Would appreciate your thoughts on a little problem

madhector

madhector

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I decided to school J in the grackle today to see how he would react after hacking in it yesterday. His walk and trot work were instantly much better, more consistent and his transitions were smoother.

However... when we went into canter he tried to yawn into the transition and discovering he couldn't, he exploded. We worked though it (just) and carried on, a bit later and he did it again, but the work in between was so much better than normal. We probably had about 5 BIG tantrums, where as normally we have quite a few little ones and he yawns on the downward transitions. His canter at the end was fantastic, but I am slightly concerned about these tantrums as they are a lot bigger than usual and don't fancy one occurring whilst we are XC schooling on weds or at comp on Sunday. So what should I do? Should I go back to the cavesson and ignore the little problems for another week, then try again. Or leave him in the grackle and hope he isn't too bad at the weekend, or forget the grackle all together even though it made such a difference overall?

Ideas?


Thanks
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Is there any way of working in for long enough that you have worked through the tantrums?

Also, and at the risk of sounding glib, I think at this stage in his education I'd be inclined to be thinking not along the lines of him producing good work which gets him placed, but more along the lines of getting him to realise that this is just the way life is, and whether he throws tantrums or not, he still has to do the work - so could you bear this weekend to be a bit sacrificial in terms of placings? It could be invaluable in terms of long-term education?

Of course that is very easy for me to say when I do not have to sit on the tantrums!!
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I am not in the least bit bothered about placings
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Just want him to do the best he can, and after sitting on him today, I felt his best and his worst work, where as normally he gives something imbetween. I am worried though that I havent jumped him in it, and so maybe I should leave him as normal for XC and the jumping on sunday and just use the grackle for the dressage?

The tantrums are pretty scarey, I dont mind on the flat but dont fancy one whilst doing a decent canter imbetween fences
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I thought I had worked through the tantrums today (took me an hour and a half!) til I hacked home and we had another one
 
But that's kind of what I mean - forget him doing the best he can, think more about the fact that you know the better work appears in the grakle, so he needs to learn that he works in the grakle, tantrums or no tantrums. So you may get awful work out of him at the comp, but in the long run he has learnt it doesn't work, so in the future you get better work. Does that make any sense at all?!

It's hard to tell really, but whatever the tantrum I'd say he's less likely to do it when moving at pace, so at least he should grind to a halt and give you a warning to get your heels down?!
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Yep, I get what you mean, which is also why I was loathed to take it off as that is almost like saying 'Ok, tantrums work'

I do have my trainer with me tomorrow so maybe I should risk it, can always take it off I suppose!

He wasnt too bad hacking on sunday, just had one tantrum in canter where he managed to go up and over the backend of our companion and land on the otherside without loosing the canter stride
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Not sure how your chap is to lunge, but what about working through this particular tantrum on the lunge with the grackle on and a roller and side reins? Then you can do as many transitions as you need to and he will only be fighting with himself/the side reins so you don't have to cope with staying on board as well. I was having problems with my chap exploding into canter and a couple of lunge sessions in side reins helped him to understand that every time he did it it was extremely uncomfortable for himself. It didn't take him long to learn to make the transition while remaining in his "frame" was much more comfortable. Just an idea.
 
I was going to suggest lungeing him in the grackle too! I remember when I first put a flash on Boo, it confused him so much he forgot how to walk forward!! It didn't take him long to get used to it.
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I think Jerry is just totally pi55ed at you actually, because you have stopped him from using one of his evasions!!
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I'm sure he will get over it, just keep going hun, you're doing all the right things and if the work is good when you get it, then he will keep improving.
 
I would just work through it...one thing I will say though, if you pass your noseband "strp" bit over the top of their head under the head piece, everytime he opens his mouth in the grackle the thin bit of leather will dig into his poll.....try passing the noseband bit OVER the headpiece so he has a nice thick bit of leather to disperse the pressure.....? Or have you got a comfort headpiece?
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[ QUOTE ]
I would just work through it...one thing I will say though, if you pass your noseband "strp" bit over the top of their head under the head piece, everytime he opens his mouth in the grackle the thin bit of leather will dig into his poll.....try passing the noseband bit OVER the headpiece so he has a nice thick bit of leather to disperse the pressure.....? Or have you got a comfort headpiece?
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Good idea! Will give it a go, thanks
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