Re-training a horse who is dead to the leg

One of our 'guinea pig' horses this week for the teacher training, was a 19 year old ex riding school cob called Phil. He came into the school looking world weary and shut down, despite his very kind owners of two years. They are very novice too, so had no idea how to get him to liven up!

They had been riding Phil in a pelham with roundings, as he can get a bit strong in company on the Moor, but in the school was totally switched off.

I put a second pair of reins on, and rode him myself. Because my legs are so effective, and I whacked my boot with my whip to gee him into action, or whisked the whip behind him to make a noise, he was soon off my leg and going forwards. Although not clicker trained, we still rewarded him for making the effort and after a few polos, he was already a a different horse, like he had come alive!

I did put spurs on to give me a more precise aid still, not for forwards movement, but although he had never been trained to do it, I had him doing shoulder in and leg yield in about ten mins, in walk of course! His owners jaws were nearly on the floor! My students were also absolutely astonished- I think we may have some video of this, so I will ask them to post if they have.

The old boy just perked up immediately I used my leg correctly and asked him to relax his jaw. We put his owner back up, and on the lunge, so that I could get him moving forwards for her. She had been held back in her own riding by his total lack of forwardness. Getting him moving off the leg ( and also putting her in a saddle that wasnt inhibiting her too) transformed her riding over the two lessons. I popped her on the simulator after the first lesson on Thursday and really consolidated the correct rising trot. Her stirrups had gone down 5 holes, by the way, yes, 5!!

Yesterday morning I put her on the simulator again just to remind her of the correct posture in rising trot especially and then popped her back on Phil. He had already remembered from the day before, that he was supposed to go forwards from the leg, and surprised owner Mary by how much easier he was to ride! I put her on the lunge for about ten mins just to get him going from the ground, and really establish his forwards thinking. Then two of the girls took over to teach her, doing walk halt transitions, and halt walk. Whereas before, Mary was scarlet even trying to get him to move!- something she now realises she was causing by pushing with her seat and backwards kicking!- she managed to get some really good transitions, and even to trot without any backwards kicking or shoving. Her sitting trot had improved out of all recognition too.

I think this lesson, almost of all, convinced my EETTs just how effective our methods are, because Mary who looked like a real novice at the beginning of her lesson on Thursday, by the end of her lesson on Friday, looked a totally different rider. All due credit to Mary too, for really putting into practise what the teacher trainees were telling her, it is actually quite rare to be able to get a confirmed backward kicker to still her legs to such a good degree, in one lesson! And dear old Phil? He looked like a different horse too!