Cant Get my horse to collect?

Question

I have a six year old paint that i want to try to compete in walk trot and possibly western pleasure. but he wont colect. currently im trying the teqneque were i hold my hands in a firm position near my knees until he collects then i just hold it there. but it hasnt been very affective. ive been riding him with a twisted o-ring and a tie down. any help would be much appreciatted. :]

Answer 1

O.o well, first off don't ride with a tie down. It is a terrible crutch. I'm a dressage rider (and rode western before) and the reason your horse is not "collecting" which I assume you mean rounding is because you are holding constant pressure and forcing your horse to round, which isn't the proper way at all. Instead of teaching him to come down into the bit you are compressing his body and essentially harming him.

Instead, what you try to do in dressage is softly "sponge" the reins between your hands. Work them softly, squeezing your fingers together very softly (ride as though you are a dressage rider/english rider with your reins). I'm not really sure what you're trying to accomplish, but if you want contact with the bit and then a round frame, you need to gently work the bit in his mouth to encourage him to drop his jaw and come into the bit. Other activities that work well are the one rein stop, which helps make him more supple and lower his head.

You begin on the ground with your horse tacked up, hold one rein and very gently lounge him around you at a walk in a small circle, then you gently pull his head to his side by positioning your hand around the level of where your belly button would be when you are riding him. The very second he stops, release the rein and raise him, go to the other side and do the same. You should start this on the ground, then do it at the walk and trot. Be very gentle with yoru reins to get him to drop his head.

Next off, a twisted o-ring is definately NOT the bit I would use for ANYTHING. You either need to get a gentle snaffle that he can learn to soften his jaw to and accept, or a shank that you can PROPERLY use. The snaffle bit, if you are wanting contact, is ideal because what your horse is doing is hardening his jaw to the fact you are bracing your hands against your knees. You are just hardening him to the idea of softening to your hands.

If, however, you are talking about teaching your horse to have a low head as in western pleasure you probably need to start with a VERY MILD shank bit. At the stop, gently put pressure on the reins and hold it, camly, until he drops his head, EVEN A LITTLE BIT. Then completely drop the reins and praise him. Continue to do this, you can slowly have him hold his head down longer. Then start at the walk, in this you'll have to be VERY slow with him. It uses different muscles to hold his body this way, so be patient with him - do NOT use artificial things you must rely on such as tie downs, I've heard some true horror stories from horse owners who trained their horses with tie downs - it is a crutch that I don't approve of.

So, you will begin with that, slowly teaching your horse to drop his head and eventually he will keep his head in a lowered position :D

Like I said, it depends upon which you are trying to train, roundness as in dressage or a lowered head as in western pleasure. The roundness will come with a soft snaffe and very gentle hands that constantly (And softly) work the bit until the horse learns you AREN'T going to brace your hands and hurt his mouth, then he will lower and relax his jaw and round into the contact of the bit. If you have your horse rounded well enough and trained that your hands are soft, he will eventually begin seeking the bit if you loosen the reins, allowing you to control where his head is.

Throw away that tie down and that bit and get something softer.

Answer 2

The easiest, most natural way that you can get a horse to "collect himself" is to get him out of the arena and get him into terrain that requires him to either collect or fall down...HE WILL COLLECT HIMSELF, they don't like to have their feet taken out from under them.  I am not kidding, get him out of the arena and ride in some of the roughest trails that  you can find...I also use the turn back method...it doesn't matter where you are, without warning, stop your horse and ask him to turn back on a fence or a tree or whatever requires him to naturally get his hind end under him to accomplish it...it works, and it isn't a gimmick...it will stay with your horse when you go into the show ring and can't take all of those gimmicks with you...be patient, little steps...

Answer 3

try side reins or lunging

although u wanna do western some dressage may help...but im not sure

Answer 4

I would lay off the tie down, not knowing much about collected gaits, but tie downs are not for holding heads down and could hurt the horse if he pulls on it, but are supposed to be used by barrel racers so the horse can find balance from his girth while leaning into the barrel.