Lesson!! Need some help though!!

[JessandCharlie]

Hi all!!!
Had my first dressage lesson today on my baby!! She was very good, but my instructor said that she needs to loosen through her neck a little more (from side to side) so she can flex easier. Any tips on how best to do this? Physio coming out soon too, but thought there must be exercises i can do to help her before next lesson?!?!

 

[JenHunt]

I use ground exercises to help my lad - bribery basically

take carrots/treats/polos into stable and feed one

as horse asks for next one, move your hand round to next to their elbow. once their head gets there, feed.
repeat on the other side
ask the horse to put muzzle to between their knees (without leaning backwards or moving feet)

repeat each exercise two or three times on a daily basis. try not to let them move their feet, and as these get easier ask for a little more stretch on each side.

 

[scribble]

i had this with my warmblood, do the carrot exercise nd another thing you can do when ridden is walk down the side of the scool or next to a hedge, halt and then ask horse to turn its head to the inside as far as it can without moving its front feet off the track. as soon as it is just about to move then push forward into walk. gradually ask fro more movement. this can then be done in walk etc when looser.