What to do when riding ...

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Lobelia_Overhill

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Comments and/or suggestions needed, please!

I've had Don for nearly three months now and I'm starting to get the hang of him. My problem now is that I'm in a rut riding wise and not sure what else I can do. I'm not jumping him (yet) and I don't hack out (boy racers on the roads!), I'm riding him in an indoor school (approx 20m x 40m).

Generally speaking I go out onto the track and walk on a long-ish rein for a circuit or so, then take up a light contact and trot for a few circuits, come back to walk, change the rein, walk and trot on that rein. Then I look for a proper contact and work him in walk and trot getting him to go straight, and work into the corners, do some circles at A, C, B and E, maybe a figure 8 or two (now that he understands what I'm after!), then I'll canter him on both reins, some days I circle, some days I don't ...

He doesn't know any kind of lateral work at all - I do, but I can only do these things on a horse that knows what it's doing
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I've tried rein back and he nearly had a fit, managed to do something vaguely resembling shoulder-in [in walk], he showed willing to leg yield, but I dunno how well that went!

Turning on the forehand not an option, he got hysterical when I tried ... I'm in no fit state (physically) to start a "fight" about these things, and I wouldn't anyways, I try a few times and if it's not working I make him do something else ...

I vary things as much as possible, I don't change the rein in the same place every time, I vary which rein we start out on, I don't ask for canter in the same corner etc etc, but I think he's getting bored, and I'm not sure where to go from here ...

He a 6 y/o ISH (Selle Francais x ISH) and was being ridden as one of several showjumpers on the yard (I bought him from the place where I've been riding for over 10 years and I keep him there), I'm letting the previous owner ride him when I can't get to the yard, and they take him to a couple of shows a month (he's jumping clears at 1m10)
They ride him in a 3 ring gag with a [fairly tight] flash noseband and curb chain and a running martingale. I'm riding him in same as I was told that's what he goes in and there's no point messing him around changing his bit or noseband (personally I'm olde schoole and would prefer a snaffle and a cavesson)

Anyone, anyone, Beuller, anyone...?
 
You could try doing some pole work, just to give him something new to try.
What about simple changes, 3 loop serpentines, counter canter?
Nickie
 
I agree with Nicky - some serpentines, half circles, trotting poles in various grids etc to keep both of you thinking.

Can you have a lesson with an Instructor who is more 'dressage' orientated or one
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just more sympathetic to your current riding capabilities and what you want to work towards? I think you would really benefit from a lesson to give you some inspiration and tips now you are feeling at home on your boy!
 
If he were mine, I'd want to be introducing leg yeild/shoulder in/shoulder fore and maybe some renvers to make sure I have control of the quaters and shoulders. If you aren't sure, find a good instructor - they are worth their weight in gold.

Is there a reason you aren't cantering circles? I find most horses once balanced, and have stop/start/steer sussed, which he should if hes jumping 1.10m, get bored going round and round the edge.

Good luck!!
 
I agree find an instructor to have regular lessons with. I have a flat lesson once a week and have started having a jump lesson every couple of weeks. It really gives me something to work towards and new ideas on what to do during my schooling sessions in the week.

You could try some direct transitions so halt to trot, trot to halt, walk to canter etc.
 
thanks!

I've managed to walk a serpentine, trotting it was like pulling teeth, he hadn't a clue, even though I'd walked one ten seconds before!

I thought about trotting poles, but I'd have to set them up before I went into the arena as I can't keep getting on and off as I need a block to mount from and he frequently won't stand still to let me get my foot in the stirrup
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I could try counter canter but I get the impression he might just start cantering on the wrong leg every time I ask!

Lessons don't seem to be an option, I did ask but they only do group lessons, not sure how they'd take me bringing in a freelancer, supposing I could afford to!
 
sorry, was interrupted when I was replying!

I do canter circles, sometimes he gets a bit arsey and I worry he might fall over when we're turning (daft, I know but he really gives the impression he doesn't know what he's doing with his feet at times!), he also has a habit of jibbing at the bit when I'm trying to steer him and he seems to think all hand aids mean stop and all leg aids mean go faster ...

I'll have a bash at doing direct transitions, I do occasionally have to work on transitions as he chucks his head about when I ask him to go up a gear, I'll see how we get on missing out a gear!!

My main problem is he's a competition horse, where I'm used to riding riding school horses (nice decent quality ones, mind you, not old plugs) and I'm not used to a horse that goes on the bit. He's used to being ridden forward all the time and obviously jumping, whereas I'm more dressage style using my seat etc ... I'm a good bit taller and heavier than the people who've been riding him all his life as well, so there's a few "issues" to work out!
 
You could try working on his transitions, had a lesson on my 6yo a few weeks ago where all we did was transitions maybe one every 20 or 30 seconds. It was amazing how quickly they improved and it really got him listening, also working on them has really helped his balance.
Is there nowhere you could hack occasionally? We tend to do a lot of our schooling out hacking as he gets bored in an arena or field, it would just give him and you something different to do!
 
Have a browse through the books on somewhere like BHS website - then buy them cheap on fleabay!! - they are full of good ideas for excercises in the school, whether flatwork or grids etc (or DVDs/videos)

I have to put poles out before I go in the school too!! A good one is to put a 'diamond' in the middle - the 'points' should be going to A and C etc. That way as you trot/walk figures of 8, change rein you will have to go over the poles. You can also practise turning over them - you walk up to the middle of the pole and as the first hoof goes over into the square turn right/left and walk out of the square, as first hoof goes over turn right/left and step back into the square, as first hoof goes over turn right/left etc You have to really use you legs and seat and ultimatley you should be able to trot it too!!

Hope that makes some sense!!
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I hate hacking - my old pony used to tank off with me every time I went on the roads, and I've got a bit of a phobia of going on the roads now! It's holiday time as well so there's likely to be people on bikes, as well as cars and walkers on the road and he likes to act the prat when I'm riding and gawp at everything - my balance is a bit off these days and I don't fancy making an unitended dismount on the tarmac. Not sure how much hacking he's done anyways!

The diamond shape trotting poles sound like a good idea, I've not tried that before! I think the steps thing made sense
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Gah I used to be able to do anything and everything with my old pony, this lad's a different kettle of fish!!
 
Is he your horse? just wondered why others are jumping him?

Sorry to be a bit thick but if he is out sj at that level why can't he do basic stuff like trot a serpentine & if he is your horse why can't you put a snaffle in him?

Sorry but I am a bit slow sometimes!
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Yes he's my horse, I made an agreement with the previous owners to let them compete him for the rest of the season since they'd paid to register him for the year etc.

I dunno why he's not doing basic flat work (other than "20 metre" circles) unless he can and he's just taking the piss...?
 
I really do think some lessons would help you to give you some ideas and to help you feel more comfortable, they should also be able to suss the horse out a bit and see if he is genuinely finding these things difficult or taking the pee. If he is out jumping 1.10m although he is prob a bit jumping orientated he should have the basic schooling to manage a trot serpentine so I think something is going awry although he is only a baby. I would suggest if he can't do this he maybe shouldn't be jumping 1.10m yet. Even the craziest SJ I have known could manage basic suppleness schooling as it is the basis of jumping too.

FWIW I doubt counter canter would happen, he will prob have been taught to correct if he is a SJ and this requires quite a lot of balance on both yours and the horses part normally.

Get a freelancer in.
 
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Yes he's my horse, I made an agreement with the previous owners to let them compete him for the rest of the season since they'd paid to register him for the year etc.

I dunno why he's not doing basic flat work (other than "20 metre" circles) unless he can and he's just taking the piss...?

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If I were you (obviously I'm not and I don't know how things work with you!) but try going back to basics with a snaffle in him and start practising your dressage again, slow him down & give him lots to think about maybe?

Good luck, it sounds likeyou have a very talented horse there, lucky you!
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If he's a competitiion minded horse then he's probably getting seriously bored with constant basic schooling, you probably need to be a bit firmer when you're asking for different things until he realises that he has to do what you want. i'm afraid it sounds to me like he's got the better of you and basically does what he wants. I think the best thing would be to find an instructor that you get on with and who understands what you need.

You could just scatter a few poles around randomly and use them to put him where you want him i.e if you want to trot or canter over a specific pole you can have a clear target and it means you wont have to get off if he knocks the poles as you would if they are in a line. Don't give up on things either, if you want him to do something then he's not to finish until he's done it
 
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I really do think some lessons would help you to give you some ideas and to help you feel more comfortable, they should also be able to suss the horse out a bit and see if he is genuinely finding these things difficult or taking the pee.

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I'll have to ask the instructor again and see if I can twist her arm, she seemed a bit reluctant last time I asked - no idea why

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If he is out jumping 1.10m although he is prob a bit jumping orientated he should have the basic schooling to manage a trot serpentine so I think something is going awry although he is only a baby. I would suggest if he can't do this he maybe shouldn't be jumping 1.10m yet. Even the craziest SJ I have known could manage basic suppleness schooling as it is the basis of jumping too.

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He can walk a serpentine no bother, but in trot he stops as he's crossing the centre line and I'm all pony club kicking to keep him going. I don't think he's ever been ridden with a schooling whip and given his penchant for hysterics at things I'm not sure I want to arm myself with one!

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FWIW I doubt counter canter would happen, he will prob have been taught to correct if he is a SJ and this requires quite a lot of balance on both yours and the horses part normally.

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My balance isn't 100% at times, I have a problem with my hips "locking" on the odd occasion so I'd probably have a terrible time trying!




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Good luck, it sounds like you have a very talented horse there, lucky you!

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Thanks!



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If he's a competitiion minded horse then he's probably getting seriously bored with constant basic schooling, you probably need to be a bit firmer when you're asking for different things until he realises that he has to do what you want.

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This is the problem, I've tried to keep things as varied as possible for him and I've run out of options, he only seems to know walk, trot, canter, circles and jumping. Anything else is alien territory to him and he gets confused when I ask him to do something different, if I press the issue he acts like he'll rear, and I don't want him to start that!



Thanks for the input guys...
 
Firstly, pop the 3 ring gag on the top ring, don't tighten the flash, leave off the curb chain and voila, you have a 'normal' snaffle and caverson!

In terms of what to do, it sounds a little bit like you are going through the motions, rather than aiming to achieve something each lesson - I think it comes from bad riding schools that do the same set pattern every week, so people think that is what you are supposed to do! Exercises such as circles, serpentines etc are intended to improve the horse's bend, and the riders accuracy.

You say he isn't very good at cantering circles, so I would maybe spend some time working on them. After warming up in walk and trot, start doing some circles on both reins, ensuring the horse is uniformly bent correctly around the entire circle in walk and in trot. Once you are getting consistently good circles, I would ask the horse to reduce the circle to 15m (I tend to keep either A/C or X as part of the circle, as a reference point, rather than trying to ride 15m within the 20m circle, but you can do either). To start with, my guess is you will use your reins to decrease the size, but ultimately you ask with your leg (in the same way you would ask for half pass) - it is normally easier for the horse to leg yield, so decrease to 15m however you wish, ride a couple of circles, then push the horse back out to 20m using leg yield aids. You can repeat this a few times on each rein, and I personally would be working in trot, but some people prefer to start in walk (but I actually find it harder to ride an accurate circle at a slower pace as the horse 'wanders' more!) The aim of this session is to improve the horses bend, and also to introduce lateral movement - if he is SJing my guess is he knows darn well what the leg means, and I taught this exercise with everything from horses who was doing dressage, to hairy ponies who would have a fit if they realised this was a 'dressage scary moving sideways' lesson, but it is a low pressure exercise for both horse and rider.

Once you have worked on circles, you can go back to the serpentines - to get him used to going across the school and changing diagonal (but keeping trotting) over the centre line, you can work in some trot changes of rein by using 2 half 20m circles (that is, starting from A ride a half 20m circle to X, but then instead of turning back towards A, you change diagonal, change bend, and change direction towards C, then at C you go large) then he will get used to the idea that you can actually trot across the centre line! From there, it isn't much sharper to turn to do a 3 loop serpentine (I would stick to 3 loops, not 4 at this point), and you can work through them in walk, trot and then vary the pace (walk first loop, trot second, walk third and vice versa). Again, I like the lessons to aim for something, so would work on several serpentines, not just one or two - if you are asking the horse to work correctly, asking for changes of pace, correct bend etc, he should be paying attention to you, not getting bored.

At the end of your lessons, give him a long rein walk for a few laps, as he may be using his muscles a bit more on the bending, so give them a chance to losen off.

Have fun, he sounds lovely, and I am sure you will be fine - but I would get an instructor to come in to give you a few more ideas - if you have asked the yard for private lessons and they don't do them, I wouldn't feel bad getting a freelancer in.
 
Thanks emma, I'll give that a bash. It's all stuff I've done before, so I know what to do, but horse is getting all silly about doing it. Maybe I don't ride him as "strong" as he's used to (I was once told I was a very sensitive rider) so he may be confused as to what I'm asking him to do...
 
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