The Magazine November 2022
More from this issue
Make a connection
Posted 30th September 2022
There’s no greater feeling than riding a horse who’s travelling freely forward into a soft contact, but how is this achieved? Try our five exercises for starters
Do you struggle to maintain a consistent outline with your horse during schooling sessions? If so, you’re not alone. Young or inexperienced horses may not understand how to stay soft in the rein contact, but more experienced schoolmasters can challenge this concept, too.
A true connection comes from your horse’s hindquarters. By encouraging him to step actively forward from his hindleg you can, in turn, lighten his forehand and encourage him to work in a better outline.
There are lots of exercises that can help, but we’ve picked a handful of our favourites. Why not give them a go next time you ride?
Exercise one: Lateral flexion on a circle
Starting in walk…
- Ride a small circle of around 10 metres in one corner of the arena.
- Use your inside leg slightly behind the girth to push your horse’s quarters to the outside of the circle so that the inside hindleg crosses slightly in front of the outside hind.
- If all goes to plan, your horse will yield to the rein contact and soften. When this happens, allow the contact forward, encouraging him to stretch down and forward.
- Repeat a few times in each direction.
Did you know?
Working your horse correctly is the equivalent to a Pilates session. Over time, this creates a stronger core and he’ll have a more flexible spine and topline.
Exercise two: Riding between collected and extended walk
You can do this on a large circle or in a straight line but either way…
- Start by using some half-halts to ask your horse to take smaller walk steps. Be careful not to lose the activity of the pace as you shorten it up – the rhythm should stay the same.
- As long as your horse stays straight, the collected walk will help to lighten his forehand and engage his hindleg, encouraging softness.
- Once you feel him come lighter in the rein, ask him to take longer steps, towards an extended walk. Keep a contact but allow your hands forward a little more so your horse can lengthen his frame.
- Once he’s stretching down nicely in the extended walk, collect up the walk steps again, repeating the same exercise on both reins a few times.
Check out November Horse&Rider for more ways to achieve a soft contact in your schooling sessions. Get your copy today!
