Turn on the forehands

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SilGathien

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Now, I really need some adivce on how to convince my horse to do these.

He knows a couple of lateral movements, and I know these are usually the first lateral movements a horse is taught.

From the ground with no one on him, I can quite happily push him over so that he crosses well and doesn't move his front legs too far.

However, this is a totally different matter when I'm on him. No matter how much leg pressure is applied, he is not willing to move over, and I guess this can possibly be put down to confusion, but he knows perfectly well what to do with nobody on him. He does occasionally move over if some one who is on the ground applies pressure with their hand, but he does not do this often.

Now, I had a lesson the other night where we asked him to do these. He would sometimes move over, but only without a lot of persuasion. By the end, he was rather worked up as he did end up bucking, rearing (only small I assure you) and walking backwards.

He is an ex-racer, and sometimes they can react differently to other TBs so I believe, but this behaviour is genuinely out of character as he is such a placid horse.

His back is fine, just tension sometimes because he is not sufficiently free through his back.

I do have to consider the fact of his saddle, because I don't like it, and he does react to too much pressure if the saddle is tight as he would actually stop moving inbetween jumps earlier this year. However, he is totally fine to ride on the flat (haven't jumped recently), and has shown no resistance in going forward, apart from being a little behind my leg.

So, any ideas of trying to teach him this with me on him?
Thanks xx
(Sorry its so long!
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Did your instructor try pushing him over whilst you was on him - as you would from the gournd, this should condition him to associate your aids with the ones you usually give him from the ground.
Otherwise, make sure you do the movement from walk and not halt, because doing it from halt is riduculously difficult and he'll get stuck. Also don't ask him to do a full turn, start out just asking for one step then increase it.
Failing that forget about it, turn on the forehand is only useful for opening gates, is never required in a test and encourages your horse to go on the forehand.

Good luck xxx
 
The fact that he is an exrace horse doesn't really come into it, my mare has only been rebacked for two weeks and can already move away from the leg in a turn about the forehand.

As Jamayni has said dont ask from halt and dont ask for too many steps, just one or two will suffice to begin with. When teaching the horse try to not block their shoulders because if you do they feel trapped and dont know where to go.

If he really doesn't get the idea using conventional aids then apply extra inside bend gently until he loses balance and 'falls' sideways a step or two through his quaters - this will give him some sideways steps - pat him and tell him he got the right idea... once he understands that he 'can' move his quaters over he will then be able to do it when you apply the correct aids..... before anyone moans and groans that this is not the correct 'BHS' technique I do realise this but some horse haven't read the BHS manuals!!

Good luck.
 
Its more of a turn about the forehand and uses the same aids as a turn on the forehand but is less restrictive and allows the momentum of the horse to push the horses legs across and under.

Instead of asking your horse to halt you gather them up into the outside rein.

Often if you train from halt then the horse gets blocked and only side steps which has no use what so ever.
 
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