Teaching bend and suppleness.

W

Walrus

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 January 2007
Messages
2,432
Visit site
My boy is 5 but was only broken earlier this year. He has been ridden since April and I have mainly been hacking him with a little work in the school. I've been mainly working on getting him to go forwards (he was very slow when I first got on him) and also getting him used to hacking alone and in company. Schooling has been quite minimal and I've not been especially effective. I've started having lessons in the last month and I am now working on getting him working properly. I am trying to encourage him to bend properly but he is very very fixed on one side - essentially like an ironing board and resists a huge amount - to the point where I struggle to turn him. My instructor keeps reminding me to not fight him but to give the contact so he can't fix on the rein. I feel like I am getting a bit "fiddly" with my hands and I need to steer him and direct him more from my leg - but it's so flipping hard! I've not brought on a baby on my own before and I sometimes feel so sorry for the poor boy as he would be progressing so much more with someone better on board.

What sort exercises have people done to encourage young horses to bend properly and just work properly in general (he is now reasonably active and tracks up most of the time). I just need a few ideas! Also has anyone any tips for strengthening my legs so they have more of an effect?

Cheers.
 
You will get there in time, dont put yourself down! I would try and do some stretches with him everyday with treats, so he has to stretch right down between his legs, and to both shoulders, to help keep him supple.
Lunging will also do wonders. When riding do lots of serpantines, circles etc
 
I was thinking about doing some stretches with treats, however I'm slightly concerned he will mug me!! He's a fatty with a passion for food! Will give it a go.
 
Just bumping this to see if anyone else has any ideas. Tried the boy in a loose ring last night (instead of his usual fulmer), wasn't hugely better but think we're going in the right direction. Used supreme amounts of leg and rode some spirals. He will go "over" really well on the ground but any ideas how to get him to move across off the leg when I'm on him?

Cheers
 
Can he flex his head right round to your foot? If not maybe you should practice this. I wont go into detail here, but if you want to know how this works, feel free to pm me.
 
Some ideas- legyielding starting on ground so transfers to the saddle, ask your horse to stepover from pressure of your hand on his side where your leg will be when riding and asking for this then release pressure when he steps over. When riding ride down three quarter line and leg yield to fence, sometimes easier in trot as more forward than walk. Release leg pressure from sides when repond and apply again to push them over.

Flax head to inside using inside rein while controlling speed and keeping horse from falling in with outside rein and use inside leg to push horse out and ask it to bend frame around your inside leg.

Ride a square where on you ride straight right to corner then ask horse to leg bend round you into corner pushing their bum round with leg yield aids and ride straight to next corner and so on. These open horses ribcage and allow them to bend around your leg.

Riding a 3 loop sepertine where you ride straight then ask for bend around your leg on each loop helps suppleness too.

Also turn on quarters to engage behind and when riding make sure horse is forward before ask it to come onto bit or it will hollow and lose pace. When forward ride inside leg to outsdie hand and ask it to come onto bit then when does immediately give with inside hand as a reward. If horse tends to be tense and hollow if tighten reins then ride long and low with looser wider contact (lke Carl Hester warms up!!) allowing horse to stretch down and round and work over his back improving suppleness, back muscles and carriage. Dont worry if behind vertical as will learn this is nice to work over back and will become rounder and then can pick up into outline and balance trot with half halts.

Hope that helps and made sense lol xx
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top