Reschooling Driven Gypsy Cob - advice please

Anniecarer

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I purchased an 11 year old Gypsy Cob 7 months ago. Sold as suitable for novice, she definitely wasn't! However we were told that she has "probably been driven" - which we now think meant she had been a driven horse and only just backed. After bolting with a friend riding (being "put through her paces") and also my novice daughter, I took lots of advice and took her right back to basics, lots of schooling with transitions, building the paces slowly to allow her to get her balance. She is an amazingly kind and loving horse so we wanted to persevere.
She is progressing really well now, but I have one main problem remaining which is that at times she doesn't stop or slow down when you ask. She does respond to voice - with a few seconds delay - but the reins seem to have no effect at times. She's not really being naughty, and I'm sure she thinks she's doing what you ask as it has been when she's been asked to canter that she takes off, but it's just as though she really doesn't understand, and is confused.
I've had lessons with some very experienced instructors, and in an indoor school she is absolutely fine - so makes me look like I'm making it up. However today in the outdoor school she did it again. I haven't cantered her out hacking as I want to sort this first.
We ride in a french linked snaffle - which she doesn't seem to like much - but I'm wary of using anything stronger as a lot of advice says this is not the answer. I think this is a communication issue rather than naughty horse. She also has an problem with coming to a complete stop which is a bit of an issue at road junctions! Again, not being naughty, just doesn't seem to "get it".
Has anyone had this problem before, or have any ideas on things I could try? Really grateful for any suggestions.
 
My ride and drive cob was started in a straight bar bit, and didn't like the french link I put him in, so I bought him a happy mouth straight bar eggbutt as it was more similar to what he was used to.

Is it possible to longrein your mare? If she has mainly been driven this will be more familiar to her, and would allow you to get the basic commands back in place in different situations, before you try them ridden?
 
Thanks very much for that. I hadn't thought of straight bar but it makes total sense. I'll have a look and see what I can find.

I have facilities so may look at long reining exercises.

Thanks again
 
Do you know anything about the history of your cob OP?

I've got a Trad/Gypsy cob, and I was told that he'd "been driven" before I had him when he was in Ireland but that he was "best to be ridden not driven"........ so (reading between the lines) I figured that maybe something had happened while he was being driven.

The problem is with these (dare I use the word) "Gypsy" cobs is that you don't know their history. They may well have been owned by the travelling community (OK so nothing wrong with that) and they may have been broken to harness and/or saddle in a good way, OR it might have been a case where the process frankly left a lot to be desired, i.e. done on the way back from the pub, kind of thing. You have no way of knowing.

My trad-cob gives away his background in that he can still be very mis-trustful of new people and situations, especially men, and especially men with sticks. So that tells me everything about the sort of history he's had.

I had an expert to help me with mine, and sort out some of his issues. This was absolutely invaluable and I don't think I could have managed him without an expert coming along to sit back and look at the situation from a distance and with an open mind.

The problem with these traditional/gypsy cobs is that they are very heavily built (sorry, am being obvious) and often their own strength and bulk can work against them - getting them nicely balanced between hand and leg is always a challenge, but it is achievable. Sometimes it can feel a bit like trying to teach an elephant to do ballet :) ....... but it is worth the effort as when the whole thing comes together you just get this lovely impression of power and balance coming together.

Just a suggestion: but had you thought of trying something like a French Link Rugby Pelham? This is a lovely bit (you'll need an additional headpiece with it) which gives a great deal of movement and flexibility to the mouthpiece - and is very much like riding in a double bridle but without the two bits. Mine goes really nicely in this. You may need an expert to help you to fit it properly though!!!

Good idea re. long-reining as this will be familiar territory for your mare; but what you may need to do is go totally back to treating her as if she were an unbacked youngster, i.e. start off with groundwork and then basically "re-do" the whole backing thing, coz again, you don't know how she was backed and it might have been another instance of being done on the way back from the pub. You just don't know.

Good luck anyway. Yes a picture of her would be nice, if you can???
 
Haven't tried blinkers. Interestingly when we first got her (and she was very thin) she didn't look around or jump at all, and now she seems to be increasingly noticing what's going on and jumping around. It's nice to see though as she looks happier. Someone at our yard suggested blinkers if it was too much of an issue, but it's OK yet.

Today I've realised just how hard she is trying to please us, and learn. When she's got into her not stopping mode we've turned her in circles to stop her. Now, as soon as you turn her into a circle, she stops. It's like she thinks that's what it means. I'm determined to get us communicating as she is the loveliest, most honest horse and will be wonderful once she knows what we want.
 
Has she been driven or trotted? I ask because I have a ride and drive gypsy cob which I know was properly trained to drive, but was very green ridden. He learned the ridden aids very easily because his response to voice commands was instant.
If she was trotted and just required to go fast, her initial training may not have been too rigorous which would explain the communication problems now, in which case, I would say you have to restart.
 
Had never thought of that. She has an absolutely beautiful trot when she gets going, feet picked up high and tail raised - and it feels lovely to ride when she goes fast. But that may explain why we have the issues we do - and why she runs into canter, going faster and faster. That said, she is very responsive to voice when we get the right words (eg "stand" said very firmly to make her stop).
Thanks for that
 
I have to say from your photo she looks part trotter to me. It could just be the pic but she seems quite a light build and little feather (unless you clipped it). She's a pretty girl!
It's quite interesting finding the right command words isn't it? I found who-oa said in two tones, second one lower, worked for slowing down. Stand resulted in completely parking, walk on and trot were normal.

I have the feeling he knows a lot more words but I haven't discovered them yet!
 
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