Exercises to engage the hindquaters

[TinselRider]

Hi guys
After giving Ban some time to chill I have brought him back into work and he is very heavy on the forehand and dis- engaged behind.
I was wonderng if you had any exercises to engage his hind quaters and lift the forehand other than transitions, turn on haunches etc??

Any advice is muchly appreciated

 

[Lucy_Nottingham]

I was gonna say lots of transitions, first of all just simple ones like walk to trot, then back again, then as he gets the hand of it, up it to walk to canter, halt to trot etc....... ye?

ergh........ also, when trotting shorten to a more collected trot along the short side of the arena, then lengthen down the long side, then shorten again at the short sides ye? that way he is tucking under then pushing off, then tucking again..... get me?

Legyields will also help, so long as done correctly!

 

[Bossanova]

Transitions only work if theyre good quality ones, many people ride poor transitions and expect that to be a miracle cure.
Shoulder fore is a great one and riding squares rather than circles can be very useful

 

[Scribbles]

I found lunging and riding over trotting poles on a circle the greatest help.

 

[TinselRider]

Thanks all

 

[DollyDolls]

You could try lengthening his stride & really pushing him on to get him more active behind, then when he's really using his backend underneath him ask for more collection.

 

[Honeypots]

Half halts and double transitions

 

[Kayfm]

trotting poles ?

 

[K27]

heaps of rein backs as well as all the usual things, transitions, transitions within the pace, walk/halt to trot and canter, leg yielding and lots of stretching work in a slow trot so they have to use themselves. You can also use the corners in the school to really activate the hind legs too.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Transitions & leg yielding as this will encourage your horse to bring his hocks underneath him, engage & create power rather than just speed.

 

[kirstie]

I also find 'near walk' tranitions really good. Try to achieve a good ish quality trot and start to introduce these. Give yourself definate points or markers to do them by. Collect your trot as much as possible, keeping power until just before your horse walks, allow him forward into a working trot. It's important that he stays round and as soft as possible and that u do allow him forwards after. It really encourages them to start to take weight back without asking to much too soon. It's quite difficult to do really well and takes a bit of practice, be careful not to use too much hand, think more of having 'heavy elbows' and half halts.