Resisting Contact - Recommended Exercises?

[missparis]

Whenever I ride my horse, he resists contact and refuses to go in a nice outline. Although I have had a lot of time off from riding, before purchasing him, I had lessons on a riding school horse a couple of times, as well as other horses I was considering purchasing, I could get them in a nice frame. My YO, who is much fitter than I am, finds the same thing, however, his lateral work is still there. Just had the dentist out as his teeth were way overgrown (I am hoping this should make a vast improvement). I should also mention, even though he was trained at some stage in his life to PSG level, he has purely been used as a show jumper for the past 6 years. Although, this is his intended use and I dont believe in playing too much with the horse when jumping, it would be nice to do a nice dressage test! I also dont really believe in draw reins etc so can anybody recommend some exercises that may get him to soften up and lower his head carriage?

 

[FigJam]

My DR instructor showed me a fab exercise to encourage my "pokey-nose" horse to soften. It's 10m loop serpentine, going up and down the school but instead of just doing a half circle for each loop, you turn almost 3/4 of a circle and turn back up the school on your way across. Can do it in walk and trot.

This really makes them bend and soften and really works with mine. Lots of transitions as well and I have to make sure I'm not letting go of the outside rein. The above exercise really helps with this for me too.

 

[missparis]

Thanks Figjam for your response - hopefully with his teeth done and a lot of circle/serpentine work, we can improve on the head carriage.

I have been told that starting on a 20m circle and slowly winding into a 10m circle, then back out to 20m circle should also loosen his 'pokey nose'?

 

[FigJam]

Yup, that would be a good exercise too- it's all about getting them working properly from behind. I find with mine that lots of change of bend helps soften her up as she has a tendency to fix her neck against you when rebelling against the poncing! Leg yield good too, start in walk and then try trot.

My instructor had us doing an exercise in canter that was quite good but seems to work better on mine in an indoor school than an outdoor?! You ride on a 20m circle and flex their neck to the inside for half the circle, then outside for half, then ride them straight for a full circle. When they start to soften and work properly you really can feel the difference.