IT'S FREE!! Horses for Sale, Horses for loan, tack for sale and miscellaneous equestrian items. If you have a horse for sale or loan you can add it yourself.
	Company Profile: FLOWTECH

My horse is a 15 year old Thoroughbred gelding. He used to be a beautifully schooled B-grade jumper, but unfortunately he has not been ridden for the past few years and, kept on a farm, was living from grazing. I`ve had him for four months now and although his condition is improving, he`s still quite thin. I ride him with an eggbut snaffle.

I am only a novice adult myself, and I know I have a problem with leaning forward in my seat, and with stiffning my hands, arms and back, making my contact harsh.

The problem is that he tends to be very heavy on the forehand. With his very long neck stretched long and low before me, I tend to bring my elbows forward from my sides, throwing me off balance. When I start playing with the bit, his head drops even further, but from the shoulders rather than the poll, bending in behind the bit so he almost touches his knees. He also slows down his pace - not to a nice strong rythmic trot, but a plod.

The same happens after a canter. He really prefers cantering (a nice, slow but very long canter) to trotting - probably because I`m unbalanced on the trot. So when I come back to a trot after a canter, he trots very fast and without control. When I try to slow him down with the reigns, he again drops his head and overbends. When I give him some leg to lift his head, he of course decides to interpret this as a sign to speed up his trotting, or even an excuse to canter again, the clever equine! :-)

I would welcome any suggestions on how to address this.

Regards,
Judith Retief (from South Africa)

It is a little difficult to advise as you say you are a fairly novice rider and I don`t want to tell you to do something that may not be entirely safe for you if your balance is not that great, so take care and try to have someone there to watch you. You say this horse used to be a showjumper and I wonder whether he was ridden in draw reins (running reins). He obviously finds it very easy to overbend, and thinks that that is the easiest way to evade your aids. This sort of rubber neck is sometimes a sign of bad use of draw reins. Start trying to improve him at the walk and then work up to the faster paces. Do lots of walk on a free rein letting him find a natural carriage for his head and neck without interference from you. Hold the reins very long with little or no contact but keep riding him forward with your leg. I haven`t yet come across a horse who will stick his nead between his knees for very long at a walk with a loose rein. I bet he doesn`t walk around the field like that when he is grazing! Encourage him to stretch forward and stick his chin out, tell him he is good and stroke his neck without releasing the reins.

When you are trotting see if you can do some sitting trot, and see how he reacts to that. If you can manage it it may help to soften your hands, carry your hands very close to the withers, one each side and about an inch above the withers. If you feel unbalanced then just rest your hands on his withers until you feel safe again. Try not to lean on his mouth at any time. If you want to work on your own balance then try to have some lessons on the lunge rein with a good instructor and do some work without stirrups. It is very hard but if you persevere you will improve your seat no end. This is how I learnt and there is no better way although it can be agony at first!

To get him off the forehand, push your hands forward until your arms are straight, pull his head up by lifting your hands vertically, don`t snatch at him though, make it a smooth pull. As soon as he brings his head up give him some rein and loosen the contact on the bit. This is his reward for doing what you have asked. Don`t be afraid of him bringing his head up too high or throwing his head when you do this, when you give him the rein again he should start to relax back into a better outline instead of sticking his head back on the floor. Start this exercise at a walk and when you feel happy try doing it at trot. Tell him he`s a good boy when he does what you ask, and don`t give him any peace until he does do what you want. As soon as that head goes down too much, lift it up again instantly. The speed of reaction and speed of giving the reward is crucial.

When the trot is better then do some canter, and now try if you can to lift your seat out of the saddle and ride in a "cross country position". Supporting yourself in your stirrups, leaning forward a bit from the waist. Try to have a light contact on the reins and let him find his own balance. Rest your hands on his neck if you can`t keep your balance, but the idea is to make the whole thing more relaxed. You are not giving him excessive aids through your seat and legs, not hanging on to his mouth. Just let him find a nice rhythm and canter along nice and relaxed.

When you want to come back to a trot try changing the aids you give completely. When you want him to slow down, first sit gently back in the saddle and make your body very upright, if he doesn`t slow down then stand straight up in the stirrups, as if you were standing on the ground with your legs completely straight, and by doing this your hands will come up with you. Don`t use any leg to slow him down, just lift your hands higher and higher until he starts to slow and when he has come down to the speed you want then gently come back down into the saddle and bring your hands down again to a nice soft contact. Be careful doing all this at first as he may wonder what on earth you are up to! Do everything nice and gently and talk to him, it`s particularly helpful to stroke his neck and tell him he`s a good boy when he does what you want, do this without taking a hand off the reins.

Again please do take care when following my advice and get some qualified instruction if you are unsure.

James Loffet.

www.moretonssaddlery.co.uk