From: tracy@scoraz.resp-sci.arizona.edu (Tracy Scheinkman)
Newsgroups: rec.equestrian
Subject: need help with stubborn horse
Date: 26 Aug 92 07:04:07 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ


In article <1992Aug20.222051.29855@infonode.ingr.com> blythedr@infonode.ingr.com (Dennis Blythe) writes:
>  I have a 3 year old mare that once she gets warmed up she is hard to stop.
>I only have this problem at a canter. It usually takes 3 attemps to get her to 
>finally stop... Or could this be because she is so young.

	Young horses often have a lot of trouble balancing especially
at the canter.  This is because they are still growing, their bodies
are not yet used to being the size that they are, and because they
are unused to how to go about adapting for the weight of the rider.
Try working at the walk and trot for a long time, on the order of 
several months, work on walk-trot-walk-halt transitions a great deal
this will help build up the muscles and balance needed for the horse
to be able to balance properly on the down transition from the canter.
Remember that not all youngsters have the same ability to balance,
yours may require additional training that another doesn't, especially
if your youngster has the added problems of being either rump high
or very narrow or long-backed or rough coupled.  All of these can make it 
much more difficult for the horse to be able to bring the hind end under them
properly for the down transition.  Balance is tremendously important
for a horse to be able to slow down because if they are unbalanced they
are afraid they will fall if they slow down so they resist.
	BUT another thing you should check is the fit of your saddle
as a saddle that fits poorly pinches when the horse attempts to slow
down, for that reason the horse will resist the downward transition.
Look for rubbed hair under the rear of the saddle, or round or oval
patches of drier hair when the rest of the back is sweaty when you
take the saddle off.  Girthiness when being cinched or girthed up
is a slower sign that develops over time.  Another sign is a horse
that won't stand still for mounting.
	Another thing you should check for is problems with the bit
as this can often cause resistance to downward transitions.  Do not
use a snaffle bit that has very straight mouth parts such that when
you put the bit on a table with the rings stretched out to either
side all parts of the mouth piece touch the flat surface of the table.
The reason is that this type of snaffle (unfortunately very common)
has a very severe nutcracker effect on the horse's jaw.  When choosing
a snaffle for a young horse choose one that either forms two arches
when laid on a table, thus showing that it can conform to the horse's
mouth better, or use a bit with two joints such as a french snaffle,
a Dr. Bristol, or a breaking bit with keys (also called a mouthing bit).
If you are using a curb, make sure that it does not have a snaffle
or jointed mouthpiece as the curb action intensifies the nutcracker
effect of the mouthpiece, and that it has a low port as many horses
are sensitive to the feel of a high or medium port mouthpiece on
their sensitive palates.  
	As long as saddle fit and bit are not a problem then you are
very likely looking at an unbalanced youngster and time and miles
at walk and trot with lots of transitions and some work over hills
will help.  Do not expect too much too soon as balance takes quite
a while to develop, the TTEAM trainer who came out to work with
me and my Arabian mare last year said, "She's only 6?  She's just a
baby!  Don't worry, just you wait, when she hits 7 then you'll see 
a BIG difference!"
	She was right.

					Tracy and Bruce (beautiful man)
					and Cachet (7 year old Arabian
					mare) and Mithril (2 year old 
					Arabian filly) and The Cats