reschooling riding school horse - any tips?

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Jericho

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Am helping a friend out who has just bought a very sweet 7 yr old gelding off a riding school. He is honest and seems quick to learn but is hard work on the leg, you need very strong legs to get going but is fine to keep going He is very stiff and has no idea about bend or balance and nearly fell over in canter round a corner.
His mouth is wooden to any contact / give and take although he seems to have a light mouth, he jus doesnt understand anything else than pull means stop, left means turn left and right right. Seat aids are completely ineffective. It just totally seems he has never been encouraged to work in an outline.

She will be getting lessons from an instructor but she just wants to get a head start.

My first thoughts are:

no nagging with legs constantly, when she squeezes she should get a quick response, if not a tap with schooling whip behind leg and verbal encouragement

lots of work in walk doing circles and loops and encouraging the bend with inside leg to outside hand, with lots of elasticity on inner rein to encourage him to soften at the poll.

Some simple work at moving away from the leg, starting from the ground first and then leg yielding to get his back end more engaged.

Lots of forward activity and transitions to establish good rythmic paces and activity from the hind quarters and to keep the walk work from being to boring (and help with encouraging the quick response to leg aid). Active hacking.

Carrot stretches from the ground. Also raised pole work

I did think a pessoa might help but he is incredibly lazy on the lunge and again doesnt really have a clue.

Any other hints / experiences that I could suggest to her? Do you think what I have suggested makes sense?
 
First thing I'd do is get a good physio out to see him then give him some time off - he's going to be stiff and possibly sore, never mind bored with being ridden. Plus getting a well fitted saddle.

After that just good riding will sort him out. I'd spend much more time hacking then schooling to begin with, as he's less likely to have done that and should find it more interesting. Getting him thinking forwards and light to the aids whilst hacking should help with the schooling later.

The rest you suggest sounds good. Definitely get him moving away from the lightest touch on the ground, teaching him to give to pressure rather than ignoring it.
 
Kallibear has given you good advice, hacking is hugely underrated imo.

Also I have found riding bareback (not out hacking!) to be a huge help with horses that don't understand seat and weight aids - I've had some really funny Ah Ha! moments doing this with some horses :)
 
Amymay came from a riding school - and it became very clear, very quickly, that the best way to get her thinking forward, listening to my aids, and enjoying life was to avoid the school at all costs.

Hack, hack, hack and hack some more. And also tell your friend to take it hunting.

Then start thinking about going round in circles again......
 
Kallibear said:
First thing I'd do is get a good physio out to see him then give him some time off - he's going to be stiff and possibly sore, never mind bored with being ridden. Plus getting a well fitted saddle.

After that just good riding will sort him out. I'd spend much more time hacking then schooling to begin with, as he's less likely to have done that and should find it more interesting. Getting him thinking forwards and light to the aids whilst hacking should help with the schooling later.

The rest you suggest sounds good. Definitely get him moving away from the lightest touch on the ground, teaching him to give to pressure rather than ignoring it.
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Yep agree. Good post. Lots of fun hacking out with others will definitely perk up said horse - Have a bit of fun.
 
I agree with Kallibear - a full MOT for horse and tack, a little holiday, then lots of hacking to remind him that being ridden means fun times. :)
 
totally agree with all the above, show this horse work is fun with hacking fun work with jumps and poles not pressure. We used to teach ours who had gone dead to the leg by really obviously taking the whole leg away just before giving the aid for an upwards transition and at the start that aid would be one big kick then release again and a tap with the whip, reducing the severity as they respond, you soon find the horse shoots in to walk or trot from halt when you take the leg away before you even apply any pressure, in anticipation of a kick or tap with the whip, as you gradually decrease you can get them to go on the lighted leg release and then squeeze, it's knowing when and how to react. Lots of work to supple them. I always used to say to my riders to ride as if you were trying to give the the horse a physio, lots of muscle stretching and bending.
 
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Agree with the others. The first thing would be to get him completely checked out and if all is well then take him on lots of hacks if he doesnt move off the leg STRAIGHT AWAY then use the schooling whip behind the leg and get him going lots of voice too , make it almost unpleasent. Next time he will listen to the leg more. I did this with a VERY stubborn riding school cob now hes a pleasure to ride
 
I'd echo the other comments about getting him off the leg. We find with school horses that are a bit dead to the leg (and sometimes the whip too) a crack once behind the leg, once on the shoulder and again behind the leg works well. You have to do it quickly 123 and let them forward though. This is a short sharp shock because they have ignored your original aid. It doesn't have to be hard, you aren't beating him up!

Spurs can be worth a try if your lower leg is nice and secure. A lot of horses that are a bit dead to the constant kick, kick, kick of riding school life respond well to the different sensation of the spur.

I'd try to find out what he has been doing in the riding school so you can tailor his work. If he has been in the school and not hacking I'd not work him in the school at all for a while, apart from lunging, and free schooling. I'd hack, school in the field and jump. On the other hand if he has done a lot of hacking this might not be of much help.

Bear in mind that he might be a bit insecure alone.

I would try lunging with a pessoa to give him the idea of an outline, and when riding ask him to bend and flex rather than come into an outline. A bit of free schooling might be worth a try to put some fun back into his life, along with (if you can) hunting, xc, fun rides etc.

Have a serious think about his tack and whether it is suitable, lots of school horses are put in an eggbut snaffle, and running martingale automatically with very little thought. A change might be beneficial.
 
I bought my little mare from a riding school April 09. First thing I did was give her a 2 week break and spent lots and lots of time working with her on the ground. Grooming her within an inch of her life, spending time stroking her, getting her used to me, spoiling her etc.

When I started to ride her I avoided the school completely and took her out for very short gentle hacks so she could just learn to relax and gain trust in me. Once we had that conquered I took her into the school.

In the school I avoided the "lets walk round the edges to warm up" concept and firstly would wander around the school in all kinds of directions to keep her interested and get her listening to me. Once she had relaxed a little then I would start to school her and get her working properly. If she did not respond to my leg I would immediatley give her a little tap with a schooling whip which had great results.

The other thing I did and still do with her alot is to do some loose lunging. We both love this it gives her a chance to blow off steam if needed and at the end we have a lovely join up cuddle and follow round which seems to have strengthened the bond between us no end.

A year and a bit on and my little ponio is almost unrecognisable as the ex-riding school horse that I bought in both appearance and ability. She is the best thing in my life and I don't regret buying her for a moment.

Good luck to your friend - all she needs is time and patience :)
 
Mine was a trekker, and had never seen the inside of a school when I got him! I sent him to equestrian college, which gave him the basic schooling he needed, but his issue really was hacking solo, having never done it - always following the bum ahead, so had no confidence to hack out alone.

It sounds like the horse in question here tho' is probably over-schooled and sick of it, so, as has been suggested, a bit of a rest might not go amiss, then perhaps some gentle hacking with perhaps a bit of leg-yield on the way, going from one side of the path/road to another, etc etc., then perhaps work to a few half halts and that sort of thing.

I would say that if you put him in the school right now, he's gonna be totally sick of it and will just switch off. The dead-to-the-leg problem just might be sorted by a nice canter in open country, with other horses!!!! Just to open the pipes a bit and let him see that being ridden can be fun too!!

Horses from riding schools always need that little bit of time to re-adjust - from being everyone's darling as it were, to perhaps a more one-one-one situation in a private home, and this takes time to get used to. Also they've been ridden by every Tom Dick & Harry who've probably all used his poor mouth as a balance strap, plus have the saddle slapped on any old how perhaps, so its a lot of put up with.

Given time, perhaps some groundwork, lungeing, hacking, then maybe see how things go to take him in the school for a short while - try perhaps half an hour at first, important not to bore him. Lots of variety, perhaps some "spook busting"/TREC type obstacles to stimulate him and just do somethign different he hasn't done before.
 
My second pony was a riding school pony (really was my first but had a sec a as a 3 year old me not the pony but then didn't have one til I was 13 but I digress)

Similar story really but the best thing I ever did with him was to go hunting... suddenly he wasn't bored of life any more and we did everything from odes to dressage to fancy dress (which my claim to fame is I've never entered a fancy dress that I haven't won:D)

But basically do fun things and get him out and about but try in company first as they can be nappy after following nose to tail... Once they've woken up a bit schooling is much easier!

HTH

Blitz
 
Thank you all so much for taking the time to reply - its nice to know that my thinking wasnt completely wrong especially about the bend and flex rather outline at the moment and the no nagging leg. A lot of your experiences I can definitely see in this chap - nose to tail, spook when out on own, bored, switched off when schooled but more forward going when out. For 7 yrs old he did feel like a baby in attitude.

I have to admit that when I say recently bought she has actually had him 9 weeks now and during that time she has had saddle refitted and physio out (to which there were no major issues just stiff). His feet are horrendous (flat footed and collapsing heels) and I suggested that she needs to have a word with her farrier or change him!)

Since she has had him she has been hacking him out 3 times a week but doesnt have a school so does a bit in the field. I think the hacks are mostly roads and there isnt much variety so I definitely think that Iwill encourage her to get him out a bit (would be great for me to have some company to do a few fun rides with!)

Thanks again for all your help - I'll let you all know how he progresses!
 
His feet are horrendous (flat footed and collapsing heels) and I suggested that she needs to have a word with her farrier or change him!)
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Her farrier will only have shod him twice since she's had him - so give the poor chap a chance. It will take time to correct the feet....................
 
amymay said:
Her farrier will only have shod him twice since she's had him - so give the poor chap a chance. It will take time to correct the feet....................
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Sorry I should have been clearer - its so easy not to give the whole picture - she is still using the farrier that used to do him. She bought him locally after moving herself to the area so didnt really know who to use and the riding school just recommended him. She herself has only just come back into horses after a ten year break and doesnt know really know many horse contacts in the area (I have only just got to know her via our children at school) so I am trying to help her out as much as possible (without being too interfering!!))
 
Apologies if any of this has already been said, I haven't read all of the replies.

I would give him a bit of a break from schooling to start with as he is probably a bit bored of it after being in a riding school. Maybe your friend could take him out on some hacks, either alone or in company for a couple of weeks to give him a change of scenery. This will also be a good chance for your friend to get used to the horse and she should find it easier to encourage him to move more forwards. Then, I would introduce a couple of schooling sessions, keeping them short (about 20 mins - half an hour) to stop him from getting bored. I would continue hacking him out for the majority of his work though to increase his fitness and to vary his work. During the schooling, I would just concentrate on walk and trot to start with doing lots of circles and transitions. I would be aiming to establish an even rhythm on a large circle (eg around the edge of the school) in trot. I would also use some half halts to lighten the forehand and encourage him to step through from behind. You could help to keep him attention by riding over, between and around single poles placed randomly around the school.

Hope this helps. :)
 
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