young cob - leaning - help please

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lucky7

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My 4 yr old has been back in work for a few months now. She is going nicely and improving all the time, however we have an issue........
When i school her or ask for a contact she leans very heavily on the left rein, i have started to completely let go of the left rein so she has to take up more contact on the right - although when she does this she starts floating off to the right and bends round?

Any tips on how to improve this would be good, we don't often school - maybe once per week and she doesn't really do it out hacking.
Her canter transitions are coming on lots mainly improved by hacking across fields then asking for canter as opposed to learning in the school - she will now pop into canter nicely instead of running into it. The canter is a bit downhill - understandably she does tend to fall on her forehand but i know this will improve when her balance gets better.
She is a lw cob who is quite compact and short in the neck.
 
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My pony Apache, who is now rising 6, have had the odd problem, but to be honest much of it has been ironed out with positive riding and proffessional help from family friends...as often they can see something that you might not. With regards to cobby motorbikey behaviour- put your whip on the inside hand, near the shoulder, you dont even have to neccessarily wack or hit the horse, unless they misbehave, as the action of having it there often is enough and keeps them out. Also have you tried a different joint on your bit, like a french link for example, thats what my boy is ridden in. It means that they cant then lean on the bit itself, as the links mean it keeps moving in the horses mouth so therefore the horse cant lean on it. I hope this helps... :)
AbbeyandApache :)
 
TBH, if she's still on the forehand out hacking, I wouldn't be asking for a contact in the school, except for a very few seconds to start with. Let her learn to carry herself.
If you let go of the contact just on one side, you are asking her to bend round, surely?
 
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