Teaching my horse to go in a frame?

Question

He'll go into contact without a problem, but I find he sometimes resists the bit (if he doesn't want to slow down). I want him to carry his head lower and rounder, but I don't want to use a martingale. Also, at the canter he tends to just run through the bit (he's not totally balanced.)

How can I teach him to be more round and on the bit? Thanks.

Answer 1

you need to go back a couple of steps and establish better control and fitness. Your horse will not get round until he is stronger through his back.  I would go back to walk/trot and ask for collction there first.  Is this a young project??

I have a 4yr old mare that is not even close to being in the frame- she barely carries herself in a 60 meter circle.

slow down, get the muscling first, get control first.

Answer 2

You're right to avoid a martingale.  Are you working on a lot of transitions?  Make sure you're diligent and really precise in timing in using your half-halts in the transitions, and do transitions not only from gait to gait, but within gaits.  Before working in the canter, make sure he's light in the trot, and slowing down well in that gait before going to canter work.  Does he flex well when you take laterally?  Be sure you aren't pulling harder and harder with your hands to get him to not barge through the bit.  If he does this, go back to the lower gait.  Back him up after you stop.  Make sure he's really coming up from behind, stepping through into the bridle and not lugging on the forehand, which will predispose him to barging through the bit.  Hundreds of transitions, performed well, with figures (circles and figure 8s) will do a lot to rebalance him on his hindquarters and make him lighter in your hands.

Answer 3

How old is your horse what breed and a bit about him in the past please then ill have a better idea!!!!!

SORRY TO ASK BUT I WANT 2 HELP!!!!

Answer 4

1. Ahh, the resistance at slowing - I recognise this I've just been trying to sort our my daughter and pony doing this durring the week.

If you hold too much contact with  your rein, the horse will resist against it. You'd think they would yeild, but instead they resist by pulling.

Now for the tricky riding part - in order to stop this tug of war one of you has to stop pulling. But how do you stop him?

Simple, say you are riding at trot and going to halt. When you prepare for halt and you are sitting trot, your lower back is moving (flexible) with his movement. What you need to do is stretch up tall through your body and stop the movement at your hips.

To start with, he will certainly feel it but may not know what to do. So add your rein aid and pat immediately when he slows. Make sure when you apply your rein aid that you immediately give with the hand. Gradualy he'll become quicker at the transition as he learns your signal.

2. Lower and rounder. This is most likely happening because his back is hollowing out. Imagine your cat is on the floor and his back is hollowed out, he can't get his back legs near his front paws. Now imagine his back is arched up, his hind legs now come right up close to his front paws. (try this yourself on the floor, hollow your back and your knee can't come forward far).

So while he moves with his head - maybe slightly tucked in he isn't truely moving forward softly.

To fix this, the rider needs to sit very softly in the saddle, hold your hands quite low for a start, give with your hands a lot and use heaps of leg to encourage him to swing his hindquarters underneath. Sometimes we do this in jump position at walk and trot if the horse is quite tense. It's quite hard work but from there you gradually lift them up and collect them.

Once they are collected I'd do lots of transitions to encourage your horse to use his hindquarters in underneath himself.

3. The canter will just take time, if he's had a bit of a tug of war with you, he will be unsure, does she want me to go or stop??? Thats when they can become unbalanced. So take it back to trot, walk for a week. It's so important to get those early downward transitions sorted, then he'll have trust in your hands.

A couple of weeks, being very disciplined about the downward transitions and you'll have a different horse.

Very very best of luck, hoping this has helped a little. :)