problems cantering

[Alli]

My favourite pony, a little black, ex-brood mare has developed a very annoying/ dangerous habbit. She injured her right hind (somewhere between the fetlock and the hock...?) during a confrontation with a barbed wire fence at a previous home and now walks with a very strange, yet finely tuned limp ( lifting her right hind at least 2 times higher than the others ) This does not effect much while riding her, but she does, understandabley, have bad balance problems. If the wrong lead is picked up (this happens quite often) she, out of frustration or fear?, pulls her head down as far as she can while continuing to canter full speed down the long side. Pulling the reins out of my hands and me onto her neck quite sucessfully. For this reason the owner has stopped using her as a school horse for the most part, only allowing 'experienced' riders take her in lessons. So finding myself with the new role of re-schooling this pony and i'm now very frustrated!! I try my best to pick up the correct lead in the first place but most times she takes off before i tell her to, picking up the wrong lead and proceeding to pull me out of the saddle. (i'm not even entirely sure wether the 2 are connected. the balance and head lowering could be seperate problems...anyway.. ) SO! the question is! How can this be corrected? It's actually quite dangerous!! though she is a small pony and relatively easy to control, i have found myself nearly cantering rein-lessly over 3" jumps during hacks/warmups. Any help? the owners don't seem to be doing much in the way of schooling .. i want to help her!

-alli

[JumperGirl]

How are you asking her to canter?

WHen the horse I ride sticks his head between his front legs, he is trying to buck.

Does she do it only when you pick up the wrong lead? on both reins?

[Alli]

she's not trying to buck (i don't think) because she's not lowering her head right to her knees. she's stretching it *out* and down. . . she's worse on right rein but she will do it on either. she very rarely acts up like this when she is on the correct lead and cantering smoothly.
also - she only seems to do this when we've been warming up for quite some time (or just hacking) once we start jumping she seems to forget (?) and moves quite happily (though slighly off balance) even if she's on the wrong lead for any amount of time. . . very confusing.
today we undid her martingale and she seemed happier/ less inclined to stretch her neck. perhaps it was too short and bothered her? that didn't last long, however, as she soon realized that she could then *raise* her head...
-thanks 4 your concern

:Alli:

[Alli]

and in answer to your first question..
i'm asking her to canter from the (slow) sitting trot- (sometimes *over*-bent around my inside leg) -- leg back when we get to the corner of the ring.
she begins to anticipate when i am going to ask and takes off on her own. so we keep it slow.
-alli

[Bebe]

My horse has been back in work after having had a year off with her last owner. When I first started cantering her out on hacks, she did the same thing with her head. I was worried that she would buck at first, but she never has. It seems to be resolving itself now so I've put it down to a strength problem. Could be that it's the same for this mare and she'll stop doing it as she gets stronger.

I take it the vet okayed her to come back into work and she's been worked up to fitness slowly? If not, might be things you want to consider.

She shouldn't be pulling you out of the saddle with it though. You may need to consider having lessons to help with your position. A rider with a secure foundation (seat) won't be pulled forwards when the horse does this, instead the pull from the horses head will transfer through the reins and elbows to the riders seatbones. This makes the rider more secure and makes it uncomfortable for the horse to pull. Easier said than done though!!

Good luck
Amanda

[Alli]

hmm. . .
yes well - i'm not a very experienced / good rider and i'm sure my position has something to do with it. but according to my instructors/judges i'm fine on other horses. . . i put her off balance so she puts me off balance which causes her to become more unbalanced... :P
this pony has only started jumping again (after god knows how long of a break) in the last...4 or 5 months. and she has been worked up gradually so she is now comfortably jumping...hmm. around 2'3", 2'6"-ish. i'm sure her strength has alot to do with it as well. she is getting better with time, schooling and exersize..(my lesson yesterday was a bit of a break through..tho she was a bit excited) but it is very hard to handle...very frustrating for the both of us.

thanks 4 your help .
-*alli*