Re-schooling - advice needed!

[Sallinello]

Some of you may have read my previous post about the problems I'm having with getting my horse to work properly. He is a 10yr old, 17.2hh gelding (gorge by the way! ;) ) who was bred for dressage and has competed all his life. However, since I have had him (about 2 months), both my instructor and I have the feeling he has not been schooled correctly and has just been pulled into a shape and not taught to work through from behind.

So....! We've decided he needs a bit of re-schooling and am currently working on lots and lots of transitions to get him balanced and listening to me.

Just wondered if any of you have any experience of re-schooling an older horse?

Thanks,

S.

P.S. Back, saddle and teeth have been checked with no apparent problems.

[galadriel]

If he's been pulled into an "outline" and not really working through his back, then the first thing to do is to ask him to stretch his neck out and keep it there. If he continues to work in a false "outline," he will continue to work improperly and never develop the right self-carriage.

So ask him to move forward, stretch his neck forward and down, and seek the contact. When he is really on the contact with his neck stretched out, you should feel him really using his back. It won't be "on the bit" work, but it will be the beginnings of proper use of the back.

If he's unused to really using his back, he won't be able to do it for long stretches at first. So ask him to reach forward into contact and use his back, then let him move along normally and have a breather. Only ask him to really work for a few minutes at a time, at least at first. If you try to make him do more, he may cramp up and hollow out--just what you're trying to fix. So you may need to be very conservative :)

Over time--over the course of many schooling sessions--you should be able to gradually increase the amount of time he's really working properly.

Once he has become used to using his back properly, and he is comfortable with reaching forward, you can gradually start to ask him to raise his head and bring it back a little. Be very careful to use aids that DON'T make him think you're asking for a false outline; be very clear that you want him to keep using his back and his hind end, just that you're asking him to come up and back a little. Always press him forward into the contact.

If you do this very gradually (over the course of many schooling sessions), you should eventually get to a point where he's truly working on the bit.

[Harleyhorse]

One of the older horses I trained was like that! We did every thing we could think of and the thing that made him use his hind end was troting poles! Not just the trot over ones with all the same stride, but like pole stride, pole 6 stride, pole 3 stride pole. We used all kinds of different poles! I find it harder to retrain older horses(10+) Then younger ones!
HH

[LatonaPandora]

Go back to the beginning! Treat him like a colt you are breaking. What is the first thing you would do? Steering! Start literally over! Start from the very basics, and act like he doesn't know them! Apparantly your horse missed something somewhere, so you are bound to hit it, and refresh him and teach him balance by basic baby training. My sister has a TB like that, and because she started back with simple direction, riding position, and collection, she now has a fabulous TB that is completely awesome! Good luck with your horse, and always relax and have fun! If you get frustrated, then you know you've found a weak point! Good Luck!:cool:

[Sallinello]

Thanks for the advice everyone, unfortunately I have decided that the horse in question would be best going back to his owner who knows him far better than I do and would have more success with re-schooling him. I have had nothing but problems with him since I got him and I know you shouldn't give up on things like this but I've really stopped enjoying it. He's thrown me off twice and it's too far to fall (17.3hh!!).

I can't afford to buy my own at the moment and it's so difficult to find a decent one up for loan so think I'm just going to give up! Anyway thanks again for the advice.

[NoviceNic]

Sallinello. Don't give up there is the perfect horse out their for you. I bought an arab x last year and things went really pear shaped knocking my confidence. I said I would never buy again. My dream was to own a piebald cob novice ride but they are sooo expensive. I got the owning bug again this summer and have found the perfect cob. A complete gentleman. And a snip at £1000 inc tack. I could not believe my luck he was so perfect so I had him on trial and have now bought him. I had a problem with heights as well. My new man is 14 h 2in. Not far to fall for a 5 foot 2 33 year old woman. .:D Keep looking and do not compromise on what you want. All types of horses come up for loan. It is just a matter of time and patience. Good Luck

[Sallinello]

Thanks Nic, where abouts in Lincs are you?

[EventingRed]

i had to retrain my horse two beacuse he was a jumper and they had him in a "false frame", ie he would be hallow in the back and not engage the hindqourters. my trainer and i worked for sevral months (abt two) on streching down and transitions. he started to build his topline. it also helped our jumping. good luck!!!

[NoviceNic]

Sallinello. I live at Wyberton near Boston.

[Sallinello]

That's so weird, literally down the road!! :D