New horse (another!) in lesson who *really* avoids contact

[Scarlett 001]

Question part of thread:
In the arena when doing dressage, he avoids contact. I mean really avoids contact. The worst my instructor has seen. He raises his head continually and tosses it about. A bit unnerving, but he is a very safe horse with nice gaits and willing attitude. Instructor thinks that before he came to this barn someone must have used a tough bit on him or something. Other than steadily showing him that contact does not have to hurt and being consistent with my contact, what else could I do to help him relax and accept contact? Advice appreciated! :)

[Bay Mare]

Hi http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/froehlich/a010.gif

Mine's like that and I used to ride an older horse that was like that too! The 'solution' was to ride them bitless for a while.

The older horse went from being absolutely appalling in the head to being really nice to ride even when a bit was reintroduced. The 'secret' with him was to start off with very little contact and gradually, gradually take it up. He was eventually put in a Hackamore for a few months and came back so much better.

My girl was put into a Hackamore for a couple of months and came back better too. We even got to a point where she wasn't head tossing at all. Unfortunately I then had her back looked at and treated and she hasn't been the same since. Since then she's hollowed out again and started the head tossing http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/boese/a050.gif I'm having her back rechecked and will also get her teeth rechecked just in case. If nothing is found then I'll take her back into a bitless for a while (I may do that anyway).

Coping with mine at the moment is a matter of being 'polite' (as my trainer likes to put it) in the reins so that you 'offer' and keep a contact but back it up with your legs. Concentrating more on using my legs seems to have the desired effect with my girl. I'm not particularly heavy on the reins anyway but she really didn't like even the tiniest amount of contact. I have the added problem of stroppy mare syndrome which adds a certain amount of fun to the whole proceedings http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/teufel/d070.gif

One thing that did help, though didn't completely eradicate the problem was to go to a softer, straight bar. She ate the soft rubber one though she seemed to like it so she's in a Happy Mouth at the moment.

I'd be interested in different opinions too! I've heard good reviews of the KK Ultra but it's a lot of money to pay for something that she might not like!

[Sallinello]

Sorry to hijack your thread Scarlett001 however I have a similar problem. My boy evades the contact but not by tossing his head, he either goes overbent or leans on my hands so I'll be checking the replies you get to see if any might help me!!! :D ;)

[galadriel]

If he was somewhat recently ridden with very heavy hands or a harsh bit, he might even have bruising or other tenderness in his mouth. That would make it copletely impossible for him to accept contact. (Solution, pretty much, is no bit for a while.)

If he simply doesn't understand contact, then you can begin with a contact so incredibly light that it doesn't look like it's there. Use reins very slack--but continue to allow your hands to follow the motion of his head, and treat rein aids as if you had a solid contact: squeeze/release for rein aids, and so on. If he can accept this, then you'll be able to get him to work with you without too much fuss, and you can still have effective rein aids without a solid contact.

You can graually--over the course of many sessions--pick up the reins so that the slack is lessened each time. In riding him this way he will learn about and come to understand contact, without feeling a need to fight it. There are things that are much, much harder when ridden with a slack rein; it is better overall to eventually help him find comfort in something more like a real contact.

[Leksi]

Very good advice.

Also, have his teeth checked. If he still has those studly canines, those can severely aggravate a bitted mouth. Also, if his molars need a good floating, they could be very sharp and cutting the inside of his cheeks when he uses his mouth on the bit.

Other than that, use your leg, and very very little contact. Be "polite", as they said.

Good luck!

As for overbent and leaning, I am training a sport pony who does the same thing. I have had him for a year now, so I can see the full improvement, and what has helped has been to ride on a very loose rein. This allows him to stretch his neck out and not become all overbent and avoiding. (With a little bit of leg pressure to encourage him to stretch his neck out instead of flexing it under). I walk and trot, and gradually pick up a bit more contact as we ride. Still loose, but I can now feel his mouth with a bit of pull. I use my outside leg and inside rein and turn him in smaller circles as we go around the arena (this reinforces his acceptance and also put you in a state of control). If he does pull, I put a good amount of pressure on him with one leg while pulling back with the opposite rein. It's a type of correction that puts YOU back in control. You want respect and understanding from him. If we whip or kick, he'll only be more afraid of contact. Once this is going well at the walk, then the trot, go for the canter. This is the most difficult, since lack of contact may also mean lack of collection, so the turning in circles is a good point in cantering also. This is why it is practiced at the walk and trot. Plus, this pony likes to go full tilt at the canter, he's only 3, and used to take cantering on a loose rein as a sign to careen about the arena. Free run time, yippee!! :p So, we have to correct that, and I have, by using these techniques. He is now very calm and collected at the canter, walk, and trot.

It may take a while, but the same pony now accepts enough contact to jump. And he's clearing 3 feet, now! So that tells you how far he has come.

Good luck to you, also!

[Scarlett 001]

Someone said that when he first arrived at the stables he was used for cattle penning, and there may have been quite strong and sudden pulling etc. with the reins.

Perhaps this got him a bit anxious and maybe he has a sensitive mouth naturally, or due to something else (teeth problems etc.). He is not cattle penning anymore due to his issues, and maybe he just needs time to gain trust in the steady contact for english riding?

Not sure how much I will be riding this horse if I get Skeeter, but I would be willing to pop on him once in a while to help him gain trust with contact. Unfortunately, he is being used by multiple riders and who knows how steady and kind all of the riders are being with his mouth and contact?