Exercises to engage the hind end

[DaffyDilly]

I need some good exercises to engage the back end, so that we can get Daffy using his hocks. Until he does that he won't come up off the forehand, so it's my priority for now, although I'm trying to keep him soft in the jaw too as then he does start to engage better. It's his left hind particularly that he's reluctant to engage, and he's starting off pretty stiff at the moment.

He's actually moving now though - took the "long rein, go and keep going or die" approach (we then had a few issues in canter) - so now I'm looking to improve impulsion through transitions but generally slow everything back down to his natural rhythym, whilst trying to keep him going.

He's still drifting, although I'm managing to counter that now with the outside rein, and he has started trying to tank off a bit, particularly in canter. He's counter flexing much much less now.

Any suggestions? We have a 20x60 arena to work in, although it's a bit wet at both ends, and there are four poles in the school at the moment. No jumping for us, although just occaisionally he wants to try and I let him (1ft jobbies), but not cleared one yet.

[catkin]

One thing that has helped my 24 yearold mare is using lots of direct transitions from a couple of steps of reinback into trot or canter. We start by doing one about every quarter of a circle. Layer clicker on the top and throw in a bit of lateral work just for fun and lots of stretches on a long rein at walk in between. These exercises are also softening the front end (she's a fizzy little thing and also built croup-high)

PS I always warm up with some inhand work first which gets the old girl loosened up before riding - it has made SUCH a difference.

[shoveltrash]

if you want to isolate those muscles and just STRENGTHEN them for the work under saddle, take Daffy in hand up and down steep hills .  i've been doing this with both my youngsters lately, and the difference is amazing!  altho it's very challenging to keep them aligned going downhill (shoulder in front of hips, moving in slow measured steps stopping and starting).  it really reveals weaknesses.
the stuff you're doing under saddle sounds great, esp adding in catkin's recommendations .

[tollertwins]

if you want to isolate those muscles and just STRENGTHEN them for the work under saddle, take Daffy in hand up and down steep hills . 

'course...if you're in a place where the only 'steep hills' are the freeway overpasses, you're kind of out of luck on that one... 

[Heather]

Reinback, transitions, reinback, transitions- cant stress enough, reinback and transitions!!  :santa_wink:Also reinback up a slope, boy does that make them engage!

Heather

[DaffyDilly]

Does it matter if the reinback isn't soft and round? I've been working on him not hollowing when backing undersaddle, and he's just beginning to keep his head at a reasonable level, but still wants to raise it.

Inhand he's doing quite well with his reinback, and after a brief play tonight during which we boinged over some trotting poles, I think I'll be able to get him doing sharp transitions on the ground again.

No problem finding steep hills around us, but getting Daffy to go down slowly might be a problem, normally I'd be jogging to keep up.

[shoveltrash]

oh yes, reinback up an incline is wonderful - but extremely difficult.  i've only just started doing this in hand with my stronger young horse. 

i too am curious about the "quality" of reinback in regards to how effective it is gymnasticizing.

getting Daffy to go down slowly might be a problem, normally I'd be jogging to keep up

that in itself speaks of some weakness.  give it a try!  leading verrrrry slowly down the incline, stopping for brief periods with his body aligned .  my Racinet bodyworker friend recommends that exercise more than any other for getting a horse using themselves more correctly .

[Jenny]

Poles, poles and more poles..... Ok you only have 4 but if you put them out at a distance of around 9ft between them (depending on your horses stride) and if possible raise alternate ends a few inches . You will be able to walk trot and canter over them , ride transitions whilst going over the poles.......say for example approach in trot , go over the first pole then walk as you go over the next and back to trot over the last. This is a great exercise.
    Alternatively use the poles to make a square in the centre of the school  

[Claire]

get some polepods, or something else to raise them up.  I work molly over the same every now and again, should do it more often, you can really see the hocks engage and the entire horse lift & move forward.

[sayyadina]

Setting up 4 poles on the ground, kind of like an 'X' is good. I've only used this when lunging, with me at the center, but I can't see why it couldn't work under saddle. Kind of like riding a circle divided into quarters.

Also trot-halt and trot-halt-reinback.

[DaffyDilly]

I have something similar to polepods, but I might invest in some polepods after christmas, they sell them in our local saddlery. I like the fact that you can change the height, mine are fixed (jump cups designed for cones) a bit bigger than that, and I think we need to start off smaller.

I also plan to get a set of cones for the school, but rather than relocating some this time, I'm gonna buy the Roma dressage ones.  I've been trying to ride a diamond with very very basic pirouettes at the corners, but finding it difficult now to stop him going round, and think cones will help us focus.

I like the idea of a X of poles, and also doing transitions over/between poles.

[Fiona]

Second (or third or fourth!) the reinback suggestion.  As long as you are not pulling him backwards (so, from halt incline your body forward and fix your hand so he knows you don't want him to move forwards and then to get the backwards steps use your legs rather than your hands) this will really get him using his quarters.

Once you are popping reinback into your work you can start doing transitions within it - e.g. ask for reinback and then before the horse has stepped backwards (but he has transferred the weight onto his hindquarters) ask him to move forwards again.  Or ask for one foot forwards and then back again before it has hit the ground (or vice versa).  That's really fun and will get him really listening to you.

Fiona

[DaffyDilly]

So I have some pole pods, will possibly get them out on Monday, we're going for a hack tomorrow. I also spotted about another 8 poles over the wall, so I'm sure YO won't mind me getting a couple more out if we need them.

One of the problems I'm finding with Daffy's trot, is that it doesn't feel to have much impulsion, and that makes me wonder about the quality of our "outline". It feels very up and short rather than long and free like it used to be, more like a jog, although I only deliberately slowed it once. I'm making sure I don't push him forward, just getting onto him if I feel him backing off, and this approach is working so far. I am able to soften his jaw though, and we're getting longer periods of correct, if basic, work, which is what he really needs. I swear his bum is getting rounder, which can only be a good sign.

I haven't done any reinback on the hills yet, but I did lead him down a steep hill very slowly today. Initially he found it very hard, but then his walk began to very nearly diagnolise, and it was much easier to keep his shoulders and hips aligned, when I could see past his nose at least, he just wanted a snog. Without knowing anything much about it, I suspect this is a step towards the counted walk, and I really think it will be of benefit to him if that is the case, provided I do not ask for too much, too soon.

[issywizz]

Ref the trot,I find it very helpful to alter the pace and frame within the gait.So collect for 5 strides then send forward into a soft rein and ask him to lengthen for 5 strides.Maximum results come when the collected is ridden sitting and the extension is ridden rising,although you need to be able to sit reaaly softly.Also best done on a 15/20m circle with a little shoulder fore to help with the collected if you need it.
This is good for engagement and impulsion,also helps free up those hock joints.
You can do it in all gaits too,just be sure that after doing it you then do a couple of circles in a steady trot so the horse doesnt start to vary on his own accord.

[DaffyDilly]

Thankyou, that sounds like a useful exercise, and one that we should be able to do without trying to learn something new as we go along.