Unbalanced / losing the bend

[nirikina]

Hi everyone

I recently got a new share horse and so far we've been getting on great, learning about eachother and earning the trust. Her only two faults (so far) are she is leans on my hands and is on the forehand, and her "canter mode".

With the leaning I've been pushing her on with my legs and playing with the contact. If I drop the contact she'll trundle along with her nose on the floor, but of course her legs can't work properly like that. Is there something more I can do?

The other problem is she likes to go fast. We'll have some really nice trot circles with a nice bend, then I ask for canter and she motorbikes round the corners rather than bending. After that when I trot she throws her shoulder in wanting to leap off into canter again. I've just been patient in asking again and again until she calms down and we get those nice trot circles again, before I ask her to canter again. It's a lot of work. Again, should I be doing more? Or something else? Her canter is really fast anyway I think because of being on the forehand and therefore unbalanced.

Thanks,

Niri

[galadriel]

Sounds like she just doesn't have the muscle yet. If you continue the way you're going, she should build up muscle quickly enough, and then it will all come more easily.

By using your legs for energy and contact to ask her to use that energy to please carry HERSELF ;) you're getting her to use the muscles she needs to develop. Do be sure that when you're getting some nice work, you allow her to stretch every so often. Holding her in that position too long will make her cramped, unhappy about working that way, and probably resistent. Just make sure you let her stick her nose down every once in a while.

Asking her to stay balanced and calm into the canter transition will lso help her work on those same muscles. As they develop, she'll be more able to hold the balance through the canter transition, and balance and flex while turning instead of just powering on forward.

If you think she's done enough work that she should be able to get into the canter and stay balanced, then you can insist--she may just not know how, and need some help through the transition to figure it out. Get her really, really balanced back (instead of on the forehand); use multiple half halts, get her using lots of energy and impulsion but all UP instead of FORWARD. From there, ask for the canter, and doooon't let her duck her head or leap forward or otherwise drop back onto her forehand.

This is DIFFICULT--both for rider and for horse--and may take several tries before she can manage it. Be patient, but insist :) And if you think she may just not have enough muscle yet, wait until she does.

[Volvic]

Good advice from galadriel as usual! :D

Are you having lessons on this horse? If not, it would be a good idea to have lessons with a good instructor - Sky wouldn't have improved nearly so much in the past few months if it wasnt for us having a good instructor.
This is DIFFICULT--both for rider and for horse Yes it is definately difficult, but the pain is worth it when you get a lovely balanced transition into canter!

Sky either has or used to have the same sort of problems you are describing. I've been told that if I carry my hands, then the horse cant lean on them. Also, changing Sky's bit from a single jointed snaffle to a myler has worked wonders & she doesnt lean on the bit nearly as much as she used to.

Good luck! :D

[Tootsie4U]

Sounds like my boy right now at his point in training. He's young and very green so I expect this (along with my riding faults which dont serve to help the situation!!!). Thing is, you can't ride them like you would ride a mature, been there done that type of horse. They need help and guidance and sometimes that means fiddling with contact and aids until you find what they like and understand. Then, you fine tune it to be proper. Sounds like she just needs a bit of help.

:)

[notpoodle]

the bendig part sounds familiar :) Angel is quite difficult to get into corners, let alone on circles. first she'll try to cut the corner altogether and darts inwards. when i dont let her, she'll go through the corner with an outward bend ... i ask for an inward bend again, she'll try to take a turn when she's not supposed to ... i keep contact with the outside rein to avoid this ... and she's bending the wrong way again :rolleyes: mind you, i am nt a very good rider, so we'll both have to practice and learn :)

julia
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