Falling out - BIG TIME!

[Tootsie4U]

I've been away for awhile and I have tons of questions.... here's the first... :D

Things are going very well lately. But, Mr. Bonfire has a habit of falling out at his OUTSIDE shoulder, especially when going in circles, and especially at trot. Its pretty severe too and its not just a lazy falling out - its a tense in the neck pulling the rein and then fall out type of thing.

I have tried catching him with a crop, but my error is that I hadn't been riding him with one so he is a bit jumpy with them now. The first time I tried to correct his falling out, I got gallop. Fun, but not correct.

He also bulges horrendously when he gets frightened. Im happy that he doesnt spook and continues forward, but he does this wet spaghetti noodle thing with his neck bent 90 degrees to his shoulders.

With each issue, I try to use alot of weight aids and leg aids. I open my rein in the direction I want him to go as an invite. Nothing seems to be working. I need some tips :)

[Mehitabel]

for falling out, the classic response is outside aids. strong outside leg, and don'tgive too much with the outside rein, or he can bulge out like a wet noodle. (i like that image, can i steal it please?)

try working on riding with a crop, and just placing it - not smacking, just holding - on his outside shoulder. also make sure that the inside rein isn't opening *too* much. if it opens too much and the bit has a sideways movement in his mouth, he might turn his head too much, which invites falling out.

one of the three things you should always look for when you ride is straightness - so on a bend you want an even bend of the spine from poll to tail. if you ask for too much bend from the head, then you can't achieve this.

[katieB]

:D laughing at the "wet spaghetti noodle thing"
can someone explain bulging out please?

[Tootsie4U]

Katie, Bulging is just my own term (I think), similar to "falling out/in"

I know Es, :( I've got to do some work on getting him desensitized to the crop first though. I've carried it the last few times, haven't used it, and I see him watching it out of the corner of his eye, he gets tense, I add leg to bend and he thinks it means go faster now. The whip distracts him. I think if I'd lay it on his outside shoulder, he'd jump out of his skin... :D As always, I could poke him with it anywhere while on the ground, but up in the saddle its a whole different ball game.

[cvb]

Hi Tootsie - does correcting with a crop fit with "100 push ups" approach ? Not sure 100% what he is doing - but assuming this is an evasion of legs and/or hands, then wouldn't the "Harry Hobbes" theory be to look for something that works the bit he is trying to avoid ?

How about circle spirals (spiral in - go on, just keep asking and don't worry too much about style at this stage), now spiral out slowly, concentrating on "straightness" but also on asking him onto a bigger circle from your inside leg into your outside hand (leg yield ;) )

Counter flexion circles - ride a circle on correct/inside flexion (though as Es says, not too much bend on the circle). Now keep the flexion but turn on to a circle going the other way (ride a figure 8). Ride a complete circle on 'counter flexion'. As you pass through your start point, you can correct to 'correct' flexion for that circle. Ride a circle in correct flexion, then as you cross the middle of your '8', retain the flexion but turn on to your original flexion. Ride circle in 'counter flexion', retain toi 'correct' flexion.

All the time through this, look for 'straightness' around the circle (think about a train going round a corner - it goes round the corner without going wriggly (or turning into noodles !)).

[Tootsie4U]

cvb! You read my mind!

My other thread I was going to ask a question to was going to be that exact thing! What would be the appropriate 100-push up task to bulging/falling out! It needs to be something that makes him bend and makes him stop clenching the bit!