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Hope y'all had a great trailing weekend.
Our family recently got a new addition to our household. He's a very
bright 4yo gelding with lots of personality and has to be right on your
shoulder if you're doing anything in his stall.
When we got him, he'd had some professional training and some trail
riding. He was used to a Tom Thumb bit.
I'm working with him very slowly because he can only handle about 30-45
minutes of arena work before he gets an attitude...he'll just stand
there and won't move. We've been working on giving to the bit, bending,
on lunge at walk and trot, under saddle we do mostly walk to trot
transitions now because he can't walk straight in the open arena. Out on
trail, he's bold and likes to be in the lead. He's very nice to ride,
but I'm having difficulty with him in canter. When I try to rate his
speed with the usual half-halt and deeper seat, sometimes when he really
doesn't want to slow he'll start throwing his head up and to the sides
getting us off balance. Yesterday, one time when we were last in our
group and he just had to be on the next horse's butt, (he loves to be
right up next to the horse in front of him) I wouldn't let him close the
distance and he started resisting my control. He flipped his head so
hard that the shanks on the tom thumb flipped upside down and I just
about freaked. I was able to flip them back around and get control with
my voice and bit.
This kind of situation is bad because it gets us out of balance when we
are in a high rate of speed. It places both of us in danger. I hesitate
to use a tiedown on him because I know that doesn't really fix the
problem.
He has been getting better about the flinging. It is at it's worst when
we are behind the group. If he is in front or even in the middle, he
will listen to my aids and respond without avoiding the bit and throwing
his little fit. With the weekend's heated discussion about vosals and
bits, I'm sure I'll get some flames here. I'm willing to take the heat
to get my baby out of danger and on the right road. Much of his
behavior is psychologically driven,, he doesn't want to get left behind.
I use a full cheek snaffle in the arena and he likes to go right through
it half-halt to halt. I would never get his attention on trail with it.
Should I go to some other type bit like a broken mouth kimberwick so he
couldn't flip the shanks?
Any suggestions, help, insight would be appreciated. (All degrading
criticism will be trashed)
Happy Tails
Susan, Sabian and the new guy Fly Bye
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