Tripping whilst being schooled

S

SpanishNeddy

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 September 2011
Messages
530
Location
West Sussex / Surrey
Visit site
My new horse trips in front often whilst being schooled. He is a baby and is very green, so needs a lot of work bless him! he can be quite lazy.

Last weekend he did it in my lesson in canter and literally fell over......I fell onto my head :rolleyes: he has had a swollen leg all week, although is now fine.

Anyone recommend tips on how to help this? or is it more a case of more schooling the better?

Thank you :)
 
My 5 year old does this occasionally when he is not paying attention to me. He generally finds schooling quite boring and will never trip when hacking or jumping! :rolleyes:

I'd say it was an age thing personally :)
 
Given his age it could be a question of lack of strength but I would also be taking a close look at this feet and making sure that they are correctly balanced to rule that out as a cause. A long toe and / or toe landing will predispose him to tripping and can be addressed and corrected by a good farrier who understands the importance of skeletal alignment.
 
Could be a balance issue.

You could also make sure his feet aren't a bit long.

Obviously there are a gazillion other things it could be but I'm sure it's just innocent baby things!
 
If his feet are in good balance with nice short toes, I would think he is travelling on his forehand and overloading his shoulder.

Lots of transitions between and within the paces, make sure he is really in front of the leg, ride squares instead of circles etc to try and help him carry more weight behind.
 
Mine does this too. Thankfully haven't fallen yet! She is nearly 6 but has not done much schooling, and is very very very lazy haha, at the moment she will do anything to get out of working and obviously doesn't have the muscle to sustain it anyway which I have to bare in mind, I am having lessons to get us both better, when she is walking actively and concentrating she doesn't do it as much, she just needs to pay attention basically. I am concerned about hacking though and thinking I need to get her some knee boots as she trips a bit then as well. She was better when unshod as more aware of her feet! If we didn't have so much awful gravel and hardcore tracks I would leave her that way but have fronts on (otherwise she stumbles on stones!).

I'd just do some muscle building exercises and lots of exercises to get him to focus, canter transitions but not long periods of cantering until he is concentrating! I'm sure your instructor will have some ideas to avoid any further incidents!
 
sally2008 said:
Given his age it could be a question of lack of strength but I would also be taking a close look at this feet and making sure that they are correctly balanced to rule that out as a cause. A long toe and / or toe landing will predispose him to tripping and can be addressed and corrected by a good farrier who understands the importance of skeletal alignment.
Click to expand...


Ok, this is probably the issue then. He does not have great front feet. He is from Spain and they were trying to grow a lot of heel by leaving his feet to grow long......thus achieving the opposite! he has long toes and not much heal. My farrier has taken his front shoes off, as he wants to get the feet right and healthy with no shoes (if he can take it). The day after he had his shoes off (last saturday) he was instantly much better in my lesson, both me and my instructor thought this. He was not so much on the forehand and was using himself better. Sunday was good also, but then the trip happened!
 
Last edited:
This is a common problem and usually either a foot conformation issue (not landing heel first) or its simply because they are hauling themselves around on the forehand.

If the latter, then simple thing to do is to get them motoring from behind. This means you also have to work hard at getting them going forward with impulsion! No good just lolling around the school half asleep. Wake up!
 
millitiger said:
If his feet are in good balance with nice short toes, I would think he is travelling on his forehand and overloading his shoulder.

Lots of transitions between and within the paces, make sure he is really in front of the leg, ride squares instead of circles etc to try and help him carry more weight behind.
Click to expand...

Yes you are right, he is VERY on the forehand. In fact when it happened he was pulling me forward so much (felt like he was going to dive into the ground!!).

Ok transitions transitions transitions :)

Another question, my instructor is making me leave the contact for the moment (classical trainer), as he was ridden to nagging on the mouth in Spain. Would this not make him more on the forehand though?????
 
tallyho! said:
This is a common problem and usually either a foot conformation issue (not landing heel first) or its simply because they are hauling themselves around on the forehand.

If the latter, then simple thing to do is to get them motoring from behind. This means you also have to work hard at getting them going forward with impulsion! No good just lolling around the school half asleep. Wake up!
Click to expand...

Ok yes we are defo doing this in my lessons. I am slightly nervous rider due to bad experiences with my other boy so have a tendancy to like lolling around!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my instructor is constantly making me ride more forward :D:D
 
SpanishNeddy said:
Yes you are right, he is VERY on the forehand. In fact when it happened he was pulling me forward so much (felt like he was going to dive into the ground!!).

Ok transitions transitions transitions :)

Another question, my instructor is making me leave the contact for the moment (classical trainer), as he was ridden to nagging on the mouth in Spain. Would this not make him more on the forehand though?????
Click to expand...

No. Your instructor is right but shouldn't be making you leave the contact entirely. The horse needs to be ridden INTO the contact from behind but not so as to be leaning on you but rather be respecting of it. Think, back legs underneath you... Ask yourself if you can feel his hinds. If you can't then, more leg but no faster! Is your trainer asking you to try lateral work?

Ok, just read your reply above... If you are nervous about asking for more and he just gets faster, don't think of it like that. Imagine squeezing him up into his shoulders with your legs and correcting the balance. So, imagine his body as a see-saw... At the mo, he is shoulder down, bottom up. You are shifting your balance (in your minds eye) so that his shoulders come up and his bottom goes down. You can't let go of the fulcrum (middle of the seesaw) so keep the contact but don't literally hold on.

If you can't "find" his bottom underneath you, do lots of walk halt, trot halts and side steps. Once you feel it there, try and keep it there! Look ahead of you and keep thinking "where's the butt". I know, sounds odd but this will shift your thinking from his head (which does nothing) to his hindquarters.
 
Last edited:
tallyho! said:
No. Your instructor is right but shouldn't be making you leave the contact entirely. The horse needs to be ridden INTO the contact from behind but not so as to be leaning on you but rather be respecting of it. Think, back legs underneath you... Ask yourself if you can feel his hinds. If you can't then, more leg but no faster! Is your trainer asking you to try lateral work?
Click to expand...

Ok yep all makes sense :)

No not much lateral work at the moment, we have been working on getting him to move forward freely - when i get worried I cling on to the reins - so at the moment she is happy that I don't really have a contact (they are a bit floppy!) so he can move forward and less reason to react at anything.

I will add a few photos of me riding him would that help?
 
On the plus side, it does look as if he is reaching under, just not enough and he is heavy on the forehand most definitely. Short strides in front... By the way, I amended my reply to you... Sorry. Terrible habit of editing!

Nothing that can't be sorted quickly though :)

Lovely PRE! He is gorgeous! You should have no problem persuading him to use his arse! As long as you use yours lol :D
 
tallyho! said:
No. Your instructor is right but shouldn't be making you leave the contact entirely. The horse needs to be ridden INTO the contact from behind but not so as to be leaning on you but rather be respecting of it. Think, back legs underneath you... Ask yourself if you can feel his hinds. If you can't then, more leg but no faster! Is your trainer asking you to try lateral work?

Ok, just read your reply above... If you are nervous about asking for more and he just gets faster, don't think of it like that. Imagine squeezing him up into his shoulders with your legs and correcting the balance. So, imagine his body as a see-saw... At the mo, he is shoulder down, bottom up. You are shifting your balance (in your minds eye) so that his shoulders come up and his bottom goes down. You can't let go of the fulcrum (middle of the seesaw) so keep the contact but don't literally hold on.

If you can't "find" his bottom underneath you, do lots of walk halt, trot halts and side steps. Once you feel it there, try and keep it there! Look ahead of you and keep thinking "where's the butt". I know, sounds odd but this will shift your thinking from his head (which does nothing) to his hindquarters.
Click to expand...

Have to say, that's a fab way of explaining balance Tallyho- great visualisation exercise:-) ( cant get icons in right place!)
 
My daughters 5 yo IDx used to trip all the time. He was very weak behind and would stumble particularly when he was tense, nervous and not paying attention (usually hacking). 1 year on he is loads better and only does it if doing something particularly challenging.

Lovely ;looking horse BTW
 
He is very on his forehand at the moment that and the fact that his feet need time to improve could be all the issue is.
Pole work will help , and your trainer is spot on he needs to be forward and seeking contact in a calm rhytmn it may make things feel less good at first but you will get to a better place in the end.
He's very handsome .
 
my mare is on the forehand so I googled the problem and came across an article which said dont lean forward as your horse will then take your weight on to their forehand resulting in shortstepping. It advised sit up straight and breathe in until you feel your tummy muscles stretch, hold the reins and 'type' with your fingers and point your thumb down towards the bit and keep a contact while doing this. have tried it once definate improvement.not saying your horse is on the forehand though as to me he looks really lovely, just thought it is amazing how the position of your thumbs can make such a difference!
 
Sometimes on a young horse, you do have to lean forwards a little to allow the back to lift as you are asking for more impulsion. On horses that are fitter, I agree that there is no need to tip forward as the back develops. I don't think SpanishNeddy is tipping forward all that much in the photos. Perhaps her legs need to be more engaging and the use of her thighs and glutes needs to increase to encourage the horse up and forward.

Much easier said than done.
 
Last edited:
tallyho! said:
On the plus side, it does look as if he is reaching under, just not enough and he is heavy on the forehand most definitely. Short strides in front... By the way, I amended my reply to you... Sorry. Terrible habit of editing!

Nothing that can't be sorted quickly though :)

Lovely PRE! He is gorgeous! You should have no problem persuading him to use his arse! As long as you use yours lol :D
Click to expand...

Thanks for your replies, very helpful indeed.

Yes - he has a much better hind action than front. I could see this when I tried him in Spain.

They also were really nagging on the contact so much and he was very bad in his contact chucking his head around. They had him in a VERY tight flash which he was constantly fighting - poor luv!
So, straight away I used a loose cavesson and NO flash and he is hugely improved in that area! he is now totally happy in his contact and not stressed in the jaw. Totally amazes me why so many people use flashes when they dont need it!!!!!!! tends to make most of them stressed and tense in my opinion - but that's another story LOL.

Just had a lesson on him today, and he was good boy. We did pole work and transitions and we even managed to do some poles without bashing them :D

:)
 
flaxen tail said:
my mare is on the forehand so I googled the problem and came across an article which said dont lean forward as your horse will then take your weight on to their forehand resulting in shortstepping. It advised sit up straight and breathe in until you feel your tummy muscles stretch, hold the reins and 'type' with your fingers and point your thumb down towards the bit and keep a contact while doing this. have tried it once definate improvement.not saying your horse is on the forehand though as to me he looks really lovely, just thought it is amazing how the position of your thumbs can make such a difference!
Click to expand...

Ooo that is interesting, thanks for that.

Thanks everyone, appreciate your help :)
 
SpanishNeddy said:
Yes you are right, he is VERY on the forehand. In fact when it happened he was pulling me forward so much (felt like he was going to dive into the ground!!).

Ok transitions transitions transitions :)

Another question, my instructor is making me leave the contact for the moment (classical trainer), as he was ridden to nagging on the mouth in Spain. Would this not make him more on the forehand though?????
Click to expand...
Not if you are using your seat and legs to ride him forward. If you take a contact you will just teach him to lean on the bit. If you leave him to sort himself out, he will develop self-carriage, which is surely what you want. I'd get him out hacking, at a walk, to teach him to pick his feet up/watch where he's going and develop the muscles that he needs to balance himself.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
Not if you are using your seat and legs to ride him forward. If you take a contact you will just teach him to lean on the bit. If you leave him to sort himself out, he will develop self-carriage, which is surely what you want. I'd get him out hacking, at a walk, to teach him to pick his feet up/watch where he's going and develop the muscles that he needs to balance himself.
Click to expand...

Ok yes makes sense - thank you!

We sadly do not have any hacking, only around the edge of fields and the tracks are so bad I would rather not take him - even my other sure footed boy I would be worried about.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top