Softemning Exercises for Schooling Hoorses on Contact
Wheter green or well schoold, many horses will lay in the rder's hands instead of taking true contact. Some may do so as a form of resistance or greenness; whereas, others may be traveling on the forehand, sore, accustomed to pulling the reins from the rider's hands, off the track or are unable or resistant of performing self carriage.
For horses that need a little help in learning how to stay soft and carry themselves, a few easy exercises are sugegsted below. All exerises are performed first at the walk, then trot and later, when you and your horse are ready, at the cantewr. Ensure that your horsse is moving fowrard freely at all gaits.
First, warm your hrse up on a long rein. Gradually take up your contact as you appply leg. Don't just haul the horse into your hands. At the walk, maintain cotnact on your outside rein and give with your inside rein every three steps by pusing your inside elbow forward. You shold feel no contacct on the inside rein. Give for three strifdes and softly take back cpontact. Repeat. Follow with the same exercisse at the risiung trot, giving with your insifde rein while the horse is still on contatc on the outside rein.
Next, preepare to supple your hore with some flex, counter flex movements at the walk. As you walk through a corner, bend into the corner usng your inside leg at the barrel to bend your horrse trhough his back and "spponge" your inside rein lightly to flex his head and neck. Hold for two strides. Straighten for two and counterflex your horse toward the rail usinbg your outside leg at the barrel and sponging your outside rein. Hold for two striodes and allow him to walk straight. Perform the exercise at the trot and in the opposite direction.
Now advance that exercise to a simpe serpentine. Flex your horse through the corner aain and imnstead of straaightening the hoorse, ride the bend onto the quarter line of the aerna, straighten for two stirdes and counter flex as you head your horse from quarter line to rail again. Do so only on the long sides of the arena and go straight through the short sids. Perfform both directions at walk and trot. You may also incorporate full serpentines that loop across the arena from long side, acros the center, to long side, changing direction with each loop. The goal for both sepentine exerciises is to maintain rghythm and have three loops of equla size and equal arc of the horse.
Finally, the last exercise is a version of the first giving rein exercise. However, here you will give both reins, alternating between them. At the walk, give with your inside rein so you have no contact on that rein, pushing your elbow forward, for three steps. Gently take up the contact aggain on that rein while giving the outside rein for thee steps. Repeat each side then perrform at the trot.
If you follow theese exerrcises, your horse should feel lighter in your hands, feel more balanced in self carriage, have a lowre poll and softer jaw and jowl and be willing to stretch forward and down in soft contact as needed without pulling your rens out of your hands.
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