Schooling help - stiffness through neck.

[Loubiepoo]

Hello - just need a bit of advice.

Been schooling my recently purchased 6year old ex- hunter (just in walk and trot to start with) and he's staring to work nicely and relax his jaw, work through and come into a nice round shape. However I'm having problems when working on the left rein, he seems stiffer and unable to soften and flex his head and neck to the left independently, ie when I ask him to flex he feels the need to turn his whole body into it and then face that direction. I have started to ask him to move away from my leg with a bit of leg yielding in walk, right rein is going ok, but left rein we are having the same problem - flex his head to the left, whole body has to go that way.

Hope this makes sense - any ideas, training tips please?
NB had his back and saddle checked recently all ok and he also has regular Bowen therapy.

 

[OrangeEmpire]

lots of carrot stretches to teach him to stretch to that side will help.

also open the inside hand to ask him to look inwards. Correct him with a firm half-halt on the outside rein if he turns, while using your inside leg to keep him out. He'll only be able to do small bends to start until he gets the idea.

hope this helps!

 

[Kenzo]

Just out of interest do you find that his quarters are falling out on the right rein or over bending etc or is he going how he should be on the right rein?

 

[username223]

agree with the above do lots of carrot stretches, (one bend to each side, as far as he will go and one through the legs) if you do this once in the morning once in the evening it really helps with overall suppleness.
when you are riding, try using a whip just pressing on his inside shoulder/neck and ask for a little inside bend, if he starts wandering to the inside, give him a little nudge with your inside heel and a small tap on his shoulder to remind him that you dont want him to turn, it works on most horses and after a while he should only need your inside leg to support him. basically its just giving the horse a bit more physical support by pushing his shoulders to the outside with the whip but bending his neck to the inside. also lots of leg yield and the usual turns and circles. hope this helps

 

[Loubiepoo]

Kenzo - I find that given the choice on the right rein he will fall out through the shoulders - but I'm fully prepared for this now and am able to correct it before it starts so he's a lot better with this now.

Thanks for your advice, I'm on with the carrot stretchs already, should I still do equal on both sides even though he is stiffer on the left?