Martingale for Arab

[ZAULTAG]

I have an arab in which has not been broken very long however she is really well behaved most of the time. When i go to jump her she sticks her head up uncontrollably in the air and tries to duck out of the jump do you think i should put a Running Martingale on her or will this spoil her natural high head carriage?

[shandy84]

I would suggest rather than adding tack you teach her that jumping is not something to get so excited about, try and get her to calm down, maybe try lunging over jumps to begin with and make it old hat then pop on put pacing poles etc hopefully that will help

[ZAULTAG]

she doesn;t get excited over the jump she tries to duck out and i lose control by her sticking her head int he air

[Gabrielle]

she doesn;t get excited over the jump she tries to duck out and i lose control by her sticking her head int he air

Hi Zaultag

I think Shandy84 was trying to explain that the mare obviously sees the jumps and thinks it is frightening. One way to overcome this is to introduce ground poles/trotting poles and practice going over them slowly and then slightly faster, at a trot, when she is happy they aren't going to jump up and bite her on th bum! After she is happy with trotting over them try making the last pole into a small cavelletti. Then just advance the training once she is happily going over them. Please do not rush this as even the older horses that have never jumped can be frightened. Just take your time with her jumping. You will find it pays dividends! :D

[Esther.D]

Then work on the ducking out.....its sounds like she is anxious about the jump so go back to basics with poles and work on her confidence and that should stop the ducking out. Also watch your release over the jump - throwing her head in the air and trying to avoid the jump could be caused by insufficient release over the jump - ie she could be anticipating a jab in the mouth.....I would look at all these possible causes before you go to a martingale.

just realised I cross-posted with Gabrielle :D

[shandy84]

Thanks Gabrielle i didn't explain it very well, i would see how she goes when you lunge over, does she still duck out? if not it could be something to do with having a rider on board, maybe she's unbalanced especially if she has only just been broken.

Can I ask how long she has been ridden for, you may find she is overanxious as there is too much to worrry about/concentrate on, Shandy was like thisat first,, we had to teac her trot poles wouldn't eat her and that took about four months to achieve but she'll now go over them like a pro, you may need to break the whole process of jumping down little by little and get her used to each part before slotting it all together.

For example, work on waking her in hand over a single pole and see how she goes, then add a few more if she is secure and happy, the transfer this to ridden starting again with the single pole etc. Also practicing your jumping position in walk etc with no jump in sight may help her get used to your weight being in a different area before she has to be anxious about seeing that jump over there.

Good Luck

[ZAULTAG]

thank you all for your help, i dont think she is some what anxious though, i think its more obidians as she is fine with trotting poles ect. She has been broken i think almost a year however she didnt do very much untill she come to me. Do you thinkt he martingale is a good idea while schooling her over the bigger jumps? to get her over them ect.

[Gabrielle]

Hi Zaultag

I think if it is a case of obedience then you should concetrate on schooling with no jumps and some fun hacks with occasional natural jumps, obviously nothing too big. Perhaps 18 inches high to 2 foot max. If she associates jumping with fun then I think you may have less problems in the future.

[ZAULTAG]

the problem with my arab is allthough she is a right sweetie and everything she is not a horse that enjoys hacking or working. i mean when i took her to a show she spent the whole time in that ring looking around and putting her ears flat back and thats how she is ridden. She is not a horse that loves to work or jump

[MeMe]

Are you 100% certain her tack fits correctly? And that her back and teeth etc are done? I would suggest addressing these issues before any indepth schooling can take place.

[baxter]

i would very much refrain from putting any contraptions on a horse that has only been broken a short time. she is still learning and needs consistance in her rider/s, tack and work. good point from meme, definitely a good starting point to check all tack a million times over, just adjusting certain bits can make a huge difference. good luck.

[shandy84]

You may find reading the thread I posted having a few issues would be worth a read some good things have come up that may have some relevance to your mare, she seems very similar to Shandy in some ways

[MeMe]

To be honest I would also take off that Continental, put her in a nice loose ring lozenge/french link bit, see if she likes that.

Check her tack/back etc.

Only lightly ride her for short spells, and establish some lunge/longreining.

Im not into parelli etc myself, but Im sure other people can give you ideas along those lines if you wish to take them.