ugh im getting sick of this! [Help! please]

Okay just to start off im suppose to be taking a lesson with chance tomorrow!!


Today I decided to ride chance WITHOUT lunging her. She did really good, she was a little speedy, but behaves really well! So I think out lunging before riding is over with.

But when I was riding her she would turn really well to the right but the left it took 2 hands to yank her in a tight circle. Every time she wouldnt resond to turning that way I turned her in a tight circle. Bad choice?? Any better ways to fix this stupid new habit.

Then she would trot really fast just to get to the other side of the arena where the pasture of horses are then go real slow, and I tried turning her to the rail which was the left side so again it took 2 hands!

Any good bending excersises or something! Im getting so sick of these new things she's doing! She would do amazingly well with responding to the bit ughhh.

And sometimes getting her to slow her trot was hard. I tried slowing my posting which worked for a while but then she ignored me. We were going forward in training but now I think we are taking steps back.

But I want to end on a good note lol I picked up her feet and got to clean them out!! I rode her bareback afterwards and we walk and trotted some.

The turning on the left side: do you think it's something physical or mental that is making her not easily turn. I'd work on some simple bending excerizes to get her to be able to flex easily to that side. Also make sure that you are giving her the right cues with your legs.

Each time she speeds up in the trot, pull her in a circle (work on going clockwise so when you pull her in a circle you are pulling her to the right), and keep doing that.

You do need to make sure that you are giving the correct cues for the turn. If that is not the problem, then I suggest working on her responsiveness. Apply pressure to the rein until she gives her nose to the pressure then immediately release. Work on that until she willingly gives her nose (do all this while standing still). This will greatly help how well she turns when moving. If you are just getting her started in training under saddle, don't worry so much about rating her gaits right now. That will come later with more experience.

You also might want to try finding a place away from the pasture to work her like an enclosed barn or isolated arena so that she won't be distracted by other horses in the vicinity. Hope this helps

Well she does good in the indoor arena unless she wants to go into the barn. But the indoor is usually busy when im there. The whole thing with giveing her nose while standing still most likely we will end up going in circles..

Is the whole turning her to the right in circles when she doesnt turn a good choice or could it make things worse..

Well I don't think its so much physical because she's been taking the bit pretty well lately and will turn in 3 tight circles when I ask.

Thanks for the help im getting a lesson today Ill mention some of these to the instructer. I think we will be in the indoor so most of her problems may not show up.

I don't think turnign her in circles will help, especially if your not turning her in the way that she's not turning.
Definitely work on getting her soft to the bit, to be able to turn her head to your leg without moving. If she keeps going in circles, then you may be telling her the wrong cue...or she doesn't understand. Don't release the pressure though because the release is the reward. Even if she moves her head in 1 inch, release...and try again

Even if she is taking the bit, if she doesn't want to turn one direction than it could be her muscles are really tight or she phyiscally can't turn that way from some injury or something like that.

I'd definitely mention that to your trainer and see what he/she thinks.

What exactly does Chance do when you ask her to turn her bad way? What other cues are you giving her while asking her to turn that way?

Usually when I ask her to turn her bad way I use my rein and my leg. And usually she will keep her neck real stright or try and clamp the bit to stay with the other horses.


And when I turn her in tight circles its her bad way.

How do you ask with your leg?
The reason I ask this was I was initially taught one way and it messed Sonny up. And now I'm going it a different way and he responds sooooo much better to it?

If you are turning right do you
1) put pressure with the right leg and tell her to turn around the leg
Or
2) put pressure with the left leg and no pressure with the right and tell her to move over in a circle

I was originally taught #1 but Sonny responds a whole lot better to #2 (kinda sounds wrong ).

Do you do flexing and bending excersizes with her to get her supple on that side?

'stupid new habit.'

Horses don't have stupid new habits. Riders just don't understand them.

It might help to start using the 1 rein stop on her. Don't yank her head around. Just apply pressure to the side you want her to bend. If she keeps her neck straight, keep the pressure on until she bends even a little bit. After you get the hang of this, keep pressure on after she bends until her feet stop moving and her neck is supple. If you are having trouble with the bit, you might try a different kind. You want to work her evenly on both sides, don't concentrate on 1 side too much because that will make the problem worse.