lea
Well-Known Member
could anyone give me some exercises to encourage my mare to warm up long and low... it's just not happening
working long and low..help pls
- Thread starter lea
- Start date
spike123
Well-Known Member
with my horse i lower my hands and keep them low with a loose contact and just ride him forwards from my leg.He is a green youngish horse and it works for him.
Ziggy_
Well-Known Member
You might find initially that its easier to encourage a long low outline at the end of a schooling session rather than the beginning, once your horse has worked hard and s/he should want to stretch.
I would offer frequent stretching breaks in the school, as spike says, hands low and wide maintaining a light contact. Don't throw the reins away, let them get gradually longer and try to encourage her to take the contact forward and down a little bit at a time.
Gradually build it up in walk and then introduce trot, and as she gets the idea you can incorporate it into your warm up. My mare really enjoys working long and low and stretching during schooling is a reward for hard work.
The other thing to consider is of course her back and saddle - have they been checked? Mine needed physio earlier in the year, one of the symptoms was reluctance to stretch when previously she enjoyed it.
I would offer frequent stretching breaks in the school, as spike says, hands low and wide maintaining a light contact. Don't throw the reins away, let them get gradually longer and try to encourage her to take the contact forward and down a little bit at a time.
Gradually build it up in walk and then introduce trot, and as she gets the idea you can incorporate it into your warm up. My mare really enjoys working long and low and stretching during schooling is a reward for hard work.
The other thing to consider is of course her back and saddle - have they been checked? Mine needed physio earlier in the year, one of the symptoms was reluctance to stretch when previously she enjoyed it.
lea
Well-Known Member
Hi Yes both saddle and back have been checked. She is a really difficult mare to school, pulls me out of the saddle, evades the contact etc. I do have lessons but not enough as I cant afford that and bsja. Planned to keep her schooling to twenty minutes max .
sea_view
Well-Known Member
I think that it sounds like you need to ride up from the leg. Why is it 20 mins max? You will prob find that she needs more schooling that that to loosen off and work in an outline.
ForeverBroke_
Well-Known Member
My horse takes 20 minutes to warm up as it is
lea
Well-Known Member
I thought to keep it shorter as she really doesn't enjoy it. Wah would be a better structure then.. ten mins walk, ten mins trot and transitions, ten mins with a specific exercise and canter work.. then cool down and stretches??
sea_view
Well-Known Member
I do ten minutes walk - circles 20m down to 10 and back, 8's, serpentines and loops just so its not just round outside track as mine tends to train off if he hasn't things t think about - then transitions and up into trot - repeat the exercises mentioned - bit of leg yeilding, turns on the hunches and then up into canter. Keep varying what is happening and using both reins equally so you keep ponio interested
f_s_
Well-Known Member
I agree with DL and S_V, you should be aiming to warm up for at least twenty minutes before you start to school. Then lots of transitions, circles, serpentines, changes of pace, transitions, leg yield, turns on the forehand, turns on the haunches etc.
Then, 15 to 20 mins cool down, this is where, apart from the breaks in between your schooling, you should introduce long and low. Be careful not to drop your hands too low, nothing worse that someone riding with their hands on their knees and thinking that the horse is stretching into a contact. Let your rein run longer, and let the horse stretch down, making sure your leg is still effective and working the horse forward.
Hope this helps
Then, 15 to 20 mins cool down, this is where, apart from the breaks in between your schooling, you should introduce long and low. Be careful not to drop your hands too low, nothing worse that someone riding with their hands on their knees and thinking that the horse is stretching into a contact. Let your rein run longer, and let the horse stretch down, making sure your leg is still effective and working the horse forward.
Hope this helps