a higher head carriage ~~ UPDATE ANOTHER Q~~

[Leena]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I am working with a young warmblood mare back from preggo year and she is pretty green. I do lunge 30 minutes with side reins for improving reins contact: I found those warmblood are mouthy and very sensitive in regard to reins contact.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Being forward is the second goal: my mare have a very bouncy trot, very difficult to ride and stay consistent within. The lunge help me to supple her and get her forward. After 2 weeks of this, I can see a great improvement. She is more relax, more forward, more supple.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Xena, it is just a question of time and regular work. I suggest you to focus on putting your horse forward and attentive to you. Don't pay attention to her head position and work on getting a regular gait, find her confort zone and work with it. Don't ride too fancy because you will just get her too mixed up.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I am giving myself and my mare 3 months. Next month I'll have her teeth checked and then a trainer. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I wish you good luck !!!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Leena#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[AWSgurl]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I ride a wb and find that they make take a little longer to warm up so I take the time, I was told by my instructor once that the bigger horses take longer because of their size and muscle mass, so I usually lunge each way for a couple of mins walk/trot, then I add the side reins, again 5-10 mins each way w/t/c. I find this really loosen him up before I get on him, or if I don't lunge I walk for at least 10 mins bending and suppling him and go long and low and then walk and trot, after this I then pick him up and ask him to come through his back, I find the reason that most horses "fight" is becasue they don't want to come through their back or the saddle is stopping them ( to tight is the shoulders/withers area) also make sure that your upper legs are relaxed and not closed which it shutting them down. Fiqure out what is the best warm up for your horse is and you will find she will be a STAR in no time.......sometimes people don't want to take the time to do this but it makes for a better ride....Good Luck and keep us posted ....#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[xena_n_joss]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#

These types are built to work--maybe you are not working her hard enough?#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Thats what I am thinking. I was only riding her on average for a half an hour because I thought I wouldnt work her too hard because of her leg. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#The thing is, she will go around for hours perfect with her head down and round, on the bit. The issue is that shes at the point now where she needs to shorten her frame and collect more and push more. She has a regular gait, she has a better trot now that Ive been working her into a higher frame. She is going nice and forward. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Like I said, after a good half hour of riding she just stops and is really nice and supple and holds her head. Im not asking for suggestions, Im asking if I should just keep being firm and let her work herself into it?#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I lunge her for about 15mins, but she doesnt do anything on the lunge. And she just puts her head down and goes very good. Drops her quarters and goes... Ive checked her teeth and her tack.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Maybe she is just mad because im not letting her take off anymore? At the belinda trussel clinic she told me to hold my hands, sit up and back a bit and make her come up to me. Which is what ive been doing. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#So is she just P.O'd because ive foiled her plan or something?#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Leena]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Xena, if my horse would had regular gaits, relax and now it is time to go further, I would start to work my horse with shorter reins, and looking for collected trot by being steadily forward.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Then with my outside reins, get the horse to rely on it, so his head drop as he becomes rounder.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Now this get a lot of strenght for a horse, a very good back. If he fails going forward on this, it is because for some reason he is not ready, or back sore, or something else. Collecting trot is not supposed to be a fight, unless there is a reason causing great inconfort.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#There is an exercice I like is shorten circle, enlarged circle at trot, steady. It is like leg yield but on a circle. This exercice help a lot to strenghten the horse.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Well, I wish you good luck. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Leena#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[xena_n_joss]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I already do that excersize leena. And she IS going forward and steady like this. Her only issue is her head for the first while of riding. She is doing leg yeilds and shoulder in and out at this point once shes warmed up#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I find it interesting that no one seems to be reading that I have said after the first half hour she does hold her head perfect and steady with no fight. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Leena]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Xena, I think you have an answer...Work her longer.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I read the thread but it was hard for me to find out what was going on....This is probably just a period of training time issue as someone else point out. Those big beastie take sometimes longer to warm up.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Leena#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[chenders01]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I find it interesting that no one seems to be reading that I have said after the first half hour she does hold her head perfect and steady with no fight. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Maybe it just takes her half an hour to be really warmed up enough to carry herself properly.  If you re-read my first post in this thread, you'll see where I said that I used to go through the same thing with Dali.  He would fight too and toss and flip his head around.  Only he'd do it for the first 10-15 minutes, not half an hour.  But maybe with Xena, half an hour is what it takes for her right now, at this stage in her training.  With Leo, my older horse, it took him a lot longer...more like 30-40 minutes before he was really warmed up.  But he was a heavier QH whereas Dali was an athletic TB.  Maybe Xena, being a heavier warmblood-type, needs the extra time (??).  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I guess all you can do is just be patient with her and let her take the time she needs.  I'm sure there is a reason for her fighting you, and it's not necessarily an "attitude" thing.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Ruth]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I don't think that's terribly unusual. You have been pushing her up to a new level of self-carriage and most horses will be resistant to some degree or another until they A)build the correct muscle and B)mentally adapt to working in a new way. I go through it with Boomer every time we push the envelope. He usually takes about 20 minutes before he softens properly, but when he was at Xena's stage of training 35-40 minutes wasn't unheard of. Suppling exercises, also flexion/counter-flexion in the #ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl#jowl, #ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl#not the neck, will help her to give in the jowl and her mouth and accept the contact better. Remember to fix it with your leg and not your hand.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#