When I got my ex-racehorse, Gertie, she was stiff, unbalanced and uneven. Surprisingly for a TB, this made her reluctant to go forward! Conventional lessons weren’t getting us anywhere – instructions to try and ‘get her on the bit and get her moving from behind’ only made her lame.
Luckily, Hannah showed me this approach. Although it felt slow at first since I wasn’t used to spending so much time in walk, it actually didn’t take long (just a few weeks) before Gertie felt like a different horse! She was suddenly MUCH softer and more supple (she could bend!), much more even left-right and much more relaxed and happy to go forwards. She started to come onto the bit on her own and felt really happy and relaxed in her schooling sessions.
When I took her for a lesson with my conventional instructor she couldn’t believe the difference and Gertie was then able to freely and beautifully work over poles and jumps. She is now staying sound and loving her ridden work, whether that’s dressage, jumping or hacking.
