Small school, lots of hacking, schooling help please!

[Foxaunt]

Hello!

I have a 5yo mare I am trying to teach the basics of schooling to, we are very fortunate to be on a beautiful yard with miles and miles of hacking. The school is unfortunately quite small, around 20×40, and she is a big girl and can't quite get a good trot or canter up, we have done lots of walking work, poles, raised poles, etc. But it's not very engaging for a baby brain.

As mentioned we have miles and miles of hacking but these are tracks through woods and at the side of crops, not big open fields good for schooling on. School hire with box hire is an option but at £115 a day for box hire, it's a bit excessive for regular use.

Any advice? I remember reading an article about a grand prix dressage rider who was in a similar predicament and would practise everything on a hack! Anything specific that can be done with lots of straight lines? I'm just having brain fog!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

You can do most lateral work on a hack like leg yield shoulder in quarters in, I used to school on a really big field in the summer, I sort of mainly ride around the edge of the field like you would at a show, using the very long sides to do shallow loops and sepentines.

 

[splashgirl45]

20 by 40 is no smaller than the size used for lower level dressage tests, the biggest used for dressage is 20 x 60. can you do schooling in walk if you find trotting difficult, or walk the short side and trot the long side then change rein and do the same. there are lots of exercises you can do in walk so she gets the idea...how big is she?

 

[Starzaan]

I backed and brought on an 18.1hh youngster with a 20x40 school... we definitely had room!

 

[Foxaunt]

You can do most lateral work on a hack like leg yield shoulder in quarters in, I used to school on a really big field in the summer, I sort of mainly ride around the edge of the field like you would at a show, using the very long sides to do shallow loops and sepentines.

thank you, i think thats a good idea, theres one field which may be suitable as it has a wider path.

 

[Foxaunt]

20 by 40 is no smaller than the size used for lower level dressage tests, the biggest used for dressage is 20 x 60. can you do schooling in walk if you find trotting difficult, or walk the short side and trot the long side then change rein and do the same. there are lots of exercises you can do in walk so she gets the idea...how big is she?

doing a lot of schooling at walk for the meanwhile, she is struggling to get engaged. we mix it up and do different walking gaits, circles, serpentines, whatever we can, but it's not getting her thinking and working particularly and she is finding it quite boring which is my issue. i feel she was much more switched on in a bigger school and the same goes for when she is out on a hack.

 

[Foxaunt]

I backed and brought on an 18.1hh youngster with a 20x40 school... we definitely had room!

thanks, that's nice you were able to do that. we are unfortunately having trouble, maybe you could share some advice?

 

[be positive]

thanks, that's nice you were able to do that. we are unfortunately having trouble, maybe you could share some advice?

In what way are you struggling? I have brought on numerous horses and only ever had a 20x40 so am wondering what is causing you an issue, many will not be that confident in canter but I can think of no reason for any horse to not be able to trot a 20m circle or 40m straightline reasonably balanced and from there you build up, if it is just that she lacks balance then she needs more work/ time to gain it and avoiding doing any trot work will not be helping, most go through wobbly stages, need a fair amount of help from the rider, they will not learn without going through the bad bits along the way.

 

[oldie48]

I wonder if she is less engaged in the 20 x 40 because she's at home and more engaged in the 20x60 because she's in a different place.

 

[Foxaunt]

I wonder if she is less engaged in the 20 x 40 because she's at home and more engaged in the 20x60 because she's in a different place.

that's an excellent point i think you may be right! any tips on getting her more switched on? it's not a case of variety i don't think, we switch it up a lot in terms of exercises and gaits etc.

 

[Foxaunt]

In what way are you struggling? I have brought on numerous horses and only ever had a 20x40 so am wondering what is causing you an issue, many will not be that confident in canter but I can think of no reason for any horse to not be able to trot a 20m circle or 40m straightline reasonably balanced and from there you build up, if it is just that she lacks balance then she needs more work/ time to gain it and avoiding doing any trot work will not be helping, most go through wobbly stages, need a fair amount of help from the rider, they will not learn without going through the bad bits along the way.

can completely understand this but it's getting her to be engaged in the first instance that is causing conflict, she switches off, even when we mix the schooling up, its not fun for her. as soon as we pick up the pace theres another fence in front of her if you get what i mean, she's concentrating on the transition and then she is faced with having to immediately bend. i completely get what you are saying, its going to be rough until we make it smooth, but i want to be fair to her too and give her a chance to work on one thing at a time.

 

[be positive]

can completely understand this but it's getting her to be engaged in the first instance that is causing conflict, she switches off, even when we mix the schooling up, its not fun for her. as soon as we pick up the pace theres another fence in front of her if you get what i mean, she's concentrating on the transition and then she is faced with having to immediately bend. i completely get what you are saying, its going to be rough until we make it smooth, but i want to be fair to her too and give her a chance to work on one thing at a time.

I tend to just aim for a rhythmic trot, on a 20m circle, no need to think of bending, where her head is physically or mentally just concentrate on getting her relaxed, thinking forward and she will engage in her own time, if the transition is not perfect just ride forward and forget it, to me it sounds as if you are micromanaging a bit and that she would benefit from a 'kick on and find your own balance' attitude, pretty much the same as I do out hacking, within reason, get them moving in trot, ideally uphill and let them figure out how to carry themselves in a balanced way, the odd one requires more guidance but most if given a fairly long rein learn how to get their backs working, a few that came in that had been too restricted tended to do a lot on a long rein until they found how to cope without the rider giving so much help and then generally progressed faster.

 

[Foxaunt]

I tend to just aim for a rhythmic trot, on a 20m circle, no need to think of bending, where her head is physically or mentally just concentrate on getting her relaxed, thinking forward and she will engage in her own time, if the transition is not perfect just ride forward and forget it, to me it sounds as if you are micromanaging a bit and that she would benefit from a 'kick on and find your own balance' attitude, pretty much the same as I do out hacking, within reason, get them moving in trot, ideally uphill and let them figure out how to carry themselves in a balanced way, the odd one requires more guidance but most if given a fairly long rein learn how to get their backs working, a few that came in that had been too restricted tended to do a lot on a long rein until they found how to cope without the rider giving so much help and then generally progressed faster.

excellent advice thanks so much for taking the time to write that all out for me!

 

[LEC]

I evented at Novice with no arena for years. I did all my schooling out hacking. Its just discipline. Loads and loads of travers, shoulder in, leg yeild, transitions, halts, pace within the pace, flexion of the neck etc. Are they off the leg? do I get an instant reaction? Is the contact good? Can I move the neck around?

20 x 40 is big enough. They need to learn to stay forwards and most importantly on turns. This is what I work a lot on with young horses who want to drop back slightly as they turn.

 

[milliepops]

20 x 40 is big enough. They need to learn to stay forwards and most importantly on turns. This is what I work a lot on with young horses who want to drop back slightly as they turn.

yes I think this is a key thing, often the way a young or green horse will find its balance is by going forward whereas the rider can feel like it needs to go slower particularly in an arena where the space is more confined. there's sometimes the need for a bit of a leap of faith for both. I think that's sort of what bp was hinting at when commenting about getting through the wobbly stage.

 

[LEC]

yes I think this is a key thing, often the way a young or green horse will find its balance is by going forward whereas the rider can feel like it needs to go slower particularly in an arena where the space is more confined. there's sometimes the need for a bit of a leap of faith for both. I think that's sort of what bp was hinting at when commenting about getting through the wobbly stage.

Yep - basically I dont touch their mouths and concentrate on forwards. It feels horrible, it looks horrible and you wonder if you will ever progress. Then one day they will pick up the contact and be off the leg so you slow the seat and bingo you find they can hold it. I have one at the moment where I essentially look like an unbalanced pony club kicking cowboy going ya ya in order to try and keep canter as it finds it so hard. But the only way its going to improve is to keep doing it and go faster!! I cannot even begin to start worrying about the contact and making it balanced until I have forwards.

 

[dorsetladette]

It might be useful to get a good instructor to come and give you a few pointers. Eyes on the ground can often help. Every time you go in the school your not aiming for perfection, just better.

Out hacking I school the same as I would on the long side of the school. On (really) quiet lanes I leg yield to the white line and back again. Ask for a bend when going round corners. Lots of transitions, asking for collection and stretch (when safe to do so). Most people school out riding with out even realising they are doing it.

 

[be positive]

Yep - basically I dont touch their mouths and concentrate on forwards. It feels horrible, it looks horrible and you wonder if you will ever progress. Then one day they will pick up the contact and be off the leg so you slow the seat and bingo you find they can hold it. I have one at the moment where I essentially look like an unbalanced pony club kicking cowboy going ya ya in order to try and keep canter as it finds it so hard. But the only way its going to improve is to keep doing it and go faster!! I cannot even begin to start worrying about the contact and making it balanced until I have forwards.

This is what I meant, it does look and feel horrid at times but the horse will improve, will not need to be 'held together' all the time, micro managing can be forgotten because the horse will be in self carriage, once it is able to balance, carry itself and the rider the size of he arena should not matter, they have to do a test in a 20x40 on grass if they are eventing so training in one should be no issue, I did most of my jump training in a 20x40 which can be a bit challenging for a big green horse but we trained horses up to adv level with only the odd trip elsewhere to school.