Brainstorm on Losgelassenheit (suppleness) pretty please :)

viola

viola

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 August 2005
Messages
1,887
Location
UK & Europe
aspireequestrian.wordpress.com
I am battling with the tension in an eventer I am trying to do dressage with
smile.gif

I started riding him a few weeks ago doing long and low work, encouraging the chewing of the rein out of my hands and working on the low contact. This has some results already (he is much more connected, his canter feels very good and transitions became much more uphill) but I would love to have more tools to work with!
As I don't have a dresage trainer at the moment and I know some of you train with decent instructors would you mind giving me a bit of an insight into exercises you do, advice you get etc when asking a horse to work over the back in truly relaxed, supple manner.

Thank you for reading!
smile.gif
 
I'm lucky to have lessons with really good dressage riders who compete at Intermediare. With both of mine who are at different levels we work on transitions, transitions within the paces, straightness, suppleness. It really depends on the horses way of going and attitude- with one of my horses I have found that he is better being worked up together and then long and low and this gets him really supple thru the back, together with keeping my position really balanced so it balances him and is working from back to the front end.
He also can get tense too and v spooky so I have to to lots with him to keep his attention ie shoulder in, leg yielding, 4 loop surpentines and every time you touch the track ride a 10 meter circle- I've found that a really good one. Also walk to canter whilst keeping them really soft and connected in the hand helps them use the back and improves the trot and throughness and collected to medium canter. Also counter bending the neck for a stride or 2 /counter canter helps. I have also found with mine that if I can place his neck wherever I want it then he is usually working over is back.

Good luck- maybe you could try out a lesson with a dressage rider or something- whereabouts are you based?
 
I would have to say the only thing that keeps my boy relaxed is to keep his brain busy, so as the previous poster says lots of variety. We do lots of 10m & voltes, changes of rein, shoulder in, straighten followed by 10m circle, back to a leg yield nose to the wall another 10m circle, change of rein and repeat. Then move on to renvers 3/4 steps, straighten, circle, travers 3/4 steps, straight circle etc. Our favourite exercise is to do lots of transitions on a 20m circle, so 1/4 circle walk, 1/4 circle canter, 1/4 circle trot, halt, 2/4 steps walk, 1/4 circle trot, 1/4 circle canter, walk, halt, TOF to change rein or change rein thru the 20m circle then repeat on the other rein. Then you can go on to mix this into a figure of 8, so 1/2 circle canter, change rein, trot thru centre of figure of 8, 1/2 circle canter, walk thru change of rein, trot, then canter thru change and counter canter, trot thru change, then canter. This exercise is even better if your schooling area is bigger than 20m wide so your horse never gets to hang or rush back to the wall.

I'm sure you get the drift. I think it's important to keep fit buzzy horses very busy. Do the stuff he finds easy but make it more difficult by shortening the time he does it, so if he finds canter walk trans easy, make him do the trans but only cnater 5/6 strides, then walk 3/4 steps and repeat the exercise.
 
totally agree with the canter-walk-canter- we just do a few strides of canter and straight back to walk and then back to canter for a few strides!-
 
Lots of using the gears in trot / canter. Applying nice pressure by closing down the pace - i.e asking for the slowest trot you can manage and then releasing the contact slightly and leg on to move away. Great for getting them off the leg - but also to bring relaxation and swing to the paces when they can move on and away from the harder 'collected' work - being allowed to move forward and relax becomes their reward. Think of having 1-10 gears and start gradually by working at a 7 and asking for a 4 - as they get stronger and more balanced you can increase the difference.

P.S

Frances Norman is very good .....near Tunbridge Wells
 
[ QUOTE ]
Our favourite exercise is to do lots of transitions on a 20m circle, so 1/4 circle walk, 1/4 circle canter, 1/4 circle trot, halt, 2/4 steps walk, 1/4 circle trot, 1/4 circle canter, walk, halt,

[/ QUOTE ]
This sounds interesting, haven't tried it before with him. It might work as he definitely improves with transitions!

QR The desire to go forward is not a problem with him, it's the rushing and tension that is. From your replies looks like I really need to be disciplined and ask him loads of questions.
 
I've been doing a lot of work with my trainer on counter flexion on a circle and if your horse is tense in the neck, shoulder or jaw this will really help.

You start in walk on a fairly long rein but with a contact, on a 20 metre circle, you counter flex for about half a circle until he softens and gives, you then reward by letting him go straight, then flex to the inside and repeat the exercise. You want him stretching down into the contact as well as out. You've also got to make sure he doesn't tilt his head as this is incorrect.

Then repeat in trot with a shorter rein. You can then work on maintaining the counter flexion but making the circle smaller - going to 10 metres if he's capable and then allowing him to go straight and spiralling out. You can repeat the whole thing in canter too. The thing is to not to keep the counter flexion for very long periods and to mix it up with straightness and bending to the inside.

I've found this has massively helped supple my exrace horse.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top