we cant turn right, help please

[twisteddiamond]

i have just got my pony back off loan and he wont turn right. my mam rode him out with me and my horse, its the first time she has ridden since she had her new knee joint and i thought he was just taking the mick, but i got on him when we got back and he just will not turn right, does anyone have any ideas

 

[CastleMouse]

Have you had his teeth checked??

 

[Jemayni]

Back check? Make sure your using your leg opposed to just hands...... If all else fails, what bit is he in, parhaps reschool in a flash, with a full cheek french link?

 

[twisteddiamond]

his back is fine the vet checked him before we moved him, his teeth seem ok, but he is due
hes ridden in a french link with a flash,

 

[dwi]

have you tried lunging him to see how he goes on that rein without a rider on his back?

 

[twisteddiamond]

he goes fine on the lunge that way, hes always been slightly stiff on the left rein ive never had a problem with the right.
hes 16 yo im not sure if that has any bearing on the problem

 

[dwi]

to me if his teeth and back are fine and he can do it okay on the lunge then it is nappiness. Presumably there is some stiffness there and he has learned that he doesn't have to do it if he doesn't want to.

I would eliminate everything physical, which is sounds like you have, give him a good massage before you get on to remove any stiffness, and then start off leading him in hand, then leading with someone on him and then just riding. If he'll do it on the lunge presumably he'll do it when led so you could reintroduce it that way

 

[Bosworth]

If he goes fine on the lunge then I would say your problem is probably saddle related - He is bound to have one shoulder large that the other, It could be that his left shoulder is bigger - therfore the saddler gets pushed across to the right blocking the right shoulder movement. So if he tries to go righe he actually can't bend that way as the shoulder is restricted by the saddle. Also I suspect you/ your mum are right handed, therefore stronger through the right side, which means you will tend to sit more to the right - unconciously. This comounds the blocking effect of the saddle.

He may be fine with his back checks, he may not appear to have any ophysical problem but horses do not have the same sense of humour as we do and are not likely to take excepton to turning right under saddle if they will do it on the lunge.

Contrary to what some so called back therapists state - all horses have one side larger naturally than the other, exactly as we do. You can strip a person naked and tell whether they are right or left handed as they will be larger through whichever side they favour. We have to work to develop the musculature to even out their ability to go equally but horses like us can be right or left sided.

Check your lateral work - does he yield off your right leg but not your left.

Ensure you put the saddle far enough back on both shoulders - to give clearance for the shoulder blades, close your eyes when you are riding and check you are sitting centrally, get rid of the elastic ended girth and keep checking to make sure it has not gone off either way.

If after you have checked all this you are still not getting right, then you probably need the saddler out to check the fit of the saddle - checking flocking etc to ensure it has not mouled itself to the wrong side. In the meantime if you can sit on him bareback and see how he turns, I suspect bareback you will go right no problem

Sorry that went on for rather long

 

[Fantasy_World]

You could always try using a brush pricker are they called? and attach to his left side of the bit. They work by making the horse less inclined to lean to the side they are attached ( or so I believe). I have never used them but have seen them used on racehorses for better control and those which tend to hang. You could even try a rolling bit ( is it called) may have the name wrong, again used in racing as it gives better control.
These are only suggestions if what was said above does not turn out to be helpful. But I do agree with lunging him more to make him turn right, as some horses can develop a habit of going better one way or another which can also cause uneven strengthening of the back and associated muscles.
Just a thought? but hope you manage to sort it out

Cazx