Exercises to improve horses core muscles and his engagement...

9

{97702}

...
Joined
9 July 2012
Messages
14,849
Visit site
Has anyone got any good exercises for the above, preferably ridden ones?

On the ground I'm doing the equine pilates exercises prescribed by his physio every day (which also address his weaker right hind problem) and today I've also added in carrot stretches daily. I'll try belly lifts and tail pulls with him but not sure how he will react!

I ride 6 times a week, and try to do one pole work session a week (using poles on the ground and raised poles) plus riding randomly over poles during our other schooling sessions.

My YO rode him for me this week and recommended trotting and cantering downhill (in a field obviously!) which I will hopefully introduce, but I'm a bit limited on that due to darkness...

Any other ideas please? Obviously muscle development takes time (and I am bad at being patient :D) but he has reached a stage where I would like to him start sitting better and coming up in front
 
Transitions!

Forwards between paces, working/medium/working/halt/collected trot/canter/medium canter/working canter/trot/halt/walk/ canter
 
Don't forget your lateral work too... improves balance and ultimately that is what eventually gives horses the capacity and confidence to push forward and lift up between the shoulder blades and move the shoulders fully.

Lunging is good but not in circles... there is an excellent PK video where he trains a young horse and you see him lunging but he uses the whole school with fig. 8 s, canters, trots, turns etc... it was useful.
 
We use shoulder fore and leg yielding at the moment (a lot if my trainer gets her way :D) - I must admit I am an absolute klutz at lunging or long reining, I would love to do that sort of work on the lunge but not sure I would achieve it?

Sorry this is beginning to sound like one of those posts where someone asks for advice then says why they can't do whatever is suggested - I honestly don't mean it to be like that!
 
Asking the horse to step under the centre of gravity on a small ish circle is a good starting point. You can do this in hand and ridden. You are aiming to get the inside hind to step well forwards and around the centre of the belly (slightly different for different horses but aim for there and see what happens) to do this make sure you have a good inside bend with no falling out through the outside shoulder and gently tap with your hand (if on the ground) or leg (if riding) just behind the girth line - timing is everything as you must only give the aid once the inside hind has left the ground.

You can achieve this lunging too by pointing the whip at the same point if your horse understands the whip as a directional aid and not just a go faster aid
 
Haha! Don't worry... honestly the lunge thing you will eventually find your flow the more you do it... at first it is like juggling snakes!!

Once you can get the horse to lunge and change direction in one fluid motion, the rest will come. I wonder if that clip is on youtube... *goes to look* then you can do what Wheels is saying about the stepping under - try that on a short lead on a walk circle first.. you can build on it after.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top