how do i get her neck more supple?

H

HorseMad20

Active Member
Joined
8 December 2010
Messages
34
Visit site
My mare is coming on well but im finding recently she just sets her neck and i cant get her to bend round corners which is making the possibility of going out jumping this summer very unrealistic.

Has anyone got any tips of how i can get her to relax and loosen her neck ?
 
If you're sure its her neck and not back:
Walk on a 15m circle and ask for the correct bend then over exaggerate the bend in the neck so you are really asking her to flex, then ask for her to flex the other way first off gently then over exaggerate again.

Be gentle when you ask for the flexion don't just yank her head to the side and do the transitions from bend gradually and smoothly so you're not making her nod her head like you see a lot of show jumpers do in the ring.

Lots of leg yielding/ shoulder in/ quarter in will help as well. :)
 
I'd be doing carrot stretches on the ground too - ask her to stretch back to her barrel, point of hip and up towards her withers on each side.
 
I would try a bit of ground work with her. See if you can encourage her to bend her neck round, toward where your foot would be when mounted. This will help stretch her neck, but start off slowly, dont just pull her round.
If she is quite resistant, do this first in a headcollar, asking for the bend. Do this both sides until she gets the hang of it. When you ask, try to encourage her to stay soft, so that she doesnt get to leaning on you. And when she bends and goes soft, release the pressure.

When she is good at this in a headcollar, try it bitted. Exact same thing, ask her for a nice light bend.
Once she is happy to bend softly from the ground, try it on her. So just at a halt, ask her to bring her head round. Make sure she stays still, you dont want her to move her feet yet. If she does, just hold her until she stands still.

Once she can do this lightly both sides, ask her to bend and move her quarters over a few steps. Do this both ways till you can keep her head light and move her quarters lightly. This will help her bend and stay light in your arms.

Then from a walk, ask her to bend, and at the same time ask for her to move her quarters over, like a turn on the forehand, and let her stop, as if you are teaching the one rein stop.
Then move on to just asking for a little bend, and move the hindquarters over 45 degrees and walk on again. You can do this by walking a square.

This should hopefully teach her to bend better, and move her hindquarters, allowing you to be move in control of her head and backend.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top