Riding a ring sour horse doesn’t make for the most enjoyable time. Unfortunately, being ring sour is a problem that affects many horses, especially those in serious training. Want to improve your horse’s ring sour behavior? Here’s how.

Understanding Why a Horse is Ring Sour

Most horses become ring sour out of boredom. If you have been riding your horse in the same indoor arena all winter, working hard on preparing for the upcoming show season, then it could be that your horse is bored with both the scenery and the training techniques. Lesson horses also often become ring sour, generally because of the physical and mental demands of teaching and tolerating inexperienced riders.

Physical pain can also manifest in symptoms that may lead you to guess that a horse is ring sour at first. A ring sour horse generally displays an unpleasant attitude when put to work, a reluctance to cooperate and move forward, and a general misbehavior under saddle. These can also be symptoms of a horse who is in pain, though, so before you decide that a horse is ring sour, have him checked out for overall comfort.

Changing Up the Ring

One of the best ways to overcome ring sour behavior is to ride your horse somewhere else. Getting out of the ring for a trail ride can give both you and your horse a much-needed mental break. If you’ve been schooling in a particular ring for months, then try to ride in a different arena for a while to see if the change of scenery helps.

Changing Activities

In addition to getting out of the ring, changing up your activities can help to break the boredom that causes a horse to be ring sour. If you have to keep riding in the same ring, try to introduce new aspects to your rides. Rather than focusing on your daily training, change things up by incorporating things like trot poles or road cones.

Alternating your riding days with groundwork sessions can help to introduce the variety that your horse needs. Additionally, you can break things up a bit by doing activities that you wouldn’t otherwise do with your horse. For instance, if you’re schooling dressage, introduce a few low jumps on occasion. If you ride Western pleasure, think about setting up some equine agility obstacles to add some variety.

When it comes to helping the ring sour horse, changing up your riding routing and surroundings is key. Be patient and do your best to keep as much variety in your routine as possible.

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Original source: Tips to Help the Ring Sour Horse