Schooling to stop horse being strong in field

[paddi22]

Recently got a new horse, lovely but big and strong. Last owner had him in a grackle and gag bit, and he just went from field to hunting. He doesn't have much schooling but is lovely. i got him, stuck him back in a snaffle and cavesson in the sand arena, and he is fine, strong and excited when jumping in school, but nothing a bit of schooling won't fix.

Had him out in field today and when cantering and galloping he is very, very strong. I'm used to an exracer who stops when you drop the contact, so he feels very different. I want to keep him in snaffle and cavesson, and am hoping schooling in the field will train him to have a few more gears and better brakes. He hasn't any badness, he's just very forward going and confident.

Anyone have any good schooling tips to train a horse to respond better i don't want to be hauling at him, but i really don't want a stronger bit. Any good exercises people recommend?

 

[lovinyourwork]

Interested with help in this area too, but I have a ns gag and grackle when xc etc so would like tips to keep him gadget free, again not nasty just fired up

 

[Irishbabygirl]

Me too! I have a lovely but strong and fizzy Irish thing, again I don't want to gadget up or over bit, but don't have much in the way of brakes when doing anything remotely fun! Watching with interest...

 

[elsielouise]

The only thing that works with mine is regularly schooling in a field in the same way as in a sand school.

I map a school area in my head using random plants or patches of earth and ride serpentines, spirals and pretty much all school movements.

If I do this fairly regularly she gets much less interested in hooleying off every opportunity. And I can keep her in a snaffle.

We even managed a semi sensible canter up a stubble field last week. Do need to keep on top of her though as a few weeks of not bothering and she 'forgets' her manners.

 

[elsielouise]

Wouldn't let me edit but just to add have had my mare fourteen years so we know each other quite well.

No quick fixes just lots of work for us. Dressage in the daisies. And sing if it starts getting a bit hairy!

 

[partyangel]

Plenty of downward transitions. Get him concentrating and listening to you. If he starts getting strong circle and drop down a transition. Worked with 17.2 irish hunting tank .

 

[Luci07]

I taught my opiniated and strong mare to slow down and stop when I sat up, loosened my reins and scratched her neck. It was self preservation as the first time I completed a BE event on her I could not physically pull her up at the end and had to go round in circles for want seemed like an eternity. I taught her in trot, then canter then gallop. Taught it to all my horses since including the baby and it does work! My old mare still does responds to it though her sharers were sceptical at first!

 

[paddi22]

The only thing that works with mine is regularly schooling in a field in the same way as in a sand school.

I map a school area in my head using random plants or patches of earth and ride serpentines, spirals and pretty much all school movements.

If I do this fairly regularly she gets much less interested in hooleying off every opportunity. And I can keep her in a snaffle.

We even managed a semi sensible canter up a stubble field last week. Do need to keep on top of her though as a few weeks of not bothering and she 'forgets' her manners.

Thanks, I'l def try that. I think i go into 'field, enjoy' mode as well, so thats a good tip to think of it like a school!

 

[CobsGalore]

Lots of circles!

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Transitions round the edge. Count the strides eg 10 walk, 10 trot, 5 walk, halt, rein back, 5 trot, 10 canter etc (repeat all round the edge so horse doesn't see a field and think gallop!). When you've cracked it, just make sure you walk, trot, canter and gallop in different places each time. Even setting off for a blast at the same corner twice in a row can cause problems with some horses. If horse is prone to napping, only ever approach gateways in walk. If trotting or cantering ride past the gate, making a wide arc if necessary to avoid heading straight for it. This discourages galloping towards the gate to the road followed by a sharp turn on tarmac with risk of falling or getting run over. Try to have your first gallop of the ride heading away from home and up a hill.