Some anti-giraffe exercises please??

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somethingorother

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Now, i'm not a fan of a false outline but my new share horse doesn't get schooled much any more and i took him in the school for the first time the other day to find myself riding a backwards thinking giraffe.

I did loads of transitions, tried to keep my hands soft and ride him forwards and did quite a bit of bending to the left and right to try to loosen up his ironing board neck. The last tactic seemed to work the best and after a while he did loosen up and go softer in the mouth.

I know there's no quick fix but are there any other exercises i can do to add a bit of variation? His neck is so rigid and his nose so high in the air that i really can't get anything out of him before this problem is fixed. I tried to ignore it at first and just carry on with transitions as normal but he wasn't listening to seat/ subtle half halts etc so when i did start to bring a bit of rein aid in his ears nearly poked my eyes out.

He's just had his bit changed from a pelham to a lozenge loose ring and apparently is happier. He feels fine in it out on a hack too. I'm not sure owner would be up for changing it again as they mostly hack and as i say he's happy in it then (and happy and relaxed in general). I think it is just a lack of schooling as he was a bit all over the place and unresponsive in general.

Sorry it's an essay, as always with me
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Cookies for any good ideas.
 
my ex racer was like this when I got him - again through lack of schooling ,expierience not that there was anything wrong as such. I did three weeks (ish) of work on the lunge with a pessoa building up literally from a couple of mins on each rein to where he was happy working for 20mins or so in total. I then got back on and he immediately felt like a stronger horse as his back was beginning to tone up. I laid off cante for a long time as he was so big and not v balanced and our school is pretty tiny so spent alot of time in walk and trot. I used lots of spirals,loops serpentines etc to encourage him to step through more from behind. Lots of transitions both between paces and within a pace. Trot poles as well helped but I did have to work hard with this as he thought they were for jumping
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I also have my hands slightly wider now which seems to help support him more with his balance. Hope this helps
 
you have tried everything I do.................

I also find if you start on a 20m circle, and gradually bring it down to an 8m circle in the centre (if you horse can bend that small.......) and do a few laps of the 8m circle then leg yield the circle out again, and then repeat, then change the rein on the 8m circle, then do the same on the other rein..............

that often helps establish bend and flexing etc........ just be prepared as your arms will ache significantly when its finished!
 
nope tell me about it!
also i dont ride skinny horses so Im doing it on cobs and IDx's etc so its not exactly as though they have nice skinnier necks that are easier to work with!
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As I say I find it helps, but your arms will kill! if you come off looking like arnie schwatzeneger (sp?!) its not my fault!
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