Will not GO for one rider

[GraceLikeRain]

@Fallsky

It was interesting because he was way more sensitive to me in the exercise but she had to push on him way harder to get him to yield to the pressure. With me I only touched hair on his side but she had to push into muscle (if you know what I mean) to get him to step over.

Staying in the groundwork space until she can have the same results as you seems like a really logical next step. Learning how to be effective through lightness will serve her throughout her entire life as a horsewoman and prevent many good horses from getting dull or resentful.

[Warmblood1]

Vet the horse to ensure soundness. Stickiness and lack of forward movement can be a soundness issue.

If sound, get your daughter and pony on a lunge so you can control from the ground. Have your daughter go without reins and stirrups and work on the rider’s position. Find out if she is using too much leg (causing a dull horse) or not enough by analyzing her seat. I still take lunge lessons after a lifetime of riding - we all need tune ups.

[AAHunterGal]

@Fallsky

Has anyone come across a horse who will just not work for a specific rider?

I’ll raise my hand. My old mare was wonderful, we had a great partnership. We competed together doing fun shows up to the .90 meter and going on trail rides, doing clinics. Loved her to death.

Two years into our time together, she broke her left hind splint bone. It took a while to rehab, but 5 months later I was back in the saddle and so thrilled. For whatever reason, though, Callie decided that I was no longer her person in the saddle. We had multiple vets out, checked everything, tried everything. She was fine for trainer and my friends - but when I got on her back, she just said, “Thank you, next.”

It was devastating, but I sold her to a kid down the road who was a less educated rider and they’re having a blast. We think she decided that she had enough to going on the bit and doing shoulder in - she would rather just be a kids horse, so now that’s what she’s doing.

Sometimes, and it rarely happens, but sometimes, it is just not the right fit.

[Alterration]

@leesa1

Are you sure she’s not riding with the handbrake on unknowingly? Is her lower back braced unintentionally? pelvis at wrong angle? Sounds like something in the rider’s body might be giving the pony a ‘wait’ signal while her limbs are giving him a ‘go’ signal? Does she sit more on one hip than the other? Does she lean back? Is her weight too far at the back of the saddle causing the edge of the panels to dig in?

This was definitely my problem. I have historically been known for making horses slow (they go, just really slowly). Couldn’t figure out why. I typically was given the jiggers and the speed racers to ride at the riding academy that I grew up in because I could get them to walk flat and not tank off.

As it turns out my pelvis has a slight issue whereby my seat bones were just slightly pointing the wrong way (hollowed actually) with a slightly braced back having the net effect of riding the handbrake. Using the pelvic clock device has been amazing for opening that up. Now I have control over the brace or lack thereof.