Monsters's usual trick of 1 step forwards

[coloredred]

10 steps back :miffed::rolleyes:

We've gone from having a consistent outline in walk and 90% in trot with a horrible canter to a consistent walk outline, none existent trot outline but nice steady, fairly balanced canter. Why does he have to swap something for something new :confused::lol:

He actually feels ok in trot though, he's bending both ways rather than only to the right and he's nice and forwards but i do wish his nose wasn't stuck out so far because i know he can carry himself. He just suddenly doesn't want to :rolleyes:

Yay for nice canter that i've worked on for 2 years though :pmsl::clapping:

[smellycat]

mines the same, his canter isnt his best pace, hes a little unbalanced on one rein and sometimes hollow, he carries himself in a consistant outline in walk and trot but canter is not so good! Sometimes he will soften in canter and sometimes he wont! I have been working on it for 2 years as well!

[coloredred]

It's so frustrating isn't it! Especially when you know they have the correct muscles, they just choose not to use them!

[loosie]

If he was doing OK but it's suddenly changed, there's a fair chance it's a physical issue. So I would be avoiding making him do it until pain/discomfort was ruled out/treated. Eg. perhaps it's that he's fitter, so changed shape, so the saddle's not comfortable on him any more.

[Loz]

I put it down to him being a...MAN!

Hope it isn't anything causing him pain though, maybe worth having a look into that.

Roulette just does what she wants when we're 'schooling' at the minute, she has way to much energy for her own good despite being turned out from 6.30am till 6.00pm everyday! Out hacking though she does the most amazing collected canter, yet in the school she doesn't get the whole collection thing.

Had her for nearly two years, maybe we'll have a break through at the three year mark!?

[coloredred]

I put it down to him being a man too :lol:

If he was in pain his canter wouldn't have improved as much as it has lately. He's the other way round though, he can collect a little in the school now but still likes to bomb about on hacks :rolleyes:

[loosie]

Hope it isn't anything causing him pain though, maybe worth having a look into that.

CERTAINLY worth checking out IMO, as it's so common for 'behavioural' problems to be related to pain/discomfort. So you don't want to chance being the inadvertent cause of his pain(& you & your 'games' becoming associated with the bad feelings) by forcing him to do something that hurts. Saddles for eg, should be checked for fit *at least* 6 monthly.

If he was in pain his canter wouldn't have improved as much as it has lately.

Ain't necessarily so. Especially if it's related to saddle fit, balance, etc, horses travel in a different shape & use their bones & muscles differently in different gaits. Sounds like it may be worth checking out Balance International's site for a start, to learn more about that, as they have a heap of great info which will help you learn how horses change in different gaits & how this relates to saddle fit.

has way to much energy for her own good despite being turned out from 6.30am till 6.00pm everyday!

There's no 'despite' about that. Horses need free movement and that should be the absolute minimum they get, along with other exercise daily. I know in the 'real world' we do what we can, but remember that is not much in the way of exercise for a horse, and also remember to feed her accordingly - she won't need high energy feed based on just this turnout & a little extra exercise, for eg.

Out hacking though she does the most amazing collected canter, yet in the school she doesn't get the whole collection thing.

Why not 'school' her when out then, if she appears to enjoy that more?

[Loz]

I do school her when out, I dont have unlimited access to a school so most of her schooling is done out hacking, which yes she does seem to enjoy but I personally do think it is good for her to have some schooling done in a proper school (which I hire out, but again have to hack too)

Rou is a tb and I've been told serveral times recently that I'm doing her no good by turning her out for such long periods of time in this weather. She is rugged up and is always nice and warm when she comes in.

Turnout is a big thing for her, where she came from she only had roughly an hours turnout a day as it was a dealers and they were over horsed. There are lots of horses round where I keep Rou that are on very limited turnout and very limited exercise.

Maybe I should have phrased it differently and written 'she's too excited for her own good'? Sorry, didn't mean to hi-jack the thread, just wanted to say my peace.

Maybe we should get the horses together Colouredred, we can teach you how to collect out hacking and you can teach us how to collect in the school!!

[rowy]

Dancer is exactly like this! especially during the winter (dont ask why, shes a mare, shes meant to be worse in the summer!)
Like one session she will be gorgeous in trot and then canter like a goat and then the day after (im not exaggerating it literally is the day after) she is horrible llama in trot and canter is amazing.

Fair play though she has been so much better this year after really working on it. she is in outline for 85-95% of the time now depending on how hyper she is.
Do you find he rushes or is he quite behind the leg? Dancer rushes alot and i find it best to do lots of circles bending into the middle and then her bum into the middle. Also, do lots and lots of transitions, i find this is great at getting the horse underneath itself. Also, rein back, straight into trot or if you can, canter. walk to canter also really gets Dancer more collected as well as using my seat to control her, i.e. tighten thigh muscles and stomach muscles without it affecting position.
Hope this helps :)

[loosie]

Rou is a tb and I've been told serveral times recently that I'm doing her no good by turning her out for such long periods of time in this weather. She is rugged up and is always nice and warm when she comes in. ...
There are lots of horses round where I keep Rou that are on very limited turnout and very limited exercise.

The first comment is a curious attitude. I guess if most people keep their horses in boxes most of the time, it becomes the norm, done without much thought & then different management becomes frowned upon. Regarding her being TB, I gather it's to do with little winter coat growth. In that case, perhaps she wouldn't thrive so well if she were kept out in bad weather, unrugged and/or without any shelter, but as that's not the case, there's no drama. Just because horses can (generally, not always) survive kept in boxes & little exercise doesn't mean it's good for them. Battery hens & factory farmed pigs survive too...

Anyway, the above is just my opinion, based on my understandings of health, soundness and mental wellbeing of horses. What you've heard & become accustomed to to the contrary is also just opinions. I suggest you listen to all, but don't heed any of us, just because we say, just because we may be 'experienced' horsepeople, just because it is tradition or the norm in your area, but learn what is good & natural(not that those terms are necessarily synonymous) for horses and the relevant considerations, pros & cons of various opinions and make your own educated decisions. ;-)

[Loz]

Thanks Loosie, I think my horse is doing just fine the way she lives. If being out throughout the day was harming her then I'd bring her in earlier etc etc but for now she seems to be happy out. I don't want to take that away from her until she shows signs of not being happy that way. I don't want you to feel I've had a go at your or been rude and that I don't appreciate your opinions and judgement.

[loosie]

I don't want you to feel I've had a go at your or been rude and that I don't appreciate your opinions and judgement.

No worries! What I wrote previously about opinions is because I don't want you to feel I'm having a go at you either, or telling you 'I'm right, your people are wrong' or anything. It's mostly down to opinions & I just think it's so important for all horse owners to educate themselves to make *informed* decisions about following other's opinions. :D