When I school sox I feel I am giving him mixed signals or just not been clear enough in what I am asking. I feel he wants to try but is Confused as to how
Anyone got any advice?
Anyone got any advice?
giving clearer signals
- Thread starter lauren123
- Start date
Can you give us an example? I know I have this issue but I don't want to tell you what I do in case what you do is completely different!
With out knowing what you are trying to achieve and how you are asking it is hard to tell if you giving the correct aids.
Like trying to get sox to move off my leg is hard. If I had my right leg on him asking him to move away from the pressure he would trot. He doesn't respond to a light touch type thing. Partly because I think he doesn't understand what I mean.
I think of a horse as having 4 doors, each side and front and back. If you want sideways movement to the left you have to open the left door and close the other 3... Left leg off, left rein open, front and back door closed by controlling forward/backward movement with body and hand, right leg on to ask for the movement but the most important thing is the reward, you absolutely must release the ask the moment he even shifts his weight the right way, gradually you begin to delay this reward, so a weight shift, becomes a step, 3 steps etc if you miss the Try and don't give a reward (that's what tells him the right answer is) for it he will quickly get bored to trying and just do what ever he thinks might be right
If the main problem is moving away from the leg rather than speeding up go back to basics and get him moving away from your pushing hand on the ground while using a vocal 'over 'command then try leg on and vocal command. This is a fairly normal green horse response.
If on the other hand 'over' is established try using an opposite hand half halt as you apply leg. Also be very aware of your body balance ( weight the seat bone you are moving towards and timing of applying the aid as the leg you are moving over leaves the ground
If on the other hand 'over' is established try using an opposite hand half halt as you apply leg. Also be very aware of your body balance ( weight the seat bone you are moving towards and timing of applying the aid as the leg you are moving over leaves the ground
He is an ex racer isn't he? Unfortunately a lot of them have no idea about schooling at all, or even very simple things like backing up. Some good training yards will even incorporate proper schooling, but an awful lot don't, so my guess is he doesn't understand that he must move away from pressure. Horses generally lean into pressure, until they are taught otherwise.
I would go back to basics and try to get him to understand that he needs to move away from pressure wherever it comes from and that is easiest taught doing groundwork.
I would go back to basics and try to get him to understand that he needs to move away from pressure wherever it comes from and that is easiest taught doing groundwork.
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