Green Broke Horse

Question
Hi, I have a problem with my four year old green broke mare that I was hoping you could help me with. I just recently bought a new mare to be my future barrel racer and for the most part she is very easy to work with. But my problem with her is that I can't get her to turn in circles very well. She is very stiff and fights the pull of the reins a lot. When trying to lope her in big circles, I have to pull on the reins very hard just to get her to make a circle and I don;t want to do that and make her hard-mouthed. Also, when nearing the gate or other horses she tries to go to them during the circle. I know she is young and has poor balance right now, but do you have any ideas on how to get her more flexible and able to do circles? Right now I am lungeing her to improve her circles, but even then she is pulling very hard on the lunge line. Thank you for your time.

Answer
You can work with some stretching exercises on the ground.  If she will eat carrots, take one and walk towards her hindquarters, making her turn her head and neck and extend herself to get it.  You can also bring carrot down by her knees to make her reach for it there too.  

She also could have dental issues, and pain issues.  A vet could rule out those, and a visit from a chiropractor or massage therapist for equines could help a lot.  Sometimes a bit can be hitting a sensitive tooth, or there could be a pulled muscle in the hindquarters which can result in the stiffness when you are circling.

Run your hands down her neck, feeling for hard spots where her muscles may be tight.  She may have several or none, and look especially on the side she seems worse at.

You also can work with her from her back, at bringing her head around to your knee, by gently increasing rein pressure on one side, and getting her to give first one side and then the other.
And might also take some rubbing alcohol and giving her a rub down before riding or working her, to get the muscles loosened up first.  There are several books that demonstrate some massage techniques for horse owners to use.  

And could also be that your saddle doesn't fit her well, or that your weight throws more to one side than other.  A lot of problems can be caused by saddle fit, and having someone video you will help to rule out whether something else could be going on with your mechanics too.  She could have a shorter stride, or a longer one, that will change how you sit her, and cause trouble.  And make sure that when you are asking for your circles/bends, that other hand is not tightening up on rein on other side.  Shoot that hand slightly forward so there is no pressure.

You also need to check her bit, making sure that it is not moving and irritating her somehow.  And along with the teeth, run her tongue out and check to make sure there are no old injuries, and check her soft palate.  Had a wonderful horse once, that had been WP.  At the very base of his tongue, it was cut almost completely in half, where apparently someone had not removed a tongue tie.  The only thing holding his tongue together was the band running the length of it.  If you didn't have his tongue pulled all the way out, to where it looked like you were trying to pull his tail through his mouth, you didn't notice it.  And have seen a horse that had a twig crammed into soft palate.

The first step I would take would be to rule out pain, and have her worked on with massage/chiro, and saddle fit.

If pain/dental/chiro rules out anything, then when you are riding her, ask her to give to you by bridging your reins, taking a hold of them closer to bit, and about the width of shoulder points, and very low.  Bring her nose in, very lightly, don't fight her, just be steady, and when you feel her soften and poll rounds, release pressure.  Keep this as light as you can, moving her forward in a trot, and repeat.  The key is to be as light as you can, and work on what with lesson children I called Christmas bows.  Work on the rail, (and can do in pasture) and every so often circle into one side or other and then resume the line.  You will have made a loop without breaking momentum.  Do not make the circles too tight, just frequent and routine.  Also do serpentines, snaking back and forth as you ride.  Do not get lazy, stay focused, and don't let her drift.  Make sure to use all of your aids, and again, keep them light as possible.

As to the trying to get back to the others/gate, she should be giving off clues that she is thinking about doing this.  Watch her ears, when one is forward and one back, she is thinking too much, and apply a little forward to her, either by clucking, or moving lash whip up towards hindquarters if lounging.  And if on her back, gently tighten your calves against her, and get her moving.  If you read her cues before she acts on them, you can do away with this.  Horses will always give some type of cue as to what they are thinking, other than major fear response, it may be nothing more than feeling "lighter" under you, but there will be something there.


One other thing, and I know this is a lot probably, but sometimes adjusting the trim on hooves helps a great deal.  Nothing is symmetrical.  There will be one side or the other that is longer, bigger, just like when you buy shoes, you buy for the dominant hand, as that foot will be larger.  Horses will have a side that is shorter, and sometimes that can be as much as 1/4 of an inch.  Not much it would seem, but when that shorter side has to reach a little further with each stride, and come down differently it can add up.  Many people will trim/shoe for even hooves, and never consider that the leg on one side or other is a different length.  That is also something to look at.  You can measure for yourself from point of elbow to coronet band.  In turn, being short on one leg, will work on the opposite hind and cause soreness.