© Rein Photography
withers—and bringing the back half of the horse into motion from behind (That’s practical dressage, people). Some horses are naturally a click away from this, but most have to be taught.
Most exercises are begun, trained, developed, and completed within movement. This exercise will be static to begin with as we will educate the horse in standing, but eventually it too will be developed in movement. First, gather your horse in hand, with your hand close to the bit, with the hand turned knuckles up. Lift up on the bit and keep steady pressure until the horse, who politely is either asking you to get out of its mouth, or is ignoring y, drops its head. In the beginning, the head may only drop 1/2 inch. Release the rein with even the smallest try. Pick the rein back up (after thanking your horse with a nice rub), and repeat. Repeat until your horse drops his head to the ground. Move to a different location, and repeat. Repeat from the other side too. Now, reach under the left side and using the right rein, ask for the same head down. Repeat from the other side as well. Sounds tedious? Well, get your arena music speakers hooked up...
Day two: Walk in a small 10 meter circle, ask for a turn on the forehand from the ground, and finish the sequence with a forward and down position. Now we want to communicate the position, forward position, with just a leg cue. Placing the reins over the neck, up by the poll, ask the horse to drop its head while tapping the hinds forward on the hip. You should discover the horse begin to move differently, more forward, more purposeful, and more cadenced. That is developing the forward step. Get on your horse and walk in the same size small circle. Ask for a turn on the haunches. Your horse should instantly stretch when the turn happens. You now have fluidity through the entire body of the horse. Congratulations!
Horizontal suppleness is probably the number one best kept secret in the industry. From my world view it is the number one most valuable secret ingredient for developing a confident riding partner. I fix a lot of *crazy with this simple gig.
*verwy untwained, wild-eyed, often wunawaaay, supa-wesistant, pweviously heaviwy-bwidled, tensewy confused howse.
Whether you choose to accept this or not (I bought it for a song and you can sing it yourself) but you cannot refute this truth: The magic bridge in riding is raising the back. It connects the front and the back half of the horse together. Some horses connect almost naturally, but most have to be taught. This is virtually a “day one” exercise for me because it leads the way into everything I want my horse to be. Without this concept, you are stuck in a world of bits and gadgets to try, and attempts to wrestle your horse into “broke” and the world of dressage is light years ahead of you in developing a light riding hoss, partner. The way into a horse’s mind and finding lightness through the body starts with triggering and establishing this basic concept of
Giselle, as a gangly two year old
is tense through her body still,
but learning to become supple