|
Post by iceberg on Jan 3, 2008 14:35:41 GMT 1
This might sound daft, but has she ever been driven???
|
|
|
Post by Kathy N on Jan 3, 2008 15:01:22 GMT 1
Hey Melissa! You don't know how lucky you are, you have Lisa Pritchard on your doorstep. She is fantastic. Check out her website, themodernhorse.co.uk If you want a volunteer rider pm me, I'll pm you soon.
|
|
|
Post by iceberg on Jan 3, 2008 16:24:40 GMT 1
Actually melissa I wasnt thinking of the blinkers, but I agree could be something in that.
No, the reason I asked is because although I was told Toby had driven, I never really knew for certain, but I suspected it was true because of his behaviour in the school.
Left rein you could trot, even canter in circles, right rein pooh lucky to turn him at all, in the beginning. He was more developed muscle wise on the left, and found turning to the right very hard. I have a theory for this - it may be rubbish ,, but then again?
When horses are driven, and I mean just the cob types here in the traps/ carts, in all the pics I have seen they have their heads bent to the left as they are trotted up the road - is this due to the camber in the road? or is this how they are all driven? either way, over time Im sure they would become more flexible on their right side - hence finding turning circles on their left rein easier?
I think they look as though over time, they would get very one sided (as Toby was), and also another thing was he would not walk at the edge of the road, but position himself inbetween the gutter and the center white line. No matter how hard we tried we never over came this.
If your girl is driven, and on the roads as I have said, could it be that she is more flexible on one side than the other?
So when she is in the school and naps on the right rein, she is actually finding it easier to bend around your left leg, than it is to keep going straight?
Just a thought.xx
|
|
|
Post by melissa1787 on Jan 3, 2008 16:58:35 GMT 1
Iceberg you are great, x the only thing is that she will ride fine on right rein, now anyway, after work with her, but not on LEFT REIN. LEFT rein is the one we are struggling with. The point about roads and always having a left bend in neck, is true she does. I used to find that she would ride further over on road then say another breed of horse, however she will ride little further too kerb now after a lot of work with her and patience.
I do appreciate your thoughts very much. I do hope too that you have an answer from that lady who thought she may have seen Toby in Notts. I am still keeping my fingers and toes crossed, sadly they now have cramp! though. "nuts"! Chin up!
Thanks again. Melissa P.S: If Daisy was my horse you could come ride her anytime.
|
|
|
Post by melissa1787 on Jan 3, 2008 17:01:50 GMT 1
To Iceberg: I am still keeping my fingers and toes crossed, sadly they now have cramp! though. "nuts"! Above should have come out - ""nuts""! lol.
|
|
|
Post by iceberg on Jan 3, 2008 17:43:47 GMT 1
Hi, although Im not entirely sure what you mean by the napping, ie to the middle or to the entrance to the school, I do think this has got something to do with the driving / riding combination and she is maybe unclear how to go around the school or its a one sided problem? I can only suggest more work on making her less one sided - if thats the case, and slowing it down to walk until she can do it perfectly and then progress to trot etc.
If you could put a vid up, it would be useful, and I would like to drool over her anyway!!!
Still waiting for news on Toby, nothing yet.xxxxx (and permission granted for you to uncross your fingers now - makes typing very hard!!!!)x
|
|
|
Post by melissa1787 on Jan 3, 2008 18:54:26 GMT 1
yeah it does. very hard. toes bl***y hurt too. lol! x Will try and get a vid asap. I have taught her to walk around the school in a normal fashion, will even circle in walk normally too. However trot - yeah! no good. Melissa178 Thanks Iceberg
|
|
|
Post by june on Jan 3, 2008 21:15:32 GMT 1
Yes, I do use the Rockin S bit. I use it when exercising our polo ponies and so far out of 30 or so horses I've used it with only one doesn't like it and she doesn't like any bit I've tried! It is a simple design but sits very still in the mouth and makes the rein turning aid very clear.
Sounds like the driving may be the issue but please do makes sure you think carefully about pain/discomfort issues. My mare only did her turns in specific places and I initially thought it was one side of the arena that was the problem, but that turned out not to be the case.
|
|
|
Post by melissa1787 on Jan 3, 2008 21:20:40 GMT 1
To june, don't worry all pain issues will be looked at.
|
|
|
Post by june on Jan 3, 2008 22:51:53 GMT 1
I had a gut feeling with my mare that it was a pain issue as she is generally a horse that likes to please and she would offer fantastic lateral work. Just forwards and straight on the right rein was a problem. If your gut instinct is telling you it is training rather than discomfort then you are probably right.
If it is the driving that has caused the issue then the Rockin S bit might help to straighten her as the turning aids are very clear so you can be subtle with the aids. I'd probably work on it by not forcing the issue and riding as close to the side of the arena as the horse is comfortable with and gradually getting closer and closer to the side as the horse works out that it is ok. It is a trick I saw Mark Rashid use at a clinic with a horse that didn't like one end of the arena. He told the rider to go as close to the end of the arena as the horse was comfortable with and by the end of the session the horse was happily using the whole arena without any fuss at all. By making it an issue the horse would then have had something to worry about but by working within the horse's comfort zone there very quickly was no issue.
|
|
numbat
Elementary Poster
Posts: 84
|
Post by numbat on Jan 4, 2008 4:57:42 GMT 1
Yes Melissa, I expect putting carrots on top of the buckets would do the same thing - except you'd have to get off and put more carrots after just one go around the arena, and it might be easier to have lots (small pieces!) in your pocket and just reach your hand down so she can bend her head around from the saddle. I'm basing my suggestion on what I would do with clicker training, which I use all the time. I took it from your post that the horse is quite happy to go straight on either rein everywhere except one side of the arena, so I thought it unlikely to be pain, inability to bend, etc. Even if it is, an approach where you give her an incentive and reward for just getting a few steps straight at the problem spot, then gradually extend to more steps then the whole side, would be a positive way of helping her learn to do it. It sounds as if it would take weeks, but I've done this sort of thing before in just one session. Having the buckets could also help by giving her something else to focus on besides whatever is making it hard for her, and if the napping is about really just not wanting to be there much, carrots have a great way of changing a horse's attitude!
I should add that at first, you would be asking just for a straight walk and later trot up the tricky side from one bucket to the next. Don't be asking for bend, rhythm, a frame or anything else, your one criterion is that the horse goes straight. If it's too hard, the buckets are too far apart.
|
|
numbat
Elementary Poster
Posts: 84
|
Post by numbat on Jan 4, 2008 5:41:16 GMT 1
Or another way to do the same thing would be with a helper. First, on the left rein - that's the one she does OK, isn't it? - helper stands a few strides in front of horse, you trot up to them, say "good girl!" and helper gives a bit of carrot. Helper backs up a bit along track, same thing again. Thus around whole arena. Then same thing on the bad rein, starting in an easy part of the arena, and when you get to the bad side, helper only backs up a few steps past the corner, good girl carrot, then a few steps more, good girl carrot. Then next time make the gap a bit bigger, then a bit bigger, until helper is standing right at far end of bad side. Next time round, helper is still at far end of bad side, but you also say "good girl!" a couple of strides into bad side, stop and give a bit of carrot yourself. (This is introducing the idea that going up the bad side is a Good Thing even without the helper). Adter a few more goes, with random rewards from you as well as one from the helper at the end, you take away the helper. This has made it hard again, so you reward early on the bad side again (it's important to catch her being good and reward her *before* she naps). Then you extend until the reward is only at the end of the bad side, and then you reward only after two laps, then one again, then three . . . and after a bit, you just don't.
|
|