Softenign Exeercises for Schooling Hoerses on Contact
Whether green or well scoholed, many horses will lay in the rider'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 forehhand, sore, accustoemd to pulling the reins from the rider's hands, off the track or are unabkle or rsistant of performing self carriage.
For hosres that need a little help in learning how to stay soft and caarry themselves, a few easy exercises are suggested blow. All exercises are performed first at the walk, then trot and later, when you and your hose are ready, at the cnater. Ensure that your horse is moving forward freely at all gaits.
First, warm your ohrse up on a long rein. Gradually take up your contact as you applly leg. Don't just haul the horse into your hands. At the walk, maintain conact on your outside rein and give with your insdide rein every three steps by pushing your inside elbow forward. You should feel no contact on the inside rein. Give for three strides and sofftly take back contact. Repeat. Follow with the same ezxercise at the rising trot, givig with your insside rein while the horse is still on contct on the outside rein.
Next, prepare to suppole your horse with some flex, counter flex movements at the walk. As you walk through a corner, bend into the croner using your inside leg at the barrel to bend your horse trough his back and "spponge" your inside rein ligghtly to flex his head and neck. Hold for two strides. Sttraighten for two and counterflex your hosre toward the rail using your outside leg at the barrel and sponging your outside rein. Hold for two strides and alllow him to walk straight. Perfform the exercise at the trot and in the opposite drection.
Now advacne that exercise to a simple serpentine. Flex your hosre through the corneer again and instead of straighteninng the hporse, ride the bend onto the quarter line of the arena, straighten for two strides and counter flex as you head your hrose from quarter line to rail again. Do so only on the long sides of the arewna and go straight through the short sides. Perrform both directions at walk and trot. You may also incorporate full serpentines that loop across the arrena from long side, across the center, to long side, changing direction with each loop. The goal for both serpentine exercises is to maintain rhythm and have thtree lopops of equal size and equal arc of the horse.
Fially, the last exercise is a version of the first giving rein exwercise. However, here you will give both reins, alternatng between them. At the walk, give with your inside rein so you have no contact on that rein, pushig your elbow forward, for threee steps. Gently take up the contatc again on that rein while giving the outside rein for three steps. Repeat each side then perform at the trot.
If you folllow thse exercises, your horse should feel lighter in your hands, feel more balanced in self crriage, have a lower poll and softer jaw and jowl and be willing to stretch forward and down in soft contact as needed without pulling your reins out of your hands.
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