Requesting advice...
Greetings all. FYI, this will be a bit long-winded...
I've been riding for at least 3 years now (I rode for an additional several years when I was very little but stopped)and I'm currently taking lessons at a very nice, reputable barn (they only offer English, so that's what I ride.)
I have been riding a lesson horse named Tommy, a half-haflinger mix. He's about 6, gelded, etc. Tommy and I have been doing lessons together since for 1 1/2 years now, and as of late, I have been having more difficulty with him.
He's a very stubborn pony; part of it is he's young, but here's the deal: he's getting more and more stubborn.
A few months ago, I could make him do just about anything. He still followed other ponies A LOT at the canter, BUT, the two of us were doing great trotting, jumping, etc...I was learning how to make him good and he was being good in return.
He HAS to follow other horses, or he will do circles and/or stop completely. He used to respond to a dressage whip, apparently (never had to use it on him myself), but he does not do so any longer. Now, I don't want him to follow because A) I can't turn him when I want to, etc, B) Not all of the horses like each other and even those who do get a little annoyed if he gets right on their butts, so I want to keep him a fair distance away so as to avoid injuries, C)It just reinforces the behavior again and again, making it hard to make him a better horse to ride.
Now, I acknowledge that as a rider, I should be able to make him go when and where I want to. I have been riding him a long time, and I have seen him work wonders. I have RIDDEN him as he worked said wonders.
I have several ideas as to what may be the problem...
1) He got a new bit ( Something like this... http://www.statelinetack.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=SLT900218%20475 ) about 2.5 months ago and ever since has progressively been more ornery...could the change in bits be the reason for his sudden ignorance of ANY cues (reins, crop, legs, you name it...)?
2) He has been ridden a lot more in the last several months, and many of the people riding him are small children who let him get away with A LOT. Could the extra kiddie rides be making it harder for me to make him better?
3)I changed lesson days due to scheduling issues, and this instructor is more lax. My previous instructor would never allow me to allow him to be the way he's being, and while I ACCEPT that I am probably doing something wrong, I ALSO know that the other woman would have given me constructive criticism and helped me fix it by now.
4) Many of his pasture-mates are in this lesson, and they are all similar to him in mannerisms, etc. If one of them acts up Tommy does so too. As his rider, I should be able to get him to act according to ME, not them, yet, I can't.
Now, what should I be working on? I am not that skilled of a rider, but I KNOW I am good enough to fix this. At least, I am BETTER than how I've been riding lately.
I CAN change the lesson day again soon, and I am almost definitely going to. I could also invest in more flat rides (it costs money though) to work with him, but the thing is, he is fine all by himself... it's in groups that he's bad. My father also suggested trying spurs, but I am reluctant to do so because he is not my horse and no one has ever used them on him before.
So? Any suggestions? You can tell me even the most rudimentary things if I am overlooking them. I can handle criticism. I just want him to be the best horse he can possibly be, and I'd like to have some fun at the same time.
I've been riding for at least 3 years now (I rode for an additional several years when I was very little but stopped)and I'm currently taking lessons at a very nice, reputable barn (they only offer English, so that's what I ride.)
I have been riding a lesson horse named Tommy, a half-haflinger mix. He's about 6, gelded, etc. Tommy and I have been doing lessons together since for 1 1/2 years now, and as of late, I have been having more difficulty with him.
He's a very stubborn pony; part of it is he's young, but here's the deal: he's getting more and more stubborn.
A few months ago, I could make him do just about anything. He still followed other ponies A LOT at the canter, BUT, the two of us were doing great trotting, jumping, etc...I was learning how to make him good and he was being good in return.
He HAS to follow other horses, or he will do circles and/or stop completely. He used to respond to a dressage whip, apparently (never had to use it on him myself), but he does not do so any longer. Now, I don't want him to follow because A) I can't turn him when I want to, etc, B) Not all of the horses like each other and even those who do get a little annoyed if he gets right on their butts, so I want to keep him a fair distance away so as to avoid injuries, C)It just reinforces the behavior again and again, making it hard to make him a better horse to ride.
Now, I acknowledge that as a rider, I should be able to make him go when and where I want to. I have been riding him a long time, and I have seen him work wonders. I have RIDDEN him as he worked said wonders.
I have several ideas as to what may be the problem...
1) He got a new bit ( Something like this... http://www.statelinetack.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=SLT900218%20475 ) about 2.5 months ago and ever since has progressively been more ornery...could the change in bits be the reason for his sudden ignorance of ANY cues (reins, crop, legs, you name it...)?
2) He has been ridden a lot more in the last several months, and many of the people riding him are small children who let him get away with A LOT. Could the extra kiddie rides be making it harder for me to make him better?
3)I changed lesson days due to scheduling issues, and this instructor is more lax. My previous instructor would never allow me to allow him to be the way he's being, and while I ACCEPT that I am probably doing something wrong, I ALSO know that the other woman would have given me constructive criticism and helped me fix it by now.
4) Many of his pasture-mates are in this lesson, and they are all similar to him in mannerisms, etc. If one of them acts up Tommy does so too. As his rider, I should be able to get him to act according to ME, not them, yet, I can't.
Now, what should I be working on? I am not that skilled of a rider, but I KNOW I am good enough to fix this. At least, I am BETTER than how I've been riding lately.
I CAN change the lesson day again soon, and I am almost definitely going to. I could also invest in more flat rides (it costs money though) to work with him, but the thing is, he is fine all by himself... it's in groups that he's bad. My father also suggested trying spurs, but I am reluctant to do so because he is not my horse and no one has ever used them on him before.
So? Any suggestions? You can tell me even the most rudimentary things if I am overlooking them. I can handle criticism. I just want him to be the best horse he can possibly be, and I'd like to have some fun at the same time.