Exercise: forward-down

Take a look at the very helpful picture showing right and wrong position of the horse during work.

Thus, in the correct position of the horse is in balance, her front is not overloaded, the horse is slightly “planted” on the back, all limbs work smoothly like clockwork, all movements pass through the muscles of the back, croup, neck and limbs. The back works mainly UNDER itself, which is very important; nose is NOT perpendicular the ground, but stretched a little forward, and the neck of the horse stretches just below the level of the withers, NOT going down perpendicular to the floor. Speaking about the sensations in the correct position: you are comfortable to sit and relieve easily, you are not shaking, your body works with the horse, you move in one breath, while the animal does not rush, does not change the rhythm, the horse is extremely sensitive and attentive.

essence provisions is – RELAXED horse condition. BUT to – turning on the back, activating the buttocks, working on balance. So how do you understand Is your horse moving correctly?

Photo: http://www.horsemagazine.com

Actually, it’s just – you just need to remember the principles of the correct position of the animal, but how to feel it is another question that requires more than one workout and, often, more than one month! To try to approach the forward-down position of the horse, you need to go through several stages of the training scale your horse: rhythm, relaxation and submission, contact with the reins. Once these goals are achieved, you can move on to the next step – relaxation, balance, forward movement, butt work with a connected back. It is important not to lower the horse with the force of the hands and reins.. This will not be relaxation, as it seems to many, if the neck was lowered down by the rein, then the horse immediately relaxed, not at all. When the horse has contact, rhythm, he will trust you, he will try to catch the balance, and this will happen only when the muscles are relaxed, only then the work through these muscles will begin, and only then the horse will go down, stretch his neck, nose a little forward , will begin to transfer weight to the hind legs, pushing with them, and will also slightly expand the frame, facilitate the removal of the shoulders, and balance with the back. You will definitely feel it!

To do this, you need give a reason enough to still maintain light contact with the mouth, and don’t force me to go down horse down from your hand. By holding the outside rein softly and clearly, while barely retracting the inside one, you will easily and naturally show that you can go down, and as soon as the horse relaxes, he will want to go down by himself. Worth adding to work inner leglocated near the girth. This way you are not “losing”, but leading the horse – this will be a small hint for the horse that you can try to go down, this will also show which rein it is worth “shifting” to at the moment. When you have mastered this stable movement along the wall, move on to the execution of the elements.

Photo: https://www.pinterest.ru

Try to do high volts, concessions along the long diagonal, diagonal changes of direction, transitions from a trot to a gallop. In this position, it’s good to warm up the horse and knead at the end of the workout, but you don’t need to train like that all the time, this is a kind of gymnastics.

Now looking at the picture with NOT correct position of the horse, you can draw the appropriate conclusions and reconsider your work options, diversify typical workdays by offering your horse a new thinking exercise, perhaps this will become for you a new step on the path to progress, a new level in the training process!

Cover photo: toffi-images.de