Lifting the back legs exercise

[PapaverFollis]

In hand. Classical in hand palaver type thing. As outlined in 55 Corrective Exercises book.

Tried it with Beast today. Got a couple of half a second leg lifts which was fine because we can build on that. One or two annoyed kicks. Also fine, lighter pressure deployed. But mostly she just stood still with her "being a good girl" face on. ? I'm pretty sure she had decided her job was to stand still like a good horse while the stupid human did annoying things to her back legs! To be fair that's usually what I want. I think she did more effective leg lifts when I was hosing her feet off beforehand though.

I'm thinking I need to make things a bit more dynamic. Pop her bridle on so she knows she's working. Then work a nice forward walk into an active halt, ask for one leg lift on each leg then buzz off to be active again. Get her a bit more animated. I think she was resting a leg, gearing up for a little snooze today at one point while I bounced the stick against it trying to elicit a response. ? I really wasn't expecting chilled out Beast, she used to be really reactive to a whip.

To be honest she is usually a bit clueless the first time we try anything different so I suspect it'll take a couple of sessions for her to get the idea.

If anyone has any hints and tips (if anyone knows what on earth I'm talking about!) I'd love to hear them? Book suggests trying a different whip. I was using my piaffe whip today which I generally use for in-hand work. I'm concerned a lunge whip, my only other option, will be a bit much for her. I tried all different parts of her leg too but think that just made it worse!

 

[palo1]

I think the strategy you have identified here is a good one; give her all the signals that this is an active learning/working activity by using her bridle and getting a really good active walk. After all, you want activity, albeit standing still (from what you have written here) so a good walk and active legs to start with is a good way to go AND will be a good 'get out' if you don't get the desired result. Walk and halt together of a good quality would make great building blocks for this I reckon. The other thing that can really help with this is to very gently bounce the schooling/piaffe whip on a horse's quarters; either in a fairly structured halt or in a pretty quiet walk.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Thank you for your reply. I tried today with another more activity generally. The leg lifting went better... but I got some...erm... levades *cough*. Daft horse. She was kind of frustrated and playful and hungry (I had treats in my pocket) rather than excessively naughty.

 

[Littlebear]

I think sticking with the piaffe whip is the best idea, i really dont think a lunge whip does the job tbh!
Timing is everything with this - you can get online real time lessons with pros for not that much money at the moment may be worth setting up your phone and doing that to help get started?

 

[Barlow]

You need activity in an active walk first then think about making you horse like a ball, round with energy. It’s about rewarding and praising the movement that you want to encourage and ignoring everything else. I had a few levades and kicks out when teaching my horse half steps of piaffe in hand, just ignore and carry on until you get an effort / attempt at what you are asking for, praise then walk off and do something different to give a short mental break before starting back with creating the ball of energy.