I am sure she is trying to tell me something but I am not sure what. This is a habit she has developed lately as an answer to a too hard training this winter according to me. My (previous) teacher made us work in a round pen with me on her back (from myhorse) always with side rings on, in trot and canter on both side fro 30 min 3 or 4 days a week.
I guess that my young mare (4) has enough from this hard working. Now when i ask her to trot or canter she stops and stands there, not willing to move unless this is for leaving the place...
So what I do now is 20 min work with just some trot here and there, as she refuses to canter, trying to keep her busy with big circles, broken lines... Any ideas what esle i could do? And then we go out walking on the field.
By asking the canter i think that either she has not understood my legs or she is very sensible and doesn't like to be touch on the sides...
What can i do?
It sounds like to me that your mare hates her workout routine and needs something new to do. Get her out of the round pen and make it fun for her again. Some horses get to the place where they are sick of doing the same old thing especially if it's hard work like running for 30 minutes every few days. Spend more time just walking through the fields, down new roads. You can even set up an obstacle course for her like the one Kelly Marks does for competition. Just remember to make it fun for the horse and don't try to force her, I think she just needs a break.
Hi Bea - I agree totally with Klienne. Your mare is tired of the round pen and all the work she has had to do there. So much circle work in a confined small area is not good for a young horse joints either. She may already be feeling some pain and hence reluctant to continue otherwise she is just bored and fed up. Young horses need to be able to stretch their necks out and down and walk and trot in straight lines as much as possible so ditto to Kliene. If you feel safe get her out of the round pen and start riding her in interesting places or at least in a larger, safe area. If you do not feel safe riding her out of the round pen then just take her for walks with the dually in interesting places.
Hi Klienne and Maggie, i must say that I agree with you. Now that she understands the legs better, i have been working on a bigger area, on straight lines, free from side rings. I think that she starts to recover some joy from working like the other horses around. She still stops from time to time but less and less.
An osteopath is coming next week.
I already made a saddel check.
It really feels like starting from scrach again. I think that the program my teacher made was too harsh on her and now she's more than sceptical about the work. So i try to relax and have fun with her.
Thanks for your feedback that gives me confidence.
I'd also not use side reins when riding.You can ask her to go into frame [collect herself] for brief amounts of time but if she is put into a frame and made to stay there for the whole time where is there relief from that pressure. Like us , when we start a new exercise program to strenghten certain muscles we can only maintain certain postures for short periods of time and we need to build up gradually to longer periods otherwise we end up really sore and discouraged.Incremental learning can be applied to the physical area too.
Great poin Cheryl and so important for all of us. I have been taking my Nicky to group riding lessons in dressage lately and our instructor always wants me to maintain my contact much longer than I feel I should. Nicky has been rode ridden on a lose rein for so long that this is all so new to her but she is trying hard and I am so pleased with her. Well done Bea - I am so pleased that your young mare is beginning to work better. Do hope the osteopath can make her feel even better. Her work under your previous instructor doess sound far too rigorous and restricting for a young mare.