those of you with VERY forward going ponies!

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moodymare123

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ok so i have a 13.2 connemara who is extremly forward going and when i say that, he wont be kicked or he will go off like or rocket or even squeezed, and if you 'click' too loud and he does the same so its more moving of the hips! how do you people who also have extremly forward going horses make the horse extend without going off like a firework?! and aswell a quick question, our flying changes are abit rusty, he will change his front legs and not back, how can i make him do both at the same time?! (sorry if i sound deluded!)
 
Going to be a complete bore and say any areas of pain been checked first [back/teeth/tack etc]....

But, if not pain related, then just learning to ride him quietly with your seat and a steady leg into hand contact and over time, get him less reactive to the aids, keep brushing his sides before you get on till he learns that not every tiny movement means speed.

For schooling, the lack of changing behind is just an evasion from not working from behind correctly. Same as the extension. He has to learn to sit back on his hind end and collect properly, before he can extend fully. Work on getting him less tense by encouraging long and low work, getting him working down to try and follow the contact, soften across his back and spiral circles in and out, to get his hind end engaging and him yeidling to your legs, rather than just reacting by going faster from your legs. Lots and lots of transitions, school movements, lateral work, pole work with varying stride lengths, raised poles over a circle...just to get him thinking on you, and less on speed. :)
 
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My little lady is very forward also and funnily enough I was thinking about asking this very question as she over took a fast cantering 16.3 ID in trot today and got about 30ft ahead when I took her back to walk! The thing hers is already quite extended as in I can sit comfortably without bumping around and she is over tracking and on the contact so its not one of those head up trot as fast as she can situations.
She is also only 3 rising 4 and just starting work so this is something we will be working on!
 
ami thats sounds like my boy and i! and bearing in mind i most likely can only stop him if i turn a 360 circle! and christmasparkles, how do i get him working from behind more? he is all power in his shoulders but not in his backend!
 
You need to get him to accept the legs aids more :) Just like you would with a horse who you can kick all day and he will only ever go like a snail needs to become sharper off the leg. Try doing some leg yeilding, turn on forehands, etc... exercises and try applying slightly more pressure with your legs if that makes sense! Think about the dressage horses in the olympics for example (if you watched it) they could and needed to be pushed with the legs to perfrom movements. You just need to get them more used to your leg being applied basically :) Also helps say if you wanted a very collected canter, they need to be soft in the mouth and bouncing along but you also need to use your legs at the same time to get it active and using their hindquaters, sorry if none of this makes sense it does in my head hehe!
 
moodymare123 said:
ami thats sounds like my boy and i! and bearing in mind i most likely can only stop him if i turn a 360 circle! and christmasparkles, how do i get him working from behind more? he is all power in his shoulders but not in his backend!
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Oh no 360 circles are not the most subtle of transition changes! Dizzy is controlled I have her stopping with 'annnnnd wooooaah' while really exaggerating the breathing out so we can eventually just advance to the breathing out for stopping. But she is like frigging cannon with her trot in the most graceful way.
 
moodymare123 said:
ok so i have a 13.2 connemara who is extremly forward going and when i say that, he wont be kicked or he will go off like or rocket or even squeezed, and if you 'click' too loud and he does the same so its more moving of the hips! how do you people who also have extremly forward going horses make the horse extend without going off like a firework?! and aswell a quick question, our flying changes are abit rusty, he will change his front legs and not back, how can i make him do both at the same time?! (sorry if i sound deluded!)
Click to expand...

This sounds like my friends 14.2 connie, he can turn on a sixpence at full pelt... Any rein pressure and hes off like a shot, very slight half halts and seat are his ony brakes... This combination has led to me and him parting ways on many occasions... I'm not really a fan of pelting round a 40 x 20 school getting gradually faster and faster until all you can feel is frantic hooves underneath... Having said that he's the safest horse to hack, so long as you walk and trot only, he's also a star on the lead rein :) and yes I still love this pony... I must be insane... Don't ride him anymore though... I don't have the nerver, hence the giant steady eddy I now have :D

Oh and he thinks he's a racer, in fact I think he could give them a run for their money, he can out run a speedy 3/4 tb, and has unbelievable stamina.

That didn't really address your question... But just thought I'd share :rolleyes:
 
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