Sticky Greenies
Hello fellow equestrians!
I am riding a horse about 2x per week who is a bit of a greenie. She had about 4 rides on her before I started with her, and I have put 3 rides on her since then. Because I live in a northern climate, outdoor rings are no longer functional so my coach has been trailering the horses to the local community indoor (the mare belongs to my coach). The mare was never ridden in the indoor before I hopped on her in there.
I do have lots of experience with green horses, and have started two horses for my coach already. But never in such restricted condistions. I am accustomed to having a nice big, open arena and a rounpen.
Now that it's winter we have a small indoor arena with a VERY scary bifold door at one end, and a gate at the other, next to which all the other horses are tied. As you can imagine, the tempation to bulge, stop, spook, and spin, is very strong even for the most well-broke horses.
So this mare is now going walk and trot, but EVERY ride we fight and fight over her sticky-ness. I have had sticky greenies before, but it's usually a problem solved with a nice open arena. Bascially with this mare as soon as we turn to trot away from her friends she stops and braces. She will also bulge dangerously at other horses in the arena. It drives me freakin' nuts. And I will NOT resort to using artifical aids on her, since she is under 5.
So...does anyone here have any strategies for keeping forward motion in such conditions? I do have my coach to help me (she will occasionally wave a lunge whip to get us going again), but when she is in the ring she is teaching lessons to her clients. Thoughts?
edited to add:
I've tried: turning her out to run around the whole arena on her own before hopping on.
Lunging and doing groundwork all over the arena.
And edited again to say: I rode her today with my carrot stick (yes, Parelli-ite) and it went really well. She was only sticky once or twice and when she tried one tap with the stick against her hip was enough to win the battle. Eventually I dropped the stick and rode without...I think that she saw our little battles as a way to get out of work, and now I've brought out the big guns she's not resisting. Coach was super happy, so yey. I don't like artificial aids...but in this case I think it was the easiest and most painless way to fix the situation. :)
I am riding a horse about 2x per week who is a bit of a greenie. She had about 4 rides on her before I started with her, and I have put 3 rides on her since then. Because I live in a northern climate, outdoor rings are no longer functional so my coach has been trailering the horses to the local community indoor (the mare belongs to my coach). The mare was never ridden in the indoor before I hopped on her in there.
I do have lots of experience with green horses, and have started two horses for my coach already. But never in such restricted condistions. I am accustomed to having a nice big, open arena and a rounpen.
Now that it's winter we have a small indoor arena with a VERY scary bifold door at one end, and a gate at the other, next to which all the other horses are tied. As you can imagine, the tempation to bulge, stop, spook, and spin, is very strong even for the most well-broke horses.
So this mare is now going walk and trot, but EVERY ride we fight and fight over her sticky-ness. I have had sticky greenies before, but it's usually a problem solved with a nice open arena. Bascially with this mare as soon as we turn to trot away from her friends she stops and braces. She will also bulge dangerously at other horses in the arena. It drives me freakin' nuts. And I will NOT resort to using artifical aids on her, since she is under 5.
So...does anyone here have any strategies for keeping forward motion in such conditions? I do have my coach to help me (she will occasionally wave a lunge whip to get us going again), but when she is in the ring she is teaching lessons to her clients. Thoughts?
edited to add:
I've tried: turning her out to run around the whole arena on her own before hopping on.
Lunging and doing groundwork all over the arena.
And edited again to say: I rode her today with my carrot stick (yes, Parelli-ite) and it went really well. She was only sticky once or twice and when she tried one tap with the stick against her hip was enough to win the battle. Eventually I dropped the stick and rode without...I think that she saw our little battles as a way to get out of work, and now I've brought out the big guns she's not resisting. Coach was super happy, so yey. I don't like artificial aids...but in this case I think it was the easiest and most painless way to fix the situation. :)