How do you keep a horse on the track in a school?

[Russet]

I know that this will sound like a really silly question, but I haven't had a lesson for about 25 years! I haven't ridden much in a ménage for years, and when I do I've had this problem on several horses and it drives me mad. I keep trying to push them onto the track with my inside leg on, and pulling slightly on the outside rein. I was thinking about it yesterday, and thought should I be using the inside rein instead?

I feel stupid to ask something so basic, but I have obviously forgotten a lot of what I learnt a long time ago. I dread riding in a ménage because of this, especially if someone is watching.

 

[carthorse]

First of all are you sat straight with your weight evenly distributed? If you're trying to push & pull then I'd bet that you aren't, and if that's the case you're accidentally making it very hard for the horse to do what you want. Try checking you before anything else, particularly since it's a problem with several horses.

Where are you using your inside leg? If it's on the girth then you're asking for inside bend which done too strongly will bring the horse off the track, so if you feel leg is needed then you may want to try behind the girth to stop the quarters drifting - but if you do that make sure it doesn't affect your straightness. Think leg yield, which is where your outside rein comes in to contain the movement. Likewise if your outside rein is turning the neck towards the rail you're making it hard for the horse to keep his body there too, it's straightness you want.

Oh I'm not good at putting things into words!

 

[KP nut]

If you pull with outside rein they may just flex to the outside and drift in through the shoulder. So you need to keep the head and neck straight. Think of the arena as a rectangle with 4 corners, not an oblong. It has with 2 long sides and 2 short sides. Place one or 2 trotting poles along each side inside the track. Your aim is to ride a straight line past each pole, keeping parallel to the pole, then a curve in each corner. Steering is actually far harder than most people think, and horses get confused so the poles will help both you and the horse! In the corners, lift the inside hand and open the outside hand - asking him to step into that 'space' you are creating for him. At the same time nudge with the inside leg as that leg is lifting off the ground so you are asking him to step under himself slightly as you go round the corner so that he stays out into each corner rather than drifting in. It's tricky!

 

[Bodacea]

First of all are you sat straight with your weight evenly distributed? If you're trying to push & pull then I'd bet that you aren't, and if that's the case you're accidentally making it very hard for the horse to do what you want. Try checking you before anything else, particularly since it's a problem with several horses.

Where are you using your inside leg? If it's on the girth then you're asking for inside bend which done too strongly will bring the horse off the track, so if you feel leg is needed then you may want to try behind the girth to stop the quarters drifting - but if you do that make sure it doesn't affect your straightness. Think leg yield, which is where your outside rein comes in to contain the movement. Likewise if your outside rein is turning the neck towards the rail you're making it hard for the horse to keep his body there too, it's straightness you want.

Oh I'm not good at putting things into words!

In addition to the above advice. Focus on a some thing straight ahead that does not move eg a post. tree. it must be at your eye level. start of in a walk and follow through at a trot, canter. using each side and length. please keep us all posted as to your success. all the best

 

[Trewsers]

...

 

[Russet]

Thanks for your replies.

I think that Carthorse may be right, I might be leaning slightly to the inside. I put my leg on the girth, not behind. Will try with using it behind the girth.

Should I be using the reins at all, or not, when going along the straight , (not into the corners, as KP nut describes)

Thanks KP nut. Unfortunately we don't have any trotting poles. :-(

First of all are you sat straight with your weight evenly distributed? If you're trying to push & pull then I'd bet that you aren't, and if that's the case you're accidentally making it very hard for the horse to do what you want. Try checking you before anything else, particularly since it's a problem with several horses.

Where are you using your inside leg? If it's on the girth then you're asking for inside bend which done too strongly will bring the horse off the track, so if you feel leg is needed then you may want to try behind the girth to stop the quarters drifting - but if you do that make sure it doesn't affect your straightness. Think leg yield, which is where your outside rein comes in to contain the movement. Likewise if your outside rein is turning the neck towards the rail you're making it hard for the horse to keep his body there too, it's straightness you want.

Oh I'm not good at putting things into words!