Can anyone give me ideas for flat work for a very green and fat quater horse?
I have just put my three year old Holsteiner filly under saddle and am finding it difficult to find interesting lessons for her that do not put a young horse under too much pressure. In New Zealand we have strict rules restricting the showing of 3yr olds under saddle. Because they are still maturing you need to be careful not to over do it and I go for quality not quantity with lots of breaks as rewards (especially if your horse has a bit of condition on). I like to start in walk and do a couple of laps of the paddock just asking for forward, then serpentines in walk asking for correct bend. Then transitions to halt and then onto a little leg yeilding out on a circle. Trot work then follows the same routine and then i like to throw in walking over poles on the ground. With a young horse it is about praise for even the slightest effort in the right direction. If the horse isn’t getting it come at it from a different angle and be paitent. God luck, schooling young horses is very rewardin
