Exercises for teaching extending

[rachk89]

So having difficulty getting my horse to understand how to extend properly in any gait. Collection is easy enough but not extension. He does a decent walk and trot, canter needs work but trying to do collection and extending in walk and trot only currently.

What happens now is when I ask for extended trot he runs. He puts his head up and panics a bit so runs faster. He is getting fitter and stronger so wanting to keep him going in the right direction but don't really feel like he is getting the concept. When I do manage to stop him panicking I just get a normal working trot, there is nothing extra about it. Can't get a lesson til next weekend so looking for ideas on exercises to do now and again until then. I know some horses find it more difficult than others and think he is one of them.

Best I have at the moment is a figure of 8 with the short sides for collection and the diagonals attempting extension. But yeah I just get a running horse not really any extended movement. Any ideas welcome

 

[milliepops]

Some of them do have to go through the running stage to get the idea of *pushing* into bigger strides. I've always tried to introduce lengthened strides in trot out on a hack, ideally on a gentle uphill gradient with another horse that already understands the idea. They naturally tend to want to keep up, and being outside the confines of the arena helps to draw them forward.

That said, it's perfectly possible to do it in the school. .. I'd begin by making clear transitions between working and more collected trot. Make sure that when you send him forward he gives you an instant reaction to your leg and that he stays securely in the contact. The idea is that by repeating transitions on and back you engage the hindlegs and he begins to positively pull into the contact a little while pushing from behind.

Then turn onto the long side and ask for more than working trot. Don't be impatient at first, reward any attempt at lengthening and insist he stays in the rein confidently. They will often experience little losses of balance and/or rhythm at this point and that is quite normal , just help him with that and ask again. If you have a big enough school you can keep going around the short sides.

Patience, patience, keep returning to the on& back to get the hindlegs engaged. Don't punish him if he breaks to canter, just quietly correct him. I wouldn't ride diagonals for now , I'd stay on one rein at a time until he is confident with the exercise otherwise you are changing his balance all the time.

Some of them do find it hard in the beginning. Another exercise would be to ride shoulder in and then ride forward for bigger steps, that can help if they run onto their shoulders.

Take your time my sec d has finally cracked this to the point the rhythm almost slows as she extends, it's fabulous when they have the strength to push off the ground in balance but it does take time to build this

 

[PorkChop]

Great advice from Milliepops as always.

I tend to teach them on a beach, alongside another horse as you obviously can trot in a straight line for a good distance

 

[Goldenstar]

I teach them out hunting works every time .
But slightly uphill out hacking with a friend is a good way .
It takes time if they don't have the knack of it naturally .

 

[rachk89]

Cheers milliepops. I will try that can see your point about changing diagonal all the time. Definitely not expecting perfection just an attempt of understanding it so that we can build on that and eventually perfect it. Actually like the shoulder in idea too that might work for him as he is naturally quite good at that, so that might help.

Wish I could go to a beach porkchop but no transport yet. One day!

No hunting here goldenstar. That's one thing he will probably never experience as there are not hunts. He definitely doesn't have a knack for it, even when a better rider rode him, they asked him to lengthen in a field at a canter and he barely managed. Collection is easy, but extending is a struggle. Just want to introduce it to him now so he gets an idea of it for later on.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Cheers milliepops. . Collection is easy, but extending is a struggle. Just want to introduce it to him now so he gets an idea of it for later on.

Are you sure he is in true collection, if he is you would feel the uphill/up through the wither movement together with the lightening of the forehand (how much do you have in your hand), when you have that you can use half halt to activate the hind leg and with your seat and hand allow the steps to open gradually. Just a few steps at a time always remaining in balance.

 

[LeannePip]

Great advice from Milliepops as always.

This is what i was thinking too!

Always first in there, articulating exactly what i want to say, in a much better way!

 

[rachk89]

Are you sure he is in true collection, if he is you would feel the uphill/up through the wither movement together with the lightening of the forehand (how much do you have in your hand), when you have that you can use half halt to activate the hind leg and with your seat and hand allow the steps to open gradually. Just a few steps at a time always remaining in balance.

Yeah he is. He is naturally uphill anyway never on the forehand so he is actually quite easy to ride in that respect. Forward going when you engage his brain and he will use his hind legs very well, all his power comes from the back end and you feel it very strongly. He is actually pretty easy to ride other than the fact his movement bounces me out of the saddle so much that sitting trot is a struggle. Canter is comfortable sitting trot is not, when collected its even worse. I dunno how I am ever going to sit to an extended trot whenever I get it.

If I even get a couple of strides of extension I would be happy. Just want him to understand what I am asking for, if I can get him to understand what I am meaning, I think we should be fine after that as its then working on his strength to maintain it. But I need him to understand first.

 

[DabDab]

Good advice up thread ....only thing I would add is that sometimes with a very uphill horse with big shoulder it can sometimes really help to ask for a medium trot from a more collected trot than working trot. So get a nice light collected trot and then ask for the medium by just opening your seat off the corner. That just helps them get the idea of going 'up' into it rather than just running into their shoulder and then having nowhere to go. Although this is all a bit easier if you can use sitting trot...

 

[be positive]

I find some get med canter before trot, the uphill horses can find it hard to let them selves down enough to take the longer steps in trot, the other thing to make sure of is that they are truly straight before you ask, unless using shoulder in, going evenly in the contact with possibly a little outside flexion before asking, think of a half halt and just waiting a stride or two, hence milliepops saying to ask on the long sides not across the diagonal where you may start off with too much bend and that will limit the push coming through when you really need it.

A while ago he had some uneven muscle under the saddle, I guess that has leveled out now otherwise he will be restricted and unable to lengthen.

 

[ossy]

Good advice already just to add i always teach on a big circle first rather than straight lines don't have to worry about collecting before actually extended.

 

[rachk89]

I find some get med canter before trot, the uphill horses can find it hard to let them selves down enough to take the longer steps in trot, the other thing to make sure of is that they are truly straight before you ask, unless using shoulder in, going evenly in the contact with possibly a little outside flexion before asking, think of a half halt and just waiting a stride or two, hence milliepops saying to ask on the long sides not across the diagonal where you may start off with too much bend and that will limit the push coming through when you really need it.

A while ago he had some uneven muscle under the saddle, I guess that has leveled out now otherwise he will be restricted and unable to lengthen.

Yeah he just doesn't seem very able naturally to lengthen his body. I think he got it a little today and I let him have a reward of jumping (since everytime we even slightly approached a jump he was desperate to get over it so think he appreciated it). I have a showjumper not a dressage horse, makes me want to cry.

His back is more level now although its still lacking condition. The physio was happy with it though, just needs more strength. I checked it again today and it does look better but I would need to get on bareback to be sure I guess.

 

[rachk89]

I know this was a while ago, but got a bit of a surprise today when I saw this article:

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/hh-question-of-the-week-612658

Quite surprised, my question featured in the main part of the website. Backs up the advice given on here, shall be practising it again soon, hopefully tomorrow if the weather is nice. He has got it twice recently, but he was chasing other horses in the arena. I did feel the extended movement of his legs though so I know what to expect now better from him, just need to achieve when he isnt after a mare.

 

[Tnavas]

Check how you are asking first, stay in rising trot, make sure that you only eek out the contact quietly and steadily - too fast you will lose the contact and the horse will run.
Use the short side to work on engaging the quarters more, or ride a 10m circle in the corner, allowing the rein out as you come out of the circle, as someone else has said try using shoulder in. Riding behind another horse that is allowed to canter - your horse will want o go stronger, prevent him from cantering but allow him to increase the length of stride. I had one school horse who refused point blank to lengthen in the school but was awesome out of it.

 

[Destario]

A helpful way to get more in the walk is to pull the leg back ever so slightly and alternate your leg aids) squeeze with calf) to really encourage more push off in the quarters. So your right leg asks with the left fore rising etc. Once you get the knack you can time it a bit better to get the hind leg push. Can work in trot but need a really straight horse.

For some horses 3 poles can help that gradually get further apart and they have to push. Then add more poles. We do that on the long rein /lunge with the tiny driving ponies. Pretty quickly catch on to the extension command over the poles.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

He is actually pretty easy to ride other than the fact his movement bounces me out of the saddle so much that sitting trot is a struggle. Canter is comfortable sitting trot is not, when collected its even worse. I dunno how I am ever going to sit to an extended trot whenever I get it.

Sorry for chopping your post but this bit stood out to me.

You could be describing my horse, uphill, finds collection much easier than lengthening and bouncy!

You've great advice on here on where to start for extensions but I wanted to add that until you truly have him connected and through from hind end over the back and to the hand it might all be a bit of a struggle.

It was the turning point for us, sitting trot was awful, bouncy and a struggle until we developed the balance and connection. When they are properly through with a soft back sitting trot is far easier and then the power is easier to direct. Rider fitness then is the only limiter in my case anyway :lol: .