tension as she may be starting to become stiff with age and limited to how far she can progress with a new way of going.
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This, definitely.
Yes the lungeing will build up her muscles, but it is her mind you want to work on at the moment (as having a fit tense horse is no advantage).
Re-schooling an older horse follows the same principles as a young tense horse, but takes longer as you have to tackle the psychological issues too, so I always ride rather than lunge when starting any re-school (as there is often the difference in the horses mind as to how they regard a person on the ground compared to in the saddle i.e. conspecific vs predator reactions).
Get your instructor to show you how to put her in a longer frame and relax while still keeping a contact, and to stretch downward when asked (i.e. she needs to stretch down and maintain the outside rein contact, not just move her head down when you give with the reins) then you will be able to pre-empt any tension quite quickly.
 
I rode a 24yr old who in his day win loads on RC dressage leagues at Novice. It took about a year of fairly infrequent lessons to get to a point where he was no longer stiff and choppy, to instead being up and into the hand, working from behind in all paces and decidedly less crooked.

Time, lessons with a good instructor and patience are the key element :)
 
Thank you all for your reply.

I rode her tonight in a hanging cheek French link bit and she worked fab!

Didn't do a lot just long and low walking and some trot. The moment I felt her get tense I just stopped what I was doing let her walk on a long loose rein then asked her to continue with the work.

It was only a few small moments of nice work but it was nice!

Going to lunge her now Wednesday and then ride her Thursday.

Starting my lessons with a top dressage instructor a week sat aswell so all go!!
 
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