Any ideas please

[kitcat]

I have started having lessons on Cav again as the horse I was riding went lame. The first lesson I just wanted to cry as my big striding, fun loving boy turned into a shuffling lump who did not want to go forwards

He has not been in the school since I last had lessons on him and that must be about 2 years ago now. He had the time off after his breakdown and since then has just hacked. As such, I don't know whether this is to do with having no muscles (so to speak)or pain or whether he finds the surface difficult to work on. We are working on getting him to relax and stretch down as he started off like a giraffe with his head right up in the air.

After 4 weeks his walk and canter are getting better he will take the contact right down for short periods and his movements are feeling more free. Trot has been a totally different matter whith him getting more and more shuffling with his hind legs as the lesson progresses. However, last night we seemed to have a bit of a break through. There were some poles in the school so I took him over those in walk and trot a few times and this really seemed to free the trot up and he started stretching down too Other exercises we have been trying are walk to canter transitions and cantering a diamond to try to get him stepping under better as well as a bit of leg yielding.

I know there are no quick fixes and I probably can't work him enough to make a great difference but I guess that every little helps. If you could suggest any exercises we could do I would be grateful. My instructor seems a bit lost with what to do and I get the feeling she would be fine if she was bringing him on herself but a numpty in a lesson is a bit more difficult for her

[duckles]

Sorry no ideas - I will leave that to more erudite folks. However, I do think you have done a great deal in 4 weeks so I am sure a few more weeks of what you are doing will make a huge difference. I am glad you riding him again.

[kitcat]

Thanks Duckles. I have been hacking out on him since he came back into work about a year and a half ago. When hacking he has a large stride, both in walk and trot which is why it was such a shock the way he went in the school.

ETS: I've just realised that a year and a half ago is when I came back into work, just before Cav had what we call his nervous breakdown. He will have been back a year in July.

[fleabitten]

Thats strange kitcat. Just had a thought that a pony i know was lame on a soft surface but looked sound on tarmac/concrete.

[scattymare]

It does sound as though he's in discomfort somewhere, though it could be as you suggest that having done nothing but hack, he found the surface hard going. Also being required to use his muscles in a different way may have caused some objection.
So long as the school are happy that he's sound, teeth are ok etc then sounds like you're making good progress as it is. Pole work and hill work in a long extended stretch are great for building up the back muscles.

[kitcat]

Thanks Scatty, we will keep working on it unless it really looks like he is in pain. I would love to get the physio to have a look at him next time she is out but it's the age old not my horse so can't go stepping on toes. The school seem happy at the moment so I will have to bow to their better knowledge. I will ask my RI to keep putting poles out as it did seem to help.

[FirenLady]

it isn't possible that he hates schooling is it? Fire's trot doesn't really go anywhere during schooling and he is relunctant to go forward, but take him hacking and show him poles and jump then he goes like a rocket.

[kitcat]

I'm hoping that is the reason. He hasn't done any for such a long time that he may well find it boring. I will ask if we can have the poles out again and see if that helps tomorrow.

[kitcat]

;D ;D Someone has given me my horse back ;D ;D He was so much more forward going last nght, no shuffling and being a drama queen. His trot was lovely, really taking us forward and stepping under, raising his back. We're not there by a long shot but it feels like things are really improving.

On a separate note I had one of those lightbulb moments last night. I was trying to leg yeild out on a circle and suddenly realised I was leaning in so all my weight was on the inside. The minute I realised and tried to correct my self things went so much better.

I think this is why I find this RI so frustrating. Why didn't she point it out to me? My 'lesson' last night was basically a supervised schooling session. I did what I wanted while she stood there and made the odd suggestion. Not really what I am paying for.

[fleabitten]

IS there another RI that you can get or is there only the one? If you had him on loan i would suggest getting someone else in but not poss if you only get to ride him in lessons.

[racaille]

Sorry Kitkat, I've only just got to this but I'm very glad things are looking up. Wen I first read your post, I thought: hmm, could just be a horse coming back into 'proper' work after a long lay-off. If he's happy and forward going out hacking, It's unlikely he's really in pain, just finding the schooling difficult. I've had this with Paco since re-starting him in the autumn. It gets better - as you are finding.

As for the RI, yes, I've been there too (spent five years there in fact and it wasn't until someone pointed it out to me that I realised how rubbish it was.) I realise that you are in a difficult position and if I were you I'd save your money and wait until Cav is in a position to go to a workshop or training day or something. There's really no point is paying someone just to watch you. As you say, you're figuring it out yourself and you might as well do it for free.

[kitcat]

Thanks Rac, I would love to take him to a training day of some sort but it's the age old not my horse again, one day....