Problem with walk when on the bit

P

peanut

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 November 2007
Messages
4,465
Visit site
My horse has a lovely free walk when on a long rein or on a light hacking contact, but when schooling she "shuffles" and I can't get her to go forwards. Her back is nicely rounded as it should be and no one seems to be able to identify the problem from the ground. She has a lovely forward trot and canter.

Could I be blocking her in some way even though I feel as if my hands are forward/giving? Or do you think its just that she finds it physically difficult and, if so, is there something I can do to help her? :confused:
 
i have the same problem, he seems to free up a little bit after walking and trotting but what i find really helps is alot of walk transitions. into the long free walk, very slowly shortening the reins back to meduim, then long again, keeping the same tempo and length of stride until he is walking forward into the bit instead of backing off from it.

i think my boy has been taught outline in walk the wrong way, by setting hands and forcing him to bend because he will either stick his nose or bend and back off. keep your hands really light with no pressure on the bit but the reins short so she knows where you want her head
 
Are you following the action of her mouth, as in moveing from your elbow down your arm, slightly in forwards and backwards motion, you see when your troting or canter, you'll more of less do this naturally because your body moving as well, so you don't really thing about doing it, but in walk if you do this as well as putting the leg on, then taking it away then they have listened, there usually a bit more forward then, if you practice doing this with halt to walk, walk to trot transitions, it could help.
 
I do subtley move my hands in a forward and back movement, placing the emphasis on the push forward rather than the back. If I give any more contact with the reins, they go loose.

I'm generally trying not to nag with my legs (an old habit), so I back my leg request up with a tap of the stick which makes her jump/swish her tail a little, but not go forward any more!

I've even tried it whilst out hacking when she has more enthusiasm to go forwards (especially when heading for home) but there is still the same problem. :confused:
 
my old employer said you should never walk a horse on the bit as it will ruin the walk, whenever you rode her horses you had to walk on the buckle. And if you dared to pick a horse up in walk you would get yelled at!!

However I do now walk my own horse on the bit but only for a few strides then I go into free walk for a few and then pick him up again, mostly if I'm walking I do exercises like 1/4 turns on the forehand on a square and lateral work.
 
my old employer said you should never walk a horse on the bit as it will ruin the walk, whenever you rode her horses you had to walk on the buckle. And if you dared to pick a horse up in walk you would get yelled at!!

However I do now walk my own horse on the bit but only for a few strides then I go into free walk for a few and then pick him up again, mostly if I'm walking I do exercises like 1/4 turns on the forehand on a square and lateral work.
 
Seahorse said:
my old employer said you should never walk a horse on the bit as it will ruin the walk, whenever you rode her horses you had to walk on the buckle. And if you dared to pick a horse up in walk you would get yelled at!!
Click to expand...

that would make an interesting medium walk in a dressage test XD

as for leg aids i found something i saw in eventing dressage quite useful. as using both legs is more of a forward transition aid i find squeezing one leg at a time with the tempo of his leg movements slowly lengthened his stride, encouraging him to stretch more, but deffo agree with seahorse about not doing it all too much, will just make the horse tense if overly walked in outline, the release encourages them to relax and soften
 
that was the one time you were allowed to walk on a contact! She went to the olympics and competed at GP level so she knew what she was doing! Ironically her horses had really good medium walks even though you never did them at home :)
 
I owuld for the moment forget where the hores head is. Sometimes people thi ohh my horse is now on the bit I will not push her on as their worried the heaqd wil come up. Just for the time forget where the head is and just focus on getting her walk moving, a good way to do this is a lot of wlak trot transitions. Only do 3 steps of trot then 3 steps of walk. Another way to get the walk going is, to alternate which legs you use, so when you horses right hind pushes your right hip forward use your right leg then the same for the left.

Once your horse is walking properlly then try and think where the head is positioned, but your horses head will probably be positioned fine once the walk is moving properlly.
 
Seahorse said:
that was the one time you were allowed to walk on a contact! She went to the olympics and competed at GP level so she knew what she was doing! Ironically her horses had really good medium walks even though you never did them at home :)
Click to expand...

well there you go i guess it works XD not a bad idea really, if you over do most things its bound to go wrong or tense at some point, am doin dressage this sunday but instead of dressaging it to death i'm going for a hack, no point making him tense :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top