Whats wrong....whats the difference?

Question

ok so I have a week long show coming up in about a month and I will be competeing in Showmanship, Halter, Western Pleasure, Horsemanship, and Trail.....

My horse has a very impressive headset and jog/lope when I split rein her but as soon as I start to neck rein her head comes up and she speeds up.....

It can't have anything to do with the different stlyes of steering because 1. she starts putting her head up as SOON as I put both reins in one hand and 2. I dont stear with my hands I use my legs..... so what's the problem here? and what can I do to fix it?

Answer 1

maybe it just feels different for her and shes checkin it out,      how long have you tried to ride with neck reining, i would try riding that way everyday until the show and dont go back to crossing your reins over her neck and just try and figure out what works. i do a little creeping up on the split reins  and jiggling between my 2 fingers to find something that gets her attention back on you and calming down and lowering her head....good luck that one is kinda frustrating.

Answer 2

First, check the balance of the bit.  It may hang differently when you hold the reins out then when you hold them up, together.  If so, you'll need to get a bit that has the correct balance, port, and so on for her.

Then, don't go straight from split reining to neck reining.  Do it in little steps.  Try to move the reins an inch closer together and get her going well.  Then another inch.  That's enough for one day.  Over time, you can work your hands till their almost together, then together but still split, then, at last, in one hand.  At the point, still hold the free hand in the same position for a while, then gradually shift that away as well.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Do you ride for AQHA? cuz I do and i have a show coming up and have the pretty much have the exact same classes as you! Well I ride and steer with my legs too...so to get her head down I squeeze and think about getting the head down...jerk her, maybe even ride in a harsher bridle a week or two before the show!

hope this helped and Good Luck at the horse show!

Answer 4

I would not use circles to try and correct this behavior. As it is a training issue and not a behavioral one.

You need to work on flexion in order to have the maximum response when neck reining. This will make your horse lighter in the forehand, the neck, face, and poll. Which you need her to be soft so you aren't constantly pulling at her face and mouth.

And I feel it has EVERYTHING to do with the different styles of reining. When you are using both hands your horse will always be feeling some sort of pressure on her mouth, even the smallest amount of pressure makes a difference. And even if you have soft hands, your horse is going to feel more of your body movement by split reining rather than if you have your reins in one hand. This is why trainers will always use two hands while training a young horse, so you can be quick to react, correct, and have more feel on the horse.

When you neck rein, your horse WILL feel the slight difference in rein pressure, and she may very well be taking advantage of the let down. My advice is let her know you're there, perhaps tighten the reins a bit and if she goes to speed up when not cued to do so, bend her head to the inside to make her slow, this is where those flexion exercises come in handy. Keep doing this until you see progress, and trust me, YOU WILL SEE PROGRESS.

Also, keep in mind that this show is a month away. So don't panic. Keep calm and cool when working with her. Or you may end up damaging her rather than helping her.

Answer 5

I ride Dressage, but having the horse do some five meter circles would help.

Go one direction, and if she puts her head up, go to the other way. It will be like many small serpentines.

If you have a Dressage Trainer nearby, I would talk to them. We Dressage riders use indirect rein, which is like neck reining in a sense. They could give you more detailed exercises.

Answer 6

she's probably used to going fast all the time while at a show or at home because that's where your handset is. every time you ride rher until the show, just practise doing what you need to, and use your voice too. being a barrel horse, she should respond to "hey" or "easy" pretty well.

if she starts going faster, stop her and make her back up for as many strides she took going at a faster than wanted pace. she might soon get the idea that going fast when not asked makes her work harder and isn't that fun.

Answer 7

ok, well. If your horse acts up when your trying to neck reign it flex her head. So .... right when she starts to act up make her bring her head to her side. After a wile she will get the idea that you don't want her to pull her head up. hope this helps

Answer 8

Sounds like she hasn't gotten the "idea" yet...  So, here's what I do when I'm starting my youngsters on neck reining...

I put my reins in my left hand, with a difference.  Keep your hand tilted sideways and have one rein on the right side of your hand (Where your thumb is) and the other rein on the side where your pinky finger is...  This way you're still able to apply direct rein to a limited extent, but your horse will get the idea of neck reining to boot.  You "bump" by twisting your hand either to the right or to the left.

Best of luck.