Training a weak side.

[Cedarsgirl]

Hope someone can give me a few tips on training a weak side. When loping to the left my mare is so much smoother than loping to the right. It has improved a bit lately but loping to the right is so much "choppier" feeling.

A few weeks ago she resisted a bit even taking her right lead. I've been trying to lope her a bit more to the right than left in the hopes that she will become stronger on her right side. Not sure if this is correct but when posting the trot, should I rise on the left diagonal? Would her left hind also be weaker than her right if she's naturally a left leaded horse? Any other tips to train to improve strenth on the right side would be appreciated.

[Gem's Mom]

Ride to the right a lot. Circles, bending, figure eight, poles, flat... whatever just go to the right more than the left. Let her build up to the cantering, stick to walk/trot for a while then short periods of cantering. If she's weak and unbendy on one lead it will be uncomfortable for her at first. Someone will come along with more specific advice I'm sure :-)


For posting "rise and fall with the leg on the wall" make sense?
Horse leg on the wall goes forward you go up, it comes back you sit.

[Cedarsgirl]

For posting "rise and fall with the leg on the wall" make sense? Horse leg on the wall goes forward you go up, it comes back you sit.

Thanks GM. I have been doing more circles to the right than the left. As far as posting goes, I usually do what you suggest, however I thought that I had heard that if a horse has a weak right side that you should post on a left diagonal all the time until the right side is strengthened? Has anyone else heard this?

[jeezitsjacki]

well for me I always start directions of the weaker side. I always ride to the first side longer than when I switch directions, because I get tired so start off going the weaker direction, then do the good side

[mare]

I'd try to figure out where the problem is on the right side and then why that area became a problem, and then go from there.

Unless the horse had a left brain stroke, chances are not the whole right side is weak. (And that wouldn't be altogether true either)

[Cedarsgirl]

Like I said, she's not a total problem going to the right and lately has improved a lot. Even at our last competitive traile ride she mostly took the right lead which kind of surprised me because I didn't ask for it. Maybe she feels more relaxed to take that lead when not in the arena and is ridden stright down the trail of course? I just don't know. She has so much heart that she'll always do what you want.

One thing that I did notice though is that her corecTor pad was flattening out more on the near side, at the center of the pad where the split is, (off side no change). This leads me to believe she is pushing me out on the saddle to the left (near) side. As a result does this mean that its her right side that is weaker if she is pushing me to that side? I'm so confused. Can anyone help me. :(

[mare]

She sure could be imbalanced, and it sounds like you are helping her make gains.

[PatriotsDreamer]

it might be your saddle not fitting causing her to be weaker because of avoiding pain...

[Cedarsgirl]

it might be your saddle not fitting causing her to be weaker because of avoiding pain...

PatriotsDreamer, if its a saddle issue (I sure hope not though she's done this with other saddles too), would it be bar pressure on the right side (off side) causing pain? I'm not noticing any dry spots under this saddle. Yesterday when I went to ride I checked her back (and I mean palpated with very firm fingers and no response). But thats not to say that the pain isn't elsewhere I guesss. Is there anywhere specific that I should check?

Mare how common is stroke in horses? To tell you the truth I'd never ever thought of that before.

[Spyder]

I'd try to figure out where the problem is on the right side and then why that area became a problem, and then go from there.


The problem is likely on the left hind. There could also be a problem with the rider not being straight in the saddle and collapsing on one side.

[mare]

The problem is likely on the left hind. There could also be a problem with the rider not being straight in the saddle and collapsing on one side.

Agree. Hard to tell over the internet.

[Gem's Mom]

Gem also prefers one lead over the other (think he likes the left). We mostly trail ride so when we canter I try to get a flat straight stretch to do it in. He'll pick up one lead easily and feels more relaxed. If I ask for the other he'll rush more and not be as smooth. On one of our "trails" there's a large flatish grassy area and we work on canter circles there. I have him do more of them to his bad side than the good but other than that we're not really working on fixing the problem since it's not that much of a problem. I have noticed that he's getting better on the bad lead, but I can still tell which lead we're on by how smooth he's going.

[Cedarsgirl]

Spyer you make a good point. Broke my bake last year in a riding accident so it may be quite likely that I'm not sitting the way I used to. :(