Young horse training thread

[MissAriel]

ups and downs with a 3yo

you never know which horse you’re gonna get

After last week’s perfectly chill hack around the barn, and a note from the new farrier that he is the best mannered young horse she has seen all year things went sideways in our lesson this weekend. Literally.

We were working in the larger arena, and all was good. Then we got to canter. All was fine until we passed the open gate and without warning he teleported through the gate. (Thank goodness for large thigh blocks) He stopped easily enough and back to work.

On to the left lead (his hard side). Trainer had had success previously by picking up the wrong lead, circling left then tapping the left hind to encourage the change. This time he ignored the taps, happily counter-cantering, then cross-cantering about. I tapped again, a bit harder, and - boom- buck-buck - eee!- the rail! - swerve - stop. I stayed on, barely, caught my breath and tried again. We opted to finish with a very forward trot and a short right lead canter with a prompt transition to end on a good note.

I guess he is getting strong enough and fit enough to protest - now the goal is to get him strong and fit enough that the work is easier than the protesting.

[Beentheredonethat]

[QUOTE=MissAriel;8885299]

I guess he is getting strong enough and fit enough to protest - now the goal is to get him strong and fit enough that the work is easier than the protesting.[/QUOTE]

That’s it. That’s the turning point. You can’t push them to work correctly if they can’t do it, even if they are not being very polite about it. When you can do this, life gets SO much easier.

My 6 1/2 year old was like that all 5 and mostly into 6. Not fun. She is super strong and talented, like jaw dropping correct extended trot from 4 on. But, that whole age was not fun because she could use that against me and take off with her head up in the air when she had her druthers, and it was scary.

I finally put a double on her about two months ago. Heavens parted, angels sing. I generally do not like putting a double on sooner. But, it was just what she needed. I don’t need it for collection and control, but so she can’t get away from me when she decides to be a butt. So I can use it to stop disobedience right away and get to work. She is the fastest learner, strongest horse I’ve ever been on. Within a month she has mastered beautiful, clean changes and half passes. It’s fun to ride her now.

The last year and a half my mantra with her was, “She’s going to grow out of it, just keep working.”

[Manni01]

Ok, I think I will join in too. I have a 3 year old Oldenburg mare, which I bred and raised and which we backed in the spring. Afterwards she was turned out again for the summer.
And now after the weather turned cooler and we have less rain, I restarted her. I started to lunge her a little 3 days ago and so far she loves it.
On the first day we did have some little communication problems but she is super smart and already on day 2 she knew exactly what I wanted her to do. And now she is very noisy in her stall while she is waiting for her turn. I might need to work her first. Obviously she likes it to be a grown up horse which gets a personal work out.

[luvmydutch]

Lesson with local BNT went awesome. We worked hard at geometry in our circles, and making sure that my position wasn’t throwing my mare out of balance. We also worked on transitions and focusing lesson on my inside rein.

She was SO tense and nervous, but handled it all so very well. She didn’t spook at all and was trying very hard to stay focused in spite of being alone in a strange indoor with no other horses in sight. I was So proud of her for that.

She has an anxious, busy mouth and I ride her with a very loose flash and a baucher bit (single jointed). At one point, he had me halt her and walked up and said…how is this flash working out for you? I responded … i think i should just take it off because it makes her so anxious.

He said…I think the exact opposite and cranked her mouth all the way shut. She seemed stunned for a minute or two, then gave me some of the best work she’s ever given me in all her life. I was SHOCKED! I’ve NEVER ridden a horse in a tight flash…and I assumed she was going to rear and throw a fit when he tightened it up to the last hole. Instead she stopped worrying about what the bit was doing and started worrying about what i was doing

He advised that I ditch the baucher and just put her in a thick, double jointed, sweet copper or aurigan loose ring. I picked up a korsteel sweet copper loose ring at SmartPak tonight and lunged her in her new setup tonight. She seemed so happy after warming up for a few minutes in her new setup…even happily sucking on the bit and foaming. I’m very excited to try riding her in it!

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h312/earth2283/14595608_10103856904629092_151765328604791158_n_zpskldthcoc.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h312/earth2283/14600967_10103856904768812_1088427092207577068_n_zps1dcgkigr.jpg

[ASBJumper]

[QUOTE=luvmydutch;8885723]
Lesson with local BNT went awesome. We worked hard at geometry in our circles, and making sure that my position wasn’t throwing my mare out of balance. We also worked on transitions and focusing lesson on my inside rein.

She has an anxious, busy mouth and I ride her with a very loose flash and a baucher bit (single jointed). At one point, he had me halt her and walked up and said…how is this flash working out for you? I responded … i think i should just take it off because it makes her so anxious.

He said…I think the exact opposite and cranked her mouth all the way shut. She seemed stunned for a minute or two, then gave me some of the best work she’s ever given me in all her life. I was SHOCKED! I’ve NEVER ridden a horse in a tight flash…and I assumed she was going to rear and throw a fit when he tightened it up to the last hole. Instead she stopped worrying about what the bit was doing and started worrying about what i was doing

He advised that I ditch the baucher and just put her in a thick, double jointed, sweet copper or aurigan loose ring. I picked up a korsteel sweet copper loose ring at SmartPak tonight and lunged her in her new setup tonight. She seemed so happy after warming up for a few minutes in her new setup…even happily sucking on the bit and foaming. I’m very excited to try riding her in it!

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h312/earth2283/14595608_10103856904629092_151765328604791158_n_zpskldthcoc.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h312/earth2283/14600967_10103856904768812_1088427092207577068_n_zps1dcgkigr.jpg[/QUOTE]

Funny he said this - I thought exactly this when I read your first post, because the 5 yr Saddlebred/Oldenburg mare i’m training also has a busy mouth… i tried for the better part of a year to get her accepting contact with no flash, in a bit she seemed to like (kk balkenhol), but she never fully stopped chewing and curling. I finally gave up and put the flash back on a few months ago and also tried her in my mare’s (my mare, incidentally, is her dam) baucher and she’s SO much happier with her mouth strapped shut. Go figure. :winkgrin:

And i’m not surprised you’ve found happiness with a cute little Morgan. You had a well-bred Dutch WB mare at one point, did you not? As someone who is a die hard Saddlebred fan, I personally appreciate the perks of American breeds and as far as i’m concerned, you got an “upgrade”.

Have fun!

[luvmydutch]

Haha yes I did have a lovely WB. She’s gone off to a happier life as a jumper and was honestly a bit too much horse for me. I like being a bit lower to the ground ;). My morgan is such a sweet little thing and I can take her pretty much anywhere with no fuss. I LOVE that about her! She’s certainly not as talented necessarily as my WB was, but I look forward to riding her every day which is much more important to me

I can’t believe some horses would prefer to have their mouth strapped shut either haha…go figure!

[starrunner]

Can I join too?

I have a 5 year old Arabian mare who has also discovered at times she has the power to be obnoxious.

Most of the time it’s not too bad, but good grief.

I like going to schooling shows and there is a local show that allows dressage tack in the hunter under saddle classes so each type is judged as they are, so I like taking her. First class we won out of twelve. Second class, she decided she was done. and just ended up with a couple of the mad head shakes followed by I’m-in-heat-squeals and then propping.

Horses.

But I suppose that she is a good girl, given that I’ve done the work hopelessly toddling along. I hope to get into more frequent lesson work with her, but money is a major factor with paying off grad school.

I also struggle with EDS? Does anyone else?

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/11990694_10100528031274740_69495885631044491_n.jpg?oh=071098cca10d8a7899804986ec64d54e&oe=585FD768

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/12002742_10100528029368560_3165151986032148092_n.jpg?oh=60ad16091836f1bf76fe0351f2b03e7d&oe=586BD6FB

[MissAriel]

[QUOTE=Beentheredonethat;8885699]
That’s it. That’s the turning point. You can’t push them to work correctly if they can’t do it, even if they are not being very polite about it. When you can do this, life gets SO much easier.

The last year and a half my mantra with her was, “She’s going to grow out of it, just keep working.”[/QUOTE]

BTDT - thanks for the encouragement. Yes, I will be using your mantra from here on.

Hearing everyone’s experiences with their strong and naughty 5yo’s does worry me a bit, but it helps to know I have COTH to provide advice and/or sympathy as needed.

On a happier note, last night’s ride was super. It started off tough as evenings before dinner he is always more fussy than early in the day. Then the horse flying around the nearby turnout gave him a handy excuse to pop into a porpoise pose. But that was then end of it. (shrug?) I worked on keeping my weight back (former h/j) and keeping him forward. He settled and worked honestly. Right lead canter was super, with more of a true depart and less of a rush into it. Left lead canter still started on the wrong lead, but was able to get him to switch after a few attempts. And it felt ah-maz-ing!

[JoannaHCR]

Hi guys! I just wanted to share, we’re taking things slow, so I’m still on the line with my husband leading–but we stop and turn both directions listening to our rider now! She’s still learning to go forward off my leg, but at least the brakes are good–and I got to ride her big walk, also her trot for the first time!

I think we’ll be ready to get off the line soon, but with my commute and DH’s current schedule, I only get to work her once a week, best case scenario. Her trot was really comfy–which is great b/c I have a spinal fusion and bouncy trots are really hard for me to sit! I still might send her to a pro this coming spring, but I’m going to get done as much as I can over the winter.

[Displaced_Yankee]

Holy crap! I just felt like I had the ride of the lifetime on my young Connemara cross. He was forward and active, yet attentive and responsive. He finally felt like a real dressage horse…and no one was there to see it.

OK, so we only walked and trotted. It was a scheduled easy day. And it was much cooler. But he felt connected and through. He was mostly even on both reins (at times braced against the right rein) and I felt like I was holding something in my hands. He wasn’t pulling or not there at all. I didn’t have to do anything with my hands. When he braced to the right I was able to but my right leg on and ask for a little bit of leg yield, he softened and we went straight. I wasn’t nagging with my leg for a more active trot.

I was fortunate to ride some big, fancy warmbloods as my time as a working student and I have a tendency to compare my homebred, Connie cross to them; thinking I will never ride such nice horses again. But he felt like a million bucks tonight. I wish I had a video but I feel like we reached a point tonight where we had excellent, correct gaits and carriage to beat any fancy big horse (at training level…if we only had to W-T). Packaged into 14.3 hands of Ponysaurus attitude.

Cloud freakin nine…

[KyrieNZ]

I have a technically 6 yr old (due to 1 August horse age in New Zealand) but actually 6 on 1 January (actual birth date) mare by Appleton DHU http://www.sporthorse-data.com/d?z=wuC523&d=appleton+dhu&x=0&y=0

I haven’t done a lot on her for various reasons (her growth spurts, work, dad dying, weather, etc) but absolutely love her work ethic - we had a helicopter take off and land very close to us in competition once. She’s not perfect, but neither am I. Not sure that I will focus entirely on dressage with her as she has a stunning jump.

Can’t figure out how to add a pic of her