I got a TB 3 years ago and I am training him since then. Now, I want to train him for hunter/jumper.
He is very fast and speed is no problem as long as western but training in English he should be a bit slower.

Is there a technique I can use on him to make him learn how to leg yield or being squeesed without going a thousand miles an hour?

Thanks in advance.

Hi,

This is an interesting issue, but a common one I come across with some clients. Lots of times my clients will want to switch the event they are riding their horses in. The horses must adjust to each new style of riding, and the owners expect perfection in each.

Understanding that you have a TB, and a former racehorse, are the primary reasons you see behavioral changes in your horse between riding western and English. Your horse is now given a spice of his former track days when he is allowed to move forward when ridden English.

There are some TB's that do well with western riding if they stick with it. Some are even good at frequent conversion between being hunter/jumpers, and western horses. But it takes repetition and lots of discipline and training technique to get a horse who would rather be riding English to stay focused with western.

First ask yourself if you really need to work your TB western. Is it because you like a western saddle? The slow and casual western pleasure feels when you ride? Maybe you like going on trails? First decide if you western are even an option to continue with. It is possible that when your horse was ridden western, he may have lost an interest, became bored, and hence was being a great western horse for the time. It is possible that he was given the chance to relax and go slow and simply enjoyed it and did/does well at it.

From what I can tell, your horse may have great potential as a jumper. Not only because he is a TB, but because he has clearly shown an interest in being ridden English again by getting pumped up. He is getting excited again, and his willingness is showing. This is a great time to introduce him to the basics of jumping and see what potential he has for this.

Jumping horses are just as much athletes as pure racing horses are. Horses that jump must have the stamina race horses do, but they must also have the ability to jump huge obstacles as well as ride well under saddle and in control of their ground work.

If you are determined to keep him both English and western, there are techniques to help with that. For western riding, he may need some light lunging bitted up with a form of a tie down, chambon, draw reins, side reins, etc, attached to the saddle while being worked in the round pen or on a line. This will remind him that he is to stay in a tighter western frame, perorm slower and even more rounded and collected, and to stay off the bit as much as possible. Lost of transitions will also help. For example; a walk to a (jog/western) to a stop and then a backup. Those are normal basic wp moves. On the other hand riding him English you would use transitions going up such as the walk to the trot to the extended trot to the canter, then to the trot again. See the difference?

Looks like I’m writing a book here, lmao....well I hope this helps for now, let me know how things progress
Thanks
Jacab

Daniel,

I've retrained several thoroughbreds for hunter/jumper as well as dressage. Both of my last two exracehorses used to fly away from the leg and were sensitive and forward. Though, I have to say, I trained them english first, then western and some didn't appreciate the shift in saddle placement as well as weight difference. The fact that you are now riding your horse english means most likely that your saddle is more forward (and likely more reminiscent of a racing saddle) and he can feel your body and seat much more clearly, which could be confusing. And, take no offense, if you're not balanced or you have a driving seat, whether you know it or not, you could be really confusing him.

As well as the fact that your legs are now resting against his sides instead of somewhat off the horse as in a western saddle. If you don't realize how much grip you have, you could be setting him off.

Also, I don't know what kind of bit you're using and what you use western. If you ride him western with no contact and a port bit and now you're trying to ride him english on contact, there's a couple of issues here. One being that most racehorses are taught to run faster with contact (it sounds odd, but racehorses are typically taught to balance on their jockey's hands.) I've actually seen exracehorse go down when their riders dropped contact because they were still laying in the rider's hands. So much of retraining an exracehorse involves teaching him that contact does not mean run.

Another point I would add is that correct hunters go forward. The nice thing about TB's is that they naturally go forward, so when you work with them, you try not to destroy that forward nature. (It's this nature that makes me far prefer TBs to warmbloods in dressage..I know I'm in the minority, but I don't have to work nearly as hard as my friends with the big warmbloods.) SO you want to be careful when using artificial means of forcing him to go slower. There needs to be a balance between showing the horse the natural roundness he needs to frame into while also ensuring that he is tracking up well behind and working over his back. If you don't know how to use draw reins you can do serious damage. I've seen horses broken down and ruined by incorrect use. I'm not a fan of them unless in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing. I do use balancing reins and side reins on the longe line. I never use them while riding (that's just plain dangerous.)

Frankly, I would restart your horse entirely as a very green horse off the track and get him used being ridden off the seat more than leg. I would concentrate on transitions and half halts. Once you get him working off the seat, your leg yields will come just by your stepping into the stirrup and dropping a seat bone into the direction you want to leg yield. You can get him to respond by being lighter with your aids. For example, don't use your leg to push him into a leg yield. Instead try stepping into that stirrup and see what he gives you. And when you ask for the trot, decide that your trot command will only be the inside leg and not both legs. Do transitions within the gaits such as medium walk to collected walk to working walk just by a) driving your seat or b) steadying your seat. Same thing with the trot...regular, collected and working just through the seat. (You can use your post as a half halt, slow your post and your horse will shorten his stride, increase your post and he will extend. Assuming your horse's back is strong enough for a sit trot, use your seat to drive him forward and steady your seat to ask him to collect.) You'll likely need to use a closing outside rein or closing both reins until he gets the idea. My ex racehorse will come to a halt from a working trot now just by my stepping left then right because she feels my seat bones drop down left and right.

Anyway...a lot depends on what equipment you are using for both and how steady a rider you are. If you want to email with questions, feel free to at KCGarland@yahoo.com

I have done a lot of training of showjumpers from ex race horses, and I must say that KC Garland's advice is excellent. The important thing is to be patient, and to assist the horse in learning to rebalance himself - usually ex racehorses are very much on the forehand and this results in their leaning on the bit. The natural forward impulsion of thorughbreds is nice, but it can sometimes result in their tending to run. I also find that som thoroughbreds are extremely sensitive and must be very tactfully ridden.

Shirley