Visibly Lifting the Front

[Cam Eq]

Looking for schooling exercises to lift a horses front end visibly. I mean bring the head and neck up in front of the rider with the poll as the highest point instead of flat and low. Is it a matter of more advanced schooling?
Pictures included are only for example

 

[milliepops]

Is it a matter of more advanced schooling?

Yes, basically!
A horse won't just elevate the front without the corresponding ability to engage and sit and carry behind, and raise the thoracic sling. This is a combination of strength, suppleness and understanding that takes time to develop. Otherwise its just artificially peacocking the neck and that is not correct training.

Depending on the horse's natural conformation and way of going some find it easier than others, a naturally uphill horse will generally find it less taxing than a more horizontally-built horse but both have to learn the correct way to carry a rider.

Exercises that encourage the horse to begin to engage behind and develop self carriage are a good starting point, so.. transitions, correct half halts, shoulder in etc are all the basic foundations for this work.

 

[AUB]

It’s the other end you need to worry about. When the horse sits behind it will come up in the front. But if you try to bring it up in the front without having the back end collecting you’ll just get a hollow back and hind legs trailing after the horse instead.

 

[TheMule]

It's the holy grail of dressage!
Modern warmbloods are being bred to look more uphill naturally and 'leg movers' that look spectacular as they are up in front and everything moves without much training.
With your average horse there are many, many systems you can follow to try to achieve it as your end goal so just pick the path that you feel comfortable following and work hard.

 

[millitiger]

I agree with AUB.

you can’t physically lift the front end, you can’t make the front legs longer.

the way to get that visual is only by engaging and lowering the hind legs and encouraging the horse to take more weight behind.
it is done over years of work and exercises to build that ability and power.

 

[Cam Eq]

Then what about the Young Horse Championships where the 4 year olds are all working like this? Just built for it?

 

[AUB]

Then what about the Young Horse Championships where the 4 year olds are all working like this? Just built for it?

The horses at the young horse championships are the best of the young, so yes, working correctly comes easily to them. They’re built to work uphill.

Also, remember that the few minutes in the arena doesn’t necessarily mirror how they’re worked 90 % of the time. Most of the work at home with a 4 year old is not done in a competition frame and is not riding the protocols for the championships. Its transitions, transitions and more transitions on a 20 meter circle in a lower frame.

And also they’re not ridden by... us. :-D They’re ridden by professionals who know what they’re doing and are working them correctly through the whole body from the very beginning. When a horse is ridden professionally from day 1 it’s not a problem showing them in a competition outline that they’re maybe not completely ready for for those few minutes they’re in the arena.

 

[sbloom]

Then what about the Young Horse Championships where the 4 year olds are all working like this? Just built for it?

Most of them aren't moving correctly though, their gaits aren't pure, their backs are dropped...and they're produced really fast, even the most competitive of riders will usually let them down when they get them home, they need rest. Makes me wonder how we ended up here.

Everything we do should be aimed at least partially at lifting the thoracic sling, unfortunately we have two misunderstandings. That working a horse with its head and neck round is a goal, something to be actively asked for, and secondly, that somehow correct lifting through the front end is advanced work. Horses can be long and low in stretching, but still be up in the shoulder and working over the back; they can work in a longer more novice working outline but STILL have the poll the highest point, which is 100% correct and something to aim for. They also should have the nose in front of the vertical through all of this.

Progressive work asks the horse to lift more and more through the thoracic sling yes, but ultimately to shorten and lift the whole frame, so in collection the hind legs step more under the body, and the shortened frame means the head and neck become lifted, but should still have the poll the highest point and the nose in front of the vertical.