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| bending and flatwork question | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: May 14 2007, 05:59 AM (414 Views) | |
| horsehearted | May 14 2007, 05:59 AM Post #1 |
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Weanling
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I've been riding a horse that just leans on the bit. Hes also EXTREMELY difficult to get to bend. I do a lot of figure eights and serpentines and really never just trot around the rail. He's getting better but I was wondering if anyone had any excersises that might help a bit more. I've been riding him in a level 2 Myler bit which gives me leverage (he's a gigantic warmblood and I'm not huge.) |
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| snaffle | May 14 2007, 07:38 PM Post #2 |
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Is the meadow on fire?
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No expert here, but would it help to do carrot stretches on the ground to increase his flexibility? |
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| DairyQueen2049 | May 15 2007, 04:19 AM Post #3 |
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DRAGON BREATH. DRAGGIN' BUTT
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I like to play Ferrari with my lacks-bendy horses. I gt out some 'toys' to bend around or play in the tree like out front of our house. Left, right, 180's 360's - make it a big game and use your legs more then your reins to get those turns. I make the vrooom- vroom noises too - it reminds me that this is PLAY and FUN and not to get grumpy if the horse is being a slab - he is doing the best he can. It is exhausting - but they get it. And the vroom-vroom noises keep them relaxed as you breathe. |
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| Corey94 | May 15 2007, 06:39 AM Post #4 |
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Off visiting Candy Cave, be right back.
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How comfortable are you with lateral work? Haunches in, shoulder in, shoulder fore, etc? They are great exercises to encourage self carriage and keep him from lugging. Remember to use direct rein aids; the idea is to push him with your leg, instead of pull him around with your reins. I would start with walking, then sitting the trot and see how long he can do it. In the beginning, just a few decent steps and a good attempt deserve praise, IMO. Good luck! |
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| Ponybreeder | May 15 2007, 07:21 PM Post #5 |
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Shunnnnn the unbeliever. Shunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.
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The most important thing in bending work, is that the horse is steady on the outside rein when bending to the inside. Try this at the walk first so that you feel what I am talking about. As the horse is so stiff, you will need to open the outside rein slightly and maintain a feel of it. Then bring your inside rein in the direction of your outside hip, without crossing the wither. As soon as he bends, give on the inside rein, maintaining steady contact on the outside rein. As the inside rein softens, he should carry the bend without much feel at all.. If he is just to stiff to do this, you may actually have to bring his head around with the inside rein moving back past your hip on the same side, and then giving right away. You will have to do this over and over again, until he is steady on the outside rein. One side will be fairly easy, the other side difficult. After you can do this at all three gaits, do lots of sepentines and direction changes so your horse can go from steady on one outside rein to steady on the other. |
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| horsehearted | May 16 2007, 05:54 AM Post #6 |
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Weanling
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thanks for your help! i'm very comfortable with lateral work.. and he's gettting better... slowly but surely.. but hey.. the slow and steady wins the race! we are currently great at the walk... pretty good at the trot... and getting better at the canter. whoever worked with him last got him so balled up working on the collected canter that the poor thing doesnt know how to canter like a normal horse. i've been doing a lot of transitions as well hoping to build up his boooty muscles so that maybe.. just maybe.. he will stop using my arms up hold himself up... thanks!!! |
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| MissBri | May 16 2007, 09:31 AM Post #7 |
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But, I don't care - it's 5:00 somewhere
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Spirals, serpentines, bend and counterbend. The spirals are very helpful. Start on a large circle with minimal bend, gradually spiral in, wait until that circle size is consistent and the bend appropriate, then on to the next smaller circle. I tend to do things slowly, and always, always end on a 'well done'. With a particularly tough mare we ended up putting caveletti and ground rails in a circle. This mare used to be primarily a driving horse so resisted bending (cart's shafts don't bend to well!). She was so concentrated on the cavs and rails that she gave right to the bending. We'd then try some serpentines and other figures. As soon as she'd get 'shafty' we'd do the 'raised circle' again. As far as the leaning - don't give him something to lean against. Pulse your rein contact (not much, just very very slight - no-one should see any movement in the rein). I've gone as far as dropping one rein completely, then reestablishing contact. as soon as a lean, drop, establish contact again. Rinse and repeat. |
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| Anyplace Farm | May 16 2007, 11:46 AM Post #8 |
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Shunnnnn the unbeliever. Shunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.
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On those that are especially stiff one side or the other, after my warm up on a loose rein (obviously keeping safety in mind), I stop and take the rein and quietly, slowly, not aggressively, pull the horse's nose in the direction of my knee. Yes, but mind you, it isn't touching the knee! It ends up somewhere in the vicinity of his shoulder. Not mean and tight, just there. The horse will spin and spin (I don't put any speed on this) and when it stops and is clearly holding its head in that direction on its own, then I immediately let go. Then, I do it the other direction. What you are looking for is, while standing still, a horse that will quietly, without resistance, bend for you side to side while keeping even flexion at the poll. So, for instance, mine bends beautifully to the right, nice, slight flexion (we're not talking roll kur). But when I pull to the left, while he bends, his nose is in the air a bit more -- basically, no flexion. We're working on that. While you do this side to side, you hold with your alternating 'outside' leg to keep the haunches from swinging out. Once you've established the horse understaning that, "Oh, when I give in to the pull of the rein here, she gives to me" thing, then you are ready to do the same at the walk. Choose a direction, preferably your horse's best direction, and now you are looking for bend and counter bend at the walk. Same rule applies, as you bend to the outside, your inside leg now becomes your outside leg -- hold the haunch to that bend. Be certain to be patient because it is very hard to hold their haunches from swinging opposite the direction you are pulling if they are stiff. It is also hard to do this and keep a good walk. If your horse resists, gets behind the bit, gets confused, go long rein and let him ponder until he feels relaxed and try again. Do not expect to get this over night. This is something that should be in your limbering up portion of your ride every ride. It's something you'll see the good jumper riders doing at the walk, trot and canter. |
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| Black Tack | May 16 2007, 03:44 PM Post #9 |
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You're BANNED!
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Lots of transitions are a great idea, as long as you are making sure that they are balanced and it's all about the rhythm and the hind legs stay active. When he starts to listen well, then go to the walk/canter/walk and trot/halt/trot with only about 5 steps in between each gait. This will really get him connected back to front. It will also help you to get a good connection, as pb said, mostly on the outside rein. I always found that my horse was best if I work suppling exercises right into my warm up as soon as I get on. I used to begin with double 10 meter circles in each of the corners of the ring at a good marching walk. Go around twice in one direction doing this and then change direction and do the same the other way. Pay close attention to the activity of the inside hind leg and don't let it get lazy. Also make sure the bend is through the ribcage - the whole horse - not just neck and head. If you find that he's being really good with this, then shorten the walk work up a bit and do the same exercise at trot. And with the canter work, one of the exercises I really enjoy and find it's great for suppling is to ride a 20m circle at counter canter, changing the flexion every quarter circle or so. Flex to the inside, straight ahead and then the outside and back to straight. It's hard at first, but really great for loosening them up at canter. |
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| horsehearted | May 16 2007, 07:49 PM Post #10 |
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Weanling
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thanks again! i rode him again today and used all the advice ya'll gave! I am a jumper rider and am pretty good with flatwork but i've never worked witha jumper horse who knew absolutely nothing about flatwork before. it's been fun and i've learned a whole lot. today we accomplished just about perfectly.. bending and doing lateral work at the walk. i always work him at the walk for about ten minutes before i do anything else. my ex-trainer was a stiffler on correct transitions so i'm like 99 percent sure i'm doing them correctly. I've been doing a lot of lengthening at the canter just bc i think whoever rode him last just forced him into a frame. He's getting so much more relaxed and seems much happier.. which I think and hope it making a difference. and.. He didn't lean on me too much today! I've been doing a lot of circles and transistions so hopefully his backend is getting stronger. thanks for all your help.. and keep it coming as i could never get enough help with flatwork! |
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