r_beau - 2024-12-19 9:19 PM
rip2feet - 2024-12-16 7:36 PM
Hello. Just got a two year old that is started decently but the issue is the horse is overflexed and every time I touch the reins the response is to touch his head but he doesn't stay elevate. He puts his nose down and if feels like he is trying to push against the pressure and hide his face. I have done a ton of one rein stops and he comes out of it with that but when I start doing circles will not stop pushing his nose down and over flex. It almost feels like he could get strong and run off and whoever broke this horse never made the reins mean anything. I tried a gag bit and it got way worse. Any ideas?
MOVE. HIS. FEET.
Riders and trainers create the "issue" of a horse with a noodle neck and no steering when they focus on the reins but forget to keep the feet moving.
Work on moving the neck to move the shoulder, to reteach the horse to have his nose follow his neck/shoulder/ribcage.
For one that's been "over flexed" I like to go back to a basic O-ring snaffle with no shanks. Reteach them to follow their nose and have some shoulder/rib cage control.
Get one little step in the right direction, drop your rein, and let them move out. Then get one little step in the other direction, drop your rein, let them move out. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. And then repeat again the next day. Little by little but be very consistent.
If you can get anywhere to a Josh Lyons clinic, I would highly recommend it. Obviously not a barrel clinic, but it would be real useful to get his feet moving again and teach the horse to follow his nose.
Rbeau- maybe I misunderstood, but I took it to mean the horse was getting behind the bit.