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Questions about riding?

2K views 26 replies 9 participants last post by  Wanstrom Horses 
#1 ·
I have a 7 year old horse named Krissy. I bought her from a trail riding company that was going out of business. We are working on a few things. First of course is going out riding alone. She was never the lead horse on the trails and never went out with just her. So thats taking some time to get her used to. (its going really slow tho) Second thing is it seems like she doesn't understand how to turn when in saddle. I pull the rein to the right or left and some times she just starts to back up. I'm kind of lost what to do when she just starts to just back up. I understand maybe she doesn't get what i'm asking. But i think our main problem is walking forward. I can get her to walk forward (sometimes , other times she walks backward) but I get her to walk forward but she walks forward for maybe 5-10 steps then stops like ok was that enough? My trainer has me carry a crop whip just to tap her on the butt if she doesn't listen to my legs when i want her to move forward. When i'm not in the saddle she will let me lead her everywhere (even away from the other horse) I know she has trust in me (at least when I'm leading her she does) I have had a vet out to look at her teeth because I was worried that she drops some much grain but her teeth are fine just a messy eater. Oh also I have check her tack to make sure it all fits right and it does.
I guess my questions are...
1. Any tips on getting my horse used to riding alone?
2. Why does she keep backing up? and what to do when she does?
3. Is she not understanding what I want her to do?
4. Why does she stop every few steps?
5. Could all of these problems be because she doesn't like or not used to being rode alone?

Any tips or tricks will be helpful. I do have a trainer who is working with me and my horse but I would like to know other thoughts. Thank you! I added a few pictures of her.
 

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#2 ·
She's a real cutie! Unfortunately, most trail company horses that are not lead horses don't receive any training that goes beyond "follow the tail in front of you". So, even if she ever had any decent training (which she may not have), it hasn't been used in a long time.

If it was me, I would start with her just as if she had never been ridden before. Put her in a snaffle and work on lateral flexion and softness from the ground, then move up to doing that under saddle. The good news is, even if you treat her like a very green horse, she doesn't seem the type to buck or cause shenanigans.
 
#8 ·
She would be the last horse that would kick, buck or anything like that. Well at least with me. Our old farrier was doing her feet for the first time since we got her and I wasn't watching but he said my horse kicked him and kicked her back. He is lucky I didn't walk up and kick him. That was the last time we used that farrier haha. I told our new farrier she might kick because our last farrier said she did and after he did her feet he said this horse has no kick in her. Which is very true. Other then when it comes to horses trying to steal her food. but even then she won't kick near me. I feel like she doesn't want to hurt me (crazy but i think that) She is my baby
 
#4 ·
My first thought. Is it possible that she's never been taught to RIDE? Think about it for a minute, what's a trail riding facility want? A horse that'll follow the lead horse and not go askew. I'd think so. So any Tom, ****, or Harry can saddle up and follow along. People are gonna bump legs, pull reigns, etc.... Just my first thought. I've been wrong before
Y'all type to fast, lol
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#6 ·
Oh when buying her I new we would have some problems because she was a trail horse. What makes it worse is she was the trail horse they put young children on haha. I guess your right and I need to start at the beginning. One problem we have with our other horse is our first trainer we had (i thought she was a joke) she stressed a lot on treating the horse to flex his neck. which don't get me wrong i guess thats a good thing. But now when we ride him and we go to turn and we pull on the rein he flexes his neck and puts his nose on our foot. He doesn't get we want him to turn not flex. So can you explain to me why its good to teach a horse to flex his neck? Starting from the beginning with Krissy shouldn't be to hard she is a fast learner. Just need to figure out what to start with. :)
 
#7 ·
She sure is pretty. I agree with the start in a snaffle on basic direct reining and go from there.

And, I'm not above chousing one up if it really seem reluctant to move forward. They really don't hold it against me and seem to get the idea pretty quick. The "Man, when she says move, I'm gonna move" idea. You have to be going somewhere in order to have anthing to work on.
 
#9 ·
You likely are giving him the cue to flex. "Open the barn door" so to speak if you really feel you need to be drastic with your cuing. Otherwise, leg pressure might aid in keeping forward motion.

Flexing helps to teach horses to give to pressure, rather than fight it, and it helps a lot with getting flexibility into their necks.

Ever tried doing circles to try and get a horse to bend around your leg? It becomes painful very quick when they don't. Have that flexibility you need.

But other practical uses are for one reign stops. If a horse won't give its head, you might as well be screwed.

But some people do tend to over flex, I agree.
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#13 ·
That might be what we have to do for awhile is be more drastic with our cues for him. That makes since now why you would want a horse to know how to flex their neck (our old trainer never really explained why on anything) But this might be a dumb question and I'm sorry but when you say "get a horse to bend around your leg" How i learned to ride when i want to turn right i pull to the right and use pressure from my left leg and same when i want to go left i pull to the left and use pressure form my right leg. When you say bend around your leg do you mean when i want them to do tight circles I should be using my inside leg? Sorry again for the dumb question.
 
#12 ·
If she was the horse for small children, she's probably "bomb proof," which also might make her rather insensitive to leg cues and people hauling on her mouth, unfortunately. She's had very inconsistent cues, so she might be confused. You'll have to make sure you're clear and consistent with your cues, to help her learn. And you'll likely have to be firm with her, though hopefully you can lighten up the cues over time.

Regarding the overflexing, I wonder if that was a case of you not releasing the pressure when the horse yielded its head (your trainer should have told you about that). Or perhaps the trainer had you do it too much. Also, when you're turning, you should use leg pressure as well (so if you're turning left, cue with your right leg). That should allow them to figure out the difference between flexing and turning.

Anyway, I agree with smrobs that it would be worth working on lateral flexion and other basics in a snaffle as well. Just make sure that once the horse starts to yield its head, you release the reins immediately. Ask for more over time, but always remember to release the reins. Hopefully you'll be able to lighten up your cues, though it will depend partly on her mouth, I guess.

I'd also work on leg cues, with the same goal.
 
#16 ·
Like i said before I new i would have some problems with her being a trail horse. :( Thats one thing that i have been most on top of was always being consistent with the cues. Thats what I will do. I will start from the beginning. Should i work on flexing on the ground before i try it in the saddle?
 
#20 ·
I was doing a lesson to get me started in jumping, and at the last half hour all my instructor wanted me to do was do spiraling circles in and out to try and "bend" my horse. The goal is to have a slight flex in body and neck as you tip the nose in slightly. I have never had suffered so much pain in my life. The horse in question fights flexion in his neck and kept it straight practically the entire time.

Some horses will keep a flexed head even when a release of pressure is given. For example, a horse I was riding was being a little hot and walking off on me before I got situated. We did some circling (he has also become a champ at flexing to help his neck reigning, which is another good use for flexing) and he just kept circling with his head flexed in without the cue. But, it is also possibly that he was trained that way, as no one knows for sure how he was trained.

Ground work helps to set up everything you plan on doing under saddle. If you want to work on flexing under saddle, ground work sets that in place. As soon as you feel the slightest give, release pressure. Pressure release is the reward.
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#21 ·
Yes. Keep the pressure until she realizes she can't walk out of it. It might also be how you are placed. Being on front of the shoulder, facing their butt--kinda, will make her back. I was taught to kinda be at the shoulder then ask. But, someone else might have a better explaination than I.
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#22 ·
To me it sounds like Krissy doesn't know what you are wanting her to do, she was a tail to tail trail horse and probably never really had alot of training.
I have a four year old we just started under saddle last fall, he was having a hard time understanding me squeezing my legs and wanting him to walk, he's very sensitive so I took my fingure and gave him a poke on the rump and after that he knew to walk on.
We did some ground driving with him, so that really helped with the turning/stopping/backing while on him.....maybe do some ground driving with her and ground work.....good luck!
 
#26 ·
I've done ground driving with young horses as well. It's helpful for teaching them basic cues.

I've never retrained a horse, and I think it must be difficult to figure out where the holes are in previous training. Ground driving might be something to look at if the horse seems confused by the basics.
 
#24 ·
All good advice. All I have to add, as my signature says, reward every try. The key to all this type of training is knowing when to reward or release the pressure. If you ask her to give to a rein, the split second you feel slack in it, soften the pressure back so she knows she did the right thing. You don't have to make a huge "human" fuss over her when she does things right, but you do have to reciprocate and provide a release every single time she does what you ask. That kind of consistency is what's going to get you headed in the right direction.
 
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