Exercises to engage the hind end

[Heather]

And yes, I agree with Jenny, poles poles and more poles!
 
Heather

[allthegearnoidea]

I understand the importance of reinback to help engage hind end, and its something i want to use in my schooling but..........
I have been warned off using it as a freind of a freind who had an icelandic found that it very, very quickly ( intelligent horse) developed into a problem in that every time he halted he went backwards, any views on that? It then was really really difficult to stop him doing it again.
And how could you use it within a schooling session in such a way that this would not ocur.

[Fiona]

I use rein back a lot with my Icelandics, I've not found that they have used it as an evasion.  I incline my body slightly forward to ask for rein back, and it can help to get a really snappy halt with the quarters underneath the body if you go straight into RB without pausing in the halt.

I've found that if I keep varying things - sometimes walk-halt-walk sometimes walk-halt-RB-walk or tölt-halt-RB-tölt etc (there are many variations to keep you busy!) it really gets the horses listening to see what I'm going to ask for next!

In fact I've had some fun with Jörð by asking for less than a step of walk or rein back - I can get her to wave her leg in the air if I ask for the opposite direction when she has picked up her leg but not put it back down again    We do that for a laugh though (like "hunt the jack russell") - she's a clever girl and I can get her to do just about anything when she's really tuned in.

Fiona

[visconde]

I understand the importance of reinback to help engage hind end, and its something i want to use in my schooling but..........
I have been warned off using it as a freind of a freind who had an icelandic found that it very, very quickly ( intelligent horse) developed into a problem in that every time he halted he went backwards, any views on that? It then was really really difficult to stop him doing it again.
And how could you use it within a schooling session in such a way that this would not ocur.

I taught it to my luso way too young-I was caught between not taking him too quickly but keeping his mind occupied. I taught him it under saddle at just 4 and also turn about the forehand etc. what I found was that every time I halted he got tense anticipating what would happen next-and then he would offer what he thought I might want depending on how I was sitting/how I moved etc! so halt went to pot. basically I stopped doing that and other exercises from halt for about a year, was mainly hacking anyway,-got halt reestablished and started again. also, as Fiona says, dont repeat exercises consecutively if you can help it-keep 'em thinking.

[Wendy]

Great thread. 

[lisaNW]

I was talking to Heather a couple of days ago and I'm sure she won't mind me saying that she was telling me how Sudi had been anticipating passage from Piaffe, being a very bright horse and having done it a few times thinking this was what they were going to do every time now.  She was saying she just did some walking out of piaffe instead....I'd think that's they key thing to make sure the excercise and what follows is varied so the horse has to listen to you to know what's next. If you incline slightly forward for the rein back like Fiona said, it is quite a distinct aid, different from stayin upright for a halt-walk on... at leat that's what I've found anyway  .

Lisa

[allthegearnoidea]

Thanks everyone, cant wait to give it a go next time.I have been desperate to do some rein back as i thought it would help him use his bum (and brain) better! and think about things a bit but  i was so worried about trying it and causing a problem.Sometimes that is the biggest problem, wanting to try something and not having faith in yourself, for fear of doing something wrong, but i am realising horses are very understanding creatures and allow for the odd mistake.

[Heather]

Yep, Sudi is so intelligent that I have to be ultra clear with my aids, yet they have to be miniscule too so as not to over ride him! In rein back, I have to be very clear to incline slightly forwards, or he thinks I mean piaffe, as the legs are taken back for both. I hope ultimately not to have to move the legs back for piaffe, as he becomes more and more sensitised to just the seat and thought aids!

Heather

[allthegearnoidea]

Had a go at the reinback yesterday.He was very resistant to start with but after a couple of attemts was a bit more forthcoming.Only a step or two but its a start.
Trouble is got back to the stable and just as he was walking in his stifle locked, only done it once before- do you think its got anything to do with doing the reinback ( first time in ages remember)?
And he does plenty of backing up in hand?