Tips for riding the very narrow horse? Also issues dismounting.

[CHT]

New mare arrived 2.5 weeks ago! Exceeding my expectations training wise, but is much narrower than expected. It’s probably a good thing my very wide mare is currently off so I can get used to this one. She actually fits a medium wide hoop tree saddle, but is narrow through her shoulders/ribs. Any tips/tricks/exercises to help me get used to riding a very narrow horse? One good thing about it is that I can’t get away with being crooked on her like I can on my wide mare!

She also wants to kill me when I dismount. Chiropractor found issues likely from a heavier rider stepping down off her keeping their foot in the stirrup (she was at a western barn). Issues aren’t that severe, but mare thinks they are! Although likely most of the anger is habit now. Any ideas on how I can help her lose her anxiety/anger about being dismounted? She was used a bit in lessons, and has a whole bunch of anxiety in the barn/being tacked up that I am working on, but the dismounting one seems to be the trickiest (and where I feel most at risk of injury)

[hoopoe]

As far as the narrow horse ride is concerned I would work either on the lunge or without stirrups in a relaxed working trot with focus on nothing more than relaxing down through your hip sockets.

the dismount issue might need to be solved with a partner. Consider a high mounting block for both mounting and dismounting. I never mounted from the ground, it puts too much pressure on the back and the saddle tree. A lot of calm patient riderless exercise to stand quietly. carefully, with a partner, try a stirrup-less dismount ( vaulting style/ slide off). Keep it low key and not a soaring

your ground helper should wear gloves and helmet during these training sessions.

make sure your saddle fitter does a recheck in a month or two as she settles into her new routine and new saddle

[CHT]

Apparently the extreme reaction is actually with the drop to the ground, and not the pull on the saddle. Today I had her in the arena pre-ride with just a halter & lead, and played with stepping on and off the mounting block. She had the same extreme fear/anger response with me just stepping off the lowest step.

I then did a light hack, and when I got off, I got off very slowly (I had been vaulting off), and had much less of a response. She only really reacted to my last little drop to the ground, and her hind feet stayed on the ground. I cannot figure out why a horse would react to that.

I think the main issue I am having with her narrowness is my seat bones are just a little wider than the seat. I mostly feel “off” at the walk?

[SuzieQNutter]

I would say start with the jumping off the bottom step without dismounting and then give her a treat. I bet that will stop it in no time…

I ride all widths of horses. I haven’t had your problem so I can’t help there.

[Highflyer]

Sometimes I find I need to put my stirrups up a hole on certain horses.

[CHT]

@Highflyer

Sometimes I find I need to put my stirrups up a hole on certain horses.

Yes, I tried this yesterday, and it does seem to help with her. Seemed counter-intuitive to go up a hole on a narrower/shallower horse, but does seem better.

[CHT]

@SuzieQNutter

I would say start with the jumping off the bottom step without dismounting and then give her a treat. I bet that will stop it in no time…

I don’t want to positively reinforce the anxiety though. I am using treats, but waiting until I don’t get too much of a response. Going up and down the step until her response lessens is murder on my knee though!

I just can’t quite figure out her response. Extreme fear/anger, but yet she doesn’t try to move away. I wish I could figure out the root of her angst.

[Tuesday_s_Child]

Maybe a weird suggestion, but have you ever tried dismounting on the off side? Even for short term safety while you’re still working through the issue. She may not have the same negative associations?

[CHT]

@Tuesday's Child

Maybe a weird suggestion, but have you ever tried dismounting on the off side? Even for short term safety while you’re still working through the issue. She may not have the same negative associations?

I thought about this, but she reacted worse when the Chiropractor stepped off her box on the off side, and I would be less coordinated, so it seems risky (to me). I am wondering if I should try dismounting onto the mounting block though so there isn’t the drop she seems to hate?

[Moosequito]

I always ride a hole or two shorter on narrower horses. Bigger barrels take up my leg more, but with a slab-sided horse I like more support from the stirrups in place of the support I normally get from the barrel.

[TMares]

I always use shorter stirrups on narrower horses. Longer stirrups makes it worse!

As for her reaction- she may have gotten booted in the belly after being antsy about a painful dismount, or the rider lugged on the saddle as they landed, pulling on the pommel and cantle, and she remembers that it hurt.

[SuzieQNutter]

I ride in different length stirrups on different horses.

As she doesn’t move I would say you are praising the standing still not the angst, but I am not there.

[Gloria]

Does she have the same reaction with mounting? I mean, when you put your left foot in stirrup and before you swing your right leg over, are you able to pet her on her right neck with your hand while you stand on that left stirrup, and she stays calm and happy? If she is anxious on this, I will start with working on this. It is possible that she is bothered by the rider suddenly “appear/disappear” from her right side.

[CHT]

@Gloria

Does she have the same reaction with mounting? I mean, when you put your left foot in stirrup and before you swing your right leg over, are you able to pet her on her right neck with your hand while you stand on that left stirrup, and she stays calm and happy? If she is anxious on this, I will start with working on this. It is possible that she is bothered by the rider suddenly “appear/disappear” from her right side.

She was grumpy first time I got on, but only the first time. She still lifts her head, but no other signs of anxiety. Interestingly, she is much better when I slide down slowly, but she also got upset when a rider near me (within 15 feet) dismounted, so I wonder if it is just the speed of movement?

On Monday I just hung out with her in the arena and she stood right by the mounting block while I stepped up and down. She made all sorts of faces, and turned side to side, but didn’t move off even though she didn’t even have a halter on. She is a strange one. I think she is trying to figure me out as much as I am trying to figure her out.

[ammyforlife]

I’m not usually for it, but what about clicker training? After she’s associating the clicker with positive things, it might help settle her when you dismount.

[Gloria]

@CHT

She was grumpy first time I got on, but only the first time. She still lifts her head, but no other signs of anxiety. Interestingly, she is much better when I slide down slowly, but she also got upset when a rider near me (within 15 feet) dismounted, so I wonder if it is just the speed of movement?

On Monday I just hung out with her in the arena and she stood right by the mounting block while I stepped up and down. She made all sorts of faces, and turned side to side, but didn’t move off even though she didn’t even have a halter on. She is a strange one. I think she is trying to figure me out as much as I am trying to figure her out.

Ah, mare… Having ridden geldings for my whole life, the mare I’m riding now is making me re-learn and re-appreciate everything, the ease and uncomplicated ways of my geldings, and the try and sensitivity of her. Things that would never faze my geldings are big deals for her. I can’t tell you how many times I have to mutter to her, “Drama Queen…” when I rode her yesterday.

Anyway, how does she do if you are hopping up and down on the ground by her side? If she is bothered by that sudden movement, that is where I would desensitize her on. On a side note, I think you get a sensitive mare. She is going to be a lot of fun for you (in a very good way)

[Juxtapoze]

OP - I totally get where you are coming from adjusting to the narrow horse. I currently ride 3 narrow QH’s and I struggle with having a quiet lower leg on them. It’s like my leg is always searching for a better spot to rest. One of my bad habits is to push my heel down & forward in rising trot and the narrowness makes it worse. Raising stirrups 1-2 holes definitely helps. You will adjust in time and it will come to feel normal with more miles. Riding without stirrups and riding in a half seat as well as making sure my hips & thighs stay supple (not tight) really helped me.

[CHT]

@Juxtapoze

OP - I totally get where you are coming from adjusting to the narrow horse. I currently ride 3 narrow QH’s and I struggle with having a quiet lower leg on them. It’s like my leg is always searching for a better spot to rest. One of my bad habits is to push my heel down & forward in rising trot and the narrowness makes it worse. Raising stirrups 1-2 holes definitely helps. You will adjust in time and it will come to feel normal with more miles. Riding without stirrups and riding in a half seat as well as making sure my hips & thighs stay supple (not tight) really helped me.

My issue is different (although the solution may be the same!), in that my lower leg can stay still on her, I just feel less stable in my side to side balance as I can’t feel the same weight in my thighs. Shorter stirrups have helped, as do full seat breeches! Riding with me legs completely off seems to be helping force me to find center.

[CHT]

@ammyforlife

I’m not usually for it, but what about clicker training? After she’s associating the clicker with positive things, it might help settle her when you dismount.

I have kind of been working on this, but sans clicker…she has learned (very quickly) that my hand going to my pocket means a cookie and her ears immediately perk up and her neck arches. yet she never mugs me for a cookie. Right now, I lean forward, give her a cookie, the slowly swing my leg and slide down and then give another cookie.

[SuzieQNutter]

That is what I was talking about and I think that will work. That doesn’t mean you do it forever. Just until it is old hat.