Re-schooling tips and ideas

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Morrigan_Lady

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www.teamterrellshowjumping.co.uk
Ive been bringing Archie back into work slowely over the last few months and hes doing really well and most of all staying sound!
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So now I really need to crack on with him and Ive given myself till March to get him fit and nicely schooled to start jumping again.

He's very unbalanced and falls out alot on circles, so Im doing lots of transitions and leg yeilding in and out of circles, but Id really appreciate any other ideas or views of things to do with him also he is rather resistant to come round into my hand and would much rather wonder about with his head in the air than come soft and round, Ive been doing lots of changes of rein and he does start to sofen. I know its all about leg to hand and making him work from behind, but we are still struggeling abit. I was thinking about maybe getting some of those reins with the elastic in (cant remember what they are called)

Thanks in advance peeps xxx
 
fantastic elastic reins by carl hester. They are supposed to be good, but difficult to transition back to normal reins from

Sounds like you are doing all the right things.

Maybe incorporate some 10m cricles randomly round the school as you go large.
leg yields (if started these yet) help

erm......... thats about all i can offer except perseverence.

Maybe lunge work as well, in either a pessoa or side reins to help him practice working in an outline, without you on his back (not meant to sound nasty, I just mean that way that is what he focuses on 100%, if you get me.)
 
i would find a good instructor and get some help!(tho sounds as if you are on the right track) a good instructor will assess you and horse, work with you and give your exercises to do in between lessons. you have set a realistic target to do the prep work for next years competitions. Best of luck
 
Ok. In your position I wouldn't bother about his outline-once he's balanced and straight he should drop into the contact naturally.

1. How forward is he? The key to getting them to balance initially is to go slowly whilst maintaining energy- bear in mind that since he is returning to work he hasn't yet developed the muscle needed to truly carry himself.
So- whilst you're working him keep asking yourself 'what speed am I going at, on a scale of 1 to 10?', then challenge yourself to slow it slightly i.e. from an 8 to a 5 (whilst maintaining energy).
This requires the horse to shift his weight onto his hindquarters to balance himself, instead of using speed to compensate for a lack of balance and falling on his forehand.
Therefore by slowing and balancing the horse his topline will start to develop. Once this happens you can begin to ask him to engage more because he'll have the physical capability to do it.

2. You said that you have a problem with him falling out. In that case I would suggest riding squares in the arena.
When he turns the corner he should be putting his weight on his outside leg so that he is free to move his inside leg away from his body in order to turn.
Is he doing this? Many horses that I have come across don't- they move they're inside leg underneath their bodies and subsequently lose balance and fall out through their outside shoulders.
To correct this you must half halt as he begins to step through with his outside leg, causing him to load his weight onto that leg. Then, as the outside leg hits the ground, you should open your inside hand, which then asks him to move his inside leg away from his body and step into the turn.
They tend to pick it up fairly quickly, and then they'll instinctively follow this pattern when you ask them to turn, which should help him keep his balance and stop him from falling out through his shoulder.

If you combine these with the work you're currently doing then it should help him to balance and develop his topline. I'd almost be inclined to leave out some (not necessarily all!) of the lateral work for the time being though, because you may find that he doesn't yet have the physical strength to perform them consistently. Keep up with the transitions and changes of rein though!
 
hi all, on reading your problems and considering that he has had time off from work, i would suggest that your horse might be a little sore and/or stiff from coming back into work. think what you feel like after working out, when you havent done it for while. the first thing i would do is get a physio to give him the once over, just to be sure that he is not uncomfortable anywhere before you start to push him. also, when were his teeth last done. these can all factor into your difficulties. if after this you have the all clear... then you can procede with the schooling excercises that others have given you. this clever lot have given you some pretty good ones to help you. but be sure firstly that you are not causing him to be uncomfortable. good luck
 
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