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Wiggle Worm Horse

2K views 7 replies 7 participants last post by  Ninamebo 
#1 ·
Alrighty, my horse is a wiggle worm. Were fine in the arena with a fence around it. We do serpentines, figure 8's, and all sorts of off rail activities. But once we step foot outside the arena into the make-shift dressage arena. we are literally all over the place. Left, right, left, right. She's fine on trail and any other place. When theirs no clear path like on trail, or fence. She's just lost. Im trying to keep her straight. Were miscommunicating. Therefore, I need advice on how to become not a worm without a clear barrier. Thanks in advance:)
 
#3 ·
My suggestion, find a distant point, fence post, tree etc, and just concentrate on riding straight towards it. The lack of a wall, fence etc will often make a horse wander, and lack of a focal point makes it difficult to focus on straight for the rider. You can end up trying to go straight and ending up being a wiggle worm:lol::lol:

A distant focus makes you concentrate on riding straight, rather than correcting and overcorrecting each little deviation
 
#4 ·
I agree. Also, do more forward riding, less work on figures or lateral work, just go forward more, even it if means looking at the end of the arena, booting your horse up to a good speed and going for the other end with a purpose, like you are going barrel racing. get her focussed on that point you are shooting toward.
 
#5 ·
GH and Tiny are absolutely right in my book. Took me giving up English and going to reining to truly learn the value of something seemingly so simple. But in reining, as with dressage, you tend to not "ride the rail" as much as the pleasure disciplines. So you have to learn to ride straight.
 
#6 ·
So you have a straightening issue.

#1 FORWARD - not dilly dallying along but MARCHING forward
#2 You straighten a horse using inside leg to outside rein. Inside leg at girth prevents horse from coming off rail, outside rein controls shoulder - don'[t think just reins - you MUST use your legs to straighten as well as your arms - and it's opposite leg/arm - left arm right leg, right arm left leg.
#3 Always ride in shoulder fore (that inside leg to outside rein) - this is a straightening exercise.

Fix #1 first. I'm betting your not paying attention to EVERY step horse is taking, so that by the time horse has left your "unmarked math" you've just noticed. In fact the second you feel the hors4es shoulder come in/go out or haunches some in/go out - you should correct that footfall.

The big thing is not to over-correect. Say things are going well and horses start moving haunches to outside. Instead of correcting by pulling outside rein instead use outside leg to BLOCK the haunches from falling outside.

Not kicking/pushing with outside leg but as horse starts moving it's haunches over the oustide leg becomes like concrete - preventing the haunches from coming over. (The riders outside leg had been sitting there quietly resting against the horses side, now the haunches "bounce" against that leg as leg maintains horse on the "unmarked path".
 
#7 ·
Yep, what everyone else said. Take the training wheels off, no railings to lean on. Pick a point and ride to it. Pay attention to which way your horse is drifting if either. That will tell you if you are riding crooked. Make sure you have your leg on and you're not unintentionally letting your horse go around like a slinky.
 
#8 ·
To add on to Valentina's #1 about marching, counting the horses stride out loud helps a lot with keeping the tempo.

Think of your legs as a hallway and the horse moving straight through them.

Good luck!
 
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