Snatching the reins

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Walrus

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My 5 year old is now hacking alone and getting fitter (backed late March), I haven't done much schooling with him as he didn't go forwards very much to start with so we have done lots of hacking to make things fun and get some strength and fitness. We are going to start having some lessons and schooling a bit more now.

My main problem with him is that he snatches the reins and yanks his head down. he does it stood still, in walk and in trot. It's not all the time, he will walk and trot with a contact or on a loose rein. At first I thought it was when he got a bit more tired but he was doing it at th estart of our ride today. I normally try and push him on esp, in walk as that tend to stop him but today he was doing it stood still.

Any tips?

Cheers :)
 
If he doesnt do it in the field then its either the bit, saddle or rider. Would also consider his teeth as with tack on and a contact it could cause a problem.
 
My horse originally was going heavy on his forehand, kind of leaning and tanking. Instructor told me to drop the contact and make him carry himself when this happened, so I did, worked well for a while.

Then he developed a new trick - snetching the reins, as a way to get me to 'drop the contact' or give him a long rein which is what he wanted. He learnt it all by himself as a result of trying to solve the previous problem.

So not necessarily a bit/saddle/rider issue. Could be that he prefers the pong rein (easier ....) and has learnt from the ned of your schooling sessiosn how to get one. ?
 
He had his teeth done before I bitted him and his saddle was fitted when he was backed. To be fair to him he's a baby, he's unbalanced and he's not super-fit. I know a mare I used to ride used to do it only when she got tired and the fitter she got the less she did it. However today he was doing it stood still just before we set off, I think partly to get to a bucket on the floor but partly because it is his new trick. I think that he has learned he can get a looser rein when he does it is partly the case - doh!
 
He had his teeth done before I bitted him and his saddle was fitted when he was backed. To be fair to him he's a baby, he's unbalanced and he's not super-fit. I know a mare I used to ride used to do it only when she got tired and the fitter she got the less she did it. However today he was doing it stood still just before we set off, I think partly to get to a bucket on the floor but partly because it is his new trick. I think that he has learned he can get a looser rein when he does it is partly the case - doh!
 
My boy used to do this when he was bored, or tired. I used a daisy rein for about a month, but only once he started doing it as he can be really strong in the head when he wants. Most of the time when i wasn't using the daisy rein, my instructor told me to keep one rein tight and one loose so if he tried to pull his head down he wouldn't manage, and it's alot easier than holding two reins. I would also stop as soon as he started doing this, but after i had held his head up two or three times so he learnt it wasn't good. Hope this helps :)
 
Brandy said:
My horse originally was going heavy on his forehand, kind of leaning and tanking. Instructor told me to drop the contact and make him carry himself when this happened, so I did, worked well for a while.

Then he developed a new trick - snetching the reins, as a way to get me to 'drop the contact' or give him a long rein which is what he wanted. He learnt it all by himself as a result of trying to solve the previous problem.

So not necessarily a bit/saddle/rider issue. Could be that he prefers the pong rein (easier ....) and has learnt from the ned of your schooling sessiosn how to get one. ?
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That to me is a rider issue. if a horse cant physically carry itself, so is on the forehand then your instructor was right to say give the contact. A rider will never hold a horse up and if you maintain a strong contact the horses mouth will be spoilt. Snatching then probably developed because your contact was too much, the horse leant because he hd to (physically weak) and it made his mouth sore.

if a horse prefers a long rein you should ask why? Its usually because the bit hurts. the contact is too much or the horse cant physically work in a shorter frame.

OP- if your horse is only just backed then i wuld seriously assess what you are asking of him and can he cope? Every horse is different and ont always follow the riders plans. Also, does the bit suit his mouth conformation? Is it single jointed?
 
Ok smarty pants. :p The history behind my horse is a long story. He came to me like this, and I have lessons becuase I don't want to muck him up anymore than he already is.

My point is, teeth checked, saddle checked and when you say rider issue it makes me think rider doing something very bad, such as socking in teeth, hauling, too much 'hand' and so on. It may not be the case. Young horses develop habits, yes most probably rider related, but we are not all GP level riders.

Its a typical young horse evasion. Young/unfit/unschooled horses will often prefer a long rein as it is easier for them. Simples.
 
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