Schooling a stiff hunter

[MissMay]

So I am exercising a 10 year old hunter usually he hunts 2/3 days a week for the season commencing at cubbing and works right through then off all summer.
however, last year he ballooned in weight so this year he got a month off after and he was brought back then to keep his weight in check. I was offered the ride as I'm without a horse atm and asked to school with view of moving him towards more mixed work.

But he is like riding a wooden plank, he is so so stiff and doesnt bend his body only his neck but he holds it rigid as he turns. he rushes his transitions upwards and can rush off ina canter struggling to stop. but collapses into downward ones. I find after riding in the arena in exhausted it's a fight to get 20 mins of work (I was told he works in an outline but I feel it's a forced drawrei when breaking outline not a true working outline) most unusually my left bicep is always in pain after him so he is obviously really hard work and leaning ok that side- I as a rider tend to find that is my stronger more dominant side so could be also causing a counter pull from him.

at present I'm able to ride him 3 times a week both schooling and hacking free rein to do whatever and his owner hacks 2/3 days just on a loose rein for fun or a bit of yee haw jumping which he runs on landing.

is there any hope in making any progress with him or is this a lost cause??
I really have until September before cubbing starts I'm off furlough. But last year he started to show signs of the lack of schooling and basic flexibility with some back issues which ended up needing a few physio sessions and something I'm super aware of.

lovely sort 15.3h connie cross ID so quite compact and very pony like in his actions the ultimate old school hunter. Annoyingly when you see him loose or his full siblings the POTENTIAL in his natural movement is amazing it just was never needed to be harnessed.

Some pointers would be great to give any kind of progress and help keep him sound and right

 

[HorsesRule2009]

I ride hunters as a living, I like to start with just gently asking them for some leg yield while out hacking, to start literally 1or2 steps and build up from there.
I find this helps them over their back and to start stepping under and using the hind.
Once they can do this I add more in.
Has helped them

 

[spacefaer]

Lots you can do!
Leg yield (or just moving sideways off the leg!)
Turn about the forehand - make him start to think about where his feet are
Polework - in hand and under saddle
Raised poles
Transitions - aiming for them to be off your seat, not your hands.
Small walk circle, direct trans to canter (just for a few strides to start with while strength improves )
Trans out hacking - on the contact and pushing into them, particularly downhill will help strengthen his core

 

[Maryann]

Can you do some work in an open field - then you could use 50 metre circles and straight lines which may be easier for all parties?

 

[spacefaer]

Can I also add (in defence of hunters who are frequently referred to as unschooled, lumpy to ride, stiff. ...)
Schooling them is no different to schooling any horse who hacks in straight lines for the majority of its ridden career.
I have ridden a lot of unschooled horses who are uncomfortable to ride - most of them had never seen hounds in their lives!

 

[Mule]

Having had an ex board, I'm a big fan of leg yield, spiral circles and also serpentines. In his case the problem turned out to be physical. I suspect that's often the case.

 

[MissMay]

I ride hunters as a living, I like to start with just gently asking them for some leg yield while out hacking, to start literally 1or2 steps and build up from there.
I find this helps t

Can definitely try that tomorrow he is quite good at the basics due to being on gates alot!

Can you do some work in an open field - then you could use 50 metre circles and straight lines which may be easier for all parties?

yep I can work in field, arena, poles, jumps whatever needed. so can definitely make it much bigger and looser to ease him in

Lots you can do!
Leg yield (or just moving sideways off the leg!)
Turn about the forehand - make him start to think about where his feet are
Polework - in hand and under saddle
Raised poles
Transitions - aiming for them to be off your seat, not your hands.
Small walk circle, direct trans to canter (just for a few strides to start with while strength improves )
Trans out hacking - on the contact and pushing into them, particularly downhill will help strengthen his core

ye he seems to just fall down into them so absolutely need to work on them it's like he pitchs forward. Canter is where his weakness shown right up the imbalances that were never put on all cumulate into a hot mess.

Can I also add (in defence of hunters who are frequently referred to as unschooled, lumpy to ride, stiff. ...)
Schooling them is no different to schooling any horse who hacks in straight lines for the majority of its ridden career.
I have ridden a lot of unschooled horses who are uncomfortable to ride - most of them had never seen hounds in their lives!

oh it's not that he is a hunter its purely unschooled and owner having no interest but the problem is now the lack of using himself is causing niggles

Having had an ex board, I'm a big fan of leg yield, spiral circles and also serpentines. In his case the problem turned out to be physical. I suspect that's often the case.

he definitely has a background of physical with back issues so last physio check just pre lock down was good and he was loose and free

 

[mini_b]

I have an ex hunter who also goes like an absolute barge.
His movement when he’s free schooling is super so he can do it, could have written exactly what you have!
I’ve got my work cut out but it is getting there. .. leg yields are hard, we do a few steps.

currently working on upwards and downwards transitions without bogging off as soon as your leg goes on or taking a hold when you pick up a contact.
straightness - very crooked, as we work on this he’s finding movements with a bend etc easier rather than just bending his neck. When I first got him I couldn’t get him in a straight line.

Trotting poles - also just walking over a line of poles is good as there’s no natural moment of suspension so they have to pick their legs up.

charging off after little jumps. Lots more circling away, transitions to walk in between.
We dont canter out hacking or on long straight lines, he falls onto the forehand and that’s his chance to F off. Working on strength at the back rather than the front before I reconsider ?

He’s retired from field but he’s a nice boy just very stressy but I’ve seen improvements with what I’ve done and I’m a numpty so I’m sure you’ll get a nice tune it just takes time as you know when that’s “their way of going”.

we have lots of physio/body work as he’s improving.

good luck I look forward to hearing from how you get on!

 

[MissMay]

It's so frustrating sometimes isnt it!
it's either 0-100 with no regards to rhythm and then collapse down through the shoulders or take an almighty lean and lock his neck

 

[mini_b]

It's so frustrating sometimes isnt it!
it's either 0-100 with no regards to rhythm and then collapse down through the shoulders or take an almighty lean and lock his neck

have you stolen my horse??
We aren’t miles ahead of you but what we have achieved is little and often and consistency.

 

[charterline]

There’s a book called something like stretch’s for your horse. Comes in a little ring binder type folder I think, would probably help

 

[Trouper]

Definitely add carrot stretches in to everything else folk have suggested.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Definitely add carrot stretches in to everything else folk have suggested.

Agree with all of above and was going to suggest carrot stretches, there is a particular one that will really help, as they stretch round you slightly pull the tail round to you so you get a really good stretch through the middle of the body.

My Arabs can get a bit wooden through tension I find shoulder in and haunches in really helps, once they learn it you can alternate from one to the other up the long side you can also do it hacking.

 

[Goldenstar]

If you can I would do the things suggested above and walk up and down very steep slopes encouraging him to lower his head and round his back on the way up ( best if you are up off his back ) and encouraging him to sit coming down .
You need to make him walk .
In the schooling I would also add in lots of transitions .
He probably won’t have the concept of the half halt do I would start doing lots of walk to halt ones you need to make them very progressive and gradual so he does not stop onto his front legs .
Once that’s half working I would masses of trot to walk ones and over time start getting the point of walking and then going back to working trot .
Over time I would be working to slow the trot right down and then go forward into a more normal one .