Question # 136: I have a question about a problem that I am having with my mare on cross country.
When we do our gallop sets in particular, I work on her being adjustable. When I close my hands to ask her to come back she avoids this by moving her body sideways. It is never the same direction she goes, and I try closing my leg and "outside" rein to keep her from wiggling, which helps some, but still not enough. What should I do? (Kayla)
Hi Kayla!
What you are describing is actually quite common! This is similar to what happens to the tractor trailer or a truck and trailer when the front brakes are applied too strongly. The energy in the back end of the vehicle overpowers the front end, and the result is a jack knifed situation:
To avoid a jack knife situation like this, the rear brakes (the ones on the trailer) need to be as equally engaged as the front brakes (the ones on the truck). And the same is true when you are riding. Too much hand will almost always cause a strong horse to go sideways. What you need to do instead is to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
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