Loosening up A Stiff Horse??

Question

Hey, one of my horses (the one I use for showjumping) is very stiff on the left rein- he finds it a lot harder to turn and it is a bit like riding a wooden board!! Could anyone give me some exercises to try when riding him?? Thank you! xox

Answer 1

when you're walking and trotting even on the ground flex his neck one way to loosen up the poll and neck area do it on the left rein do it by holding the outside rein and gently pulling the inside rein this might take a while but it works.

Answer 2

Go back to flat work and work on figure 8's, also make sure that you are working both directions equally, a lot of people tend to over work one side more than the other. Also try working on getting him to flex while standing, getting him to touch the iron or your foot. If he is really that stiff it may take him a while to reach it,, but they need to stretch as much as we do before we work out.

Answer 3

well i have an exercise for you to try while not riding him lol, you probably have tried it tho.

just lunging, works better if you have a roundyard for a couple of mins at a lope both ways but focussing on the left before you hop on. it helps loosen up my horses but my filly has problems to the right and is stiff too. maybe you should get a horse chiropractoir out to have a look coz he might have pulled out his back or hips.

Answer 4

Flex him when you first get on. That will help loosen up the muscles in his neck. my horse is the same way. all  i do is alot of circles. until hes as loose as butter. also wiggle ur reins back and forth .

Answer 5

if he knows how to bend and flex just keep doing that in the right direction and the left. Also lunge him on the stiff as to he might trot right out of it, that's his way of telling you he is better on his other side. You don't want one side more dominant than the other so you have to work him in both. even just trotting on that side a lot switching leads turning in circle a lot on that side. Almost anything you do will make that side more comfortable you just have to work with it.

Answer 6

have you had him checked over by a vet? i would do that first could ahve pulled a ligament or soemthing =]

Answer 7

My horse is like that. Excactly the same. i usually start with a free walk on a long rein and start on the right rein then to the left. After that start bending him; round fences or cones? or just cirlces. Then gradually start bringing him up eventually having him on a good contact. If this doesnt work i honestly suggest to get a physio and check his back to see if there is a problem!

Hope all goes well

=]