Inhand for lateral work for the slow of moving

[HopOnTrot]

KS rehab, I have started to try and incorporate a bit of inhand lateral work. The only issue is, neither of us have any idea what we are doing, everything I watch online is fancy warmbloods who move sideways at the flick of a stick, I have a 20 year old New Forest who knows I am an idiot. She has always been very behind the leg with a natural propensity towards conserving energy but it's her laid back attitude to life that made me buy her in the first place (many many years ago).

We have no facilities so rehab is done on local lanes, I started yesterday by asking for inside bend (I seem to recall that when ridden you want to see their eye? Then they move away from the leg on that side?)and putting pressure on her shoulder so she moves away, we walk down the road zig zagging from side to side, she gets this and I am starting to apply pressure with my fist where my leg would go. Will this help her flexibility? We do lots of carrot stretches and tail tucks as per physio recommendations and she's really good at this. We are very close to resuming ridden work which again will mostly be gentle hacks around the lanes although if ridden I can do local arena hire (because no where will let you hire an arena if you aren't riding, understandably they are worried about you lunging to death on their fancy surface!)

Any tips to help with inhand flexibility?

 

[Tarragon]

Watching with interest, as I only have roads to work on at the moment.
I have been taught to start off by making sure they can bring their head around to almost 90 degrees, while they are "stood up", so weight back and their head remains in the same plane, by standing at their shoulder and having one hand on the bit to keep the head up and the other on the rein by their withers to control the bend, so they are bending away from you.
Then, can they do the same (not to the same degree!) while walking on.
Then, counter bends where you get the bend in the neck in one direction, but the horse is turning on the circle in the opposite direction.
All done on both sides of course.
Plus, just sort of keeping them walking straight while you sort of walk towards their shoulder and they move away from you, still walking (like a leg yield when ridden)
All badly described as I am not a trainer, but the person being trained!

 

[poiuytrewq]

I feel you! I've just started this. Sometimes i wonder if I'm actually doing anything! However my friend who does massage/physio is advising and treating him and says she can feel a difference.
I'm doing tail pulls and back lifts (when he responds!) they are super easy and make me feel like I'm doing something especially as i can feel the resistance in his weaker side growing.
Turn on the forehand is easy enough. I do it out on long straight bits of quiet road when i can be sure nothing is coming.
I think also just walking straight helps a lot more than you think.

Good Luck! I'm quite enjoying it, I've been googling books today with horse pilates type stuff.

 

[I'm Dun]

Has she had a PSSM test? It was pretty common in Nfs and your girl will have been pre testing. If thats clear then you need to train the forward and responsiveness before you look at the over. Its very common to lose impulsion as they move sideways, so even more important to start with a good walk and have them be responsive.

 

[HopOnTrot]

Has she had a PSSM test? It was pretty common in Nfs and your girl will have been pre testing. If thats clear then you need to train the forward and responsiveness before you look at the over. Its very common to lose impulsion as they move sideways, so even more important to start with a good walk and have them be responsive.

I actually read about this the other evening after reading the breeding ethics thread but apart from her laid back nature she hasn’t shown any of the listed symptoms and she doesn’t share any close relatives with the sires listed to date. She’s never tied up and is the least sweaty horse I’ve ever met, she is though already on a low NSC diet due to EMS (which in the 5 years since diagnosis has never progressed to laminitis).

She is more forwards since her KS surgery so I suspect low grade long term back pain has paid a part in it.

She has a lameness work up booked for next week so I will ask the vet and see what they think.

 

[Cortez]

In-hand work isn't easy and you (and horse) would greatly benefit from some lessons from someone who really, properly knows what they're doing. I start mine with a baby shoulder-in in hand. Don't try and replicate your leg pressure, it doesn't add anything or necessarily make sense to the horse.

 

[planete]

Has she had a PSSM test? It was pretty common in Nfs and your girl will have been pre testing. If thats clear then you need to train the forward and responsiveness before you look at the over. Its very common to lose impulsion as they move sideways, so even more important to start with a good walk and have them be responsive.

That is true but I have found that slow in hand work doing suppling exercises until the horse starts shifting his weight back a little bit and using himself more symmetrically enables him to be more forward. Getting help would be a good idea as it requires technique and a great deal of feel.

 

[little_critter]

In-hand work isn't easy and you (and horse) would greatly benefit from some lessons from someone who really, properly knows what they're doing. I start mine with a baby shoulder-in in hand. Don't try and replicate your leg pressure, it doesn't add anything or necessarily make sense to the horse.

I’d agree, it’s very easy to go wrong and end up teaching the horse the ‘cheat’ version or the lookey-likey version of a movement if you don’t know what you are looking for and the common faults.
Roughly where are you? We might be able to suggest trainers.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Mim and I did clinics with Dianne Thurman Baker. I do a lot of in-hand with my horses and really enjoy teaching new movements from the ground now.

Demonstrations & Clinics

Demonstrations of classical dressage training methods using in-hand work on the ground, and ridden up to Grand Prix at Turville Valley Stud.

www.turvillevalleystud.co.uk

 

[blitznbobs]

Get some lessons - it’s not straight forward and involves co ordination but it can be learnt

Charlotte Wittbom would be my recommendation who is based in Cheshire but does clinics literally all over the world.