Free walk long rein...

[tallywhacker]

I have a big young horse who is still a little behind the leg. Today I went out and did a walk trot test. Im struggling with the fwlr. I understand he should show stretch and lengthen the walk but how do you get a 'lazy' horse to do a bigger walk. When I offer the rein he slows. When I watched back a video I see that he wasn't stretching as much as he felt he was and the walk itself was no different from the medium walk coming into the diagonal.
Any advice appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Michen]

Something I struggle with as well as long rein to my pony equals end of session or a break and a slow walk! Now I am making sure he NEVER has an inactive walk when I am sat on him, regardless of chatting/warming up/cooling down. My instructor told me to scratch him on the wither to get him to learn to stretch and I thought she was bonkers but it absolutely worked!

 

[milliepops]

Something I struggle with as well as long rein to my pony equals end of session or a break and a slow walk! Now I am making sure he NEVER has an inactive walk when I am sat on him, regardless of chatting/warming up/cooling down. My instructor told me to scratch him on the wither to get him to learn to stretch and I thought she was bonkers but it absolutely worked!

^^ this is good advice, don't ever let them dawdle about but insist on an active marching walk all the time. That includes hacking, and when you are leading them around

How much do you practice the walk at home? Most of us are probably guilty of not working in walk enough - the trot and canter work seems more pressing but a good walk mark can really boost your scores in a test because the score is almost always x 2.

Try practicing the transition between medium walk and free walk, and back and forth between them several times each time you ride him. Remember he needs to stay to the contact in the free walk - it's on a *long* rein not a loose rein - this should help to keep him attentive.

In your practice work at home don't be afraid to get after him until he marches along, it doesn't matter at this stage if he jogs a bit while he figures out what you are asking for, as long as he gets the message that he needs to remain active and on the aids all the time

Make sure you are not stiffening up in the saddle during the walk as well, I think often riders make the horses get tight because we are holding our breath praying that they will do a good walk! Take a deep breath, help him to relax and swing forward by keeping your own seat supple.

 

[rotters13]

If it's any help, the walk you are looking for is the wakl they give you when they're marching over to you in the field when you're holding a bucket of feed! Think of the slinkiest walk possible