Hi guys:)
My baby boy (7) is just learning to go on the bit, and we are working out some kinks. At the walk, trot, and canter, he will practically look like Ravel or Valegro, but as soon as I ask for transitions, collection, or extension, apparently the stars come out and he must see them. We have no access to a trainer, operating on WWW and bystanders, and have been working on this problem for a while. Any thoughts? Is it just a practice thing, or could it be me?
[QUOTE=coconino;8341717]
Hi guys:)
My baby boy (7) is just learning to go on the bit, and we are working out some kinks. At the walk, trot, and canter, he will practically look like Ravel or Valegro, but as soon as I ask for transitions, collection, or extension, apparently the stars come out and he must see them. We have no access to a trainer, operating on WWW and bystanders, and have been working on this problem for a while. Any thoughts? Is it just a practice thing, or could it be me?[/QUOTE]
The very first thing that came to my mind was that you may be losing your end of the contact when you ask for the transition. Can you videotape your ride and watch? Or get a friend with a good eye for detail to watch every stride through a transition?
I (still) have a tendency to tip forward and get grabby on my inside rein in transitions. Every now and then I have to pay an instructor to zero in on my hand and tell me every. single. time. I grab when I shouldn’t be.
7 year old should not look like Ravel or Valegro. If he does but he star gazes in transitions, it means that the horse is falsely pulled in in the front and cannot balance. Is not using his hind end for balance. Which is normal for 7 year old.
That said some of the famous horses we all see in magazines and online are also pulled in and do not engage behind. It is just done by more powerfull and “famous” riders and it gets repeated and tolerated and copied.
So constructively it is you. With correct practice and with time the horse will learn to balance, he will build the muscles to enable the balance and he will be great thru transitions.
[QUOTE=kinscem;8341741]
7 year old should not look like Ravel or Valegro. If he does but he star gazes in transitions, it means that the horse is falsely pulled in in the front and cannot balance. Is not using his hind end for balance. Which is normal for 7 year old.
That said some of the famous horses we all see in magazines and online are also pulled in and do not engage behind. It is just done by more powerfull and “famous” riders and it gets repeated and tolerated and copied.
So constructively it is you. With correct practice and with time the horse will learn to balance, he will build the muscles to enable the balance and he will be great thru transitions.[/QUOTE]
Agreed, no 7 y/o should look like that. I phrased it badly, I meant he had a nice round neck, bent in his poll, had a soft jaw, with his poll at the highest point and his head vertical. He is also very soft in my hand, but I am not totally sure he is on right. If I am trotting, and I let my reins slowly slide out of my hand, he stretches out and down. Is that what they are supposed to do? It feel good and he has no problems coming back from that, but when he was broke they used a chain wrapped curb and he had some nasty cracks and hooks. Is it possible he is still somewhat afraid of the bit? (He is now with a wonderful vet and has his teeth checked/done every 6 months, and for now he is in a rubber bit, so I don’t think he still has pain)
Great that his head and neck are so nice, but that can create a false sense of being on the bit. What’s he doing with his back? Is he pushing from behind? Those are the real “tells.”
[QUOTE=SillyHorse;8341795]
Great that his head and neck are so nice, but that can create a false sense of being on the bit. What’s he doing with his back? Is he pushing from behind? Those are the real “tells.”[/QUOTE]
First, I must say that I love this quote thing. Next, he has a loose back and it tend to swing, again not sure if that’s good or not. He does use his butt, he has good impulsion, energy, and when I collect him he kind of rocks back and “sits” if you get my meaning. Is this good too? According to my clueless mother, he looks like he really pushes of with his butt and moves from my leg into my hand. It feels like this too. Again, what I want?
Moving from your leg into your hand is what you want. Maintaining that nice soft roundness in transitions is a simply (?) a matter of being sure you are riding him through the transitions with your seat and leg, and not tensing your hands or body. Tensing your hand and body will make him stargaze. It’s a balancing act, of how much seat and leg, and how much holding and giving hand. Too often riders will ask for a down ward and then stop riding. The same with upwards.
[QUOTE=merrygoround;8341848]
Moving from your leg into your hand is what you want. Maintaining that nice soft roundness in transitions is a simply (?) a matter of being sure you are riding him through the transitions with your seat and leg, and not tensing your hands or body. Tensing your hand and body will make him stargaze. It’s a balancing act, of how much seat and leg, and how much holding and giving hand. Too often riders will ask for a down ward and then stop riding. The same with upwards.[/QUOTE]
ahhh… okay. I will try that tonight and post tomorrow on results. Any other advice?
[QUOTE=coconino;8341763]
Agreed, no 7 y/o should look like that. I phrased it badly, I meant he had a nice round neck, bent in his poll, had a soft jaw, with his poll at the highest point and his head vertical. He is also very soft in my hand, but I am not totally sure he is on right. If I am trotting, and I let my reins slowly slide out of my hand, he stretches out and down. Is that what they are supposed to do? It feel good and he has no problems coming back from that, but when he was broke they used a chain wrapped curb and he had some nasty cracks and hooks. Is it possible he is still somewhat afraid of the bit? (He is now with a wonderful vet and has his teeth checked/done every 6 months, and for now he is in a rubber bit, so I don’t think he still has pain)[/QUOTE]
Good his teeth r taken care of. He should not be in pain anymore but horses have a great memory and it is understood that he might anticipate the old pain and act up on the bit. Letting go of reins slowly while still riding forward should result in the horse willingly stretching and going longer. I would not let go of reins actually I would extend my arms and lean forward some from my shoulders.
Regulate the impulsion with your posting. At this point where your horse is now. Do transitions from relaxed like described above to more contact but no pulling on his face. Make him shorten and lengthen from your posting amplitude and your hips and legs. Kind of short bursts of each. But read the horse, from his history it might take not one but several sessions but he will be great!
[QUOTE=kinscem;8342011]
Good his teeth r taken care of. He should not be in pain anymore but horses have a great memory and it is understood that he might anticipate the old pain and act up on the bit. Letting go of reins slowly while still riding forward should result in the horse willingly stretching and going longer. I would not let go of reins actually I would extend my arms and lean forward some from my shoulders.
Regulate the impulsion with your posting. At this point where your horse is now. Do transitions from relaxed like described above to more contact but no pulling on his face. Make him shorten and lengthen from your posting amplitude and your hips and legs. Kind of short bursts of each. But read the horse, from his history it might take not one but several sessions but he will be great![/QUOTE]
Thanks. I had a lesson last night with a retired trainer that owed a favor, and that is what he had me do. At the end, it was not perfect but was much improved. Thanks for the help everyone! I will most certainly have more questions in the future, and I will come here for them!
Add a bit of power just before the transition and be sure you don’t pull on the reins
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