Comments | equestrian: Rider problem with new horse

taiyou_no_ao in equestrian

Rider problem with new horse

Jul 28, 2011 02:52

Hello everyone, I'm a long time lurker, first time poster. Recently my boyfriend and I started leasing a new horse, a 16 year old Selle Français named Hermes. He spent a lifetime of showjumping all around Europe before our barn acquired him from a boarder who needed to sell him. So for the past year he was mounted by a trainer sometimes but mostly ( Read more... )

behaviour issues, advice, rant, bad_riding, horse behaviour, training problems, frustrations, returning after a break from riding, problems in horses

Comments 13

megfuzzle July 28 2011, 17:13:50 UTC

do you have an electric seat? Some horses are more sensitive to this (for instance, my TB "kindly" reminds me on the days where I'm tense that my seat won't be tolerated). Some horses (esp jumpers), just don't take kindly to being pushed into a headset by a rider (again, my TB and I struggled with this until we started taking dressage lessons to create actual carriage and thus a more proper place for his head). Your boyfriend may be riding him a little more 'up', a little more back to front, and may have a softer hand to allow it, and the headset is occurring as it should? Not sure as I've never seen either one of you ride ( ... )

megfuzzle July 28 2011, 17:15:18 UTC

oh! And breathe deep! When I half-halt to start rounding with super-sensitive horses, I picture me 'breathing' them up under/into me. For whatever reason, this keeps me soft, calm, and helps me halfhalt with little tension.

feather_armor July 28 2011, 17:24:21 UTC

Meg when you say "post-post-sit" do you mean stay up for two beats instead of one? I also like the plow rein idea. I'm going to have to try these things.

megfuzzle July 28 2011, 17:44:15 UTC

yes. rise-rise-sit, rise-rise-sit, stay up for two beats. It's harder than it sounds, and really instills the idea of a solid leg base! (sit-sit-rise, is also useful for warmups, but not when you're wondering if you have an electric seat!)

Thread 6

suraineko July 28 2011, 17:34:04 UTC

First I'd check your saddle for fit. If he's going from being a jumper to a school horse and then back into work again his body is going to be changing a lot and a sensitive (and redheaded to boot) horse with an ill fitting saddle could be disinclined to come round and through ( ... )

taiyou_no_ao July 29 2011, 00:24:23 UTC

Thanks for your reply! Yeah we really don't think the saddle fits him (it came with him when we leased him) but at the moment we can't afford a saddle but when we can we defiantly want to change it. We'll ask to see if there is another we can use. The saddle doesn't fit me either ( ... )

greyskyridge July 28 2011, 19:04:26 UTC

All of your fixes sound very hand-based.

"bending strongly to the opposite side"
"head turned almost to my knee"
"reset his head"

etc

It is very important to ride the horse that is underneath you before you try to ride the horse that is out in front of you.

I would get on and do legyields.
Hands quiet, who cares where his head is, legyield legyield legyield.
Ask him to accept the leg and go OVER rather than FASTER.

Do walk trot walk transitions in the legyield from your seat, not your hand.

Pet him lots.

Let his head be where it wants to be until YOU can control him from SEAT.

If his head is ripped around to your knee it has gone several levels past Too Confrontational already and you may as well just pat him, get off, and try another day. No horse learns anything folded in half running around in a circle. If your trainers are unable to intervene and give you a more constructive solution you would be well advised to seek out more qualified help.

taiyou_no_ao July 29 2011, 00:32:41 UTC

Thanks for the reply! I will try with the legyields, and completely leave the head alone. Yup that was what happened yesterday when I rode him. The battle became too confrontational and the horse was just really starting to get annoyed and play with me, and also I was worn out and no longer able to deal with it mentally or physically so I just got off and decided to try again when I have a more clear idea on what is going on. Also being frustrated I cant really think and analyze the problem myself.

colebaltblue July 28 2011, 20:25:56 UTC

Personally, I'd let him have his head for a few days ( ... )

is_it_tru July 28 2011, 23:30:17 UTC

I agree. Leave his head alone. It's an issue that will probably fix itself afer you figure out what you're doing. Keep him moving forward, keep contact, keep a straight like from your elbows to his mouth. It'll come down eventually.