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Post by phoenix77 on Jun 7, 2012 20:56:29 GMT
I have a 6yr old cob that we purchased approx 4 weeks ago. He is still quite green although very genuine and doesn't do anything naughty. I've popped him over a couple crosspoles and hacked him out no problem but when i take him indoors to school him he is totally different. I don't think he had heen in an indoor school before we had him and i don't think he has been schooled much but from the moment we walk away from the mounting block he wants to jog all the time. I'm trying to keep my hands soft but i find i am having to use my rein to slow him down, as soon as he walks i'm giving with the rein but it's constant from start to finish. He was so worked up tonight (partly because of the wind) that i ended up spending the best part of an hour just trying to walk lots of circles, changes of rein and adding some halt / walk / trot transitions.
What else can i do? he is difficult to bend, so i do lots of cirles, i have tried leg yield to get him moving away from my leg but he takes it as go faster, when i try to correct him he gets frustrated and shakes hs head. I'm feeling frustrated with myself for not getting it right with him. I've booked a lesson with my instructor but wondered if anyone on here has any tips / advice?
Thanks in advance x
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Post by sophiabell on Jun 7, 2012 21:07:19 GMT
I'm guessing you lunge before you get on? I lunge my youngster in side reins first to take the edge off her and also so she can fight with the side reins until she finally gets her work head on so it is a bit easier when a rider gets on. It takes her a while to get into working mode where she doesn't try to get ahead of herself ie cantering rather than trotting and jogging, I write off the first 15 minutes and just trot round without worrying about outline and bending etc to focus her a bit. Having said that she can plod around on the lunge to make you think she is fine then goes up a few gears when someone gets on board! Good luck  |
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Post by LMSmith on Jun 8, 2012 10:23:42 GMT
Is it possible you could turn him out in the indoor for a while so he could get used to it without having you asking him to do something?
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Post by vikki85 on Jun 8, 2012 10:53:35 GMT
I agree with LMSmith - sounds like it's the indoor he's getting a bit worried by. If you can turn him out in there for a little while so he can investigate any scary corners and get used to the new noises he may feel more comfortable in there when you ride.
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Post by bethanyy on Jun 8, 2012 13:18:13 GMT
When I bought my youngster he had lived out and never seen an outdoor school before never mind and indoor! I free schooled him in there a few times with my experienced cob and now he loves our indoor school, he works better inside than in our outdoor! If you don't have another horse to free school with you could try free schooling him on his own and doing some round up excercises to build up some trust in you aswell as increasing his comfort in the scary indoor |
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Post by phoenix77 on Jun 9, 2012 6:29:05 GMT
Thanks everyone, some helpful tips there. I will let you know how we get on x x |
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Post by sageandonion on Jun 9, 2012 9:46:51 GMT
Wait until the weather is mega hot and certainly don't go indoors in the wind. All that noise will make things far worse. Don't give yourself a difficult job and don't compound coblet's fear that it is indeed a frightening place.
Take him in on a lunge line, with his best friend field companion, walk him round quietly and if/when he relaxes, take him straight out and continue to build it up.
I personally wouldn't turn him out in there. Imagine if a place terrified you, how do you think you would react if you were put in there and the door closed. Would you do that to a child? you need to treat your horse with exactly the same care, attention and respect as you would a child that didn't understand.
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vcl
Newbie
Posts: 26
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Post by vcl on Jun 9, 2012 17:22:39 GMT
I would take him in there in hand once youve come back from a hack. Id stick with hacking for the time being and if he's quite green you can do as much schooling as you require at this stage on your hacks. By taking him in the scary place in hand and showing him the spooky horse eating corners you will also build your relationship up and his trust in you.
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Post by lulah on Jun 9, 2012 22:57:12 GMT
dont worry the leg yeild will come with practice. start on the 3/4 line and yield back to the track. most horses like to get back to the track and will seek the wall for balance. its quite common for them to mis understand and think you want to go faster . its always good to get someone on the ground to help you move them over for the first few times to understand more.
i would lunge him and do more in- hand indoors, let him investigate , remember to wear a hard hard just incase ! ive know young horses to go into the "scary corner" and spin and bolt back out !
is thier an outdoor school you can use for a while to do a bit more ridden schooling on him before venturing indoors again? you have only had him a short time , he will get more confidence as he gets to know you .
good luck.
i love greenies !!!
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Post by phoenix77 on Jun 10, 2012 7:23:52 GMT
Thanks, yes we o have an outdoor school we can use. Although it is a little water logged at the mo  I am going to do some lunging with him indoors, school him outdoors (when i can get back out there) and keep on hacking which he is happy with - apart fom yesterday when he saw a very scary wall and wanted to turn tail and run home lol. He is a lovely horse, i just want to make sure i get it right for him. Thanks again everyone x |
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on Jun 25, 2012 3:19:50 GMT
I found leg yielding easy to teach on hacks - if you have wide paths then going from side to side is easier than teaching it in a school - and start in walk, not trot, rewarding any sign of a sideways step. Ask your instructor to help with this one - your leg action should be different for that to "go", and as said someone on the ground to help push them over to get the idea is a great help. A very useful exercise for all babies.
It is entirely possible to do all schooling on hacks, I did! They learn all the time you are riding, they don't differentiate between hacking and schooling in an arena, so you need to think hard about everything you do, spend some times asking for work and some on a long rein (as long as safe of course) as reward, make every transition as good as you can get, don't just slop into them and if you have a corner of a field or suchlike available on your hacks, do a few circles and school figures in there for a few minutes. Decide exactly where you will do a transition and make it happen there, ride straight for a certain tree or something, ride gently up and down slopes to improve balance and tone muscles - lots of useful things to do on hacks!
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