Working from behind

[Debb]

This may seem like to very simple question but I have no idea.
Iv read so many times people saying to other make sure your horse is working from behind or he needs to be on the bit.
How do you know if your horse is doing these two things?

 

[twiggy2]

In all seriousness if you want to learn the answer to those things you need to invest in lessons with a good instructor-the route to achieving them is different for every horse, every rider and every combination of horse and rider, there are basic elements that have to be in place but strengths/weaknesses in conformation/body strength/mentality give both horse and rider strong points and weak points and all horses are motivated in different ways by different things so there is no set formula.

 

[kc100]

^ What Twiggy said.

You need a dressage instructor if you dont understand these things, because ultimately we can try and explain in words but the best way to learn is to feel it. An instructor will be able to get you doing it correctly and when you feel it you will understand far better than anyone can explain in writing.

Working from behind is basically having the horse using his back end (back legs and bum) to power the movement - on the forehand means using the shoulders so working from behind is the correct way of moving as it lightens the front end (shoulders) making the horse more manoeuvrable and lighter. This comes from a fit healthy horse, if your horse isnt fit enough he'll never be able to work properly from behind.

This is a good article to read:
http://dressagedifferent.com/2013/08/05/five-ways-to-engage-your-horses-hind-leg/

On the bit is a bit of an odd term, I personally dont like it and other people may call it working in an outline or something else....but basically in dressage you need a connection with the horse through the reins and the horse should be relaxed in its neck carrying itself in a position that is comfortable for the horse and allows freedom of movement.

If you are being judged at a dressage competition basically you dont want to be going around with the neck stuck in the air like a giraffe, and you need that soft curve to the neck that looks like you have an outline. To complicate matters further *hence why you need an instructor* you can have a false outline but I wont go there with that one!

I personally focus on relaxation before I worry about 'being on the bit/in an outline', once the horse is truly working from behind with a relaxed neck you will automatically get a true 'outline' rather than something manufactured. I school my horses to carry their neck in various positions until they learn where is comfortable for them - different breeds have different neck carriages so what Valegro can achieve with his neck wont be the same as any other horse, you have to work with what you have got and your horse's neck carriage may be higher/lower/deeper than the next horse but that doesnt matter - the key is finding the position where the horse is comfortable so they can relax and you have a soft elastic contact with the reins.

I alternate when schooling between a long, low stretchy 'outline' to a more 'competition' ready outline and then back again with more stretching in-between. This teaches the horse to relax and to also encourage self-carriage which is your ultimate goal. You dont want to be forcing the neck into a certain position and holding it there, you want the horse to carry itself (so when you see a give and retake of the reins in a dressage test for example the goal of that movement is for the horse's head and neck to not move at all, showing true self carriage i.e. the horse is carrying its neck and head all by itself with no rider intervention).

This is one of my favourite diagrams for looking at 'outlines' (horse working on the bit):
http://th03.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE...sage_in_drawings_by_arabian_alice-d67mvyx.jpg

It shows how you should be working through the scales (although a number of them come at the same time and are interlinked), rhythm is your fundamental that you need a steady consistent rhythm in all gaits. Then you need suppleness (that shows the horse stretching down in the neck) to enable correct bend and elasticity through the movements. Then you bring the contact up (so the neck comes a bit higher but in a rounder shape than in the rhythm image), then you add the impulsion (getting the horse moving more forwards with more energy without rushing or losing the contact), straightness is a given at any time but cannot be achieved without any of the earlier scales, and finally collection comes last - as the horse gets fitter and all of the other scales of training come together you can achieve a 'higher' frame (like what you see at high level dressage, Grand Prix etc) and collection basically means the horse still has all of the impulsion but the steps become more 'collected' so you can do movements like pirouettes, piaffe etc where you still need plenty of energy and a consistent contact but the steps are higher rather than going forward.

Once again I'm going to reiterate - get a good dressage instructor and have lots of lessons to learn the 'feel' of these things, or even better if you can afford it get some schoolmaster lessons at a dressage yard and feel it on a well-schooled horse so you can take that feeling home to your own schooling with your own horse. A feeling is hard to describe and my descriptions are not perfect, you can read all day on this and look at various images and articles online. But hopefully it has helped somewhat!

 

[oldie48]

Good reply from kc100 just wanted to add that you don't need a "dressage" instructor any good experienced instructor should be able to help you as IMHO all ridden horses should ideally "work from behind" whether you are jumping, hacking down the road or doing "dressage".