Tips please?

[ponynutz]

Hey all.

Recently took on a loan as many of you know. He's predominantly done dressage but now he's getting fitter I'll be able to do some jumping with him as well.

I on the other hand had a jumping pony all my life and only did bits of proper flatwork on other people's horses or my own towards the end and despite never getting a contact with my own I got it with others horses. I'm struggling to with this loan horse although I get moments (it's especially easier in canter for example) but I really want to as I believe it's important to owner as it means he's working correctly.

I'm having a lesson on him soon but really want to do justice by him so also want some tips on exercises I can do in the school besides just trotting around trying to ask him for a contact. Partly I want to keep things interesting for him and partly want to take the pressure off myself and just enjoy him.

I really enjoy riding him and being with him just want some advice on other things to do in the school as well as working on getting a contact.

 

[Birker2020]

You could start by scattering some poles around the school and trotting and cantering over them, circling round them etc. Also place two poles a distance apart and try and see how many strides apart then see if you can add or detract an extra stride.

You could make some cross pole bounce fences and start with a low grid gradually adding to the length and height of the grid as you progress.

My very favourite thing in the world is grid work and i used to love jumping Bails at least once a week over some very long grids.

 

[stangs]

Lateral work is the obvious place to start for a horse that's already done dressage: leg yields, shoulder ins. Turn on the forehands are easy to teach if the horse hasn't done any lateral before.

Poles - walk, trot, canter, on the ground or raised at different heights. There's hundreds of different shapes you can make with them (as a quick Google search will show you) to work on improving the gait or straightness or transitions. Plus, once you've got the poles set out, you start thinking of more things you can do with them.

Otherwise, chuck a flew jumping blocks out and use them as markers to help with turns or transitions.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

What Stangs said.

Also lots of transitions and making sure the horse is forward enough you will never get him dropping into a contact unless the motor is working properly, it's probably why you find it easier in canter as its a more forward gait.

 

[oldie48]

I also find lots of transitions get most horses thinking forward, halt/walk/halt, walk/ trot/walk etc etc, I tend to use the markers and once they start anticipating the transitions I mix them around and make them quicker or longer so they have to listen. Once I've got a horse that is wanting to go forward and I've done some good circles with them keeping the same rhythm I'll trot down the long side away from fence, ask for a decent walk then do a turn on the forehand away from the fence and immediately ask for trot. With a reasonably well schooled horse, provided you keep a contact you should have a decent outline because the horse's hocks are more under him and he's soft in the neck. Any way try it, it has worked for me. btw I used to struggle to understand "forwardness" and confused it with speed, it's not the same thing so now I tend to think of it as energy.

 

[ponynutz]

Thanks all - only see him twice a week so will try a few of these things out and update with how it goes!
Very grateful for the help as always