Has anyone else taught a lazy horse this??

Hattikins

Hattikins

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Well Hattie is not the worlds most forward going horse to put it lightly, and last week when i was on holiday she spent a week with my trainer and as well as teaching her counter canter, shoulder in and perfectly square halts (YAY!!)
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she has taught her that when she takes her legs away from her sides, she should go faster or up the tempo of the pace (walk trot and canter) its fantastic - no more constant nudging all i have to do now is take my legs away and she instantly moves forwards - its brilliant
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so what i really wanted to know was has anyone else taught has horse this and has it worked successfully?? Is is a known thing to teach - ive only heard of one other person using it??
 
I watched a thorowgood demonstration at Patchetts a while ago, can't remember who was teaching but they taught the rider to do this and the horse was so much more responsive for her! Jiggy is naturally very forward going, but have used this exercise with him and seems to work well! Haven't tried it with alisha yet though
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ok well from what i can gather, when she was not going off the leg, my trainer took her legs and knees away from her side and gave her the biggest "boot" possible while giving her a sharp tap with the schooling whip, this made her go forwards immediately and she was rewarded with vocally and with a stroke, then as soon as she slowed she brought her legs away from the saddle and if she went forwards she was stroked and told she was good and if she didnt she was booted and tapped hard again, until she anticipated the boot and as soon as she felt the legs come away from her side she went forwards - it works amazingly in all paces and if they dont respond you just remind them with a one good boot and a sharp tap and it just reminds them
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it really is fantastic and im going to keep teaching her it until she knows that at any time i take my legs and knees away , she goes forward - i highly recommend it
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otherwise referred to as Hestering or Spencering
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Although I agree with it to a degree you need to be careful, you are basically to a degree teaching the horse to be scared of your leg or what your leg could do. Its fine if they understand when the leg is on they are not going to be booted, but for this reason you need a stable lower leg that won't 'shake' all over the place constantly coming away and returning to the side as the result will be a confused and rushing horse.

I prefer to use a similar technique to wake up a lazy horse but I still want them working from my leg aids as I also believe it makes lateral work easier, as its hard to be asking for sidewards movement and to hold the horse whilst encouraging the horse to step under more if you want your leg both on and off the side
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Yeah alot of trainers teach it- "legs away" the horse is made quite sharp off the leg and before long removing the legs away from the horses sides as if you were going to kick if sufficient to get a reaction. It is taught by using a quiet leg aid and usually a click, if not reaction use a BIG leg aid, drop the contact and gallop the horse down the school. Stop and repeat until horse is moving quickly off the leg or even just to click. But it does need to be maintained and you need to be disciplined the make sure you dont let things slip back to nagging!
 
Agree with both you and Dressage Chick
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as at the time she was being taught this she was also being taught shoulder in and leg yielding she was also being made to listen to the leg as a quiet but effective aid, so she knows that legs are still there for a reason which is great but she also understands that if she just wont move forward "legs away" means up the tempo rather than "nag nag nag" which was the only thing that used to get her moving and being a chestnut mare she hated it
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Sounds like the horse is only moving away because its anticipating (and wanting to avoid) getting a boot and a whack! Does this not lead to them rushing off, rather than moving smoothly up a gear? Maybe I'm not fully understanding it lol
 
I have been working on this with my boy too with fantastic results (you wouldn't think he was the same horse to ride), a way to go yet though.

You don't do things hard enough to frighten, you do enough to get a immediate reaction. Gradually gradually your aids get quieter and quieter as you progress.
 
My horse had kind of been taught like this! But I dont really think of it as how he has been taught, it just kind of happened. He was a lazy po, so he used to get a PC kick in the ribs if he didnt move. But I dont really use it as a method of riding him, it is just a kind of by product, if he is expecting to get a boot in the rib the transition he does is flat and rushed anyway, so I dont really use it as aid or training method!

I dont think that post made any sense (sorry!)
 
I have a Dressage for Jumping DVD with Michael Whittaker and Richard Davison (I think) RD talks about making a horse sharper off the leg and explains and shows how its done by taking your legs away, pausing and then "dropping" them against the horses sides (never kicking tho), after a few times of this the horse anticipates moving forward as soon as you take you lower leg away without needing the "dropping" part. This should be done in conjunction with half halts in the early part of a schooling session after some flexing, stretching & long & low exercises to focus the horse and get him listening to you.
 
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