Hmmm, we don't like each other

[racaille]

Racaille and I have fallen out. It's now a battle of wills and I am not winning.

I rode him in the arena this afternoon and he was a little s*d. I lunged him first and he was all right, a bit prattish but nothing special.

Then I got on and after a lot of walk and trot he started to work well and the first canter was fine too. But then he went all silly and every time I pushed him on to stop him mincing around he went into rodeo mode.
It seems to be a problem when I ask him to trot properly (although he was at the beginning). It feels as though once he's cantered he just wants to go on cantering so if I ask for a better trot he leaps and plunges into canter. I bring him back to trot and the battle goes on.

The YO was watching and suggested I'm too upright on him - which I agree, I am, I don't want him to hurl me out the front door - and said that I need to get him going forward because I am creating a bomb that explodes into rodeo. (Well, yes, I'd worked that one out!) She suggested I take a stronger contact and riding him strongly forward but I'd have thought blocking him in front would have made the problem worse.

TBH it feels like temper tantrums - he wants to gallop everywhere and I want a nice trot.

I know he's testing me: afterwards, I tied him up, put his tack away and when I got back about 30 seconds later he was still standing there but his rope was hanging free from his headcollar as he had untied the knot. He looked at me and was quite clearly saying: See? I'm cleverer than you!

Huh! I think he is but I don't like it. Any ideas?

[duckles]

Ruling out anything being wrong with him(that would make trot painful and canter not!), it sounds kind of normal to me for his age and experience. I think he is young and full of energy and wants to have fun, and, in his book fun isn't perfecting his trot. Perhaps try different things like loose jumping or trotting poles or cantering for ages so that he is glad to go back to trot.
I think if you keep changing things so that he is not anticipating - it helps as you take the initiative and that always seems to get respect.
JB was like that- actually still is when his back isn't hurting him't - but it took time for me to get him to use his energy with me rather than doing his own thing and now he cooperates about 99% of the time.
If you feel up to it, it might be good to intoduce jumping as they usually concentrate on that and it does use up energy.
My other tip would be to hack when you don't feel like a confrontation. You know on those days when you don't feel totally calm and focused and superior.
I agree with you about the contact -
I know he is on working livery so he does a lot- he will be a lot more amiable when you have him at home

[maximum]

Ah the joys of a young horse!

I agree with the instructor up to a point - yes get that energy forward and not up - get him onto a 20m circle so he has to work harder then onto figures of eight and if he can manage 15 metere circles then do that spiralling in from about 30 m into the 15m and back out - if you have a strong contact it will give him something to go to rather than blocking him but dont have it as a holding contact- let it be a pliable, living breathing contact.

try not to get into the ' we will sort this boy' mindset, stay calm and have your game plan and stick to it and if he messes hum a tune or sing a song ignore what is going on, own your position and queitly ride him through it.

[brigadier]

Totally utterly and absolutely agree with Maxie, just coming through this stage with Basil and the more consistent you are the quicker he will learn, the spirals are good, keep his mind active and your outside rein short and firm, if you have a breast plate then hold that as well as the outside rein so he cant snatch it out of your hand, keep your inside hand up and wide and keep him going forward. Youll be puffing but you will get there!

[racaille]

Thanks guys, it makes perfect sense. I've been thinking about it a lot this evening and I am mostly to blame. I think I have been a bit too 'set' - you're right Maxi, the 'we'll sort this boy', gritted teeth sort of thing - worrying more about taking a tumble really although I didn't ever feel I was going to come off.
However, the neck strap is a good idea - especially now he is hogged! It will give me that extra bit of security and I will pick up a stronger contact and see how that goes. The one thing I did notice is that when he starts being silly a teeny tap behind the leg with the whip settled him down (for a while).
I know what I have to do but I don't know how to do it: when he starts his rodeo I stop him when I should drive him forward and out of it. But that's where the reluctance to be unseated kicks in. I'm too old to eat dirt too often!
Tomorrow I'll do the spirals and figure eights and work him a long time in trot.

Keep your fingers crossed for me! (and thanks again for the moral support)

Oh and Duckles, the working livery thing has ground to a halt! None of the teenagers like him so he's not ridden any more but the YO is being very decent and keeping him until the end of June, when they both come home. He's not ideal for the club at the moment anyway, and I think the kids are a bit scared of him. I must say he had better manners on the ground six months ago, but then, he's at that horrid adolescent stage ....

[brigadier]

I know what you mean about not taking a tumble, its easier to back off because to tackle the behaviour is an unknown! But...............as long as Racaille is not a 'bad' horse and he certainly doesnt sound it, he will appreciate the firmness because then he knows where he is with you and the reaction to being made to go forwards will not be explosive. You sound like me three or four months ago, I was ready to back off totally and it takes gritted teeth to see it through, but the worst that happened? A head shake and the tongue over the bit! Kick him on and be consistent with that outside rein (the most important thing) and it will be a small blip!
Ive schooled Basil today and he was dreamy, soft, light and forward and he really enjoyed himself, Id never have thought this possible twelve weeks ago!

[solomon]

Good boy Basil, but the credit goes to you Brig for consistent training. I am guilty of doing half a job when scooling sometimes but it so pays off when you persevere.

[racaille]

Well, today's update is more positive. ;D I decided to concentrate on the trot, getting him going forward using your ideas. He didn't like the spirals at all - he hasn't done much circle work - but he was great in large figure eights - really stepping out.

We did a short session of trot-only and he's started to listen. And I learned something: he fought me to canter when we went past the corners, which is where he would be asked for canter in a lesson, and also when I sat for a beat in rising trot to change diagonals , which makes some sense as we ask for canter from sitting trot. So he's probably just trying to give what he's learned in lessons, poor chap.

It felt different today: not that he was being horrible, just that he was struggling to understand what I wanted. I also gritted my teeth and pushed him on instead of stopping him when he was silly and the leaping around passed very quickly. I was a bit less uptight and I'm sure that helped too.

I also picked up a tiny bit more contact which he seemed fine with apart from a couple of times when he really tried to snatch the bit, but nothing terrible. But I forgot totally about the outside rein so that is something to work on tomorrow.

So, much more positive today! Thanks everyone - keep the good advice coming!

[brigadier]

Sounds good Racaille, but do not forget that outside rein, you can be as soft as you like with the inside one but the outside must be consistent. Also give him lots and lots of breaks on a long rein, still work at walk asking him to move away from the leg but let him stretch and take the rein down, at least one minute in every three or four. that way when you pick the rein up again he comes of the mindset that its time to work but he will know he will get a rest. (Ive found this really important with intelligent horses)

Something I picked up from the Anja Beren conference is to do all the important warming up in walk working on the gymnasitic excercises so that the horses uses its muscles not its joints. The walk should be steady and not rushed and the work involve cicles, spirals, shouder in and leg yield (I believe you may call this contra-shoulder in???) again with lots of breaks.
Now thats fine if youve got a sane horse but if its a bit stroppy then by experience I know its best to push forward. But once calm again return to the steady stuff.
The logic is that youngsters will run through the shoulder too much if pushed too forward and not develop their back muscles enough to enable them to progress later on. Also they over-work the joints without developing the muscle strenght to support it.
I can really see the arguement in this and will start to structure my own riding as such.

Your work seems much more positive though and in a way its good youve got this issue now whilst you are at the club and able to work through it

[racaille]

Too right Brig! At least I have the security of the arena to tackle stuff!

I do do a lot of warm-up in walk but I've never thought of asking for 'proper' stuff like déplacement laterale - I think that's leg yield ... working your way forwards and sideways, crossing legs? Will do that for sure. Also, it's a good tip to let him have lots of rests in between.

I feel silly I forgot the inside rein - I do find it difficult to remember everything (senile, obviously). And concentrating too hard on staying on board!

[racaille]

Had very little time today so had to just do what I could. I lunged R, then decided I had about 10 minutes to jump on so did, just as a trainee was taking her horse out for a quick walkaround to cool down.
So I thought it might be an idea to join her, just as a quiet exercise in confidence and getting used to each other. We had a nice, calm outing, although I must say R felt rather fizzy, but he didn't do anything naughty.
I was a bit peeved when we got back that the YO was a bit mocking, I thought it was uncalled for. In her book I should get on and just make R behave. I'm sure she could - but I'm just not good enough. I'm relatively proud of myself for not coming off on Monday and that's as good as I get!
Anyway, I may be taking my time but at least I'm not bottling it (mmm, tempting ....) We will get there, we will.

In the meantime, the trainee informs me that Paco is getting full of himself and needs work (he's been off for five days). He's been terrorising Kéops, his paddock mate, and racing round leaping and bucking.

Oh great. More rodeo.

[brigadier]

Nothing wrong with a good buck!

[maximum]

yeeha!!! you can sell tickets and take bets!