‘How do I stop my horse getting strong when going round with others?’
Show hunter specialist Claire Oliver gives some tips on keeping a horse calm and collected on the go-round
TACKLING THE ISSUE
1 Practise working with other horses in the arena at home, so the horse becomes accustomed to horses working around and behind him.
This situation can often worry a horse and lead him to become strong and tense. Keep working until the horse feels relaxed and comfortable among others.
2 Work on transitions, as this will make your horse more ridable in the ring. Practise half-halts and perform transitions
‘Do not fire off from the top of the long side of the arena in the gallop’
in canter, allowing him to move forwards and then bringing him back to collected canter.
Simple changes of canter to walk will help the horse sit on his hocks. Perform these exercises on 20-metre circles and then ride them using the whole of the school.
3 When practising your gallop, increase the canter around the top of the arena and then stride on down the long side.
Do not fire off from the top of the long side of the arena, as the horse will definitely learn to anticipate the gallop.
4 When riding in the ring, make use of your space. Do not get too close to the horse in front of you, and also make sure there is not a horse sat on your tail.
To gain more space, either ride into your corners or, if you see a large gap, cut across or make a tight turn.