Retraining a super sensitive Arab

[Juxtapoze]

I’ve started retraining a hot headed little Arab that has been sitting for awhile, had about 4 rides on her. She has been trained saddleseat but unknown how long it’s been that she was in a regular training program. She is not spooky or rattled by external stimulus. However, she is SUPER sensitive and not forgiving at all of the rider’s movements. I would love a little feedback on my approach to restarting her since I’ve mainly worked with TBs and quarter horses and she’s an entirely different animal in temperment. FWIW, I consider myself an intermediate rider, competent at first level.

My primary focus with this mare is rhythm and relaxation. She gets a good lunge before I ride. She starts out under saddle VERY high headed regardless of my rein length or pressure. I try to be very light handed and she seems to work best on a medium rein length, hands near her withers. (I’ve experimented with high hands like the saddleseat riders and it really sets her off.) We walk on very light contact with me asking for suppleness and inside leg-outside rein connection until she drops her head. This can take a bit depending on how hyper she is that day. She definitely understands that I am asking her to come down with her frame and be soft & round.

Once she is fairly steady at the walk, we trot. Same focus on rhythm and relaxation, getting her round and on contact as lightly as possible. Like I said, she is very sensitive so any slight shift in my position gets her agitated. She has a rolly-polly shape and continually ramps up her speed, so as careful as I am to be still, my legs creep forward and I have to readjust my position. I will break to a walk if she gets too fast or too goose-necked and we start the process again. I am happy if I get several laps each directions without the balky behavior. She gets a lot of “Good girl” praise when she is going around well. On a good day, we can get a few figure eights and serpentines in.

If I even think canter, she falls apart. I don’t feel like she’s ready to canter under saddle yet until she can go around quietly at walk & trot. When she has cantered with me unasked (or with other riders) she will bounce in place with her head inverted as much as possible.

At least a few times per ride, she will plant her feet and invert her neck (throwing a fit). This has happened without me asking for anything, no pressure of rein or leg. She doesn’t feel like a horse I should push through these tantrums. My instinct is to back off any pressure and patiently go back to the walk again. Am I using the right approach for this type of horse? Anyone have any insight or recommendations for me given the circumstances? Thank you kindly for sharing your experiences with me.

[Manni01]

I think it sounds perfect what you are doing. I have a horse like that (only part bred Arabian) and I used the same approach. My problem was that the horse was fairly old already and it took me over a year until she trusted me. Don’t push anything, its not worth it and you will gain nothing from it. If she throws a fit, pet her neck and tell her everything is fine… Patience patience patience, repetition repetition repetition. And I would also recommend to halt once in a while when she gets too fast. I had the problem with my horse that trot walk transitions were really bad because she wanted to stay in trot (she is very forward) So for a while I did trot halt and that really improved the trot walk transition. Now I just stop any time she starts rushing. It is really fun to ride a horse like that once you establish a relationship. I only need to get a bit bigger in the saddle and we trot and the canter is just a slight touch with my leg.
Also I would recommend to really really focus on the light connections. I think hot horses like that and once they establish balance and rhythm its fun to ride them. But as I said, it takes a long time and lots of patience and anytime something happens to excite them you might have a little draw back… But its worth it! I love my little hot horse

[CHT]

Don’t lunge a flighty/nervous horse. You are just reinforcing a stronger flight response.

Has she had a vet/soundness check? Dental check?

I would stick to very simple transitions and keep it quiet. I would not overthink the inside leg to outside rein as you may be telling the horse something it doesn’t know and frustrating her. Just do simple aids. Don’t assume the horse knows more than it is telling you it knows.

You may want to do ground work to help teach lateral aids and to be able to give positive reinforcement for a lower neck.

[DancingArabian]

Don’t forget that in comparison to a QH, an Arabian will often seem to be very high headed when it’s just how they are.

Patience. Repetition. Keep everything clear, firm, and fair.

[JLR1]

I agree with Mani it sounds like you are doing everything correctly. Retraining a saddleseat trained Arabian is going to take tons and tons of time and patience. I’ve boarded at barns with Arabian saddleseat trainers and have observed some of the “top” trainers. It was hard to watch from just a biomechanics standpoint. The horses are jammed into a frame with an unnaturally high neck and hollowed back. To get them more “up” or animated while being ridden some trainers will have their grooms bang metal pots, light firecrackers or use fire extinguishers. It is everything that dressage is NOT! If she was in a program for long she was likely always ridden to achieve a “neck set” with a tight martingale or draw reins. They are simply never allowed drop their heads…ever. The bits used in both the snaffle and double are usually harsh…very thin and the horse never seeks the contact but rather is forced into it. I would treat this horse like an OTTB or super green horse. She has to forget her previous training and learn to find her own balance, develop the correct muscles to work correctly over the topline and seek contact with the bit instead of fear it. The reluctance to want to canter and the history of saddleseat training has me wondering if she is possibly back, stifle or hock sore? As far as the balkiness, I think this is her way of expressing confusion about her new way of going and I have a feeling it will pass. Good luck to you! I’m sure it will be a very rewarding process once she trusts and understands what is being asked of her.

[Cnovoto]

I have re-started a few Morgans that come from a very similar background as your Arab. Keep in mind that most Arab/Saddlebred/Morgan trainers work their saddleseat horses for about 15 minutes, on average. They’re supposed to be hot, and just blow and go for a few minutes with tons of sparkle and then they’re done. If you are trying to achieve relaxation, you are probably riding her longer than that right? I suspect that’s where the balking is coming from.It’s definitely a build-up process so these re-starts don’t feel overfaced and get frustrated. But one thing you want to do with the super sensitive ones is to get and keep your leg on. If you take your leg off and on that promotes sensitivity in my experience. Your leg is probably the first she has ever felt that stays in contact! Be patient and keep the leg on. Also I agree with you on the WT only for now, cantering is probably too much for her to handle until she adjusts and understands her new foundation.

[amm2cd]

Not an Arab, but I had a young GRP who would I vert and balk. We got through it with lots of leg yield to shoulder in to launches in. In any and all orders.
once Miss Mare started to realize that leg didn’t mean GO! All the time, we were able to relax I to the work and start filling out that outside rein.

Start to play with the baby lateral concepts at the walk: nose to wall leg yield, tail to wall leg yield, quarter line to wall leg yield, shoulder fore, etc. Once she u derstamds and flows at the walk, then bump it up to the trot. Slow and steady.

Good luck!

[luvmyhackney]

The easiest thing for most ex-saddleseat horses is to introduce everything via long lines/in hand work and then under saddle. The mare is probably balky due to the amount of contact you are trying to take. Saddleseat doesn’t do contact at all like dressage. Most saddleseat horses are trained for a light seat and turn/guide off the seat only. Literally, look where you want to go. Legs mean go…NOW, and yes in the show ring the leg is on pushing as hard as possible. Not at home though.

Quit lunging and get on and walk till she relaxes a bit, rinse repeat. I found the best thing for teaching the walk to hot ASB’s going down to pleasure, is if they start to jig, we reverse directions or walk a spiraling circle. As she gets relaxed at the walk, add a bit of trot. If you can do it out of a ring its better, they focus on where to put the feet and less OMG. If you can do it on a long rein and then slowly take up the reins, horse needs to figure out her new balance. Best thing I know to do with a saddleseat horse is using lots of spiraling circles at the walk and trot. Also if your legs are going forward, it means your weight is back which in Saddleseat world means stop now.

Also, what you are feeding plays a big role in “hotness”.

I’m a mainly saddleseat rider, who has taking dressage lessons for years now. Saddleseat horse aren’t bad, they just speak a different language and are trying to figure out your’s now.

[crthunder]

I grew up riding Arabians and they are one of my favorite breeds

[Cat_Tap]

I am not familiar with Arabs but did own a very sensitive TB at one time. I found that working in 2pt for the first part of the ride seemed to relax most horses. . I made sure my upper body wasn’t too far forward. Sometimes back discomfort when they are not fit makes them carry their head high.

[Juxtapoze]

Thanks so so much for the feedback and tips! Sounds like I am on the right track with this little mare. She is brave and a lovely mover so I am excited to see how our relationship progresses with more time under saddle. It really is an entirely different midset working with the hot sensitive horses. With most QHs and TBs, “Forward” fixes most issues. With the Arabs & Saddlebreds, my mantra is “Be still. Be light. Be quiet.”

[myhorsefaith]

So I took on a special project for myself too, retraining an older (14 yr) half arab who was in main ring doing hunt seat classes. Not as amped as Saddle seat and country english whatever-it -is, but basically his mode was go very fast and flashy and on the wall in some kind of fake frame barely controlled. Just look fancy. His day to day training rides were done in a twisted single jointed snaffle (that was actually warped by so much pressure he put on it), the reins fed through some kind of martingale type device.

On the longe, in a halter only, we didn’t longe the way he knows (really fast and legs a-flingin’ either with or without some kind of surcingle rig) - i basically stood next to him walking and we started with that - in hand work. Walk. Halt, lower head, back up. Then i’d gradually move farther away from him distance wise - keeping an maintaining a purpose to the longeing= think about where the feet are, aka slow it way the heck down. I actually still start him this way, and finally a couple weeks ago he lowered his head to stretch and pony trot around, which was a freakin breakthrough. I figured until I could get him to pluck around in a relaxed way only then could i ask him to take bigger steps, which had a better change of being big, balanced, and relaxed, vs fast, furious, and out of balance. This might work for you too.

On to riding. I was told he couldn’t be ridden with out least the martingale. I entertained the martingale the first couple rides just to make sure I didn’t die, but i switched him to a Neue Scheule Verbindend immediately and just started slow. On the ground, flexion here, there, a little back up. Just to get a response. I give him a sugar cube before I get on, so he’s chewing a bit. We walk. We do big circles, small circles, shallow serpentines, figure 8’s and really anything off the damn wall. No more wall/rail for you, mister. My main goal has been moving him around with my legs and seat, so he can reach into the hand. He has had his moments where he thinks he has to start flinging his head in preparation for someone to nail him with the bit, but I’m to the point now where I can correct him with my leg - just go forward (slowly and deliberately, though, not balls-to-the-wall). Using the voice helps too with him.

Transitions, leg yields, turn on forehand, square turns moving the shoulders. Basically anything to mobilize the body and think about balance vs going unbalanced and fast along the rail. I’m finally now (a month later after starting this project) able to dabble with baby-shoulder-fore. I needed a few parts first, like leg yield.

Our biggest issue is tracking left, finding my outside rein and by stepping away from my left leg. I suspect this is more of a physical issue coming from not being able to really step under with the left hind just yet. Its weak. One moment he wants to hang on the left shoulder and motorcycle turn, then fall out on the right shoulder and find/hug the wall. He loves to be ridden from the left rein, in his opinion, all riding should be done on the left rein, LOL. To him, the left rein was his life and the right seemed to have served little purpose in his life until now, lol. No matter, I just benignly move him around - slowly and deliberately (and off the &$^%!# rail) until he understands that connection from legs into hands.He doesn’t object to it anymore - the first 2 weeks any pressure on the right rein he’d fling his head up and throw himself around, most especially coming out of a certain corner of the arena. Then he moved to the “i’m gonna go ahead and ignore you” stage (which was better than being in Fling-the-Head City)…to now where i can ask him to seek it from my leg and he actually tries and sometimes really does go there, and for a few strides too. Lots of praise. Lots and lots of praise.

In another recent and active thread about riding arabians, there was some good advice about slowing down, keeping the head centered between the shoulders, riding them out (no curl), and making sure the haunches don’t drift out and about. All of this is true- they are wiggly creatures. Slowing them down and making the steps quite deliberate really helps. Now that we have some communication established I can push him forward and back a little bit within the gait and he does it without hi-ho-silver-awaying on me. Like I get actual bigger steps under the belly and not just super fast ones with legs every which way.

So.Much.Work…but really fun and rewarding!

[caper]

What do you have in the horse’s mouth? My ASB came with a Pelham. I tried an ordinary snaffle and he would invert. It wasn’t till I spoke with another coach and they stated he likely had a low pallet and the french link snaffle was suggested. Due to him travelling this way for so long it did take time for him to learn that if he stretched down there would be no pain and he wouldn’t be punished. I was very methodical in my riding and it was all about relaxing and getting him into a longer and lower frame. He did over time become a very cute/flash dressage horse.

[tabula_rashah]

I’ve always ridden Arabs and Morgans and after having spent many years working at a top sport horse facility- there are some major differences in how I would go about training. Arabs are super smart and full of energy and I’ve found that repetition is not the name of the game with them. Get her out of the ring- occupy her mind with some different sights and build her up physically (hills, long trots, etc), when you get the relaxed out there, then come back in the ring and ask for it. Also with saddleseat horses, contact with the mouth can me GO!- you’ve got to be willing and confident enough to let go with the contact and start from the beginning with coming onto the bit.

[Ambitious_Kate]

She’ll find her rhythm on the longe, with a longe cavesson, so she can focus without anything fussing or yanking on her mouth, and side reins, to encourage her to bend ever so slightly toward the circle (which horses naturally bend away) with her head down. Longe her working up to 10 minutes each direction, so she is trotting so long that she settles down and finds her own economizing rhythm.

It is on the longe that you can watch her way of going, and she can learn to improve her gait, you can teach her to transition from say trot to walk with just a long exhale from you, raise your head and up your voice to transition to a trot from a walk, move out at a working trot, as she gets stronger. Don’t allow her to shuffle in a western jog, she should be trotting through her back head a bit down and reaching, but there is a natural rhythm she has to find. If you can’t get it from her on the longe, you won’t find it in the saddle.

This is what you will look for when you ride her, later. I would do the longe every other day, and make the riding on that day brief. A repeat of what you longed, and done. She could be body sore for a while while learning to use new muscles and her back better.

When you ride her, don’t fuss with her. Try to be as imple and uncomplicated as you can riding her. You are looking only for that rhythm she learned on the longe, nothing more, so a slightly shorter inside ren with outseide rein contact, a steady leg, no hand fiddling, no “trying to get her head down” just trotting and looking for that easy, rhythmic gait she showed on you the longe. When she gives that to you, you are done. On the odd non-longeing days, use a longer warm up at the walk, looking for bend and acceptance of contact and a long swinging gait. A little 20 meter trot to look for her rhythm, and done. If she loses focus, falls apart, throws her head up, bring her back, start over, or end with the longe where she an give you her rhytmic trot and done.

When you are riding, don’t mix up alot of signals. Don’t fuss with her head and mouth. Don’t worry much about leg, except to keep it steady and light. Use your inside leg to hold her inside shoulder up so she doesn’t drop into the circle, use your outside leg to support the outside of the circle along with that rein, and just trot your rhythm and like that. She cant do all that at first, needs strength, but 20 minutes every day with some 10 minutes of longeing every other day.

[Cat_Tap]

@Juxtapoze

Thanks so so much for the feedback and tips! Sounds like I am on the right track with this little mare. She is brave and a lovely mover so I am excited to see how our relationship progresses with more time under saddle. It really is an entirely different midset working with the hot sensitive horses. With most QHs and TBs, “Forward” fixes most issues. With the Arabs & Saddlebreds, my mantra is “Be still. Be light. Be quiet.”

You are right. With my over sensitive guy I just had to “think” the correct aids and he would know what I wanted. You had to be 100% correct with your aids. I always felt riding him was like riding a feather in the wind.

[Blkarab]

I have a 17yo very hot Arab mare. My first suggestion would be a supplement for gastric health. They are high strung by nature, and I have found that it has helped my mare to settle a bit and become less reactive in her work.

Second…I don’t agree with not lunging…but when you do lunge…break it up. I do small balanced circles at walk and trot with my mare. Moving around the arena, over poles, changing directions. Mixing it up so that she has to THINK about where she is placing her feet. Halts on the lunge line with a few moments of not doing anything at all. Just standing there for a moment.

Under saddle…lots of lateral work. Again…get her thinking and changing where she places her feet. Keep things steady and consistent. When she speeds up, do a small circle (8-10 meter), then back on the straight. Leg yields both directions. Walk over poles, etc.

Lots of good advice here. I really like Ambitious Kate’s post…lots of great advice. Just keep at it. There are some days where we only work for 15 minutes, and others where the work will go over an hour. It depends on how long it takes me to get her to a point of relaxation…which is always the goal. When she relaxes and gives in to me…we stop.

It has taken my mare a long time to finally get to the point where she is not spooking and reacting to every thing. She’s super fun now, and I enjoy the challenge. She had a 5 year break where she was not ridden because she was so explosive…after I got back on 4 years ago, we had to start all over. We are now working on First/Second Level and showing Training…and I expect to move up to showing First Level next year.

[Wonders12]

Welcome to the arab world! Stick it out! Once you earn her trust and respect, you will have a horse for life.

I think you’re doing a great job, and your mantra is absolutely correct. I have a few thoughts below:

• Check saddle fit. Arabs are notoriously hard to fit. (Sorry.) Their wide shoulders and short backs mean you might have to try a wide variety of saddles on her. I found luck with an x-wide Black Country saddle (on my 15.1hh cross). Even minor back pain only encourages them to invert more.
• Try to build muscle and train separately. A sore/tired AND confused arab is not a good thing and will get you nowhere. Lunge to build the correct muscles. Those under-neck and chest muscles are probably well developed and she needs to engage the correct muscles in order to carry herself better. Do not underestimate this challenge. Asking her to go in a correct frame for any length of time in HARD. I love a neck stretcher or Pessoa type set-up, but most "rigs" will do the same thing. Lunge lightly and for short periods of time focusing on transitions.
• Don't spin around on the lunge before you ride. It just gets them all hyped up. If you feel you need it some days (like after a day off), give her a half hour in her stall with hay to chill before riding.
• Keep that mind busy! Do no rail work for a long long time. I love what my trainer calls "the trail ride." In the arena, pretend you are on the craziest twisty turn-y trail ride ever. Never go straight and never go in the same direction for more than 4 strides. Keep her guessing at all times. This is not a dressage exercise, revert back to the simplest of cues, pull on the left rein to turn left and use your legs to balance her as little as possible. Make her figure out how to step under and balance herself. This is the best exercise for when she comes out feisty because it makes her relax and focus without you having to hold her back.
• Don't fight. It's not worth it. There will come times in your training where you need to push her past her comfort zone, but get in, get it done, and get out. And be 100% certain that she is capable of what you're asking. However...
• NEVER reward her for bad behavior. These horses are way too smart for that. You will ingrain the bad behavior within 2 repetitions. I could not disagree more with the above poster who said if she throws a fit, pet her. If she throws a fit, don't push harder, but also don't back off. There's nothing wrong with switching exercises (ex: if she's running off at the trot, you come down to an 8m circle at the walk), but don't reward the fits. It causes a monster.

Everyone is right, patience is the key here. But patience in variety, not patience in repetition.

[ivy62]

I do not have an Arab but a VERY sensitive Trakehner. He did not retrain him but just learning to ride him has been an experience. Sorry if I repeat anything already said I have not read every post. What kind of bit are you using? My guy loves his Nathe… We found that allowing him to learn to stretch into the contact was the best way for us to connect. This was when ever he got jazzed up I had somewhere to go that he could relax ad start again without any drama… If the back is not developed correctly, and this will take time, holding her round is very tiresome to those muscles and very uncomfortable. Have you taken her trail riding? walking over poles…? Arabs are very smart so keep her thinking with easy stuff.
The work will be slow be very rewarding I am sure. Keep us posted

[Hickory]

@Wonders12

Welcome to the arab world! Stick it out! Once you earn her trust and respect, you will have a horse for life.

I think you’re doing a great job, and your mantra is absolutely correct. I have a few thoughts below:

• Check saddle fit. Arabs are notoriously hard to fit. (Sorry.) Their wide shoulders and short backs mean you might have to try a wide variety of saddles on her. I found luck with an x-wide Black Country saddle (on my 15.1hh cross). Even minor back pain only encourages them to invert more.
• Try to build muscle and train separately. A sore/tired AND confused arab is not a good thing and will get you nowhere. Lunge to build the correct muscles. Those under-neck and chest muscles are probably well developed and she needs to engage the correct muscles in order to carry herself better. Do not underestimate this challenge. Asking her to go in a correct frame for any length of time in HARD. I love a neck stretcher or Pessoa type set-up, but most "rigs" will do the same thing. Lunge lightly and for short periods of time focusing on transitions.
• Don't spin around on the lunge before you ride. It just gets them all hyped up. If you feel you need it some days (like after a day off), give her a half hour in her stall with hay to chill before riding.
• Keep that mind busy! Do no rail work for a long long time. I love what my trainer calls "the trail ride." In the arena, pretend you are on the craziest twisty turn-y trail ride ever. Never go straight and never go in the same direction for more than 4 strides. Keep her guessing at all times. This is not a dressage exercise, revert back to the simplest of cues, pull on the left rein to turn left and use your legs to balance her as little as possible. Make her figure out how to step under and balance herself. This is the best exercise for when she comes out feisty because it makes her relax and focus without you having to hold her back.
• Don't fight. It's not worth it. There will come times in your training where you need to push her past her comfort zone, but get in, get it done, and get out. And be 100% certain that she is capable of what you're asking. However...
• NEVER reward her for bad behavior. These horses are way too smart for that. You will ingrain the bad behavior within 2 repetitions. I could not disagree more with the above poster who said if she throws a fit, pet her. If she throws a fit, don't push harder, but also don't back off. There's nothing wrong with switching exercises (ex: if she's running off at the trot, you come down to an 8m circle at the walk), but don't reward the fits. It causes a monster.

Everyone is right, patience is the key here. But patience in variety, not patience in repetition.

Great post and spot on in your analysis and recommendations.

As a long time Arabian owner new to Dressage, I am experiencing a very similar process. I bred my mare for Saddleseat (HOT lines), trained her for Saddleseat, and then trail rode her for years before entering the show ring in Hunter Pleasure. She has a hodgepodge of training methods and life experience. Now at 11 years old, she is learning Dressage. I overheard my trainer tell a client (who owns a fancy German import showing PSG) that my mare could be a Grand Prix horse with her talent and motion. We are up against a wall of tension, but it gets better. After six months, I have a different horse. We have a long way to go, and it can be challenging at times (most of the time), but it is SO rewarding!

I’m going to follow this thread and add more later.