QUESTION!! (could be embarrassing...)

[Kathryn128]

Hi everyone!

I've just got a 6 year old 17.1hh shire x trotter on loan, (might get some pics in a new thread) and I'm having trouble working him in an outline. He's fairly lazy unless I can get him on the bit, and we seem to get halfway there before he stretches out and gives up.:D

He drops his nose and I can feel he becomes much lighter and rounder for a stride or two (in walk and trot), and I can feel him stretching into the contact, but after that, he seems to sort of collapse out of it?? (OMG that sounds strange)

Just wondering what we could do to fix it (because he's a fantastic ride) but phenomenal if I can get that outline consistent.

I don't expect perfection as he's only young, but I do think we should be able to manage longer that a couple of strides!!!

Thanks, and I'm not sure if this is the right place, will probs post in the dressage section too!

Would be grateful for any help!!!!!

Kathryn x

[Kalasadi]

This is going to take time!

Trotters/pacers are taught to trot laterally not diagonally and not to be in an outline-they have to stick their noses out.

It will take time to strengthen the different muscles that the horse has not got at the moment. Start with lunging with very loose side reins and then over a period of a few months start to tighten these up.

You should have a fabulous horse after 6 months-12 months depending upon the muscles.

Good luck

[Holly B]

Just wanted to say, I'm in exactly the same boat so can sympathise. I have exactly the same problem with my Fell. Problem is, she's 15 and doesn't see why she should work in an outline when it's much easier to stick her nose in the air (she was a riding school pony for many years so wasn't asked to work in an outline), plus she isn't the easiest build to supple up. Fells, like your horse, are great trotters which means that she runs along with her legs up high and her head in the air! In the same way, I can only get her to relax into a contact for a couple of strides before her head drifts up again. So I will be watching this thread closely to see if there is any other advice. I might try to liunge her more often and add some more side reins to guide her into the correct position, like Kalasadi says. Good luck, hopefully we'll soon have lovely horses working on the bit in a fantastic outline. :)

[cvb]

Kathryn

there's an exercise I've seen Mark Rashid do that may apply here. He is looking for softness rather than "on the bit" but it works like this.

You start in walk and you ask the horse (in your case to go in an outline on the bit). You are looking for 3 strides of whatever you are asking for. So if you get 1 or 2, you keep asking (gently, consistently, with softness). Then when you get 1-2-3, you release and do a long rein walk. Walk out for as long as it took you to get the 3 strides in the first place. e.g. if it took 2 circuits of the school, free walk for 2 circuits. Then start over and ask again. You should start to get your 1-2-3 quicker, and hence be able to ask again quicker as well.

Once you consistently get 1-2-3, start asking for 5....then 7... then 9.

Once you can get 7 or 9 in walk, you can try it in trot.

It works amazingly well. I think the horse understands after the first few times that you are only asking them to hold themselves together for a few strides, so they start to try just for that (which they can do) rather than trying to hold it together forever and falling apart !

[Kathryn128]

Holly B, I love the idea cvb posted, sounds like it'd be really effective!!! thanks guys! xx

[cvb]

I should say I've used it myself. We have a 20 yr old Fell. He can go soft and in an outline when asked. But I found that when I asked that way, the result was much softer and giving.