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Wednesday, October 13, 2021
We all have recurring problems during certain exercises à horse. From the horse that loads the bars to the horse that doesn't stay focused to the one that lies down in the curves, it's sometimes difficult to remedy.
That's why you'll find a new series of new series of blog articles to help you solve these problems.
Before moving on to solutions, always start by looking for the origin of the problem. Is it a physical discomfort? Is it a mental block? After having donen addition to a vet, osteo and dental check-up, you can also have a saddle-fitter and a bit-fitter come and check that your equipment is well adapted to your horse.
Céline, hunter coach in the Paris region:
"Two types of exercise are recommended for these horses:
Work daily on ground bars so that the horse is used to working on bars and it becomes a formality.
Give priority to exercises on the cadence and stride repetition. Train your horse to respect the stride contracts, even on the ground bars
Reduce speed. Jump from the trot, and even from the walk. This will force your horse to use his strength rather than his speed.
Use circles. Working with lots of curves and circles will put your horse back on its haunches and rebalance it. Don't go on to your next obstacle until your horse is calm on landing the first.
Count your strides. Use stride contracts to force yourself to maintain a regular cadence. A good exercise is to work on your horse's suppleness and rhythm when jumping: it can be found for free on the Seaver app."
Jean-Jacques, dressage rider and coach:
"There are several steps to take to improve this problem
Check your horse's orientation on the longe. Is it curved, counter-curved, stiff? Does it also lie down on foot, or is this a problem encountered only on horseback?
Have him make circle size variations. This will force him to stand on his own to prevent himself from falling.
Make lots of transitions between and within gaits. This will enable your horse to balance more and more on his hindquarters, and thus to lower himself on his hips.
This balance is what is sought in dressage, as it allows the horse's weight to pass underneath its mass and prevents it from fleeing forward.
First of all, you can repeat the same exercise as in a straight line.
One of your best allies will also be counter-incurvation. This will enable you to encourage the horse to rebalance itself, as it's a difficult position to maintain for horses with a tendency to lie down.
Don't just work on counter-incurvation. The whole point is to vary the bend to leave the horse in a "comfortable" zone once his balance suits you. this is the principle of theapproach-withdrawal. When the horse starts to lose balance, switch him to the external fold. As soon as he returns to a suitable balance, return to a classic bend.
You can also use ground bars at the 4 "corners" of the circle to force the horse to pay attention to where he's putting his feet, and thus naturally rebalance him. This exercise is also available on the free Seaver app, which you can find right here."
Aurélie, professional rider and breeder:
Don't make the sessions too long ! This will be counterproductive as both of you will be annoyed. It is better to keep your session very short in order to keep your horse with you as much as possible.
Vary your exercises ! We often get into the habit of working on a single exercise per session. The idea with young horses is to work on several exercises in one session. For example, you could select two and alternate between them.
Take a break ! When you feel you're losing your connection with your horse, it's best to take a break for a few minutes to clear his head before returning to work.
Keep it busy ! Don't give him time to think about anything else. You must constantly ask him for something to keep his attention on you.
Take him outside ! I like to take my young horses outside so that they can see something else, and so that they understand that the arena is a place of concentration, while the outside is a more playful place for them.
Establish a routine ! Still relating to the previous point, what I often do is walk my horse outside before the session, so he can look around, do his thing and so on. Only then do I come and start my relaxation in the arena, and over time he's associated the arena with work."
What issues would you like us to address in our next advice article?
Please let us know in the comments so that we can help you.
