Won't go forward

[corp]

For Heather.

I ride classically but am both very small and disabled.
My 15.2 gelding just won't go forward in his trot work. Many experts have tried but basically he doesn't present a problem for taller people even if they are pretty hopeless riders. I say that in the kindest way because he is ridden by several disabled riders. I compete at elementary level British Dressage so you can imagine what it's like for me to see him going happily for a Downs Syndrome rider but not me, or my Mum. Could it be lack of respect? We've exhausted all the obvious physical things. If we long rein him first he's a darling. His paces are to die for. He loves lateral work. I have a feeling that he's trying too hard to offer collection, but riding him forwrd and giving him the rein has very little effect.

Are we trying to tackle this the wrong way? Should we perhaps work on what he enjoys, improve his strength and collection and hope that he grows out of this stage? It's as if he ties up ( or rather LOCKS up) through his shoulders. Walk pirouettes and counter flexions don't seem to help. If he doesn't want to work he won't.

Any suggestions welcome. Alison.

 

[Heather]

HI Alison,

Can you send me some video of him being ridden by you and also by other riders who are taller/stronger? Also how lod is he, what is his breeding/background. Love to help if I can, and where do you live, by the way?

Heather

 

[corp]

Heather,
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. This is so frustrating. He is such a lovely horse that my Mum says I should keep him. Its a lot to ask him to put up with my disability but he just takes it all in his stride. I'm registered blind, but I do see a little, and he puts up with all my fumbling about.

My biggest problem is my legs. I have a low grade spasticity which means that my muscles go into extension when the stirrup touches the ball of my foot. Basically it means that I ride with my toes down, there is nothing that can be done. This doesn't explain why he's the same with other short people though does it?

I do have some odd bits of video and a very good photo of the very first time I rode him. Its quite strange that he was OK when he was first broken. He was broken at 3 and turned away, mainly because he was a bit awkward and walked all over everyone's feet. When he came back into work at 4 we had a man come to stay during the summer who had trained with Nuno Oliveiro. He spent weeks lungeing him to build his back muscles.

My problems started when I allowed a taller person to ride him. We paid someone to come in and hack him out and take him to one very small local show just to experience the sights and sounds. She decided that he didn't like a contact and allowed him to go from her strong legs on a long rein. My weak legs mean I need to use weight aids and I don't believe in not riding horses without a contact.

We now have times when this little horse works well and others when he just doesn't seem able to trot. Yes he's young, 7 in June, but it seems to be more than that. No matter what we do it doesn't seem to go away. It will improve slightly, and then he rounds up and works over his back in such elevation that we wonder what the future holds. Then just as suddenly, without warning, we're back to square one. Ther's no rhyme or reason . Sometimes he can have time off and come back beautifully and others he's hopeless.

Last winter we paid someone who has a professional showing yard to ride him once a week. It was as if my Mum was doing all the schooling for this man to have the pleasure. He just appeared to be green but improving.

Basically there is no rhythm to his trot. It varies from short bouts of freedom to bouts of tightness, and of course if he's not going forward in the trotwork his canter is badly affected.

He's a herd animal. If he's ridden with other horse he's brilliant. Really shows them what he can do. Last summer he went to the Special Olympics Games where he was looked after by a fifteen year old. he was exercised twice a day, hacked out and schooled and was admired by all. Towards the end of the week though he did begin to resent any schooling.

My Mum thinks he will be OK if we can find someone to give him the fun things in life that he's missing out on with me.

Sorry this is long but I hope it gives a clearer picture.

I have some old video footage, not that he's going well in it but he is forward but I don't have the software to send it to you over this site, or the photo. I did try but I definitely have the wrong software.

Thanks for your help. By the way, I had many of my lessons at Urchinwood, some with Baron Hans Blixen Finecke and I can send you a video of me riding my other horse. She's still brilliant at 21.

Alison

 

[corp]

For Heather.

I Heather. I think my Mum has got to the bottom of our problem. Naughty boy wouldn't go forward no matter what today. Legs & whip aid all ignored. In the end he received two or three really sharp whacks on his B T M twice, and then worked like a dream.

We both feel a bit sad that it was necessary to resort to that, we've had to do it before and obviously he's just slipped back.

Quite clearly its a case of lack of respect ( typical man) for our short legs. I hope he gives up and outgrows this soon. We just carried on rewarding all his good work once he got going, but obviously that in itself is not enough. He's just going to be a horse whoo has to receives a short sharp shock if he tries to cheat.

Thanks for your help. I'll keep you posted.

Alison.

 

[Heather]

HI Alison,

Another way that you can get his respect without hitting him is to hit your boot and make a whacking noise- that is as long as you have long boots orl eather gaiters on- otherwise it hurts! I often find that this works better still than hitting the horse, who doesn't know where the noise is coming and it startels him into going forward. Another good ploy is to have an assistant with a lunge whip, and whn he doesn't go from the leg, slosh him round the back end with the lunge whip- it doesn't need to be hard- just to curl it round his bum will usually be sufficient. Again the element is of surprise, and if done as you apply the leg aid, he quickly learns to associate the two and move off the leg far quicker.

Keep me posted-


Heather