What bit?

[CarolineJ]

My horse is coming back into work after 3 years of doing nothing (no medical reason for this, just his previous owner lost her confidence). I'm starting off with 10 minutes of walking a day and am having a few steering problems! He's fine in a straight line, but often opens his mouth and naps in the opposite direction when we turn, especially if it's in the opposite direction to the way out of the school.

I've had the vet out to check his back and teeth and give him a general MOT before we started and his saddle has been checked as well. The only thing left I can think of which might be causing pain is his bit - he's in an Eggbutt snaffle and I'm wondering if he's objecting to the nutcracker action. Should I try either a straight bar or a French link snaffle instead? Brakes aren't a problem.

Of course he could just be throwing a strop because he's being made to do what he's asked instead of getting away with doing whatever he wants but I'd rather eliminate any other possible causes before I get too tough with him.

 

[Rosie Round The Hills]

If he's had his teeth checked (I use a dentist rather than a vet, but if you're happy with your vet then that should be fine), then I'd suspect that's he's just napping. Three years out of work is bound to leave him a little reluctant to leave home!

How experienced and confident are you? Are you prepared to get a little tough with him to push him through the napping? If not, then there could be a little cycle developing already:

"I don't want to do this, I want to be lazing in the field, I don't feel confident, I'll avoid where she wants me to go" naps opens mouth avoids bit "oh, it worked! I'll do that again next time"

I don't know what you've done with him so far, but my advice - for what it's worth - would be to treat him as if being backed for the first time: do some long-reining if you can, lunge him, walk him out in hand, and do lots of nice little transition sessions and learning sessions. Build up his confidence in you. And don't think twice about getting in someone on the ground to help you and watch what's going on.

You'll get there , and you can enjoy the journey too.

 

[CarolineJ]

Thanks I made a mistake in my first post, he's actually in a French link snaffle at the moment.

I used to be able to ride reasonably well once, but I had a big fall off my last horse 7 years ago which shattered my confidence. Merlin has actually been here with me since last summer, but due to a combination of time, weather and just plain cowardice, I've not ridden him much. However, we have a great relationship now and our trust in each other has increased noticeably over the winter.

That said, yesterday riding just felt like the right thing to do for the first time in years No dithering about getting on and confident enough to get bossy with him when he played up - it probably wasn't pretty, but it worked! He's absolutely fine in hand, I walked him round once on each rein before I got on just to show him where the sheep were.

I keep reading conflicting advice about lunging when coming back into work - some people say 'excellent work, do it', others say 'much harder work than being ridden, leave it for a month'! I did a couple of lunging sessions with him last year before the weather turned and we really need to go back to basics there, because if I don't send him on with the lunge whip he'll simply turn in and walk back to me, but if I so much as point it at him he'll roll his eyes in mock horror and take off on several wall of death circuits! We did manage half a circle in walk, so he can do it when he's got the mind to.

He's a lovely, lovely horse and I think he's going to be great once we figure each other out under saddle - I'm lucky enough to have a mile-long deserted beach at the bottom of my fields, which is just begging to be hacked on, so that's my goal by the end of the summer!

 

[Tnavas]

Try him in a Fulmer snaffle - with keepers - and a drop noseband. The cheeks on the Fulmer will assist in turning and the drop will keep his mouth closed.