Consistent is enough…We have to stay strong in our mind only !
Good luck !
Rider discipline is key to training horses to go forward. Every time you close your leg and the horse doesn’t go forward, you must reinforce the aid with a tap of the whip. Every time, without getting impatient or angry. Some young horses take a while to pick this up, but obedience to the leg is critical.
Don’t overthink it at first. If the horse takes a few canter steps, fine - praise him. If he shoots forward with his head up in the air, fine. Don’t get frustrated. Sometimes students say, “he should know this by now”. Forget this thinking - you reinforce with the whip until he goes forward off the leg, even if it takes 1,000 corrections.
I think as riders, it is very easy to get into the mindset that closing the leg means “go forward” SOMETIMES. Even when the horse is having a walk break, closing the leg means go forward. Be careful the horse does not train YOU to give the aid multiple times before you tap with the whip. Hmm, horsie says, I don’t have to respond to her aid because she will ask me again… and maybe again. This is where you have to be very disciplined with your aids, so the horse knows that forward means forward, every time.
Whip
Trail riding
Caveletti’s - if he doesn’t use his butt he’ll fall on his face
Don’t forget - “nagging” with whip and/or spurs can dull the horse to the aides :no: - so ask once (nicely) then give a good whack (and don’t hold no matter if he gallops off - followed by good boy/girl.)
Then return to ask first nicely (LIGHTLY) - always. :winkgrin:
Some lines of warmbloods can be very slow to develop, like age 6 for what would be more normal at age 4 for others… joints may not be fully developed. Know of some poeple who said they found this information out to late for their warmblood as they had already pushed too hard too young and created irrepairable damage to the joints which did not show up until later.
Tough call. Could just be lazy and ok, but big and unbalanced.
