turning and control

[Hoof-Prints]

I have a 5yr old Dutch Warmblood x mare, had her two weeks now and shes absolutley brill, but when im on the flat she has an outside bend, i have to keep her on the track but she doesnt respond to my leg pushing her, so i have to use a bit of rein, which doesn't help with her bend.

When i circle its hard to keep her on an actual circle because if i drop the rein contact on the outside she completley falls in and gets confused- which i really dont want! although this contact is not making her bend into the inside.

She has improved alot though i must say since shes been worked, but in canter she cuts corners and i dont feel like i have her under my full control at times, i really need to get her responding to me pushing her with my leg without her just thinking i want her to go faster, is there any exercises or anything you could reccomend? in canter to keep her on the track she has a bad outside bend with her neck and although it has improved alot i would just like to hear some ideas (:

-thankyou

[Rabo]

It sounds like your horse is trying to balance herself. This is a very common problem. She needs to learn how to carry herself. The problem becomes highlighted in the canter but is there at all paces. Try some straightning exercises off the track and you can use zigzags up the long sides of a manege for her vertical straightness.
I could perhaps give you a lesson (depending on where you are). www.balanceinmotion.co.uk.

[wundahoss]

I agree that it may be that she's just trying to balance herself with you. Don't ask for too much, accept & reinforce any small improvements or 'tries' along the way. Little & often is best.

If she's only like this on one side, there's also the possibility of the saddle or some other physical issue causing her grief. Horses will often push against pressure when in pain or otherwise right brained.

need to get her responding to me pushing her with my leg without her just thinking i want her to go faster

This makes me think that perhaps she just hasn't been taught to yield to pressure very precisely. Perhaps she's never been taught leg aids apart from as an accelerator. I would start on the ground with your fingertips, teaching her to yield. Start out with your fingers up towards her elbow when you want her forehand to move and back towards her hip when you want a hindquarter yield, to make the lesson easier for her. When she becomes good at this, you can start 'refining' it by moving your hand more towards where your leg will be when riding.

Once she's good at these yields on the ground, it should be an easy lesson to 'transfer' what she's learned to your leg aids. I would use the added assistance of starting off with a fence in front of you, to block forward without having to over restrict her with your reins. When beginning at walk, trot & canter, I wouldn't worry about the finer details of whether she's dropping her shoulder or whatever until I was sure she had the basics down pat first.

[Rabo]

Centered Riding Techniques will help you with your own body awareness and in turn help her. These warmbloods respond very well to the lightest touches - they just have to learn what they mean.

[Hoof-Prints]

Thankyou for your advice, i will give it a try :)

I rode her today and she was going quite nicley, she was bending on her corners and we managed some actual circle shaped circles in walk and canter, in trot she doesn't seem to bend as much though.

I use as little bit pressure as possible to keep her responsive- but still keeping the contact. but a few times she got a bit strong and almost fought against bending in the trot and canter.

I will work on it and work with what you've advised next time i ride her, considering iv'e only had her for about two weeks she had improved alot, so hopefully it should be fine.

-Thankyou

[*-crazy-chaz-*]

i really need to get her responding to me pushing her with my leg without her just thinking i want her to go faster

try half halting, then pushing with your leg, the half halting, then push again. :)

don't really know much else about bending, how about lunging her with side reins? it might be worth getting her checked out by a chairopractor (sp?) to check there isnt an unseen problem causing it.

[Hoof-Prints]

Well i know shes fully sound,

she has had everything checked- i rode her today and she was absolutley brilliant i was patient and worked on circles and she was the best she has ever been! i put some pics up :p

The outside bend wasnt very good at the start but by the end i couldnt even notice it- few odd moments where she decided she didn't want to change the rein lol but nothing major and it was sorted.

so im really pleased with how shes come on so quickly,:D:D taking her for a lesson on monday so will be interesting what the instructor says.