Tips for riding a VERY forward going horse...

Perfect_Pirouette

Perfect_Pirouette

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 February 2009
Messages
4,437
Visit site
I've agreed to school my friends 16.2 ID XTB mare for her a couple of times a week just to help her out a bit (not that I have a lot of time myself!)

Anyway, I knew she was forward going and could be strong etc. Had my first ride on her the other night and bloody hell.

To be fair it was dark, cold and snowy and she hadn't been ridden in a week so i'm not surprised she had a bit of a rocket up her backside. I literally needed NO LEG, I just had to shift my position a bit etc and she'd respond. I was riding a dressage mare up until August who was extremely hot off the leg and very responsive...however I wouldn't really say she was strong, she would only give as much as you asked, which was nice.

This mare however, her pace seems to be a million miles an hour, which would be fine but we were whizzing around in trot and I thought, no I'd quite like the pace slowed, I said this to my friend who then said 'whatever you do don't pull on her or she'll p i s * off with you' I was like, 'err okay' So I slowed my rising and was giving lots of half halts, but honestly it really wasnt making hardly any difference. I didn't feel as thought I could shorten my reins anymore as apparantly she's better if you ride her on a longer rein and my friend told me not to anyway, I couldn't pull, slowing my rising and half halts wearn't really working, so in the end I just circled her smaller and smaller until she slowed down, then made the circles a bit bigger and I got about one long side of an okayish pace.

Does anyone have any tips on how to ride a horse like this? I think she will get better once she's in more work as at the moment she's only being ridden about once a week/ once every 10 days and for a horse like her that's not really sufficiant. She works really nicely once you can get her in a nice, balanced, rhythmical pace, she works in a nice outline and is fairly balanced etc.

At some points I could also feel myself tensing up as well as I guess I was getting a bit scared that she was just going to take off, I then felt my lower leg starting to clamp a bit and I tipped forward slightly. I knew I was doing it so kept concentrating on trying to relax and soften etc but it's hard when I feel like I'm on a run away train!

How would you slow the pace on a horse that is really sensitive to the leg and obviously also has quite a sensitive mouth?

Any advice would be appreciated.
 
Last edited:
Sounds very much like my lad, cant touch his mouth or sides as hes so sensitive I NEVER use my legs haha, I just have to think go and hes off at a million miles an hour, but since I have had him for a while, I know certain movements which makes him work nicely and what doesn't. My advice? lots and lots of serpentines, figures of 8's, anything with plenty of bends in, slows my lad down because 'his mind is occupied' and he cant make the bends unless he slows down. But I guess thats kinda what your doing already. I would be very intrested in what people have to say about the tensing problem, as I have the exact same problem with tensing and tipping forward, its quite hard to try get him to go nicely while relaxing at the same time!
 
Last edited:
I used to ride a buzzy ex-racehorse and I found that he was better if I gently 'hugged' his sides with my legs. I didn't really need to put them on in the normal way at all, but if you kept them off his sides completely he would scamper sideways and then react more (shoot sideways or forwards) once you had to touch his side to straighten him up. If you let him take a firm contact he would lean into it and go faster, so light hands were best but it was really vital to NEVER lean forwards as that meant gallop in his mind!

You are doing the right thing with circles and slowing your rising. I also found that singing slow songs (it really does work and kept me relaxed) and lots of transitions and changes of direction helped too.

Have fun! :D
 
Lots of turns, loops, changes of rein.

BUT she's got to learn to accept the leg & rein, if you can't use those & she ignores weight aids then who's in charge of who?! It sounds to me as though she hasn't had any real schooling & so you need to start with basics & gradually build on those, just as you would a green youngster. If your friend doesn't like it then suggest she schools her own horse,
 
Mmmm, my boy who's normally pretty sedate has been going like he's got a rocket up his ars@ in this weather, so I'd guess the horse you're riding out is probably not like this normally.

I've heard that the more "forward" something is, the more you need to ride forward and let it go forward into the movement; and conversely with a plod, do the opposite - apparently, which probably aint much help apart from saying basically that its probably no good holding the horse back too much coz you'll only get into a tug of war, and its a kind of give-and-take thing with the reins rather than a big long pull and just hanging on in!

Sorry not much help. I'd personally wait till the weather breaks, if you can, and see how things are then coz horse might be more sensible then.
 
My boy's definately not an easy ride (he's a 13 yr old TB who came out of racing 2 years ago), and can be very forward at times!
He's ridden in a grackle and neue schule elevator (which work a dream). If I feel him getting strong, I half halt and encourage him to work down, long and low (which takes his mind off what ever it is and he works from behind.) I also incorporate a lot of school movements, changes of rein, shallow loops, lateral work, different size circles etc. So he never anticipates. I find I relax on him when he works through from behind, as I feel more in control. I use poles a lot in my schooling. (circles, changes of rein over a pole, change rein on a circle etc).
I also have a brilliant instructor who helps me with him, and I can have lessons on him which is brilliant as he concentrates! Canter's still a issue but he's getting there. He'll always be forward and I let him have a play on the lunge to get the freshness out first!!
I ride on a loose contact, as if I take up too much he just gets faster and does his 'giraffe' impression! I also use my seat and voice aswell.

My advice? I agree with hannabanana, lots of different movements, vary your schooling, maybe seek advice from a instructor you know and trust.
 
Last edited:
Lots of different schooling exercises keep her occupied, you want to be doing so many turns and loops that you don't complete a full lap around the school.

And although it doesn't seem it you NEED to put your leg on, she may bugger off with you and if she does haf halts and bring her round into a circle. But putting your leg on will honestly help and it will seem so un-natural and wrong.

If she hasn't been ridden in a while she may be completly different to when you rode her the first time, and riding after they've been out in the field also helps. Maybe lunge before you get on to get the excess energy off?
 
A few things really. The first is constant changes of direction. Figures of 8 on a 10m circle if you have to. She won't be able to rush so you can get your leg on and get her working.

Lots of leg on forward horses - but more upper leg than lower leg - you need to really hold and contain with your thighs.

Getting into a pulling match won't help, but closing and then releasing the hand might help bring her back, also making her flex and bend from side to side.

The other thing that works well with horses like her is lateral work - when she tries to rush off ask her for shoulder in or leg yield and that will get her listening and thinking.
 
I would do things like sweeping leg yields so you can get your leg on without it meaning forwards- these sorts of horses do need you to get your leg on otherwise they just get more and more electric.
 
As my instructor used to say: 'Breathe, sit back, hands down, relax'!

Mine's really forward and I used to lunge before I got on just to remove the edge. Now I just let him be very forward for the first five minutes, he then relaxes and realises that I'm not going to ask him for a body part and eventually, as long as I'm relaxed, he will be too.

Has your friend had her saddle checked and is the horse comfortable? I'd want to check just to be sure that it wasn't the horse trying to get away from pain/remembered pain.
 
caramel said:
He'll always be forward and I let him have a play on the lunge to get the freshness out first!!
I ride on a loose contact, as if I take up too much he just gets faster and does his 'giraffe' impression! I also use my seat and voice aswell.

My advice? I agree with hannabanana, lots of different movements, vary your schooling, maybe seek advice from a instructor you know and trust.
Click to expand...

Yes, I might see if she's okay on the lunge if I could lunge her for 10-15 mins first just to take the excess energy off. I sometimes think it makes them worse though :confused:

This was EXACTLY what she was doing, everytime I took up more of a contact she just got faster and came above the bit, started shaking her head around and being very chestnut marey! Which is why I just felt at a bit of a loss.

I have an amazing instructor and I was going to see if she'd mind if I had a couple of lessons on her just to get me pointed in the right direction etc so yes, i'll ask about that as I think it'll help.

I think the main problem is me tensing, I MUST, MUST learn to relax more when things go wrong, I know I'm doing it and try and relax etc but even when I'm thinking 'just relax, just relax' I'm obvously not relaxed even then am I lol.

She's apparantly as good as gold once she's in regular work, so I'm hoping the more I school her, the better she'll get. It's just hard with this weather. I haven't even rode G this past week and I've got dressage next weekend so it's hard enough trying to ride one horse in this weather let alone 2. I think the snow's meant to clear in the next couple of days so hopefully if we have a good clear, dry spell I can get to grips with her more.

She also apparantley tests new people and can be awkward with them until she's got used to them so hopefully once she becomes more familiar with me she may settle down a bit too.
 
Can I just add that this mare goes very nicely for her owner and works very well, it is not really a problem with the mare as such, just that we need to get used to each other and become familiar with each other's way of going.

Her owner has had her a long time, her forwardness isn't even something she would think about, although she does realise that she is a very forward going horse, but this mare has always been like this, it is just the way she is and as I said, she goes fantastically once she's been worked for 20 minutes or so and settles and relaxes etc (with her owner)

I just need to get to grips with her and learn to RELAX.

Just to say also, that yes she's had her back checked etc numerous times, all fine.

Thanks for all the advice, really appreciate it :) will introduce a lot of transitions, serpentines, leg-yields etc over the next few times I ride her and see if it helps.

To be honest I think the trick with this horse is to just relax and go with her and she will soon settle, so if I can crack that I think I'd be halfway there with her.
 
I would agree with all the above posteres - some good exercises and you seem to be heading the right way.

I would also add that I think that 90% of your problems (and verybody else's who has a very forward going, sharp, spooky horse) is lack of work. Most horses in regular, consistent, hard work very rarely get too sharp and spooky as their minds are concentrating on what they're meant to be doing, not on playing games with you.

I think chestnutty mare is playing games with you and testing you out (not surprisingly if she's been ridden by her owner for a long time). I would lunge her hard enough to get rid of the excess energy (don't know how fit she is but til her head drops and she starts to listen to you on the lunge)

The more often you can ride her, regularly and consistently, the more joy you'll have, the less forward she'll be :)

I love forward horses - means you can use their energy constuctively, for impulsion and expression rather than having to create it!


ETA I dond't mean her head drops from exhaustion BTW - just submission - listening to you lol!
 
Rather than rising trot, try sitting, VERY VERY still (not easy if she goes off :D ).Echo using plenty of leg, but not putting the lower leg on, more holding her with the entire length of leg. Also try lots of transitions of speed within the pace, at walk to begin with. Echo lots of turns etc and the lateral work. This works with the very forward going Appy.
 
to me she has got to learn to accept the hand and the leg otherwise she's ruling what is happening... my 5 year old can be quite buzzy at times (generally when he doesn't want to work- he does a great 'sewing machine legs' impression :rolleyes:) Partly its a case of keeping his brain thinking as others have suggested- leg yields, serpentines, different sized circles, shoulder in etc etc but also with a whole load of transitions thrown in there- i have to make it very black and white with him what i am asking for- so a clear half halt and if he ignores it then a not so nice half halt (i don't mean gobbing him- but a definite aid- rewarded with a pat if he listens) I also do lots of transitions within the pace to get him really listening and will often do 10-15 mins canterwork quite early on and do all leg yielding etc in this pace- its the hardest one for him to mess around (in trot its much easier for him to bog off with me!) within the canter i'll work on collected-medium-collected-medium etc with a few strides of each. the trick with forward going horses is to be brave enough to put your leg in properly- so many people edge about this and get scared to put the leg on and then when you do the horse takes the mick about it and it becomes a vicious circle....
good luck :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top