Suppling exercises

[sidesaddlegirl]

Any suppling exercise ideas anyone for a 13 yr old TB mare who's not done too much dressage (mostly jumping and hunting in a 3 ring dutch gag snaffle as she can get strong when out) and who is very stiff on the left rein?

I've ditched the gag as it's not dressage legal and the owner said that I can take her to try the Intro A class in October at my local riding club. She only goes in an "outline" with the gag on but I was want to work on suppling her properly and have been working on spiraling at the trot, lots of transitions, riding off my seat with a loose rein to get her stretching down and using her back (she can be heavy on the bit), lot of circles and getting her used to bending round my inside leg and giving her the inside rein.

Yesterday when I swapped the bit, she was a bit confused not having the extra leverage of the gag but today, she was a lot freer in the canter when she realized she wasn't going to have lots of pressure on her head.

It's hard though as she is not used to doing stuff like this especially with a milder bit in. she is getting it slowly though and I was surprised how quickly she understood me regulating her pace with just my seat WITHOUT the gag in and on a loose rein. I told the owner yesterday that I'm going to get my side saddle on her one day

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Sounds like you're doing all the right things. I think you've already worked out that the outline achieved with the gag is just horse tucking its head in and getting tense through the back. You need to keep practicing and horse will become more even sided eventually.

 

[Nickijem]

I'm no expert but I always keep Carl Hester's advice in my head when I'm schooling - 'Stretch, flex and collect'! Try to include these things in all schooling sessions but at a level that is suitable for the individual horse.