many questions

[jUmPingIsLifE]

i don't have a ring to ride in, because I can't jump or anything all me and autumn ever do is trail ride. on the trail he is perfectly balanced, and has the most wonderful canter EVER. I have posted before about him being unbalanced at the canter in a circle but anyway...here goes. (i am doing ring work with him as my mom can't ride right now and i don't like hackin him out alone)

#1: bending! i go to use inside leg to get him to bend and everything, the slightest leg pressure and he thinks its a singnle to go. he is very leg sensitive. i just pull back, tell him to walk or go easy. but i have A LOT of trouble getting him to bend. i can halt him and bring his head around almost right to my knee without him moving.

#2: left lead! he hates his left lead! he does flying changes and does his left lead when playing, but the second we needed that left lead i couldn't get it unless we did a small enough circle he did it himself (did a flying change to get it). he picks up his right lead nice, and is even pretty balanced until the circle gets smaller. his left lead is AWFUL.

troting, he is balanced, but doesn't bend at all. i just got a section of my grandfathers land fenced off for a riding ring and its REALLY NICE, so im happy to be able to work on ring stuff with autumn, only he is a little harder than tonka whome i helped my instructer train a little. i think i could get him to bend a little better if he didn't think that little bit of leg means GO, i don't even think have squeezed him at all, just getting ready to give a squeez and he thinks, go. he stops on a dime and NEVER runs off, he just thinks leg means go all the time.

[IrisSilverMoon]

hmmmm...If he can bring his nose to your knee sounds pretty supple to me! I think less leg is the answer and more with the rein. I know that sounds wierd to say use more rein, but a leg sensitive horse is awsome! Don't do anything to dull that! I'm not sure how i could explain it better though because you should be able to do everything from the rein. The legs are for impulsion only. If the horse were less sensitive this would be a different story but since he's so sensitive he needs a more advanced riding style. If you look at truly great riders you shouldn't be able to see their legs move. That's because everything they do is from slight pressures of the rein, even gait changes, you pick the horse up a little and then release and the horse will go immediately forward. That would be a really well trained horse. I'm not sure what i can tell you to make it better because the rein aides thing is classical dressage training and i'm not sure if you're able to get those lessons or even want them. Maybe post in enlightened equitation, Heather or Sue may be able to explain it a little better.

For the left lead that's something easier. Go shoulder in on a 20m circle and then switch to haunches in, as you are switching ask for the canter lead. If you've done it right he HAS to pick up the left lead, otherwise he'll be really unbalanced. Let him canter a couple of strides then stop him immediately and give praise. Do this again and again and he should eventually get it.

[jUmPingIsLifE]

ps, i use a hackamore

i do have a regular snaffle bit that i could use but he really does better without it and was trained in a halter, as i usually only trail ride i use the hackamore, should i maybe put the bit in for doing ring work?

[IrisSilverMoon]

can't hurt to try...;)

if the hackamore ends up working better though you should still be able to stick to that, i'm not sure, i dont' have much experience with them...=/

[galadriel]

Hey jUmPingIsLifE, I have a couple of thoughts for you :)

My Kat is *extremely* leg sensitive, and as an ex-racer is always waiting for that *GO* signal.

I have found the best way to deal with this is to always have a teeny bit of leg on her, and increase it very very teenily when I want to use the leg aid. It's less of a leg aid and more of a light brushing. But when I have had my legs OFF of her sides and suddenly apply them, she shoots for the horizon.

Are you using very distinct canter signals? For example, when you ask for your right lead, do you put your left leg back, lift your right rein, and look right? It could be that Autumn just doesn't *know* the correct lead aids.

To teach them to him, you can do that tight circle, and apply the correct aids. Reward him for getting it right. So circle right, ask for right lead, reward for right lead. Circle left, ask for left lead, reward for left lead. It will probably take a few sessions before he really "gets" it, but then you should be able to start asking for the lead on a larger and larger circle, until eventually you can ask for it on the straight and GET it :> Luck!

[JLQ]

It might be worth having your saddle checked. It may be interfering with his movement.

[jUmPingIsLifE]

i have been lounging him a bit, he gets his leads on the loung, and can manage his circles OK, he just needs to get a little more balanced i think.

[GingerPonyz]

Ginger used to be really horrible about bending. I taught her turns on the hindquarters and forehand, the practiced them in motion by trotting a circle and asking her shoulders to move over, while still holding her head bent to the inside, and using leg to make sure that she didnt wiggle over. After a few tries she began to get it, and was doing it quite easily so that I could release and then she goes right down onto the bit and stays bent. If she doesn't, i ask her again, etc. After she understood what I meant, I was able to do it with a lot lighter pressure.

As for using a snaffle bit, it depends on how well your horse responds to the hackamore. I've never really ridden much without a bit, but maybe it would be easier to get a clear sinal through???

Good Luck!!

[TheMoose]

i have always been taught to ride from my seat and legs rather than my hands.
I also have a horse that is highly sensitive to aids. With such a horse you must learn to ride on a fine line (not too much and not too little) . As suggested before try to ride with your legs silghtly on at all times and just increase the pressure slightly with your inside leg on the bend. Use your inside hand only to guide his head to the inside and keep your outside hand towards you a little. Use your outside leg just behind the girth to stop him swinging his quarters out. Think of the whole of the inside of your body as a pillar.
Try leg yeilding excersises to get him used to moving off your leg but remember to remain relaxed as sensitive horses respond to any tension.
If he canters off then be firm but don't get angry, just quietly try and bring him back to trot and use your voice.

[Rachel C.]

Seat and Legs, Seat and Legs, Seat and Legs!

About 85% or more of the aids should be coming from seat and legs. I had this problem with Ferdie to start with, I spent a lot of time in halt, put my leg gently on, loosen the reins, pat him.

Then we'd move up to walk, put my leg on, loosen the reins pat him.

Gradually he has become used to the leg.

Why do you need to use your leg? I hear you ask! Well, for your horse to turn correctly, engage his hindquarters, step under in transitions and to extend his paces, you need to use your leg.

Impulsion is almost impossible to acheive without your legs, don't confuse impulsion and speed. I'm not saying you need to use your legs hard, I'm just saying you ALWAYS need more hand than leg.

If you can get his head round to your knee in halt his neck is obviously supple, however you will probably find he is laterally stiff through his spine and ribcage -do lots of work in walk, turning in both directions, with your inside hand NOT PULLING, just opening the rein to encourage him to bend. Also make sure he doesn't leak through his outside shoulder, you may want to lay the outside rein across his neck to encourage him not to do that.

Asking for the correct canter lead can be done easier using a pole sometimes, asking for the correct lead as you go over the pole.

You're going to hate me saying this, but, going on the trail as pleasant as it is, is no substitute for arena work :rolleyes:
Both are important, but both are better with the other (if that makes sense??!?)

[jUmPingIsLifE]

thanks for all your suggestions, will try them all. he has never really had ring work except when he was first trained but when i got him i wasn't really having proper lessons and all i did was trail riding, i can't ever show him either so it wasn't a huge need, my mom allways wanted to trail ride so that is what we do. but now that she doesn't have a lot of time i have been doing a little more ring work with him.