How do I cure stiffness?

[Top Banana]

Hi everyone

Im currently loaning a horse and she is very stiff on both sides. Whats the best way to sort it out. Its affecting her canter mainly as she seems to canter sort of in a sideways / forward motion around corners. The problem seems to be more on the right rein. But I think its still a slight problem on the left. She is 25 so is it due to old age, or is it a lack of excersise - she only previoulsy walked around a village once a week. Suggestions would be appricated :)

[eventerbabe]

most definately old age. i had a 22 year old pony on loan and in 4 years we never completely sorted his stiffness. weekly lessons helped slightly, as did feeding him cider vinegar to help aid joint stiffness. but it was always a comment on our dressage sheets that he was very stiff on the right rein.

[galadriel]

Even an old horse can benefit from flexibility exercises. A horse who's been allowed to get stiff will need to be asked to flex and also to develop the musculature that will allow holding the body at a real curve. You can do carrot stretches on the ground. In the saddle, you can do spiralling in/out, use your legs to encourage real bend, and some basic lateral work to help the horse develop flexion and strength.

[Top Banana]

I'm not sure she has been schooled to well, but she is very reponsive to you your leg, so much so that sometimes you only have to think tort and she does it! I'm not sure if I am the problem or she just thinks she has to go faster, but when I try to use my leg to get her to bend, she thinks its her cue to speed up!

[galadriel]

It's much *easier* to simply speed up than to use the body properly. It's a little bit of "cheating" on the horse's part ;) To get her to respond to legs aids without speeding up, you may need to be proactive in making sure that the rest of your body is prepared to counter speeding up: squeeze seat, be ready to change rein contact, tell her that she's NOT supposed to be speeding up just because you're using the leg.

[Cheeky]

Hmm .. with a stiff horse, all I can suggest is make sure you take extra extra extra care in warming up. Walk as much as you canter - that is what I have always been told, but maybe for an older horse, walk as much as your trot. You can do exercises in the walk to help wake up - extending the walk, doing circles, making your own dressage test - all in the walk. Then move into the trot and see if you can do the dressage test from memory - not only does it warm u up, ** having fun!!

When you do canter, support him under you - keep encouraging, and make sure he is really lose and relaxed. Yes - he will lean forward and in around corners and thats ok coz he's a little 'fragile' ... but keep him there and I with time, he will come back ...

Also, jst a little tip - when you r cooling off, dont jst stop and halt and wait for him to sit and catch his breath - doing this for a very short time is ok ... but keep him walking. This may be causing the stiffness?? I am not pinpointing it that you do .. but this can cause excessive stiff ness ... and in the long term kill them by a heart attack. Odd eh?? Got told it yesta ... eep ...

[Top Banana]

Thanks for the suggestions. We do tend to walk a lot as she is quite giddy, and once she has been allowed to trot, she trys to race about (I think that she must think if I run round silly for 5 mins being silly, I can go back and eat my hay quicker!) Which isn't the case but she will try. Most of my routine is in walk, with the occasional trot and canter. (We have only just reached the canter stage, as when I first rode her, she tried taking the micky out of me at the beginning and she would canter and not stop! eventually she has started listening to me). We are progressing though. :)

[galadriel]

once she has been allowed to trot, she trys to race about

This can actually be another symptom of stiffness. In order to move in a balanced/controlled manner, the horse has to be able to swing her back and use her hindquarters. If she is stiff, that will be very difficult for her. Racing around on the forehand comes much more easily.

Again, you can try to help her see that you don't *want* her zooming around; use seat and leg to ask her to balance up and get a little more in control. Be compassionate; realize that her musculature is not in place for that kind of work. If she does manage it, let her rest after a few strides (go back to zooming around on th forehand, or go down a gait). The more you do, the more you can ask her to do at a time. But start with a few strides/rest/a few strides/rest.