# Thoughts on this ride?



## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

I'm not sure how I feel about posting this, but I've had the last two weeks off of work for "Winter Break" and now tomorrow just got cancelled due to ice...so I'm feeling a little reckless. haha


Primarily I'm interested in suggestions for how to help Fabs relaxxxxx more.

He's _just_ [as of the last few weeks] starting to come into his own at the trot..I guess get "broke" at the trot. 
The synopsis is that he spent a few years being some teen girl's gymkana horse, but she sold him because he "wasn't hot enough for barrels." As such, he tends to fall the heck apart the second you add speed to anything. So I've been gradually reintroducing speed very slowly.

It's a little difficult to describe how he rides, but it's primarily a strange combination of tuning me out, going along nicely, balking, and evading. And, of course, I tend to be a nervous rider which makes him 10000% worse. 
He is at his best when I am relaxed...and I was not at my most relaxed during this video.

I settled a bit by the end, and I think you can see that in how he responds.


Right now I would like to see him relax down, into my hands, more. He just started to understand that concept at a trot about a week ago, so I guess he's doing ok?
It took him months to relax while walking. It used to be this constant "battle": we'd be walking, he'd randomly break into a trot, I'd bring him back to a walk, etc.

I am really thrilled with his walk to trot transitions right now though. He used to REALLY suck back and get fussy whenever I asked for the trot [you can see one of those wonders right at the very beginning], so the fact that the only "bad" one is the first one? Amazing.

Throughout this whole video I just want to yell at myself "push him up!" because he seems like he's just trailing along. But he does maintain a pretty consistent speed - maybe that slow motion speed is ok for him??

And my hands. I was having a really hard time finding the "right" contact during this video. Maybe it was because it was 20*F and my hands/the reins were cold, but come on me! I realized mid-way through that I was letting the reins slip out of my hands with every bobble of his head. So, after that, I tightened up my grip a bit and things seemed to go better.
I do have a _dreadful_ case of "piano hands" though. Ugh. Maybe that's part of the contact "problem."

Go for it!

And this video ended up being long [I cut it down from 25 though, that's something, right? haha], the last 5ish minutes are pretty solid, if you skip to them.






Fabio makes me laugh so much - his body says "I'm a Quarter Horse, the slowest one you ever did see!" while his fussiness says "actually, excuse me, I'm an Arabian and I have SO MANY FEELINGS." :rofl:


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

What bit are you using? If it's a ring snaffle, it looks like it might be too wide? Single joint?

Overall, nothing screamed "This is a wreck waiting to happen."  Really just appeared he is evading the bit and is not collected. 

I'll put on a flame suit, because I would suggest try something different on him.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

The one piece of advice I want to give is make sure your hands are lower, since you are direct reining. Try and mirror the slope of your horse's shoulders with your hands holding the reins, and just hover them above his wither. Then you can drive him into your hands. 

Also when you back up, he backs nicely and starts to get rounder, but when you move forward from that he braces. Try and keep him soft and round.. make sure you aren't accidentally pulling back or using too much hand vs. leg. Leg first, then hand comes into play

But seriously you have such a quiet seat  I'm so excited you're riding him again!


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

boots said:


> What bit are you using? If it's a ring snaffle, it looks like it might be too wide? Single joint?
> 
> Overall, nothing screamed "This is a wreck waiting to happen."  Really just appeared he is evading the bit and is not collected.
> 
> I'll put on a flame suit, because I would suggest try something different on him.


Thanks, I think? :lol: :rofl:

His bit is this one:










I so so know what you mean about him and the bit. I've had this bit in a D ring [more solid] on him, he _really_ braced against the solidness. I've wondered if he would go better in something even more mobile, but I honestly don't know what that would be. 
At the same time, I've also wondered if a more mobile bit would distract him even more. That's one of his favorite evasions - "I'm a little bored, so I'm gonna play with this bit and tune you out! HA."

I sometimes wonder if it's a tooth thing - he has a funny molar [not the first one on the right, but the second one] that is very misaligned. It's a full molar-width more under his tongue, vs off to the side like "normal."

I have wondered if it's too small. It's a 5" and it doesn't look too small most of the time, but sometimes it seems like his lips just swallow it up... haha

I am totally open to suggestion about a bit that might work better, if you have one in mind!



Thanks Maggie! I have wondered about having my hands lower, but I worry that that might make them be too low?? He does seem to respond better when I have them a little lower than I usually do - I just sometimes worry that I'm forcing him into some kind of frame by moving my hands. 
But maybe he's just reacting happily to me doing something right?? haha

And yes! About the backing up. I tend to get really like "ok! Let's get out of here!" and I squeeze him too hard and he's all "um, NO."
He does soooo much better when I am slow and quiet with my cues. But that is so hard for me, as a very hyperactive ADHD person! :rofl: It's a work in progress for sure. I'm glad you mention that, I've been doing better in other places [upward transitions, particularly], but I should pay attention to that after we back up!


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## NavigatorsMom (Jan 9, 2012)

He looks cute! Seems like he's a bit anxious, and as a former gymkana horse maybe he is just expecting to have to hurry up and go, and is anticipating it and so not relaxing.

He does seem to plod a bit, especially more at the beginning, but he gets better at the end. I think that is partly due to your holding the reins and keeping a contact rather than letting him slip through. Slow can be ok but it is still important for the horse to be working from behind. A horse can be slow, relaxed and still moving forward (forward =/= fast) but they need to be working properly and not just trailing along.

You two would probably benefit from lots of transitions and figures. Get him thinking. If he's anticipating going fast (or anything else) he isn't paying attention to you. Transitions, ring figures, beginning lateral work - all of these things should help him focus on you and settle down. Something I did with a horse who was a bit nerve-wracking to ride was sing softly to her. Hearing my voice helped her relax, and singing helped me remember to breathe and not tense up. Kind of silly but if it works it works!

Occasional lunging may help as well, especially with learning vocal cues, but you could also look into using sidereins to help him seek contact and move more correctly from behind. Seeing him moving and behaving correctly while being lunged may help you feel less nervous while riding because you will know he is capable of doing what you ask. Just be sure you understand how to use sidereins before trying them, and under supervision of someone who knows how to use them is best if possible!  

I know that was a bit rambly, but I hope some of it is useful!


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I would have thought "lower hands," too. But you can run into the rounder shoulder posture that I see in some that try to make a bit work for a horse when something different might suit him better.

Are you adverse to indirect reining/neck reining? Was he just hauled around barrels by his face and not really know how to respond?


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

NavigatorsMom said:


> He looks cute! Seems like he's a bit anxious, and as a former gymkana horse maybe he is just expecting to have to hurry up and go, and is anticipating it and so not relaxing.
> 
> He does seem to plod a bit, especially more at the beginning, but he gets better at the end. I think that is partly due to your holding the reins and keeping a contact rather than letting him slip through. Slow can be ok but it is still important for the horse to be working from behind. A horse can be slow, relaxed and still moving forward (forward =/= fast) but they need to be working properly and not just trailing along.
> 
> ...


I appreciate your thoughts! That is so true about getting him working, he does well when I am really "do this, now do this, now do this, and this!" I've been really liking circles with him lately because he seems to "get it" when we do them [usually], but there can be a lot more to a circle than just one circle - circle twice, then loop around and do two the other direction, etc. More gait changes is a great idea. I rarely do trot-walk-whoa, so that would be a really good thing to work on. Right now he looks at me like I have ten heads if I suggest we avoid whoa-ing after trotting! haha Whoa-trot would be good too. 
I'm waiting to really work on his canter until we have his trot ironed out. The other day I asked for, and got, two -veryyyy fussy- strides of canter after some exceptional trot work. His anxiety goes about to Mach 10 about canter right now [and mine does too, honestly - years ago I rode a gelding that bucked me off every time we cantered, and when Fabs' ears go back and that head goes down as I ask for a canter...YIKES. He's never bucked at the canter with me, just tiny little "I hate this"-hops once in a blue moon...but it still gets me in the pit of my stomach and that anxiety does notttt translate well for this horse! haha]. 
I figure that, like I did with his walk before working on trot extensively, I'll wait to seriously incorporate that until we both feel pretty strong with his trot. 

He is _great_ about being lunged. That is something we have done a lot of..not sure if I should be proud or not. haha Thus far [at this new barn, we just moved here 2 weeks ago after he lived at home for over a year] I've been lunging before every ride to get a feel for his head. He isn't on full turnout here [which he doesn't seem to mind at all] so I like to make sure his head is on before I get on. haha Plus, he just loves getting a solid canter in before I ride. I don't know why, but it relaxes the heck out of him! 





boots said:


> I would have thought "lower hands," too. But you can run into the rounder shoulder posture that I see in some that try to make a bit work for a horse when something different might suit him better.
> 
> Are you adverse to indirect reining/neck reining? Was he just hauled around barrels by his face and not really know how to respond?


I'm not adverse, but he is still in the process of learning that leg can mean something other than "GO SO FAST!" It's been kind of a big deal for him to learn, but he is trying so hard. I'm guessing that his previous owner did not use a lot of leg outside the context of "RUN!!!"
He has a relatively firm grasp of leg cues now [the best comparison I can give is that I dug beneath the bad riding and found some good training someone did longggg ago - he suddenly became a LOT more supple than I ever taught him....], but he tends to 'revert' when the mood strikes him [mostly commonly when I'm scattered/anxious and he's mad/confused about my behavior].

Plus, this is probably mostly a me-issue, he's a "reformed" bolter who has never bolted with me [well, ok, he's tried once or twice, but his life became hell after that and he recognized that he had better not try it again] but has a veryyy long bolting history. 
When I give him a bunch of rein to "practice" neck reining with, he'll go along fine, then get a little anxious about something, and start rushing until I give him a little "security" contact. 

I've never tried him in a curb though, maybe he just needs a little "check" when that^ happens - something that could easily happen with a curb and appropriate-length reins...

He _does_ tend to process better when I give him space. He likes the security of being contained, but he "matures" over issues better when he isn't "held" in...interesting thought!!


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

Wow, nice arena. Bet you are so happy to be there.

You obviously are beyond me in riding, and I really cannot critique riding, so maybe I shouldn't have looked since I can't give advice about it.

You look Fabtastic to me, Fabsulous in fact.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Hand position is fine , IMO. Horse looks almost ouchy , like his feet are tender. But , maybe just needs to move out more. Can you pick some spots where you open things up and ask him to move out a bit more?


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## ShirtHotTeez (Sep 23, 2014)

TBH when I see what others say I feel like I have watched a different video!! 

To start with Fabs is plodding around going where you want him and he is just playing with his bit. He has no impulsion. You are not asking for anything and he is just going with the flow. I don't think he looks especially tense.

Towards the end he has a couple of minutes where he has quite good impulsion, you have more contact with him and perhaps that is about the time you said he felt better? 

Once or twice during the ride Fabs has started to move on a little and you have pulled him back to a plod. He hasn't shown any dirt in this video, he looks an honest little guy, perhaps you could trust him enough to encourage some impulsion.

Personally, I would trot the outer line of the barn a few rounds each way and get a good steady trot with contact. Not a shuffle. Let him trot at a natural steady speed.

The bit. To my mind that bit encourages the horse to play with it. I'd be inclined to try one without a plaything in the middle. Experiment a little.

Just my nickle's worth 

:gallop:


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## TXhorseman (May 29, 2014)

From the description your work, you seem to be using a good approach with this horse. You realized the most important factor when you stated: "He is at his best when I am relaxed...."

I often tell riders that – like a parent with an anxious child – it is their responsibility to appear calm in order to help their horse relax. To help a rider relax, I tell her to consciously release any tension in the muscles of her body. 

As you release tension in the muscles of your torso, those muscles expand allowing the bones of the spine to stack naturally one above the other. These bones, then, will support your weight with only subtle action of the muscles required to maintain balance. As you release tension in the muscles around the pelvis and throughout the legs, ankles, and feet, gravity settles your seat deeply into the saddle, wraps your legs effortless around your horse's sides, and draws your heels lower than your toes while holding the balls of your feet firmly in the stirrups. This all provides a very stable seat with little or no effort.

Your upper arms should basically hang vertically downward from your shoulders while your lower arms, wrists, and reins form a direct line to your horse's mouth. Imagine that, if your arms were long enough, you could hold the bit in your hands and not need any reins. With relaxed muscles, your shoulders and elbows will be free to move with your horse's head. The horse may draw the angle between your upper and lower arms open at times, but gravity will bring your elbows back beneath your shoulders as the horse's pull relaxes. Unless you are cuing the horse, you should simply be following the horse's movements with your body. This includes your seat and legs as well as your arms.

If often helps to conscious think of breathing deeply, hum, or sing softly as you ride. This will help you relax, and your horse should respond by also relaxing. 

Relaxation is not really lack of effort, but smooth and controlled effort. Keep the work interesting with transitions, changes of direction, lateral work, work over ground poles, etc. At the same time, however, try to keep the learning atmosphere calm and relaxed.


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## equitate (Dec 14, 2012)

I was expecting far more tension, it's not bad. That said, reschooling a horse means starting all over and replacing the horse's behaviors. So, the horse should first following a leading/opening rein (ideally in mere millimeters), and flex inside (again in millimeters), and then be presented with bearing/neck rein aids. The horse is too often counter bended, which makes the horse fall inside or outside. Just keep a steady light bend). As to the level of the hands, there indeed should always be a straight line from elbow to horse's mouth; when the hands are too lowered the bit acts on the bars and creates more tension (and it is where the rider must be work on perfecting their equitation in order to change the horse). Smaller circles (in walk) allow for lateral flexibiility and that leads (over time) to longtiudinal flexion (better bit acceptance). If the rider was posting the tempo (speed) can be controled through that; sitting allows for a slow tempo IF the rider is stable (but low/fixed hands will always destabilize the seat's balance however).


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

anndankev said:


> Wow, nice arena. Bet you are so happy to be there.
> 
> You obviously are beyond me in riding, and I really cannot critique riding, so maybe I shouldn't have looked since I can't give advice about it.
> 
> You look Fabtastic to me, Fabsulous in fact.


I do love the arena! It's so nice to have, AND if I go to the barn after 2pm, I can have it alllll to myself. I feel spoiled!! 

And aw, that's sweet. I appreciate it. 




tinyliny said:


> Hand position is fine , IMO. Horse looks almost ouchy , like his feet are tender. But , maybe just needs to move out more. Can you pick some spots where you open things up and ask him to move out a bit more?


I see an inkling of ouchiness too... I'm not sure what it would be from. My best guess is that the part of the video where he looks the most ouchy are the parts when I was still _really _tense. As I loosen up, towards the middle/end of the video, his stride starts looking less ouchy [to me]. My guess is that perhaps he is mirroring my tension in those moments...

On the other hand, he did just move from a predominantly soft/muddy environment into an environment of stall mats over dirt, concrete, gravel, etc. He was clearly sore 10-ish days ago, but has seemed to be back to normal now..



ShirtHotTeez said:


> TBH when I see what others say I feel like I have watched a different video!!
> 
> To start with Fabs is plodding around going where you want him and he is just playing with his bit. He has no impulsion. You are not asking for anything and he is just going with the flow. I don't think he looks especially tense.
> 
> ...


Hmm! Interesting thoughts! I have been avoiding just doing big circuits of the arena because, no matter what we're doing, Fabs seems to start getting looky and then he finds _something_ to spook at "omg, the wind moved the barn door" "omg, the light turned on in the viewing room" "omg, a horse moved in their stall" "omg I'm walking on dirt"...etc. So I've been trying to keep him busy so he doesn't get a chance to start thinking too much about "scary" things. But I'll give it a try!

I'll try to take a video next time - I really feel like this IS his steady, natural, speed. I can push him up more, but he instantly looks/feels tense and rushed. Maybe it's because he's anticipating that I'm going to ask for more, but this _feels_ like a pretty natural speed for him. I'll try to get a video and asking for a bit more, and you guys can tell me what you think. 

And I SO KNOW about those weird little bobbles. It's some kind of weird miscommunication we have - he's going along, I sit a little too hard for a second, or get just a hair off balance, and he's all "OH! GUESS WE'RE STOPPING NOW!!" and practically throws himself into reverse. :lol: 
Thinking about it, that may be a clear sign that our transitions need work - he has no concept of going from a trot to a walk undersaddle. It's all trot to whoa in his world, because that's how I tend to ride him. 

About the bit, I think the next time i go out to see him [if this ice would EVER melt! Geez.] I'm gonna throw a little baby curb on him like Boots suggested and see how he responds. I have a pretty simple, gentle, one, and some nice weighted reins - should make the transition really easy, if he actually is ready.
If all heck breaks loose, next thing on my list will be to find a loose ring snaffle with just a dog-bone/french link and nothing "extra." The roller was great back when he was reallllly fussy with his mouth [he used to ride with his mouth wide open half the time], but now I'm beginning to think that he's "grown up" past that. 



TXhorseman said:


> From the description your work, you seem to be using a good approach with this horse. You realized the most important factor when you stated: "He is at his best when I am relaxed...."
> 
> I often tell riders that – like a parent with an anxious child – it is their responsibility to appear calm in order to help their horse relax. To help a rider relax, I tell her to consciously release any tension in the muscles of her body.
> 
> ...


So true!!
I work at a daycare and they call me "The Baby Whisperer" because I can "tame" all the babies without appearing to use a lot of effort - the secret is that I'm in control of my relaxation [in that scenario].

Unfortunately, somehow, Fabs has my number in terms of NOT being relaxed. He's never given me any real reason to be nervous [aside from the fact that he used to consistently ride like a powder keg..but one without a fuse] so I don't really understand where my nerves came from. 
Even so, I have the hardest time losing my tension on him. I get there eventually, and I hope/assume it'll become easier as I ride him more..but man oh man! :lol:



equitate said:


> I was expecting far more tension, it's not bad. That said, reschooling a horse means starting all over and replacing the horse's behaviors. So, the horse should first following a leading/opening rein (ideally in mere millimeters), and flex inside (again in millimeters), and then be presented with bearing/neck rein aids. The horse is too often counter bended, which makes the horse fall inside or outside. Just keep a steady light bend). As to the level of the hands, there indeed should always be a straight line from elbow to horse's mouth; when the hands are too lowered the bit acts on the bars and creates more tension (and it is where the rider must be work on perfecting their equitation in order to change the horse). Smaller circles (in walk) allow for lateral flexibiility and that leads (over time) to longtiudinal flexion (better bit acceptance). If the rider was posting the tempo (speed) can be controled through that; sitting allows for a slow tempo IF the rider is stable (but low/fixed hands will always destabilize the seat's balance however).


Hmm! Interesting! 
So you're suggesting that I work on his bend [get him bending around my leg better, not counter-bent]
Are you also thinking that I need to low my hands just a tad? Or are you saying I should avoid that, because my hands will end up too low if I lower them?

I think I just got something though - should my hands be _following _the bit as he moves his head/the bit all over kingdom come? Instead of keeping them "fixed" at the base of his neck, they could change location as he changes??! 

I have a terrible posting trot, but I could try it. I learned about diagonals after I had been riding/posting for 10 years, and I do not have any kind of firm grasp on them. According to an instructor I once had, I always pick up the right one correctly, but I'm always wrong to start off going to the left. Then I start thinking about "what if it's wrong?" and I get all unbalanced...ugh. haha
But maybe bad posting is better than no posting? He definitely does open up his stride when I post...


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Do they have western instructors there, or any that focus on body mechanics? I've found the best way for me to get over some sort of "sticky" aspect of riding, when it comes to fear... is either force myself to get out of my comfort zone a little, or have someone else force me out of there (aka instructor)

I really like TXhorseman's post... he touched upon what I was trying to communicate and for some reason couldn't regarding your contact


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## equitate (Dec 14, 2012)

When a horse is that tense and shortened in the stride, it can easily look like ouchiness, but that would have to be seen w/o a rider.

Horses which are tense, untrusting of the hand and previously been ridden poorly will look for distraction because they are creatures of fight or flight. When they become more trusting, work on figures, are in better balance then they cease to look/shy/over react/etc.

The more you can start as if it were a baby horse, at the beginning, and make no step is skipped the better. Hence maybe side pull, then a plain snaffle, putting a curb merely goes back to the previous erros.

Yes, I am suggesting light lateral flexion, smallish circles in walk, and large ones in trot. Absolutely NOT lowering the hands, keeping the straight line to the mouth (so probably higher so that any contact is into the corners of the lips and not the bars). In walk there is bascule/telescoping of the neck, so the elbow joint and shoulder socket allow for that action of the neck; in trot the hands are stilled becaue there is no bascule in a diagonlized gait, but the does NOT mean fixed on the neck (but above it).

As far as the 'wrong diagonal', if you notice it simply sit two bounces and you will be on the correct one. Posting on the correct diagonal simply allows the one hind to be less weighted, but the 'wrong diagonal' can help straightness.


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Skyseternalangel said:


> Do they have western instructors there, or any that focus on body mechanics? I've found the best way for me to get over some sort of "sticky" aspect of riding, when it comes to fear... is either force myself to get out of my comfort zone a little, or have someone else force me out of there (aka instructor)
> 
> I really like TXhorseman's post... he touched upon what I was trying to communicate and for some reason couldn't regarding your contact


Haha, yes. I can just tell the BO is dyinggggg for me to ask about scheduling lessons! :rofl:
I'm a little unsure about it because all her horses [and the horses under her instruction] all do that super Western-Arab hooky neck thing - like this: http://arabianhorseglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/LMF-412-0501.jpg

I'm not sure that that is what I want with Fabs. But, at the same time, she's been really interested and respectful of my goals with Fabs...so I'm gonna guess that she would remain that way if I asked her for help. 
I also feel pretty confident that she would respect Fabio's opinion, for what that's worth. When I initially told her about how he is, her first questions were: does the saddle fit? Has he seen a chiropractor? Is he sore? 
I liked that because she didn't immediately jump to him being bad - I honestly don't think there are many bad bones in this horse. Opinionated ones, yes. Nervous ones, yes. Bad ones, no.


It is still wayyyy too icy to drive anywhere, so I couldn't see Fabs again this evening - first two days in TWO YEARS that I haven't seen him at least once during the day.
I'm kind of having withdrawals. haha
I love that I know he's well taken care of, and him not being at home has made this ice/snow wayyy less stressful for me, but I still miss him. 

In any case, because I don't have anything new to share, here's a cute video from Saturday night right before I got on.
I told him to stay put, but the plastic wrapping on the ceiling's insulation was flapping a little in the wind and he got nervous.
I just love watching him work through this sort of thing - 
"I'm really nervous, but Emily said I had to stay here. Staying, this is so hard, staying, staying, this is too much!! She should come back and save me! I'm gonna take some steps. Uh oh, that wasn't right. She looks kinda mad. I better back up because I know that's what she wants. I'm gonna do this! Staying, staying, staying, oh this is SO hard! But I'm staying! Staying, staying, and she's coming back! Oh thank goodness. Who knew I would survive that?!!"

:rofl:







ETA- equitate, we were posting at the same time! That makes a LOT of sense. 

He does go really well in a sidepull. His mouth is not busy at all in a sidepull, and he seems a lot more "present," as it were. Are you suggesting we go back to one, just for now, as we work through all this "stuff"? Then, as he gains confidence and experience, work our way back into a snaffle [eventually curb - my long-term goal with him]? 
I would be happy to give that a try. I kind of did that this summer, but I wasn't riding much [3 days a week, at best, 15 minutes each, mostly walk] and he did respond well...


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## equitate (Dec 14, 2012)

(no the 'arab' thing...that is breaking the horse at the third vertabrae and posing the horse behind the hand.)


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

He is a nice stamp and here is my take on things. 

First thing I noticed is that he is as stiff as a board and there is about as much bentd through his body as a concrete post.

You are never gong to get him onto the bit riding without any impulsion - forward is your friend. I know he probably want to go but slowing him down this much is not helping you or him.

So, forst things first, when you get on and several times during the ride put your hand under your thigh from behind and pull all the muscle to the back. This puts your thigh and knee flat on the saddle, gets your lower leg in contact with his sides and toe forward. The fact that leg probably means go to him means he has to get use to a lower leg contact.

If I were working him then I would be doing a lot of bending work, at the pace you are working him to start, I would ask him, coming up the longs side of the (very nice) arena have him bending to the inside. I would also do a lot of leg yielding, again you can do this at a slower pace to start, come up the three quarter line and yield to the side keeping an inside bend. Turns on the forehand, get his quarters moving away from your individual leg and get him bending through his body. 

I would build up the pace and allow him to walk and trot on a loose rein. Horses that have been hassled at faster paces often look for the strong rein contact and if they haven't got one they panic and race off. If this happens you do not pull back but take an inside rein contact and put him on a circle which decreases until his pace slows and then continue as if nothing has happened.

I would also be doing some canter work. The trot often improves greatly with canter work. If he wants to race off put him on a 20 m circle ask for a canter, get one stride and immediately ask for a trot, then canter then trot so that he is anticipating coming straight back to a trot as soon as he canters.

The more he bends his whole body the easier it will be for him to come onto the bridle. You could try changing the bit, I love the Myler bits, but I do not think that is your problem. 

Wish I were nearer because I would love to be on the ground helping you!


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## equitate (Dec 14, 2012)

Just realize that impulsion is not necessarily faster (since most tend to ride over tempo), but in this case longer strides are needed which does mean slightly faster (hence the probable need for posting. Better a smidge under tempo (which allows the long back muscles to swing/relax, than over tempo.

For sure work on circles, and bended lines, walk allows that on smaller curved lines, trotting on larger ones. IF leg yielding is done I would only do it on a curved line (which means there is bend), no leg yielding going straight ahead (because of the lack of bend). Indeed work on circles slows the horse (becaue the horse works into the control of the outside rein.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I agree it can be done on the circle but it is easier for a rider to get the feel of the bend against the wall.


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

equitate said:


> (no the 'arab' thing...that is breaking the horse at the third vertabrae and posing the horse behind the hand.)


I _absolutely_ agree. 




Foxhunter said:


> He is a nice stamp and here is my take on things.
> 
> First thing I noticed is that he is as stiff as a board and there is about as much bentd through his body as a concrete post.
> 
> ...


Thanks! He is a really nice guy - well conformed, stocky, good -thinking- mind, athletic [when motivated properly], I really got lucky with him! It's hard for me to understand how he missed out on soooo much, given that he's coming 12 and _here_ training-wise...either way, I'm glad I was the one who lucked out!

Haha, I SO know about his stiffness! 
He used to be [in my opinion] so much worse, if that's even possible. Here's a video from about a month into my ownership of him [1.5 years ago, with very sporadic riding since September 2014]. Back then we were working on walking and turning. Turns out that turns don't always needs to have ten points to them. Surprise! :lol:





So the kind of bend you're describing, while heading down the long wall of the arena - what kind of aids would I be using to implement that? In my head I have an inkling of how - a little bend with my inside rein, outside rein keeping him moving forward, inside leg pushing him toward the wall, outside leg pushing him through the bend?
I'm primarily self-taught so I tend to "make it up as I go along"...for better or worse. haha 
He's green enough to leg contact/cues that he seems to react pretty naturally to my leg aids, LUCKILY. 
I watched a lot of Stacy Westfall's Colt Starting videos when I was initially working with him and realized that I was WAY out of my depth - he did well with that, reacted similarly to what she seemed to think the "proper" reaction would be.

That is a GREAT idea, about giving him more rein. I did that for a bit - the September after I got him, I made a pact to ride him every single day since I knew that would help a lot. By the end of that month, he was like a different horse and he was self-managing on a loose rein. But then I got a full-time job, stopped riding consistently, and he started searching for the tight rein again [and rushing if he didn't find it].
When we were riding outside and on a steep slope, I couldn't let him rush safety-wise and I fell into the habit of holding him back.
But you so have something - we're INSIDE. Where is this lazy horse gonna go if he starts rushing? Using the inside rein to circle him if he rushes is GENIUS.

I wish you were closer, and could be on the ground helping, too!!




equitate said:


> Just realize that impulsion is not necessarily faster (since most tend to ride over tempo), but in this case longer strides are needed which does mean slightly faster (hence the probable need for posting. Better a smidge under tempo (which allows the long back muscles to swing/relax, than over tempo.
> 
> For sure work on circles, and bended lines, walk allows that on smaller curved lines, trotting on larger ones. IF leg yielding is done I would only do it on a curved line (which means there is bend), no leg yielding going straight ahead (because of the lack of bend). Indeed work on circles slows the horse (becaue the horse works into the control of the outside rein.





Foxhunter said:


> I agree it can be done on the circle but it is easier for a rider to get the feel of the bend against the wall.



I'll try it both ways and see which way is easiest for us both to understand.  
I've never done any leg-yielding with him and I'm guessing he's never done any in his life [except unintentionally...haha], so I'll give it a try and see what happens.

And that makes so much sense about posting - I want to cultivate long strides, so I want to give his back sufficient room to stretch. He may get anxious and start charging ahead, but, instead of falling apart like I usually do, I will take the inside rein and circle him in to get his head "back." 
Longer strides, with more bend and less concrete-post-ness, are the goal, right?




I'm REALLY glad I posted this, guys! I am so stoked to ride tomorrow - I finally made it out of the house, off my hill, today! I went to see Fabs and he was really happy to see me. I didn't get time to ride tonight [he really wanted me to though! he was literally nudging the mounting block towards me. haha] so hopefully it works out for tomorrow.

Anyway, you guys have given me a really different perspective on this horse and SO MANY more "options"! I now feel like I have a better game plan for whatever he throws at me.

And, for all that, you guys have really made me think about how honest he really is. 
He isn't that horse that bucked me off a thousand times, he's not spooking with the intent of making me fall off like another gelding I used to ride. This is the horse that can buck to the moon, yet _obviously_ tempers all his attitude down to levels that I can ride easily. 

I really appreciate all of it!


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

You ask for the bend as you come through the corner and then up the long side you keep the head bent to the inside. Weight straight, you keep the body straight with your inside leg, outside leg stops the quarters from swinging away, inside rein maintains the bend, outside rein controls the pace. 

Gradually when he can bend to the inside you can change the bend to the outside and start to work towards a shoulder in.

Love the tarp trained goat! 

Can't you put up a video of him turning his haunches and front end when you are on the ground? Also with you on the ground turning some very tight circles? 

I have a thought of something.


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## equitate (Dec 14, 2012)

When first working straight ahead the reins are equal, any inside flexion (ie seeing the inside eyelashes) is only done by lifting the inside rein very very slightly, not via in the inside rein holding or pulling backward. A corner is a 1/4 of a circle (three bending strides), and introduced first by a smidge of leading/opening rein which fills out the outside rein, and hence gets control of the outside shoulder. So, positioning on the long side wall (mere flexion at the atlas-axis area) is NOT bending (positoning through the body). But bending (ie on a circle) is what also given control of tempo. The ability to fill out the outside rein is from pulsing the inside leg when needed, merely weighting the inside stirrup will also bulk the calf and get the same effect.

Shoulder fore is the first step onto a 20m circle (done before s.i.) and shoulder in (on three tracks) is the first step onto a 10m circle. The flexion is toward the inside (not the outside).


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Foxhunter said:


> Can't you put up a video of him turning his haunches and front end when you are on the ground? Also with you on the ground turning some very tight circles?
> 
> I have a thought of something.


Yes! I can! You're in luck, I discovered a way to prop my phone up and take a video! Definitely not the most polished routine, but we made it happen. haha

I'm hoping this is what you meant...  :lol:


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## equitate (Dec 14, 2012)

Those were small circles, but not with even bending (ideally walk at the shoulders, not in front of the horse). If you are going to do a toH, do it next to a wall. But first do a toF (again next to a wall). The point is to create lateral flexibility, even stepping, and better balance. Pulse the aid as you would a touch of the leg, behind where the girth would be (ideally work in hand is done in a snaffle).


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

equitate said:


> *Those were small circles*. If you are going to do a toH, do it next to a wall. But first do a toF (again next to a wall). Pulse the aid as you would a touch of the leg, behind where the girth would be (ideally work in hand is done in a snaffle).


If you look above at Foxhunter's request, she wanted them tight!


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## equitate (Dec 14, 2012)

(read further...there must be purpose to exercises imho)


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I have a lot less experience than some of our other forum members, but what I saw was a horse not happy in that bit.

Either he doesn't understand he is supposed to give to it, or he just doesn't like that mouthpiece. But he seems to fuss with it a lot, and instead of tucking his nose when he feels bit pressure, he raises his head up and gets brace-y.

I didn't notice either one of you looking nervous. You guys look great. I just don't think he either 1. feels comfortable in that mouthpiece or 2. realizes he is supposed to give to bit pressure rather then push against it.

I guess if it were me, I would try some different bits to see if there is something he is quieter in....quieter in the mouth that is. Something he won't fuss with and will actually break at the poll a tad instead of sticking his nose up. His first inclination seems to be to stick his nose in the air instead of dropping it.

I know you don't want to go to extremes, but I bet the barn owner could help you with that. I'm sure she knows your goals aren't to show western pleasure arabs. But she should be able to help you find a bit and a technique to help Fabs learn to drop his head instead of raise it. 

Heck, if you weren't opposed to trying some different bits, you might find he already knows how to do that stuff. It might just be that he doesn't like that bit. I know I've never done well in snaffles with my trail horses. Everyone in the horse forum world believes you should be able to do everything in a snaffle and I've tried them over the years, but I always end up going back to some sort of curb bit. 

I would try something with a less-flexible mouthpiece. And a shortish shank. It might fix him immediately if he has some good training and just hates the snaffle.

Just my ideas, which may or may not help.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

equitate said:


> (read further...there must be purpose to exercises imho)


Yes, after you edited your post and made yourself clear I previously presumed you were unaware of foxhunter's post and now I know better.

Thank you.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

I'd like to reword my previous post. I'm still learning myself 

I don't know a lot about what western is supposed to look like (good riding expectations) only really know the english realm or specialized riding such as reining or barrel racing but very limited.. but to me he doesn't look very active. He is bracing, stiff, unsure... sludgy. That might be the dressage critic in me, especially since that is typical Sky mentality, however I think you would both benefit by riding with more leg and less hand... or a more consistent hand at least.

What I am trying to say is I don't see consistency in your hands either because of his reluctance to have any sort of contact due to a b c or because of the way you are interacting with the reins/bit in his mouth

Also from the other videos posted, I think it's so important that he has better reactions on the ground. Sky is working on this too, especially with crossing legs over properly and without taking 10 minutes to comply, as it translates to undersaddle work. Same with backing... same with turns. 

A nice open rein is a thousand times better than a pulling rein. I think more leg would help with being more relaxed and also getting better "lateral" work out of him.

I would also lengthen the rein, honestly, and try more of a cruising walk. then shorten a tiny bit and try a cruising trot. Really get him going (not running, just in a nice forward jog), you can always slow it down later but getting that forward mentality will also help with improving stiffness, getting those stifles working... maybe even encouraging him to swing through his back...

Then I'd play around with figures, nice loopy serpentines, circles good to use but figure eights are even better IMOP because you have moments of straight and moments of bend... and using combination of figures is going to make it even more beneficial. 

If you don't want to canter, then don't! If you do, do!

I understand being a little worried about him taking off, but you're in an arena and the sand really isn't all that bad to land in... plus you are a capable rider. You've brought him so far already... don't hold yourself back because of fear or uncertainty otherwise you aren't giving either of you the chance to improve.

And re the lessons, it's not so much turning Fabio into a replica of his breed but having live eyes on the ground to give you tips.. to talk you though things... to help you help him. Video is great but it's after the fact.. after you've dismounted and after you have driven home... 

I am thrilled that you have moved him to a place you can ride on flat ground. You guys are going to become SO wonderful in time


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

The reason I asked for this video is because I wanted to see how he was able to move in either direction without a rider. 

Turning his quarters he is able to bring his left leg under and across his right. Other way, he finds it harder and only once did he really cross his leg under him.

Turns on his haunches are very poor and stiff. He is very reluctant to bend his higher neck. 

My thoughts on this is that there is a misalignment high up, possibly C2/3 and probably through his right shoulder. 

More often than not when a horse is as stiff as this there is a misalignment reason.


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Foxhunter said:


> The reason I asked for this video is because I wanted to see how he was able to move in either direction without a rider.
> 
> Turning his quarters he is able to bring his left leg under and across his right. Other way, he finds it harder and only once did he really cross his leg under him.
> 
> ...



Hmmm!! I'll ask around and see if the chiropractor ever visits this barn. I get the impression he probably does... There's only one horse chiropractor that I know of on this side of the state and he occasionally travels this far up, but he won't schedule just one horse per barn. You have to have multiple "patients." haha But he does come with excellent recommendations..
There are a few masseuses, but, even after Fabs knew the masseuse, he hatedddd it and would get all tense and fussy - she was barely able to do anything. I can give him massages -the masseuse taught me a few techniques to use- and very much enjoys the massages I give. Back when the masseuse was still trying to work on him, she repeatedly commented about his neck. 

I'm not sure what happened to him in his past life to make him this way, but I know that a trainer-friend of mine worked with him right after the therapy place bought him, right after his "gymkhana" experience, and she's told me that it took her weeks to even get her hands on his neck without him freaking out - especially up by his poll. 
Even now [3 years later], he is very guarded about his poll. 99% of the time he's absolutely ok about it, but if he's ever uncomfortable in a situation and you go for his poll, he will tuck his head, toss his neck, and consider striking at you. 
I've managed to mostly replace that behavior with a "head down" cue, but it still pops back up if he gets overstimulated/very nervous and someone goes for his poll.


Anyway, long story short, I think some chiropractic work would help him no matter what. When he was living at home, it wasn't really an option. Now it is!!





In other news, I rode the kid today and I tried some of your suggestions, and most of them really worked!

I reminded myself that it's OK for him to trot "fast" because we're inside and he really can't go _that_ far.
I put him in his sidepull rope halter, with my weighted 10 ft reins, and decided to see what would happen.

First, he was a little stiff to the halter because we haven't ridden in one all that much, and it's definitely an area where there's some un-training/softening to do [he was ridden in a leather sidepull as a therapy horse and had his face alll kinds of hauled on], but he settled in pretty fast as I direct-reined him in that.
I had him give me his neck a few times - good thing I did, the base of his neck popped SO LOUD bending it to the right!! And, though he was very reluctant and stiff to begin with [we haven't done that sort of thing in months], he quickly remembered and started giving me his neck pretty quickly by the 5 or 6 repetition.

We walked around a bit - he was VERY high headed to begin with and seemed to be searching for the bit/the security of my hands [I had given him a looser rein, as recommended].
Then I asked him to trot. And he took off like a shot. He was racing racing racing, that trot has never felt so fast or nutso.
But I just went with him, started posting, and put him into a square with small circles in each corner. 
He sort of calmed down with that, and I realized that he was mostly turning off my leg anyway, so I decided to try giving him more rein and just doing some neck-reining.

He _felt_ [to me] very nervous about that, even more than he had been, and he took off tearing around the arena [at a very fast trot, never a canter or anything. haha] with his head flailing in the air.

BUT.
I just focused on guiding him with my legs, looking where I wanted to go, and posting - making a sort of four-leaf clover/figure-eight pattern in the arena, but changing where the circles were each time.
What I realized was, even though he FELT nuts...he was actually listening really well. He made every turn I asked him to make, including ones he didn't really want to make [into the "scary" corner - I didn't make him go _into _that corner, but I did ask him to go close] and he never once said "NO."

His turns were not super accurate or tight, but that was probably the biggest neck-reining challenge I've ever thrown at him and, for as thrown off as he seemed, he really did pretty well.
And, for that matter, 90% of the work I've done to prepare him for neck-reining in any capacity has basically been teaching him that leg=direction cue. We have probably had 5 rides, max, where we spent 5 minutes on him turning off leg alone. I kind of threw him in the deep end with this one!

Towards the end, I realized that he was also actually starting to listen to my posting speed. If I started posting a little slowly, just a little off his rhythm, he would quickly slow his tempo to match mine.

His bending...well, he WAS turning his head and body into the turn as I asked him to turn, so that was good I figure!

His head did eventually come down a bit, which told me that he was starting to feel more comfortable with what we were doing.


I'm gonna try to get a video tomorrow evening. I think, at the very least, _seeing_ this "nutso" trot would help me recognize that it's not as out of control as I thought.

I'm pretty sure he was being just as hollow as ever, but I think we got a few strides of something good every once in a while. There were a few times when we were bending where he seemed to sort of "lift," but I could be wrong.


The other comforting this was that his "whoa" was still as solid as ever. Even mid crazy-trot, he was searching for that "whoa." I could almost feel him riding the brake justtt a little bit. :lol:
I only gave him the "whoa" when he had done something well and was being a little thoughtful about what I was telling him [vs, just racing around] because he sees it as a HUGE reward, and he stopped SO FAST when I sat down and said "whoa." :rofl:


And he was so sweaty. Even his face was sweaty. I figure that's a good sign. :lol:


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

The fact that he can be touchy about his neck just makes my instincts more real. 

Glad you felt more confident about it all.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I have only just read your post fully, and it sounds fine!

I am glad you realise that you can control the trot with your rising. 

One hat mare I had was constantly looking for the pull. She had been ridden with a constant pull amd when it was lacking she looked for it by charging off. 

Took me quite a while to get her to relax down.


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Here's a new video from today:

No bit, mostly neck-reining, mostly posting trot, _and_ SMBs in front. 
I noticed that it felt like he was a lot "freer" with his legs with the SMBs on. Like he wasn't worrying about knocking himself...






He is definitely moving out better! But he was giving me a lottttt of nasty attitude - lots of ear pinning, 'drifting' conveniently away from the direction I wanted to turn...
On the other hand, I, unfortunately, managed to show up 20 minutes before dinner time. So the "poor guy" saw all his buddies getting fed while he was being tacked up, then he had to work while his buddies ate.
He didn't seem too worked up about it, _at all_, while I tacked him up/the other horses got fed...but all our better rides seem to occur in the morning so maybe he does care??

In any case, other than that HUGE SPOOK a minute in, I feel somewhat ok about this ride. Unfortunately I seemed to revert to holding on to the horn after the spook, ugh. Old habits!
I'm glad I caught that spook though. He seems like such a dead head half the time, then BOOM, suddenly he's accelerating to 1000mph and you don't know what happened! :lol:

I'm still not quite sure how to mold this into what I want though - a reasonably broke, relaxed, horse. Cuz *this* does not _feel_ relaxed. 
But maybe the point is that relaxation follows forward? A nice relaxed ride will come in time?


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

This is good riding. You should be happy about this ride because you had many good moments, and you achieved a change in your horse and that is what every ride is about. 

Well done!

I think his change in demeanor is less connected to the smb boots than the bit and your allowing him to move out.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

It could well be that I only know anything about English but to my watching you are not asking enough. 

I much preferred that he was moving forward more. Not so sure about the side pull then I have never ridden in one. 

*Well done on sitting that spook - I would have given it an 7 out of 10! *It would have left many sat on their butt! 

There were times when he was beginning to bend around your leg, you could ask for a lot more. Times when he was just following his head and very stiff. 

I do like him and yes, you will get to the point where you can have a nice relaxed horse - not saying he will be perfect because he certainly likes to test you as with the spook! 

Relaxation comes from _you_ being relaxed. The pace might seem fast to you but it really isn't. 

Try the thigh exercise, there are several times when working near your phone you can see that your lower leg has no contact and you really need that to get him bending correctly.

Much improved!


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

I too like this ride moreso than the first one

In time he'll be more comfortable with being ridden like this--forward, no nonsense about spooking, asking for a little more... and with you relaxing he'll relax and then you will be able to have forward and relaxation. It's going to take time and lots of bendy figures for him to become looser and more confident

But you're off to a great start

Much more consistent contact, just you don't seem relaxed visually but I bet in time you will be able to go with him and then start to influence him as well.


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

tinyliny said:


> This is good riding. You should be happy about this ride because you had many good moments, and you achieved a change in your horse and that is what every ride is about.
> 
> Well done!
> 
> I think his change in demeanor is less connected to the smb boots than the bit and your allowing him to move out.


Thanks 

It's hard to know about the SMBs...MAYBE it was because I wasn't thinking about him knocking himself so he wasn't worried either...ha. That would be the kind of trickery Fabs would pull! :lol:



Foxhunter said:


> It could well be that I only know anything about English but to my watching you are not asking enough.
> 
> I much preferred that he was moving forward more. Not so sure about the side pull then I have never ridden in one.
> 
> ...


Thanks! Yes, I need to go reread your post about that exercise and give it a try. I have alwaysss struggled with having my toes pointed out. I toe-in significantly when out of the saddle, you'd think keeping them in while riding would be a piece of cake!! :lol:

Hmm, what else do you think I could incorporate here? I always feel like I run out of things to do. 
My kind of "timeline," I guess, is that I am working right now to get him turning off my leg on a loose rein via "random" circles, then, as he becomes more reliable at it/understand it better, I plan to start working more "difficult" figures like serpentines and such. Right now he gets the concept, but he also "gets" that he can occasionally get away with stuff - like the time he chose not to turn when I asked and _somehow_ ended up stopped at the gate to leave the arena... :lol:
He tends to get stress-y when there are too many things coming at him at once so I tend to avoid doing too many things..but maybe I'm the one who actually gets stressed and he mirrors it.....?

He's searching to stop sooo hard, I'm kind of figuring that keeping him in the trot will teach him "ok, we're gonna be here a while, settle in." But maybe more transitions would be helpful. I did spend some time on trot to walk transitions and I felt improvement between the first and last one! 

I can also feel him looking to canter every once in a while, like he gets into a trot that it would be sooo easy for him to just hop into a good canter. I think I may start asking for a canter one of these days, since he seems to feel pretty ok about trotting these days!


And yeah, he definitely tests! Luckily he seems to skew towards a few little tests, one BIG test, then he settles in and forget testing unless there's a genuine reason to lose his junk. He was sold to me as some kind of terrible, spooky, bolting, maniac horse that would do all those things again and again. 
And I've never seen it. 
I've seen bits and pieces of those behaviors, but it's almost like he realized that I wasn't gonna leave him alone so he might as well give up. He still tosses me an attempt every once in a while, to make sure I'm still committed probably, but it's *knocks on wood* always a single and it's always followed by pretty genuinely good behavior.
He bucked pretty good the first time I ever rode him at home, but after that, he's stuck with occasional cow kicks and rare giant spooks. haha

Someone who leased him, right before I got him, told me "he was fighting me every step of the way! Everything was a fight, and then he would bolt! He's so sweet sometimes, but he was fighting me over everything!"
He has never, truly, fought me hard over anything. I have to wonder what on earth she was trying to do!!

My mare, Lacey, was this little short-legged, 14 hand, roley-poley Arab mare who could scoot out from under you faster than anything. She could drop to the ground and leave you in the air, like an episode of Looney Tunes. haha
His antics seem like they take full minutes, compared to her moves! :lol: 
Not to downplay them, of course, because I still don't love spooking...but I prefer his version of spooking to Lacey's spooking!



Skyseternalangel said:


> I too like this ride moreso than the first one
> 
> In time he'll be more comfortable with being ridden like this--forward, no nonsense about spooking, asking for a little more... and with you relaxing he'll relax and then you will be able to have forward and relaxation. It's going to take time and lots of bendy figures for him to become looser and more confident
> 
> ...


Thanks! 

And true story. I'm starting to realize that sooo much of the "trouble" I have with him is because of some tension/anxiety I didn't know I had! I can get him to go right past "the scary doors," without spooking, if I look up and focus on where we are going. The moment I pay attention to the door, BOOM. He's flying sideways. :icon_rolleyes: :lol:

What do you mean "much more consistent contact"? Just for clarification.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Wallaby said:


> What do you mean "much more consistent contact"? Just for clarification.


Your legs were more effective, your hands steadier, you were riding better overall! Very consistent 

When I said contact, it meant you + horse like your interaction together... not on the bit contact. I should try using a different word


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Skyseternalangel said:


> Your legs were more effective, your hands steadier, you were riding better overall! Very consistent
> 
> When I said contact, it meant you + horse like your interaction together... not on the bit contact. I should try using a different word


AH! I get it!  That's how I felt about the ride too, so I was a little surprised when I read it like you were saying we needed better contact/communication! haha

It's funny, I've always felt like my leg is more effective when I'm sitting, but I'm finding that that may not be the case. I mean, I do need to use caution with my leg cues since I tend to post off my feet when I get a little tired, then my leg cues turn into "bump, bump, bump" instead of "turnnnnnnn" and Fabs gets madddd. But when I'm posting off my seat, I find that my leg feels sturdier than I ever knew and I'm able to be really effective with my legs.
Luckily I suppose, he is not afraid to tell me when he does not like how I'm putting my leg on. He's keeping me honest! haha

For all that, I've always been really worried about him spooking while I was posting because I figured that I'd go flying off. Conveniently, last ride, he taught me that that would not happen! haha


I have also been surprised at how "there" he is without a bit in his mouth! I'm realllly tempted to throw my baby-curb on, just to see what he'll do...but I also don't want to rush this. We seem to have found a good thing here and I want to rush him since that's what always happens to him, and that's why he's 12 and _here_. 
He's sweet, so he gets rushed, then he protests, and so forth.


And I'm SO happy with this saddle I found! I feel so secure/comfortable in it, but, unlike a lot of other western saddles I've ridden in, I can actually post with some kind of balance. 
Best $200 EVER spent!! haha


To head off into ridiculous nostalgia land, I am so glad Fabs came to me. Back when I first got him, I was really nervous about his "stuff" and I wasn't sure I could handle it. It's still definitely a work in progress, we both still have so much to learn, but we are both MUCH better at our respective "jobs" than we were to begin with. 
I feel really lucky that I have a horse that has been willing to do his best to learn things, while simultaneously pushing me to ride better AND putting up with my nerves.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Horses like Fab are never easy, he came with a not so good reputation and you, naturally wanted to get him calmer and more relaxed. 
Often what happens is that they get bored and start to do things, like spooking, just to both test the order and make life more interesting! 

When they are like this they more often than not need what you call wet blanket rides, taking out and no messing around, miles of long steady trots, cantering more trotting and walking to regain breath and then sending on again. Making them realise that messing around is not an option because they will need their energy to complete the ride. 

What I would call working some sense into them! 

When Tom forst came to me he was so nappy I couldn't get anywhere fast - a normal hours ride might take me three hours. 
One day he refused to turn to the right at the road junction, opposite me they were ploughing a field. I took him into the field, which he was willing to do, amd worked him hard and fast in the plough. 45 minutes later, when he was in a lather amd breathing hard, I rode him back onto the road. The farmer remarked that he had had a good work out. I retorted that _now_ he could go where I intended in the first place, turned towards the village and set off at a trot. He learned that napping got him extra work!


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## lucchese (Jan 12, 2016)

I noticed that your reins seems tight and he looks like he's trying to fight it with the bit and holding his head high. I use a very loose rein. Also, you may want to look up more; this is an issue I struggled with and when I look where I'm headed, it makes a huge difference. Just some suggestions!


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## Dustyisace (Dec 11, 2014)

I think he's a lovely horse, so pretty  I would actually say to squeeze with your legs in trot, he looks to me like he is going but then not sure what to do. Make sure you have a good trot before doing transitions. I know it sounds weird but often they feel more jazzed up than they actually are/look  x


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

In an interesting twist to this story, it turns out that Fabs has PSSM. So, on one hand it's a bummer, BUT, on the other hand, he is already soooo much less stiff and so much more willing in just the few days since I started him on a PSSM diet!

I haven't ridden, obviously, because now I know that he needs to be worked up to it a lot more slowly...but I'm hopeful! 
He's already a totally different horse on the ground, I can't wait to "meet" him in the saddle!


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

What is PSSM?


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## Rainaisabelle (Jan 2, 2015)

I think it's Polysaccharide storage myopathy? Not sure on specific details though


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Foxhunter said:


> What is PSSM?


It's a muscle disease where the muscles don't store energy effectively, and can't access any energy they may have already stored. 
In a very basic sense, it means that, during exercise, Fab's body has the potential to turn into one giant cramp at any time. 
Without proper management, he was was essentially cramped up all the time and I was asking him to work through those cramps, cramps that would only get worse the more he worked.

Constantly being very stiff or "I can't put my finger on it"-sore are some of the most common symptoms.

https://www.smartpakequine.com/content/pssm-horse


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Here's an update video!

3 weeks of a proper PSSM management and lots of walking = 







It's not the best video in the world [nor is it the shortest: I start riding a minute-ish in], but I think the improvement in Fabio is pretty obvious!


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

What a difference, he is looking muck easier.


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