Exercises to get the beast to engage his hinds?

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Hovis_and_SidsMum

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Morning!
The Destroyer is currently having a quiet week due to a suspected twinged shoulder (physio tomorrow) however......... had Cool New Shoes Man my lovely farrier out on Tuesday and he mentioned that from the wear on the big mans shoes he could tell I've not been engaging him from behind enough (well actually he said he could tell I was riding like a pillock and not using my lower leg enough, along with a few other less than flattering observations about my riding :D!!).
Now I struggle with this as my left knee is shot, as is my right ankle so coupled with having short fat weak legs anyway I find it hard to engage enough leg. Hubby has legs of iron and can get him to engage nicely. Bah! :(
So can i have any tips for making the big man stop taking the pee with me and actually engage more from behind? Exercises etc that might help us? This would also help me to lift him off his forehand and work more through his back.
I've got some flat work lessons booked for when hes had the all clear from the physio but i'd like stuff i can work on on my own as well.
Thank you
 
Transitions transitions and even more transitions! If you can do transitions within the gait that will also be really helpful e.g. do big trot down the long sides and small trot around the short sides. Also do direct transitions e.g walk to canter and halt to trot and try to get him as sharp off your leg as you can, try to ride everything at the markers and don't be afraid to back your leg up with your stick if he doesn't respond to a light aid. It is nicer for you and for him if you don't have to nag :)

When I school I try to do something at every marker whether that is a circle, a transition, some lateral work or a change of rein. It stops me getting into the habit of trailing round which believe me I find REALLY easy to do.

Polework and cavelettis are also good for getting them to use their hind end. Also grids like bounces get their hindquarters under them (my old instructor used to use them even for dressage horses, bet Hovis will like that:D)
 
In addition to the transitions (which are the best thing) make sure he is working off your leg - so do some work pushing him forward in trot to extend down the long sides of the school, and collecting him a bit round the corners. Go back to

Another exercise I've been doing is what my instructor calls the snowman - basically figures of eight, but you do one circle 20m and the other 10m.
 
I would do lots of trotting pole work too and maybe even canter poles too (at double trotting pole distance, 9-10feet) as that will make him pick his own feet up without exhausting you! The more he works over poles, the stronger his muscles will become, so it will be easier for him to work behind.

You can be imaginative with your poles, placing them on a curve so that you can try lengthening his stride at the outer edge of the poles and shortening his stride towards the inside of the poles. With poles on a curve, you can also lunge hime over them to do the same exercise and so you can see how he is using himself.

When you are feeling really ambitious, you could try raising alternate ends of the poles (on piles of arena surfacing if nothing else is to hand) to test the leg muscles thoroughly!

Good luck Hovis - will we hear about what he makes of these dastardly exercises we are all deaming up for him?
 
Training him to be sharp of the leg (so you don’t have to over squeeze, nudge, kick…whatever) specially if you struggle to apply a ‘good leg on’ if you’ve had a few old injuries that hold you back a bit. So double up with a schooling whip in each hand and after a week or so he’ll soon learn that leg on means forward straight away when first applied should help for starters.

Lots of transitions, your RI should be able to give you some good exercises to try out in your flat work.

Making sure both of you are fit….sounds daft to point it out but half the time it can one of the reasons (not saying that your not, just a general point :))

Pole work, so for example raised poles at alternate ends, clocks (as I call them, not sure what the proper name is) but set out your poles on the quarters of the clock on a 20 meter circle, also your poles at a shorter distance to encourage a little more collection and then have another set of poles at the other side of the arena or field but set out a little further apart to encourage a longer length of stride.

Riding a 20 circle in an active rising trot, but then ride a quarter of it in sitting and slow the pace down, then push on into a rising soon as you'v done that quarter and keep repeating the process but in differnt quarters, you'll eventually feel the back end coming undering and hopefully a nice swing and rhythm through the back, simple yet so effective.

Errr I'll try and think of some more.
 
A good exercise for ''immediate'' engagement is rein back to trot. Basically, as soon as you feel him dropping off, halt, back up few steps and send forward into trot immediately, repeat as necessary :)
Also remember to drive him through the bends, don't drop your inside hand down and push, push, push round the corner.
 
The big hairy (my big coloured cob on loan) also struggles to work through from behind. RS has been getting us to do 'squares' - walk a straight line..turn shoulders (using outside rein/leg and inside leg to support).. then walk.. then halt.. then walk.. then turn again..continue. Once you have this down you can start to introduce trot (but the minute he loses balance and falls back on the forehand go back to walk).

Once you are getting somewhere with 'squares' you can try trotting large around school in a positive trot and introducing some leg yeild across when on the long side (only to about 5meters from edge) then leg yeild back again, this will help keep him stepping under with this hind leg.. this can also be used in canter once balance allows!

Good luck, it is amazing how powerful these types can feel when they really lift their tummys and engage!
 
What helped with my mare who tends to dig her back and paddle with the hindlegs is:
- at least 5 good minutes of walk on a long rein when starting warm up to relax,
- slow down the trot and shoulder in on the 20 m circle until she lift her back and properly engage her hindquarters, then canter/trot transitions on the circle.
 
Oh Dear! I was going to suggest all of the above and have been beaten to it.

What's more, I feel really guilty that all I do with my Motty Big Botty is shlep about the wonderful countryside. Perhaps I should take a leaf out of your books and try some lateral work for myself.
Poor Motty won't know what's hit her! And my thighs may never recover.....
 
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