SouthWestWhippet
Well-Known Member
My new project at work is a 5yr old cob, Buster. Honest horse, but a bit sharp/green-nervous to begin with, then lazy when tired
I'm totally in love with him TBH, he is fab and so keen to learn (once he figured out he couldn't just stop whenever he felt like it LOL).
He's going so well ATM. His canter is finally starting to slow and I have been working on getting him off my inside leg into my outside hand and he is starting to soften and give me some shape in the trot. Today he was working in a basic outline in trot and canter on both reins. I was absolutely delighted with him.
However - here is the area in which I need some help... I struggle a bit with the principle of holding a horse in my outside rein as I am a bit of a 'fiddler' with the reins but I've worked hard on keeping my outside contact very steady and consistent and then giving and taking with the inside rein to encourage him to stop leaning on it/counter bending. My colleague helped me this technique and it seems to be working as he is reaching into my outside rein quite nicely on the right rein especially.
However, I am really struggling to prevent him falling in, especially on the left rein which is my weaker rein. He hangs on my inside hand and I find it hard to flex him to the inside without him just 'sitting' on that hand. I use more leg but I seem to end up with my outside rein really 'open' and over half-halting so I lose the consistency of contact. I used lots of circles and he would go very nicely across the arena but as soon as we reached the track he would collapse back in again. He anticipates the 'bend' I think and then rebalances himself accordingly and I'm struggling to prevent him without getting into my old bad habits of giving and taking with the outside rein to get him to move back out.
Does anyone have any ideas/tips/techniques to help us both?
He's going so well ATM. His canter is finally starting to slow and I have been working on getting him off my inside leg into my outside hand and he is starting to soften and give me some shape in the trot. Today he was working in a basic outline in trot and canter on both reins. I was absolutely delighted with him.
However - here is the area in which I need some help... I struggle a bit with the principle of holding a horse in my outside rein as I am a bit of a 'fiddler' with the reins but I've worked hard on keeping my outside contact very steady and consistent and then giving and taking with the inside rein to encourage him to stop leaning on it/counter bending. My colleague helped me this technique and it seems to be working as he is reaching into my outside rein quite nicely on the right rein especially.
However, I am really struggling to prevent him falling in, especially on the left rein which is my weaker rein. He hangs on my inside hand and I find it hard to flex him to the inside without him just 'sitting' on that hand. I use more leg but I seem to end up with my outside rein really 'open' and over half-halting so I lose the consistency of contact. I used lots of circles and he would go very nicely across the arena but as soon as we reached the track he would collapse back in again. He anticipates the 'bend' I think and then rebalances himself accordingly and I'm struggling to prevent him without getting into my old bad habits of giving and taking with the outside rein to get him to move back out.
Does anyone have any ideas/tips/techniques to help us both?
