Advice needed.

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There is a few things I want to ask for advice on but I think I will sort it all out one thing at a time.

When trotting this horse you have to hold to reins tightish and up abit to stop her tripping occassionally. (This is what I been told to do although there must be a way to solve it) Would you call this falling in on the forehand or not? Also is there any sort of training where you can help the horse to work properly without having to be almost "held up".

She is an ex point to pointer and I have been told she needs someone like me riding her to help develop, train, etc. I am just unsure what way I can go at attacking this problem as I haven't really had to deal with a few of the issues she has. I will bring up a few of the others at a later stage :)

If you can't make out what I am on about feel free to ask further questions to get a better picture.

Thanks :D

[snapmyapp]

even so im sure I'll regret this- since ppl like to counter everything I say on these board. I personally find success when a horse is "heavy on the forehand" do alot of stopping and backing up, so they learn to distribute their weight onto their back end instead of their front end. roll backs into a fence as well can help, since they have to USE their back end to get around, and be lighter on the front. another is going over ground poles, which will make them more aware of their feet, since some horses are just lazy and dont even realize they have legs.

[silverleprichuan]

The first thing I would do is get teeth done, saddle checked, feet balanced up, full lameness exam, and possibly EPM testing. A healthy horse does not need to be "held up" to prevent it from tripping. Yes a heavy or unbalanced horse might ocassionally take a bad step, but it shouldn't occur constantly.

How does she do on the lungeline, at liberty, with no contact?


If she is physically fine, then I'd just trot in big circles on no contact and let her figure things out. If she leans on your hands, give a little "bump" then drop contact. You want her to reach for the bit and seek out light contact, but she cannot think that it's okay to throw herself into your hands.

Transitions, changes in direction, and different terrain are also great ways to get her balanced on her back end and using her back properly.

[DixieGirl]

There is a few things I want to ask for advice on but I think I will sort it all out one thing at a time.

When trotting this horse you have to hold to reins tightish and up abit to stop her tripping occassionally. (This is what I been told to do although there must be a way to solve it) Would you call this falling in on the forehand or not? Also is there any sort of training where you can help the horse to work properly without having to be almost "held up".

She is an ex point to pointer and I have been told she needs someone like me riding her to help develop, train, etc. I am just unsure what way I can go at attacking this problem as I haven't really had to deal with a few of the issues she has. I will bring up a few of the others at a later stage :)

If you can't make out what I am on about feel free to ask further questions to get a better picture.

Thanks :D


This is on the first thing. Maybe the horse needs shoes. Maybe special shoes to keep her from tripping a lot.

[Alwaysridin09]

well i like the backing idea from snapmyapp. i would also go trot polls to teach her to pick up her feet. go over at a walk and trot sqeezing with your legs to encourage her to pick up her feet.

[Haley]

When did she last have her feet done? That can often throw off a horse's balance.

Also, you may be doing this already, but lean back. The more weight you have on her front, the more prone she will be to tripping. You don't need your reins tight to prevent her from tripping, just keep your hands up so that you can catch her in case she does. Constantly using a tight rein will lead to a hard mouth.

[Kalena]

Ruling out any vet or farrier problems. If the horse has a balance issue or has to pull on your hands.
Lots of transition to get him uphill. Lots of half-halts slightly pulling up and legging at the same time, and some dressage work to get his butt underneath him. Mainly, if she pulls on you, you squeeze or kick her forward, can't put their head really far down if they are speeding up.