how to get the perfect outline?

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Ell95

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I've got a youngster, we've been doing a lot of basic flat work and I now feel he's ready for extended and collected trot and canter, fly changes and most importantly, going on the bit in a nice outline as he tends to move like a donkey at the moment!
Does anyone know of any helpful schooling aids or tips in helping my horse to work at his best as easily as possible?
 
Personally I would concentrate on working in a correct outline before starting any extending or collecting work.

Make sure you ride forward into the contact and reward with your inside rein when he drops into an outline. Be careful you don't 'see-saw' him into a contact and keep elbows bent and thumbs on top.

Hope this helps a bit. I've also found working in equi ami (like a pessoa) on the lunge has helped my boy understand working in an outline without being able to lean or get yanked in his mouth by his own action.
 
Ell95 said:
I've got a youngster, we've been doing a lot of basic flat work and I now feel he's ready for extended and collected trot and canter, fly changes and most importantly, going on the bit in a nice outline as he tends to move like a donkey at the moment!
Does anyone know of any helpful schooling aids or tips in helping my horse to work at his best as easily as possible?
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how old is your youngster OP? Im not an expert but i think im correct in saying (unless someone wants to contradict this) that horses need to be a lot more advanced in their flat work than just the 'basics' before they're strong enough physically to be working towards true collected and extended work let alone flying changes.

i would second the good instructor route. Goodluck! :)
 
Damn H&H just typed my reply and it crashed :(
Here goes again.

Leg, leg and more leg. To achieve the perfect outline, it has to come from behind. He needs to be totally off the leg first. You should forget what is happenning in front and concentrate on him thinking forwards. Once this is understood by him, the outline will come.
 
Peoples views of a 'perfect outline' and how your horse should actually work is two complete worlds apart. To have a 'outline' i assume you mean having your horses head tucked in nicely although this doesn't necessarily mean he will be tracking up or using his back end,which is where all the power should come from. Try to get him working underneath before worrying where his head is. I'm a huge fan of getting a horse working 'long and low' although this doesn't seem to be fashionable in the horse world at the moment!
 
Outline will come with lots of bending and suppling work, impulsion from behind and soft hands.

Until you can get him going properly enough to acheive this, i think it's a bit much to expect flying changes. He would need to be very ballanced for that and its a lot to ask of a youngster. You could try some slight collecting and lengthening work though, just asking for different speeds within the paces is a good start, getting him to listen to your seat.
 
Ell95 said:
I've got a youngster, we've been doing a lot of basic flat work and I now feel he's ready for extended and collected trot and canter, fly changes and most importantly, going on the bit in a nice outline as he tends to move like a donkey at the moment!
Does anyone know of any helpful schooling aids or tips in helping my horse to work at his best as easily as possible?
Click to expand...

Is this a joke post???
 
thumpbug said:
I'm a huge fan of getting a horse working 'long and low' although this doesn't seem to be fashionable in the horse world at the moment!
Click to expand...

Funny that, all I ever hear is people rambling about getting their horses long and low.

Normally it's just an excuse to either use a pessoa, ride the horse behind the vertical, or ride it onto it's forehand though.

I'm ignoring the OP because it's ridiculous, but in response to the title, I'd be interested in asking what the "perfect outline" is in people's opinions.

To my mind, there are a number of acceptable working outlines, depending on what you're doing - provided the horse is working from behind and off its forehand and is not behind the vertical.
 
A dutch gag with reins on bottom ring plus draw reins. Feed him a really high energy feed so you have to really hold him back, this will make him look prancy and impressive. Lots of sheepskin usually helps too.

But seriously, to echo other posts, he needs to be using his back end properly and you need to be creating enough impulsion to get a true 'outline' rather than him just trotting about with his head tucked in (which alot of people around me seem to think is an outline...;)).
 
If this is NOT a troll post, which I seriously hope it is then this is how I would work towards it.
Get your horse working in a steady, light contact, with rhythmical paces, use leg yielding, and spiralling in and out on circles and the horse will start to carry itself in a natural outline. Outline should not be forced under any circumstances. Transitions also work well. A horse which is balanced, working from behind wth impulsion and a light, steady contact will carry itself in an outline.
 
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