Turn on forehand - leg crossing behind, not under

[Olliepoppy]

Hi, does anyone have any tips on how to get the horse to cross under instead of behind when attempting turn on the forehand from the ground?
Said horse has mainly been a field ornament/very light hacker and has not had any schooling other than basic lunging. I am trying to teach totf but her hind leg keeps going behind, rather than crossing under, on each side. Thanks in advance.

 

[milliepops]

Assuming there's no physical reason why she is putting the hindleg back ...
It sounds like you need to maintain the horse's basic desire to move forwards while teaching this movement. Are you halting and then asking for the ToF? If so, maybe she's getting a bit "stuck" and backing off the contact as you ride the exercise. You need to feel like she would move forwards at any moment if you stopped giving the ToF aids. Try breaking it down to a step or two sideways, and then ride forwards, and then another couple of steps until you feel her stay postively forward to the contact and hopefully then moving the leg underneath herself instead of out behind.

I sometimes start ToF from a small controlled walk rather than from halt for this reason. i don't use it a lot in training but find it quite useful for starting off the lateral work with green horses/riders, but they absolutely need to remain forward thinking while doing it.

 

[be positive]

It is a sign there may be something going on, it is done as part of a vetting to check for soundness, so needs a vet to look at her if she really cannot step under when asked.

 

[be positive]

Assuming there's no physical reason why she is putting the hindleg back ...
It sounds like you need to maintain the horse's basic desire to move forwards while teaching this movement. Are you halting and then asking for the ToF? If so, maybe she's getting a bit "stuck" and backing off the contact as you ride the exercise. You need to feel like she would move forwards at any moment if you stopped giving the ToF aids. Try breaking it down to a step or two sideways, and then ride forwards, and then another couple of steps until you feel her stay postively forward to the contact and hopefully then moving the leg underneath herself instead of out behind.

I sometimes start ToF from a small controlled walk rather than from halt for this reason. i don't use it a lot in training but find it quite useful for starting off the lateral work with green horses/riders, but they absolutely need to remain forward thinking while doing it.

I was just about to type all this then reread the OP which said from the ground so changed my post as it could well be physical.

 

[milliepops]

I was just about to type all this then reread the OP which said from the ground so changed my post as it could well be physical.

oh yes of course, duhh I read working on the ground but not the TOF on the ground. I'd def look at whether there is something physical but the forwardness element can still apply, if they get too stuck in the halt then sometimes a backward-sideways step can result. It's odd that it happens both ways if there is a physical cause, that's all?

 

[DabDab]

Again, assuming it isn't physical (though usually it is if they're doing it consistently, even if it's just a conformational issue), then on the ground, starting from standing still, you can move the front leg on the same side so that it's placed out in front first and then ask for the sideways step to help them get the idea.

The only other thing is to make sure that you're giving the aid from far enough back on the horse's side, when you're just teaching initially it doesn't matter if you give a rather exaggerated aid in terms of position, you can tone it down once they get the general idea

 

[Olliepoppy]

Thanks to all for responses. She is due vet soon for booster jab so will get her checked then. She also overreaches continually even just walking about the field so maybe a conformation issue?
I don't even get to touch her, as soon as I look at her side she moves sideways, she is a habitual backer-upper if not happy with something or crabs sideways so maybe an element of habit also?