[ginger102005]

I need some advice/tips

Ok, So I am starting to ride Mocha again, her baby is about 12 weeks old, and I have been slowly getting on her every now and then, and walking/trotting/loping on the rail of the arena, but not asking for much more. Today I decided to ask her to do some things, and found her to be very stiff on the following.

1. When I ask her to flex and bring her head around to her shoulder:
She does the left fine, bringing it around as soon as I pick up my rein for it. But when I ask her for the right, her whole body stiffens and she braces her neck so she can't bring it around, after a minute of asking and waiting, she brings it around, but still stiffly.

2. Any kind of circle, whether it is turning, walking a circle, trotting a cirlce, or loping a circle:
When asked to go to the left, she does a smooth turn or circle, staying up under herself with her nose very slightly tipped to the inside.
When asked to go right, she either veers in and does a turn instead of a circle, or braces her neck and and won't really circle or turn, but she stops instead

So, my question is....
Is this something that she just needs more practice to the right, or could it be an underlying problem?
If it is just a practice thing, what excercises can I do to work on it?

[Reece's Peices]

i am not a professional trainer but maybe i can help.
Was she fine before she foaled? Could you ride her nicely both ways before? I would try running your hands all over her body periodically pressing with palm, knuckles or fingures to see if she has any sore spots. Maybe her tack does not fit correctly now? Round pen or lounge her tackless to see if there is a difference. On the ground, work on bending he head to her shoulder, stretching her legs and weighting her tail ( pick up her tail bone and apply a backward pull to it gently, stretches some back muscles, if your horse like's it she may lean forward so she gets more pull on her tail, do not pull hard!!! It should be relaxing pulling, gently applying the weight then gently releasing it, nothing sudden. Try having her reach around for a carrot, forward, up, side 's, angled down. Any direction you can think of. her WANTING the treat encourages her to do it on her own.
These are the only suggestions i can think of for your imediate problem. If all proves to be just her being stiff then when she limbers up on the ground it should to start to come out in her riding.
Oh, i thought of another thing. It possibly COULD be your own body being stiff! Try a large yoga ball, you would be amazed at what a simple blown up piece of plastic can reveal about your own body!! Maybe your heavier on one seat bone, shoulder....list is endless. If both you and the horse are having stiffness issue the combined issues could be causing this greater issue...
just suggestions. If nothing is improved on the ground i would call in the vet, massage therapist or ciropracter, or if your area has one, a person who practices 'Bone'. Thats a mixture of massage and criropracter.
Hope all is resolved with no hitches and i hope your mare IS just a bit stiff (better than having an actual underlying problem!)
Good Luck!

[bay_blnd jmpr07]

It's just like people. Some of us are right handed, others are lefties.

Most horses travel easier and are naturally more supple when working to the the left. They're more balanced moving that way. They're muscles are used to working that way.

Then you turn them to the right and they feel like they're falling so they don't flex to the inside, cut the corners and some will go faster at the trot and canter because they feel like they're going to fall.

What I do with my horse is spend more time going to the right. And doing LOTS of 20 meter circles. Starting at the walk. And bending around my leg. We get deep into the corners and bend around my leg. Keeping contact to bring the head in and using the outside rein from letting the outside shoulder pop out.

It's frustrating, it makes riding that direction harder. I've always had a harder time cantering to the right myself. I had such a hard time sitting it well for the longest time. (But I'm good now LOL)

Sit up tall, weight on your left seat bone and bend around your leg while keeping the outside shoulder from popping out.

[Goonhorse]

First of all I would make sure it's not a physical problem. I was working Breez on day and got frustrated with her because she wasn't flexing as nicely as she normally does and then I found out later her neck was hurting her. I felt so bad!

If it's not a physical problem, I would work on one-rein-stops with her and bending.

One Rein Stops
Start out at the walk after a few feet bring one rein around like you do when you're asking her to flex and bring it around to your hip. Make sure and do this smoothly and don't jerk on her head. Hold it there until her feet stop and she flexes. That's very important that her feet stop, she flexes and stays stopped. After she's good at it at the walk, go to the trot and then to the canter. Once again, make sure you aren't jerking on her head--especially at the canter or she could end up falling.

Bending
Go through the same motions as you would with the one rein stop, only as you're drawing the rein up use your inside leg on her. As soon as she flexes, drop your hand holding the rein down to your knee and keep it there as she goes around in 3 or 4 circles. AND when she flexes immediately stop using your leg. If she stops going around in circles, use your inside leg to keep forward motion going.

Be sure and use both sides a lot on her right side. This REALLY softened Breez up--both laterally and vertically.

[ginger102005]

Thanks guys, and Reese's I will try some of that stuff you mentioned next time I ride her, which wont be for a couple fo days, because I have alot going on. I know it isn't tack, because she does it bareback or saddled, with a bit and with a halter. I tried switching to a halter because I though she might have a sore tooth I was hitting when putting pressure on my right rein, and when I went out to give hay I hopped on her bareback to see if it was tack, but I will try on the ground stuff and see if she limbers up. I dind't get mad at her today, she worked on simple stuff and ended it on a good note in case she was hurting.

[Reece's Peices]

thats good!! Well, i think you have the right mind set to have her back on track. Just try things that encourage her to relax. Muscles are muscles, whether it be human or animals. Think yoga!!! lol, i just thought of that, horse yoga, dont force her to do anything that causes her pain, you wouldnt do it if it hurt, why should she??
would like to hear an update later with your progress! good luck!!!

[idlewild]

This sounds like a pain/physical issue to me. I'd have a vet and/or chiropractor look at her to make sure she isn't in pain somewhere.

Once that is ruled out I would agree with Reece's Pieces, lots of groundwork.

Do cookie stretches, just get her reaching around with her neck to her hips in both directions.

Get her to yeild her body from the ground, namely her barrel. Hold the inside rein on the ground and apply pressure to her rib cage. The point is to get her stepping sideways WHILE flexing her neck to the inside.

Do alot of take and give. Be it in a halter, bridle, or nothing at all, always be continually asking her to flex and give her head and neck in both directions. Apply pressure and ask for flexion, as soon as she gives you release and reward.

Just anything you can think of that will get her flexing/bending/giving side to side will help.

Then get back on and see what kind of difference you have made.

[eqtrainer]

I would really work on stretching with her. It could possibly be a muscle pull or a tear that is making her so tight; it could also be muscle strain too. Work on easy stretches, like others have said with the cookies. Stand at her shoulder and have your horse wrap the head around you to reach for the cookie in your opposite hand. You could also do this standing in front of your horse and holding the cookie at their shoulder (whichever method you would like to use).

Put the cookie between your horse's front legs, then choose a knee and put the cookie there (this way your horse stretches diagonally), then do the other knee. then directly in the middle (so you stretch top line, and both diagonal lines).

Then, if your horse will allow it, massage the tail. Sometimes your horse will hold a lot of stress in their tail, which can affect their ability to make a circle. Massage the whole body too, making gentle circles with the heels and palms of your hand.

Stretch the legs and shoulders out by standing in front, taking hold of the knee and pulling the leg forward.

**** If you notice any kind of strain while having your hands on your horse, try and pin point where the pain is coming from. See if there is any kind of heat/swelling/sensitivity/ear movement/jaw gripping/or tail swishing when you target one area****

[ginger102005]

Thank eqtrainer, I will try that stuff later today.

[Haas Horse Farm]

When she is running in the pasture does she take her right lead? When you ask her to side pass without bending does she move in both directions? Have you tried asking her to counter canter when she is on the left lead?

I would want to rule out pain but often stiffness can be a habit based thing... we seriously had to work to get my DH's gelding (that he had when we first got married) flat would not take the left lead. The reason was he was naturally right leaded and he never had been asked to take the other one...

I had to force him to do it on the ground before he would do it on the saddle. Often they will not side pass in the opposite direction of the lead.