Upward Transitions sluggish

[Monty]

Rubi is not really a plod, but she's not mega fast either. But I'm struggling to get her togo from walk to trot especially (but also the other way around to a certain degree) on demand. Even thought you start warning before hand, she won't start preparing herslef until you actually ask for that transition., so you don't actually get it til a bit later....too late for a dressage test!!

It's really hard work. I've tried really hard to get her to understand what it is I want, and she makes not preparations, until you actually ask for the trot. Then she prepares and 30 secs later....she trots.

She's naughty/difficult/hopeless on the lunge. Pulls away, and pulls handler's arm with her. Loose schooling, she's the same as being ridden. Everyone is saying to me...act as if you mean it...use your stick. I do mean it and I do use my stick(s). But it makes no difference. Her walk doesn't improve using voice and stick, she wanders along at her own pace. She gets a variety of exercise to make sure she's not getting bored. Her transitions are not brilliant for anyone but they're even worse for me. She needs a lot of working in, by which time I'm knackered.

Anyone got any suggestions?? I've tried having someone else school her , but she responds better for them, and then goes back to square one with me. Frustrating.

Any suggestions??

[Drifted]

I was in the same boat as you a few months ago. My boy would not trot when asked, might as well have asked the gate post. Got out a NH trainer and we just concentrated on ground work and getting him to listen and soften and free schooled where he would walk and trot on command. Didn't ride him for about 4 months, and was really sceptical that what we were doing on the ground would transfer with me on board. Can I say that it did, 100%, he goes forward off the leg, sometimes takes a moment ot two the first time of asking but he stays in it until asked to change up or down. When I think of how he was, I have to pinch myself.
Maybe go back to basics, my horse is 11 and I treated him as though he knew nothing ( when infact he knew every trick to get out of work) and just kept chipping away, lots of rewards and rests and letting him graze and taking him out inhand, so he realised that maybe I was quite nice to be in charge and maybe he would consider pleasing me, he wasn't going to be asked anything that he couldn't cope with. Have had him since last summer and it is only now that we are getting to understand each other.:)
Sorry long post, but I think I know how you feel.

[wonkeywoody]

Ditto the ground work, but also, what motivates your horse Monty? Does she REALLY appreciate a good scratch? or Titbits? or standing still?

What ever the answer to the above question is, then thats the reward you need to employ and be generous too!!!!

An exercise for example might be - place out 3 (Cones/wings/barrels) points marking a large triangle. Simply ask her to walk from one point to the next - only ask her once to walk, dont steer her unless she goes majorly off course and dont nag her to walk faster!. When you get to point 2 stop and reward with whatever you think is most liked by her and dont move for a while. Eventually ask once and proceed at her given speed of walk to point 3. Keep at this and she'll eventually twig that the quicker she gets to the next point the quicker she gets something nice! Soon you'll find that she is quite keen to get to the next point and is more responsive off the lighter aids in walk trot and canter, also the stop time becomes less cos she wants her next reward.
In the first session stick to stopping at each point. In the next session progress to stopping at every other point and then once shes done the whole triangle. Make the triangle bigger too as you progress and soon you'll find she is quite willing to do other schooling stuff as long as she gets rests and rewards and isnt expected to circle around mindlessly for 10 to 15 mins in one go. You have to look at it from her point of view - "whats in it for me"?

[padiwak]

Rubi is not really a plod, but she's not mega fast either. But I'm struggling to get her togo from walk to trot especially (but also the other way around to a certain degree) on demand. Even thought you start warning before hand, she won't start preparing herslef until you actually ask for that transition., so you don't actually get it til a bit later....too late for a dressage test!!

It's really hard work. I've tried really hard to get her to understand what it is I want, and she makes not preparations, until you actually ask for the trot. Then she prepares and 30 secs later....she trots.

She's naughty/difficult/hopeless on the lunge. Pulls away, and pulls handler's arm with her. Loose schooling, she's the same as being ridden. Everyone is saying to me...act as if you mean it...use your stick. I do mean it and I do use my stick(s). But it makes no difference. Her walk doesn't improve using voice and stick, she wanders along at her own pace. She gets a variety of exercise to make sure she's not getting bored. Her transitions are not brilliant for anyone but they're even worse for me. She needs a lot of working in, by which time I'm knackered.

Anyone got any suggestions?? I've tried having someone else school her , but she responds better for them, and then goes back to square one with me. Frustrating.

Any suggestions??

Perhaps the problem can be traced back to her naughtiness on the lunge. Have had a few like this and found that working at liberty or on the linge in a round pen really helped. The smaller space takes the horses mind of escape or napping and allows them concentrate on work. Our round pen is nothing fancy and is constructed as required using wings and poles in a corner of the arena.

Hope this helps

[Tatooed Lady]

I've tried having someone else school her , but she responds better for them, and then goes back to square one with me. Frustrating.

Any suggestions??

Have the other person school you on what works with your horse. I'm guessing there's a difference in styles, if she responds better for someone else than you. Learn what works, and go from there.
It could be just a bit of body language that tells her you don't really mean it, but the other person does...or tone of voice, your positioning, etc. Make video of what works as well as when you lunge, and look for differences that you might miss while you're working.

That'd be my suggestion(s). ;)

[~*sugarlump*~]

im a great fan of transitions to get a horse moving so i would suggest some of those.
its amazing how different a horse can react when being warmed up and schooled by one person to another.
do as many transitions as you can fit in, ie walk for 3 strides trot for 2, walk 2 strides trot for 4 halt immediately, straight into trot for 3 strides, back to walk for one.
it really gets the horse thinking forward and infront of your leg.
be firm with what you want: ask, tell, smack.
really vary what you do, and mean it when you ask for something, if you want her to do something then she has to do it, once shes gotten abit better then you'll find that she;ll be abit more awake and alert to your aids.
at first it might be a struggle actually getting her going and you might be left panting, but by the end you should have a nice forward going little cob:p

[keds mum]

Do loads of transitions. Insist on quick fast responsive ones. Use a schooling whip in each hand and make the schooling session interesting. Put some poles down, do something different.

Is your horse overweight? Bored? lacking energy or just not responding to your aids?