Training Young Horse

[Silly Filly]

I have a 15hh, 4 1/2 year old Irish Cob mare. I would like to start lungeing her as when i ride her she does not really use herself and has a low head carriage (looks like she is about to fall asleep!!). I do not really want to use side/draw reins as i have no knowledge of how to use them. Any ideas on how i can get her to use herself and to work in an outline? Through lungeing and ridden?

Many thanks

 

[luv2jump2!!!]

I would lunge her as you would normally - bridle, saddle if weight on back is wanted??
Try some walk/trot/canter with her, Don't strap her head down with a martingle, or change bits if its not neccisary!

Do you have an instructor? Prehaps it may be worth getting yourself one? A young horse is ALOT of work for anyone - strike that - a horse is ALOT of work for anyone! I've had my horse since January, she's 9 and is currently out of work due to a fall we had at a jump.. We have to REALLY work with them to get a nice outline, somehorses arn't designed to be the worlds best dressage horse - note why my horse is a nightmare to do dressage with but a sweetheart to jump

 

[Esther.D]

I would be a lot happier with a low and relaxed head carriage on a youngster than to see them tense and going around with their nose in the air...so that is not a bad start at all. I would agree with not using any gadgets, I tend to keep working them gently and find a natural headcarriage tends to develop if you keep your hands light and ask for plenty of impulsion - there will be people on here with much more advanced technical advice than that..but that is where I start with a youngster

 

[shandy84]

I would be inclined to long rein rather than lunge I am now officially a convert for the reason that my girl just exerciseson the lunge she never collects or uses herself but longreining makes her collect and really use herself, I wouldn't do too much though as it takes time to build up the muscles to cope with it, that is a big reason why many training aids cause more problems than they cure as they allow no time for muscles to build up and force a position

 

[shirley]

Take all the advice you can get, and I would definately get an instructor to assist you with lunging for the first few times, until you and your cob get the hang of it. We have a young horse, we bought on from 2 years old and she is now just rising 4, we have started lunging her for the last couple of months. We put side reins on, but just very loosly to let her get the feel of reins on the bit rings. again with saddle etc on.
Does you cob know voice commands to stand, walk on and trot on, preceeded by his name. If not you can do this in hand whilst walking him about the yard, or practise this in your menege etc. Have a look at a book on lunging, you can buy some cheap ones, and do not have to go really expensive. Best to buy a basic book, or read some websites and have some lunging lessons with a good instructor. Again let him have a natural head carriage, he will come up when he is feeling more balanced. It will not take forever to be able to use side reins. Only do not do too much lunging i.e. day in and out as running around in circles can be very boring for them. To help out could put a small pole on the circle or small jump to give them something else to consider whilst going around in a circle. Remember that if you normally ride for 40 minutes that 20 minutes of lungeing is the equivilent. Also just start really slowly and for few minutes only. Make sure you always do both reins for equal times, so as he does not become better on one side than the other.
Once you have mastered one rein, think about long reining, you can lunge with two reins too.
Good for you and keep chipping away with you horse, he will soon improve. Better to think what you can acheive in a year with steady determined work, than trying to acheive something in say two months. Give him and yourself time to learn together. My cobs have both been very forgiving with me learning with them. But it has been worth it, as if it had not been for my cob, I would not now have the skills to bring on our younger pony
Good luck, sorry this is so long!!!

 

[jUmPingIsLifE]

at 4 1/2 i would be VERY happy with a low head carrige! though tahoe (my 4 yr old) if i am not very consistant i find his head SKY HIGH! he gets very mad when i ask him to go round and will often retaliate by carring his head sky high until he works into it after a while of my nagging a decent trot from him!