shoniedaspony
8th Aug 2006, 09:09 AM
have established a problem at our very first show together on sunday (and his very first show, as a ten yr old). in a ring with other horses, specifically those which he knows, if we are not a fair distance away from them he gets stressed if he feels he is getting 'left behind' or if they overtake us.
forgive me for being literal, but is this not natural herd behaviour-to stick together as a group?
he respects me enough to not charge after them when i half halt him not too and wont let him go any faster-but the excess energy and frustration about not being allowed to shoot off after them comes out in bucks-i wouldnt mind except these are bigger than ever before..it took him a good 20 odd bucking fits to actually get me off him in the 3rd class of the day. apart from being severely marked down for bucking, it was a tad dangerous, for us and other competitors!
so two problems really
1)how to chill him out about being overtaken/left behind (this can be a problem on the odd hack too)
2) how to stop him from bucking in this situation (i have stopped his buck every stride habit and now we only get the occasional buck in a hard schooling session) these however are proper head between the knees...judge was most impressed that he could buck with both or either back leg without changing gait at all and that literally if you had blinked, you may have missed it.
oh and i wouldnt say i fall off easily-he can buck and rear with the best of them and this is my only fall off him in nearly a year of riding him.
any help most appreciated!
thanks a million
forgive me for being literal, but is this not natural herd behaviour-to stick together as a group?
he respects me enough to not charge after them when i half halt him not too and wont let him go any faster-but the excess energy and frustration about not being allowed to shoot off after them comes out in bucks-i wouldnt mind except these are bigger than ever before..it took him a good 20 odd bucking fits to actually get me off him in the 3rd class of the day. apart from being severely marked down for bucking, it was a tad dangerous, for us and other competitors!
so two problems really
1)how to chill him out about being overtaken/left behind (this can be a problem on the odd hack too)
2) how to stop him from bucking in this situation (i have stopped his buck every stride habit and now we only get the occasional buck in a hard schooling session) these however are proper head between the knees...judge was most impressed that he could buck with both or either back leg without changing gait at all and that literally if you had blinked, you may have missed it.
oh and i wouldnt say i fall off easily-he can buck and rear with the best of them and this is my only fall off him in nearly a year of riding him.
any help most appreciated!
thanks a million