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Location: WA | Just like us, horses are right and left handed. My colt is much more honest to the left. I've known this since I've started her, and we have made drastic improvements with her right side, but she still isn't as soft and fluid to the right as she is to the left. She's my first prospect so I think I'm noticing the difference in her body a lot more than a finished open horse. Anyone have this issue with their colts? I would love to hear advice! Any exercises I can do with her to help her brain and body figure itself out?
Adding to that, has anyone noticed different personality traits from horses who are right and left "hoofed" or is my past psych classes taking my brain on a tangent? Ha!
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 Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
  
| blazinunicorn - 2017-03-14 1:27 AM
Just like us, horses are right and left handed. My colt is much more honest to the left. I've known this since I've started her, and we have made drastic improvements with her right side, but she still isn't as soft and fluid to the right as she is to the left. She's my first prospect so I think I'm noticing the difference in her body a lot more than a finished open horse. Anyone have this issue with their colts? I would love to hear advice! Any exercises I can do with her to help her brain and body figure itself out?
Adding to that, has anyone noticed different personality traits from horses who are right and left "hoofed" or is my past psych classes taking my brain on a tangent? Ha!
I will just say this because I know someone else will, check for soundness. Make sure there isn't a reason they are better one way than the other.
With that said, I know horses that are just better one way and you can try and practice that one way but they will likely always be better one way than the other. I played basketball for many years and link it to that. I dominated right handed but I had to practice, practice, practice with my left. I obviously got better with practice but I never obtained the same comfortability left that I had right. I don't think horses are any different.
I have a friend who has their own small family breeding business and they have one cross that all are lefties.
I should also clarify, most horses are better to the left which is why they go to right barrel first. So when I say lefty, I mean they go to the left first. so I think that would make them "righties."  | |
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 Expert
Posts: 1611
Location: bring on the heat, NV | So ive got a similar situation. No soundness issues. Went to a centered riding instructor so i could see if its my riding. My weak side is also her stiff side ugh. A horse stiff on the opposite is eaiser for me. I bit her up occasion esp if she has time off with flex to either side. I start her on her stiff side usually lunging etc. I spend time shaping her at a trot til we have a small correct bend before we lope and then im ready to "pick up" that shoulder if I need to because she tends to poke her nose out and drop her shoulder. Counter arcing/bending I meant to start but winter and injury got in the way. Just lubing up the whole system. Find where she is bracing and go from there ribs, shoulder? Mine tends to get on her front end to which doesnt help. Work in progressive. Need to build strength to be able to hold that correct shape. Untrain/retrain muscles...  | |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 425
Location: California | moapajetrider - 2017-03-14 9:39 AM So ive got a similar situation. No soundness issues. Went to a centered riding instructor so i could see if its my riding. My weak side is also her stiff side ugh. A horse stiff on the opposite is eaiser for me. I bit her up occasion esp if she has time off with flex to either side. I start her on her stiff side usually lunging etc. I spend time shaping her at a trot til we have a small correct bend before we lope and then im ready to "pick up" that shoulder if I need to because she tends to poke her nose out and drop her shoulder. Counter arcing/bending I meant to start but winter and injury got in the way. Just lubing up the whole system. Find where she is bracing and go from there ribs, shoulder? Mine tends to get on her front end to which doesnt help. Work in progressive. Need to build strength to be able to hold that correct shape. Untrain/retrain muscles...
Just an idea to add to this, soundness aside... This is something I experienced and it didn't click until years later. My mare always dropped her right shoulder. It didn't really matter what we did, she was just not the best going to the right. Always just seemed uneven or downhill that direction. On a side note, I had gone to the chiropractor for my own self (for totally unrelated issues) and I learned I have scoliosis. Guess which way I leaned/was crooked to? The right. It finally clicked. My horse dropped, because I dropped. So now I almost have to lean to the left to really be straight since I'm physically crooked lol. | |
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Location: WA | Yes thank you! She is most certainly 100% sound. Most people probably wouldn't notice and think I'm just being picky. I don't need her to track both ways, I just want to make sure she's solid solid solid throughout her body. | |
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Location: WA | ccarpe18 - 2017-03-14 10:13 AM
moapajetrider - 2017-03-14 9:39 AM So ive got a similar situation. No soundness issues. Went to a centered riding instructor so i could see if its my riding. My weak side is also her stiff side ugh. A horse stiff on the opposite is eaiser for me. I bit her up occasion esp if she has time off with flex to either side. I start her on her stiff side usually lunging etc. I spend time shaping her at a trot til we have a small correct bend before we lope and then im ready to "pick up" that shoulder if I need to because she tends to poke her nose out and drop her shoulder. Counter arcing/bending I meant to start but winter and injury got in the way. Just lubing up the whole system. Find where she is bracing and go from there ribs, shoulder? Mine tends to get on her front end to which doesnt help. Work in progressive. Need to build strength to be able to hold that correct shape. Untrain/retrain muscles...
I love that you added that. Something a lot of people overlook. The classic "it's not you, its me!" | |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 899
Location: Idaho | blazinunicorn - 2017-03-15 10:32 AM
ccarpe18 - 2017-03-14 10:13 AM
moapajetrider - 2017-03-14 9:39 AM So ive got a similar situation. No soundness issues. Went to a centered riding instructor so i could see if its my riding. My weak side is also her stiff side ugh. A horse stiff on the opposite is eaiser for me. I bit her up occasion esp if she has time off with flex to either side. I start her on her stiff side usually lunging etc. I spend time shaping her at a trot til we have a small correct bend before we lope and then im ready to "pick up" that shoulder if I need to because she tends to poke her nose out and drop her shoulder. Counter arcing/bending I meant to start but winter and injury got in the way. Just lubing up the whole system. Find where she is bracing and go from there ribs, shoulder? Mine tends to get on her front end to which doesnt help. Work in progressive. Need to build strength to be able to hold that correct shape. Untrain/retrain muscles...
I love that you added that. Something a lot of people overlook. The classic "it's not you, its me!"
I totally agree with this!! When working with my colt, he was always bad to the right compared to going to the left. Granted he did need his teeth done, but once he got his teeth done he still was very sticky going to the right. A big problem? Me. I am generally very stiff to the right, even though I have been riding for 25+ years, the right always feels awkward to me. But with a lot of work and determination, and I do a lot of stretching to help free up my back, and some help from some great trainers, and a good chiro, and my colt now lopes and works amazingly both ways. Including his first barrel.. he has such a nice first barrel, I hope he keeps it up and I don't mess it up for him! lol It took what felt like a long time to get us here, but indeed we have and I am so grateful!
Edited by DashNDustem 2017-03-15 3:52 PM
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colt better to left than right