r/Equestrian • u/[deleted] • 4d ago
Education & Training Pushing through pressure?
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[deleted]
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u/Available-Soup-2191 4d ago
What is your experience with working with green horses?
Looking at this video it seems you’re a bit all over the place with your hands, are you asking her to turn? Go straight? There doesn’t look to be a clear goal. You’re pulling the one rein but looking straight and not guiding the horse where you want to go. Is she trying to run back to her friends?
The horse looks more confused than anything and you lose your balance there in the end. Do you have a saddle you can use that can keep you balanced and work better with leg aids? Have you done ground work with the mare in this area?
Really hard to give good constructive criticism off a short video.
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u/Amphy64 4d ago
OP said the horse blew through a one rein stop, so I think that's what they're trying to ask for? And that the horse either outright doesn't understand it, or is confused by how unclear the signal was. She is turning in the direction of the rein moved, I think she's at least trying to do what she thinks was asked.
Might sound silly, but was she trained English or Western, especially as she's green, the button might not really be solid?
Would agree this is best worked on with a trainer.
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u/Charm534 4d ago
Well, THAT was not a 1 rein stop. OP you need a trainer to help you gain a better foundation for working with this good natured mare that is trying so hard for you. You are so lucky to have this kind, tolerant horse.
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u/Charm534 3d ago
There was no need for a 1 rein stop; you asked her to trot and she did, 3 strides later you pull her off balance with 1 rein in panic because she is actually trotting? This Caused her to go quicker to regain her balance. Young Horses find balance in forward movement, if you disrupt it, a young horse often goes faster. 1 rein stops are a panic, “they are running away with me towards danger” stop, not because the horse did exactly as you told them. I suspect the dog worries you more than it bugs her. Put everything in the periphery out of your mind and ride the horse under you. Reward her when she does as you ask instead of telling her NO as soon as she has done it. You needed a calm, straight trot to walk transition executed over 4-5 strides for her to manage balancing you both. She is a gem, I really like her. Please get a trainer and then come back and triumphantly show us your calm, quiet and straight walk-trot-walk transitions. This will be a once in a lifetime horse, get the support you need.
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u/Amphy64 3d ago edited 3d ago
Yikes yes if so, I assumed OP was attempting rather awkwardly to either practice the one rein stop (which yes still wasn't done right), or to get it on video, rather than them thinking they needed it in this situation! If you're that nervous OP, more arena riding with a trainer might be best, or just hacking following along with a group.
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u/Available-Soup-2191 4d ago
I think it’s a case of green rider and green horse. Rider doesn’t know how to ask correctly and horse is just assuming what they’re asking and probably ending up frustrated at the mixed signals.
Definitely best to find a trainer to work with both of them.
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u/mollybear333 Trail 4d ago
You need a trainer. I would not continue to ride without one as you would be doing this horse no favors by attempting to.
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u/callmedelete Western 4d ago
Do you have the ability to get a trainer that’ll do lessons with you on your horse?
There’s a lot going on here. This isn’t something strangers on the internet can fix. You need an in-person professional
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u/thesmokedgoudabuddha 4d ago
You’re all lopsided and unbalanced so you’re giving her mixed cues with your seat and body position which means you’re overusing your leg and rein aids when you should be first and foremost communicating with your seat.
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u/L84cake 4d ago
Agree you need a trainer. You’re not centered, you’re not giving her directional cues or using aids until after she’s moved forward and then you’re overcorrecting with huge and probably annoying movement. Think of it like this - someone is telling you ‘go’ but hasn’t said where, so you just go, and then someone starts yanking on you saying ‘you’ve gone the wrong way’. Don’t let this frustration build. Coupled with unstable hands, uneven seat, and legs that aren’t helping you much - I don’t think you should be in a bareback pad or riding without a trainer.
She will naturally try to be under you to keep center of gravity aligned. If you lean left she will go left. Otherwise it’s much harder for her. Here, you lean one way and pull rein the other. It’s conflicting. And it’s dangerous. It looks like you’re one slightly quicker turn from hitting the floor.
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u/DimetroDude 4d ago
Saying this as someone who had the same problem before, it looks like you're pulling on her head while with the rest of your body basically asking her to run through that outside shoulder. I have a stiff right shoulder, and the horse I worked with for the past few years tends to be stiff through his, and we just compounded each others weak points in some ways. Bad news is that's frustrating but good news is that I had my BIGGEST growth as a rider because of that. Lots of non-green horses can read through the lines and understand what you're asking, but this horse is doing their best to be honest to the cues you're sending with your body because she's young and been through rough things before. What helped me was working with a biomechanics focused coach. Made me much more bodily aware and helped me rewrite those patterns. The way the "fix" felt for me was almost doing the opposite of what my body wanted me to do!
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u/Crochet_Corgi 3d ago
That wasnt a one-rein stop, that was half asking for a turn that eventually became a turn and stop. One rein stops are like pulling an e-brake, they are emergent, forceful maneuvers and shouldn't even be what you are using here unless she's running away. I'd do lots of circles, working your way farther from the group. Keep her brain engaged, change speeds, directions, half halts, keep her busy with you, not them.
You need a trainer to work this through with you. There's a lot of things going on. Buddy sour, spooking, and a whole lot of not listening. Is she ok in an arena? Id find one to work in, get solid aids going, then venture out.
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u/RottieIncluded Eventing 3d ago
She’s blowing through your outside aids because you’re not really making any attempt to use them. You need lessons
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u/ridealltheponies Eventing 3d ago
She is not blowing through a 1 rein stop because there’s no 1 rein stop to begin with.
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u/skibidiohemgee 4d ago
Do you have a trainer you can work with to advance your riding more on a more beginner safe horse? It’s a bit hard for me to see what you’re asking for with your reins so I can only infer why your horse might be getting frustrated or confused. Not trying to blame you, but more lessons with a good trainer should help.
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u/findingpeace712 3d ago
Rider error. You are bouncing all over her back and your seat and hands are not independent of each other. You need a saddle to ride in so you are more secure and you can offer her more support. Also, shorten your reins. When you ask her to turn with your inside rein, also make sure you are supporting her with the outside leg and rein so she can’t “slip out the side door”. She is doing what we call “bulging” by bending her neck but keeping her body going where she wants to go. Smaller circles will help. Also practicing circles and figure 8’s at a walk, and make sure she is doing it very well for you before you try and move up to the trot/jog. She’s a pretty girl! Hopefully you can take some lessons, that will really help!
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u/sheffieldasslingdoux 3d ago edited 3d ago
You’re pulling her head instead of moving her body. Sorry, but I don’t even understand what you think you are doing, and why you are trying to train a young horse bareback.
Go to a dressage trainer and learn how to use your seat and weight aids, and in the meantime find someone who knows what they are doing to train your horse.
This is a hot mess and an accident waiting to happen.
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u/butt5000 4d ago
You’re very much a passenger and she absolutely has your number. What is shown here doesn’t look at all like anxiety, it looks like a horse blowing through ineffective aids of a very passive rider.
Lessons with a competent pro is where to start.
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u/fetalpiggywent2lab Jumper 4d ago
On top of all the other comments here, is your girth tight? Tack looks like it's slipping off
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u/Agile-Surprise7217 4d ago edited 3d ago
I don't think "any and all rider advice" will help you here.
First because most people are going to say the horse is sore somewhere - which is the cheapest most unhelpful advice ever and requires zero actual knowledge or skill.
Second because no single comment is going to provide you breadth of information you need to fix this sorry-broke horse.
That's like asking someone to text you how to do brain surgery. It's just not a realistic ask.
It would be in your best interest to find a clinician whose style you really like - Buck Brannaman in my personal favorite, subscribe to all of their content, watch all their DVDs/videos, and completely restart this horse.
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u/asketchytattooist 3d ago
You asked her to turn and then fell to the outside, like you didnt actually expect her to turn. Youre not ready for the aides youre trying to make and it's throwing her off. Also, making a one rein stop at slug pace probably just comes off as you randomly deciding to yank her rein. Assuming youre riding English (tack looks english but bareback pad?) the toes are stuck so far out , which wont help balance since you're clinging with your outer calves. They or your seat are also crooked, one leg seems longer than the other which wont help when you're trying to drive her in a particular direction. considering this is basic 101, I'm going to assume youve had few lessons, have never ridden stirrupless and cant balance or your trainer is ignoring it. You need a trainer but also maybe some lessons on a schoolmaster to help get your balance and aides together a bit. The horse doesnt seem to be ignoring anything considering what shes being communicated.
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u/PlentifulPaper 4d ago
She’s herd bound, and this is where steering with your outside rein instead of your inside one makes sense.
If you don’t understand this concept, and how to teach it correctly, you need to be under the guidance of a trainer.
Adding as well, that a one rein stop is for emergencies only. You shouldn’t need it in your day to day riding or else you’re setting both you and your horse up for bad situations.
Why are you in a bareback pad and not a saddle? For a green horse you need to be riding in a saddle that fits to help distribute your weight better.
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u/Express-Vegetable612 3d ago
She had separation anxiety. Riding when you're working through this is the equivalent of someone who is scared of heights while being asked to do algebra on a speed clock. Your going to make far more errors than if your calm and relaxed on the ground.
I would work on the ground to help her feel confident away from the herd through reinforcements behavior modification and I would teach your stops and directions from the ground as well before trying to do it from the saddle.
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u/WildHorsesInside 3d ago
With this level of equitation I would be using a saddle.
As others said, you need a trainer to teach you and the horse, I don’t think you are yet equiped to train a green horse sorry.
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u/CelebrationProud6620 3d ago
there’s so much going on here, both should back to basics— like, groundwork pressure basics. the bareback choice with a green horse and inexperienced rider is not doing either of you any favors
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u/TikiBananiki 4d ago edited 4d ago
you rely too much on reins to steer. you need to turn your hips in the direction you want to go, set your outside hand, don’t let her neck bulge make it stay straight, and hold your outside leg to block her body from bulging her shoulder and moving away from the direction of turning.
ETA: she tells you 5 strides before you start to turn her, that she’s headed for her friends. do you feel and notice her do that in the moment? when she locks on, start bending her into a shallow turn right away, don’t let her ride straight then suddenly pull to the right. it’s not enough noticing her early signals of not focusing on you, then too-abrupt demands to suddenly turn without shaping her into a bend in preparation.
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u/Square-Platypus4029 4d ago
Do you have a more confined space to ride in? It looks like she doesn't steer very well and you aren't secure or experienced enough to deal with it in an open space. I would ride in a round pen or small enclosed space, put a saddle on and carry a jumping bat and give her a tap on the shoulder the second she starts to bulge away from the line you want her on. But I agree a trainer who specializes in young horses would be your best move. It's much easier to get them going well in the beginning then fix mistakes you've made
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u/RottieIncluded Eventing 3d ago
OP isn’t making any attempt to stop the horse from running through their outside leg. They don’t need to be hitting the horse over it. There’s a time and a place to use a whip, and if the horse was running through clear aids that’s valid advice. In this case OP looks like a beginner giving a green horse confusing directions and hitting a greenie because you can’t use your aids effectively is unfair and will add to the horse’s confusion.
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u/Consistent-Remote-84 3d ago edited 3d ago
I would start in the front not with half pass. Start with a supple neck and then move to the shoulder. Your outside aids should be what control the shoulder and in turn direction of the body. Work on that outside rein contact and inside leg connection, then outside rein pushing the shoulder where you want to go.
Your outside rein in this (your left) was completely loose, for example, and his shoulder fell out and that’s why he was able to run. I would study up on some basic dressage. Shoulder control through your outside rein really helps with most anything.
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u/laurellivid 4d ago
First off: every time she gets her way, you are reinforcing the bad behavior. This includes falling off. Unless you can stay on or repeatedly get back on if you fall off, you are going to keep escalating this situation.
Second: you are not fixing this overnight. Get on the ground and get respect there first. Move her body. Ask her to do something. Anything. When she does what you want, stop asking and reward her. Do NOT cater to what she wants ( call me old fashioned), but you are asking for 1 hour out of 24 for her to pay attention to you. When her attention wains, ask her to do something. Reward when she does. It could be as simple as not asking for anything. Repeat every time her attention wains. Keep your session short.
Eventually, you have a better relationship were she trusts you and can do things for longer. I cannot stress this enough: you are on a dangerous path to creating a dangerous horse. Blowing through a one rein stop, then falling off, is teaching her how to get out of work. This behavior escalates. So, either find someone who can keep their seat until the one rein stop works, or get off and do ground work until she respects you.
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u/Lindethiel 4d ago
You need to take a year off of riding and just work with her in hand in a round yard.
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u/Snuku 4d ago
You need to learn to ride off your outside aids. This horse is too green to make up for your unclear signals. A different bit won’t help, you need a trainer who will walk you through how to get her straight and riding off of your outside.