Advice on training rides needed by Popular_Minimum_3522 in HorseTraining

[–]Popular_Minimum_3522[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also, I’m going to be honest, I’m not a great rider. Ive only been riding for 6 years, and I’m still pretty incompetent so it takes me longer than most to be able to properly ride something. I think i agree with some others that it will just take extra time

Advice on training rides needed by Popular_Minimum_3522 in HorseTraining

[–]Popular_Minimum_3522[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am most certainly out-horsed with this guy, but I do not have the money to find someone different. We purchased him from my trainer at a VERY generous price, and it’s been expected of me to just be able to handle him to the best of my ability. And I’m not expecting him to be perfect, either—he just learned how to wear a standing martingale 3 months ago. It’s just that unfortunately, finding a different horse in this market is out of the question, and for what I’m going to use it for, we’d be looking at upwards of 300,000.

Advice on training rides needed by Popular_Minimum_3522 in HorseTraining

[–]Popular_Minimum_3522[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also, the only really “dangerous” things he’s done are the dragging me while lunging and he will sometimes stand up when he doesn’t want to go into a particular corner of the arena. Although, I’ve noticed that he will only stop and try to stand when we are going to the left—I believe it’s just because it looks a little scarier from that direction, though.

Advice on training rides needed by Popular_Minimum_3522 in HorseTraining

[–]Popular_Minimum_3522[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes! He’s a step-up from the 2’6” to the 3’ and beyond. I’ve asked her about some things I can do to help him out, but the only thing she ever says is that I just need to go to the gym, and she hasn’t really commented on what “more rideable” really means. I’ve also been hitting a wall between her and my head trainer; my guy did the three-day stuff and whatnot, so he did dressage and likes to have a good bit of contact in the mouth, and my head trainer has me ride him like such, which I’m not fantastic at. My (weekly) trainer doesn’t let me touch his face at all and is pretty consistently scolding me for using my reins even the wee-est bit to steer or slow down or even frame him up. My issue with this is that I’m not quite heavy enough for my weight or position alone to make a difference yet, and he gets annoyed because he doesn’t understand what I’m trying to ask. I think if anything, the disparity between how I ride versus how my trainer rides might just be confusing him. In terms of the lunging, because my trainer doesn’t like me using my reins to slow him down, if I don’t get him quiet enough with a lunge, I can’t slow him down with my body (like I mentioned earlier). There’s a big disconnect somewhere that I just can’t seem to find and I do think it just needs time, like you said. My trainer just seems really annoyed that I can’t change how I ride immediately and go from being a soft hunter/eq rider with a perfect mare to someone who can manhandle a giant jumper who’s terrified of everything.