Leaning on the bit - any tips?

[DITZ]

Smarter than me horse now chosen new evasion which is leaning on the inside rein. It started to manifest itself turning into jumps so during my last lesson when he started doing it we moved him away from the jumps and just tried to get him to settle into a canter but as soon as he was on the corner near the jump (still away from it mind) he started to lean on the inside and kind of tow me round. I tried lots of support with the outside rein and giving away the inside so he could pull on it and we eventually got him back but it took ages and when I tried again today he was just as bad.

Any new tips or ideas other than persistance. Am aching all over with blisters on ring finger from damned continental reins. Grrr.

[galadriel]

Sounds to me like you just need a few more sessions of the same, to convince him that he just can't get away with it. He thinks he's found an excellent way to get out of working quiiiite so hard. It'll just take a few schooling sessions to convince him that he can't.

[Tootsie4U]

What if you dont give him anything to lean on?

I did this with Bonfire and he was so surprised by it that after he just about fell on his face he wouldnt try it again.

When he starts leaning, release your contact. If you take away his tool to fight, he cant fight you - that simple.

After you realease, pick it back up again.

Another thing you can do is present him with a choice. #1 Do what mom asks and do it nicely or #2 we are going to _________ (something much more difficult like turning on the forehand a few times.) After several repititions of this he will begin to realize that pulling on the reins = turn on the forehand and thats not fun. ITs much easier to do what mom asks to do the first time.

[intouch]

Transitions, transitions - when he starts to lean, do a downwards trans, then push on again, nice & smartly. Don't give him time to lean, he'll get out of the habit.

[DITZ]

Wow thanks 3 replies each with a different technique to try - thats what I love about this site it proves that there is more than 1 way to skin a rabbit as they say. I will try all of them and see which one works best.

I just dont get it with him he starts out beautiful on the most floating controlled and relaxed canter you could ever wish or imagine for but by about the 3rd or 4th attempt at the jump he just starts to lean and pull and just gets progressively worse. I think he's a nutter! I'm not sure if its anticipation, fear, confidence or just evasion. He either leans on the inside on the turn or puts his head down and pulls about 1 or 2 strides away or both!

I think I will also try him in his old pelham actually as well to see if that makes a difference.

[anuvb]

I've found that with some horses that downward transitions can make them lean even more. If you find that you end up with that situation then try a few steps of rein back and then push off from there into trot, or if he can handle it at this stage, canter.

My preferred method is Tootsie's, by asking them to circle at the point where it starts to get diffficult for them, using an indirect inside rein but keeping it elastic, and then leg yielding out and making the circle gradually bigger and bigger. If your horse is supple enough to work him on a tight circle, don't forget to give enough rein with the outside rein to allow the bend.

By doing this you work their weight into your outside hand. Then work them the opposite way and leg yield into the circle and back out again. Not only do you work the weight back into the outside rein but you also increase their suppleness!

[anuvb]

The other thing you could try if he is putting his head down just before the jump is a series of canter poles before the jump, which really encourage him to think about what he is doing. Also try doing lots of grid work and perhaps some bounces.

If he leans as you approach the turn, then keep doing what you've been doing and turn him away from the jump, regain the canter and ask again. Also experiment a little bit, and instead of haning on to regain some control, just allow him to run a bit at the jump, and see what kind of response you get this. Then once you've gone over the jump bring him right back down to trot and do the leg yield off the circle, so that he knows that you are still in control. The other thing which you could try, is as you turn towards the jump ask for leg yield around the turn. You may have to trot round the approach and turn and then ask for canter as a last minute thing, to start with.

[galadriel]

If he starts out nicely and then starts to lean, it could be that he's getting tired. This will improve with time and muscle building.

If he thinks he's found a nice easy evasion (I lean on you and I don't have to work so hard), this too will improve with work :)

[Stella2]

A waterford mouthpiece - lots of rounded sections so it stays fluid - is said to be very helpful for leaning. Some think its severe, but everything I can find says its a mild bit, happily accepted by most horses. They have it on the bit bank site.

[* Groomette *]

I'm also trying to overcome this vicious cycle. My horse is built downhill..so it's more on his shoulders than it is on him mouth but still.

You want him on his hind...working back to front. The more impulsion he has back there the more he brings up his shoulders and moves freely forward--without being on the forehand. I've been particularily obsessed (lol) with halting, reinbacking 3 steps, and immediately pushing forward into trot. What this does is when he backs up his hind end becomes a spring, coming under himself a lot more than you expect. When you immediately ask for the trot this spring is released, making them work from their hind and not heavy in front, for a couple strides. The idea is to use those strides well, and stretch them to maybe 9 or 10 strides instead of 2 or 3. Work one stride at a time with it. Don't get in a fussle about where the head is..don't fight with it. You can't overcome unless you've got the hindquarters actively moving forward as to not allow the horse to come on the forehand.

About the waterford. I've seen only one person ride it in, and you're right...it's not a severe bit. However, it does encourage more head movement and chewing on the bit. I don't believe it gives a very good contact either, because there's absolutly no straightness to it. The whole mouthpiece changes position when you try and pick up a contact..not exactly ideal. Just my opinion

[DITZ]

THanks for all your advice. His problem isnt a continual leaning just as you turn the corner into the fence and all the way in. He can get so strong that no amount of half halting and giving and taking with the reins has any effect, he just switches off. He is the same if you turn him away in front of the jump and circle him in front of it. He goes llovely and light all the way through the circle except as you turn towards where the jump is (even though he's moved 20ft to the left of it).

That said I tried him in a pelham this morning and had great consistent results and I really concentrated on the outside rein before the turn by saying 'outside rein, outside rein' out loud. Must have looked like a fool to any early morning passers by.

I think I will carrry on with his schooling in the french link and save the pelham for shows just to give me some more to go on what does everyone think?

I am sure in time that my crafty little friend will offer me up a new set of problems with a pelham as I am a big believer that changing bits just sidesteps problems without dealing with them but hopefully if I continue to school in the normal bit he can combine the two ideas in his head. Perhaps.