How to encourage a horse to "engage"....

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KatB

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Now I have been trying to get G horse to really relax and stretch along his topline and work long and low to lift his back and engage his stomach muscles, but it is easier said than done!! He tends to come back at me with his head and neck whenever he wants to avoid something that is being asked.... I do alot of leg yielding/circles and transitions to help him engage but still struggle to get him to truly swing and engage properly. Any tips/ideas?!
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Shoulder fore in trot on a circle of about 15m, keep on it until you feel him soften and become "true" in your outside rein, then go large. Repeat ad infinitum.
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Works a treat for mincey Hector.
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I found lunging in long side reins that were fitted very low helped 'show the way' so to speak - without interference from me. Certainly easier to acheive when I did ask for it on board as she had already learnt that it was quite comfortable. The other exercise that SC showed me was collecting the trot and then rewarding by allowing them forward and down. Literally only ask for 2-3 strides to start with as they find it hard- but gradually you can start to ask for some piaffe steps before releasing forward - this exercise has helped my medium trot a lot! Before we used to get the steps but the neck would shorten and tense because the abs were weak. The long and low has helped these strengthen and now self carriage is becoming easier.
 
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Tie the boy up in a Pessoa and a big stick from behind
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Strap him up in any bungee/draw reins contraptions you can find, TWO big sticks and very sharp spurs.
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Tie the boy up in a Pessoa and a big stick from behind
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Strap him up in any bungee/draw reins contraptions you can find, TWO big sticks and very sharp spurs.
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And now I know you own CB's
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Piaffe length sticks are best - and an instructor with lunge whip behind you
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Did I forget to mention the pig prodder? Only kidding everybody before I get ranted at!
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SSM you're not taking this post seriously.
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Sorry KatB.
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What about lungeing but being mobile ie. varying the size of the circle, increasing and decreasing pace.
 
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You and SSM are obsessed by whips, spurs and big prodders!
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Get back to equestrian matters
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PMSL - you forgot to mention rugs
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Thanks ISZ
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I remember that exercise actually.... and J's abs have improved hugely! G is getting medium trot now which is a bonus, so we're getting there slowly!!
 
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Did I forget to mention the pig prodder? Only kidding everybody before I get ranted at!
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SSM you're not taking this post seriously.
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Sorry KatB.
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What about lungeing but being mobile ie. varying the size of the circle, increasing and decreasing pace.

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LMAO!! You're not joking re. the pig prodder.... G said he wont unload next time he comes to yours!!!!
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You and SSM are obsessed by whips, spurs and big prodders!
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Get back to equestrian matters
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PMSL - you forgot to mention rugs
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I'm quite frankly embarrassed
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i lunge my boy with just a single line, no side reins etc, and let him find his own way, he really stretches down and has his nose on the floor in walk and trot and you can see him lifting through his back, and swinging through with the hind legs
it has really helped him work long and low, and use his body in a better way. it took a few trys to get him to relax and strech right down, but now he finds it easy, might be worth a try
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[ QUOTE ]
Tie the boy up in a Pessoa and a big stick from behind
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Unfortunately this doesn't always work with horses who tend to come up and shorten their necks - mine's an expert at pulling his neck in and going 'la la you can't make your funny ropes work with me'!
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Tie the boy up in a Pessoa and a big stick from behind
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Unfortunately this doesn't always work with horses who tend to come up and shorten their necks - mine's an expert at pulling his neck in and going 'la la you can't make your funny ropes work with me'!
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Mine does that too, the Pessoa was making him worse, not better. I lunge my two now in what my old Instructor called 'Rein over the back' which is basically a rein that goes over the back, through the forelegs and clips to the bit rings. I guess its similar to using side reins attached from the girth through the front legs to the bit rings. It works a treat, I can see my horses stomach muscles lifting as they stretch down, equally it works them across the back and topline and has noticably made a difference to their ridden work too....
 
Yup! just like that!

I lost my adjustable one when I moved from Scotland and now use a draw rein that I had to shorten, works just as well though...

I'm glad I'm not the only one, I get funny looks off folk on my yard when I use it....
 
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Thanks Boss, thats great, illustrates it well for me
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DO you find it helps to build them up?

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Yep, it's fab for lots of horses to really get them working over the back- plus it only requires a pair of draw reins and you can just knot them at the wither if they need shortening.
 
Why am I not getting it
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Is it a short line with clips on each end attached to the bit? Sorry, I'm being dense! Where do you find such a thing?

What happens if the horse panics/bucks/rears? Is there any give in it? If they lean does it cause pressure behind their forearms/on their withers?

Sorry, just trying to get my head about it
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Thank you
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Is it a short line with clips on each end attached to the bit? Sorry, I'm being dense! Where do you find such a thing?

What happens if the horse panics/bucks/rears? Is there any give in it? If they lean does it cause pressure behind their forearms/on their withers?


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As above, it's a pair of clip on draw reins so just a continous line with clips on both ends. They cant lean on it as like you say, they're putting pressure on themself if they do. It doesnt seem to rub the forearm or elbow at all.
There's no give in it and I wouldnt use it on a horse which wasnt an experienced lunger but it's a really great tool and I'd use it over a pessoa any day
 
Thank you!

Not a fan of pessoa myself because of my "too intelligent for his own good" horse's ability to shorten through his neck and tuck himself in so this looks like it might work.

Thank you again
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You would have to have it horribly too short to cause any rubs etc, I use a soft cushioned rein to lessen the chance of it rubbing.

I've never seen a horse lean on it tbh, its encouraging them to stretch, not work in an 'outline' so they don't get the chance to lean.

I don't canter my horses in it, just walk and trot (although my mare does sometimes tazz round in canter in it when she is feeling a little too well), and like Bossanova I wouldnt use it on somthing that doesn't lunge well, but it's been much better on my two than side reins or Pessoa....

ETA - TPO my gelding used to do that in the Pessoa, it caused more problems than it solved, hence why I went back to using this....
 
Thanks Boss, I was struggling to understand what she meant, I was all
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and now I'm
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And looks really simple for those of us who don't own an expensive Pessoa and find our chambons take forever to put on (esp as I usually use loose side reins with it) - I'm off to try it on PP tomorrow
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