Lurker Coming Out

[Unicorn]

Hi,

 I have been lurking on this board for a while now and have finally decided to show myself!

I have a 10 year old IDx somethingorother gelding .
He came to me very rigid both laterally and longidudally (sp?!). With lots of ground work, long-lining, lunging and free-schooling, he has gradually improved and will now work through with a lifted back and soft contact all the time without a rider and most of the time ridden.

My main problem is that he still hollows through transitions when ridden. He is sometimes ok with downward transitions and I feel I have something to work with there. But he always hollows through upward ones. I wonder if anyone has any suggestions either for schooling or anything I might be doing wrong (since he only does it when ridden  :unsure: ). I don't feel there is much point doing loads of transitions if they aren't correct. 'Only perfect practise leads to perfection'  

thanks

[nhbarker]

Hi Unicorn,

I will chime in only because this is something I have come across recently - there are lots more expert riders than me on this board, so please ignore if I am stating the blindingly obvious  

You say he is softer free-schooled, and hollows sometimes when ridden - I would go back to basics and do the standard checks - back, saddle, teeth, bit.  

My 4 yr old started hollowing  - not badly but enough for you to notice - and we found that firstly the saddle was fractionally too long for his back, and then that he needed his teeth doing (he is fine ridden bitless) :(  

Its fundamental - so if any of those are causing a problem, then you'll need to sort them before you'll make progress...

Again, sorry if you've done all that    

Nic

[Unicorn]

Hi Nic,

thanks for your reply. Very valid point to make.

He has his back, saddle and teeth checked at regular intervals but it is nearly 12 months now since his back/saddle was checked. I'll try riding bareback at some point in the next week and see if it makes any difference re saddle and will book a back person to come and do his annual check-up. Thanks for the reminder    

[nhbarker]

Hi Unicorn - I was both relieved and embarrassed when I realised the cause of my problems     Easy to fix, but I couldn't believe I had forgotten that 6 months is a LONG time between teeth check-ups for a baby - DUH!  :blink:

Hope yours is as easily sorted  

Nic

[shoveltrash]

hello & welcome!  
add to Nic's list (i can't believe you didn't include this!):
check feet  
and riding bareback is an excellent way to check for saddle interference.  i'll be interested in hearing your results.  
my gelding tended to hollow out from trot to canter...he's now doing much much better.  after exhausting all other options, we changed his feet (see barefoot thread).  also we do alot of conditioning outside the arena setting - hill work, long trail rides over various terrain, etc.  something other than arena schooling might 'tune up' the muscles that aren't strong enought to help support your horse in his transitions.   just a thought!
but i am NO EXPERT    
others on this forum might be able to offer more professional advice, i'm sure.

 

[Heather]

Hi Unicorn and welcome to the forum!

Does your horse generally accept, and stay on the bit?
Is it only through transitions that you feel you 'lose' him?
Re: contact, what sort of 'feel' do you have in your hand?
Is your own position stable and do you feel that your seat is independent of the reins?
Which bit do you ride him in, and have you experimented at all with anything different?

Sorry for all the questions, but need more info to be able to help!"

Heather

[Unicorn]

Hi Trish,

well its not his feet - it's the one thing I can catagorically rule out!! His feet are barefoot and beautiful  

I haven't yet tried bareback, I was away over the weekend but hopefully will have a go tomorrow am. I have to admit I don't often ride without a saddle - it's soo hard to get on. But it is fun when I get round to it.

Good point about the variety of work. We do hack out but don't have much choice of terraine or many hills. I'll have to be a bit more adventureous and stick him in a box some weekends to find some more exciting places to hack. I'm sure it must be good for horses' general physique to do a wide range of exercise.

Hi Heather,

to answer your questions:

when I first get on it can take a little while during warming up to get him to soften and accept the bit. Once we have worked through this initial stiffness/reluctance? he stays 'on the bit' except through transitions. Lateral work (SI and LY) really help him to relax and accept the bit.

My contact is generally very light and he will work in true self carriage most of the time. Occasionally he will become heavy and lean on the bit and needs a gentle reminder that that isn't ok.

I think my seat is ok - I've been on one of your courses and you weren't too dispairing    ok so in trueth my lower legs wobble when jumping, my chin juts out, my shoulders move too much in canter, I collapse my waist to one side in traver if I'm not thinking, err anything else.... But I don't think I rely on the reins for balance.  :unsure:  

I currently ride him in a French link, I have tried a bitless and a rubber pelham with no real difference except he was slightly heavier in the bitless.

thanks very much for both your warm welcomes

U

[cptrayes]

Hi Unicorn, welcome! You sound like you know what you're doing. He can do it without weight in the saddle. So it must be something to do with the saddle or the aid for the transition, I guess.  I don't know you and haven't seen you ride, so please don't be offended if these questions seem a bit rude. Are you are that you are not pushing with your seatbones to get the upward transition? Do you think of lifting him into the next pace with your seat, and asking with the upper calf brushing forwards or squeezing inwards, or do you sit down into the transition?  If you are allowing your seat bones to push down or forwards in the aid, then that would make a sensitive backed horse hollow, maybe even especially so in a treeless. Just a thought.

Let us know if you find out what it is.

C.  

[franklin]

Hi,
I have found that horses that hollow in the transitions are frequently unbalanced, try slowing down (rebalance with half halts) till you get the feeling that the time is right(trust yourself) and then ask. Some horse have to go quite slowly till they get their act together then you can aim for perfection gradually. My Sam will still try if he is felling less than cooperative to pull himself up in an upward transition, and usually a light flutter of the inside rein work wonders!
Good luck
Jenny

[Diane Smith]

Hi Unicorn and welcome  

I'm sorry i can't offer you any advice, I'm far too much of a novice for that,

Good luck