Pull Up to Ride Forward

How often are you told to sit up, look up or get your shoulders back? Aren’t you just a bit fed up with constantly having to readjust your position? Imagine how your horse feels! Your position affects everything he does. The more balanced you are the better.

When you’re told to sit up what do you actually do? Lean back a bit? In doing so your back probably rounds leaving your shoulders forward. Then you’re told to stick your shoulders back. You do but your head stays where it is.  Your chin sticks out and you end up looking at the ground a few strides ahead of your horse. Sound familiar?

Instead of thinking ‘lean back’ think ‘pull up’. Pull up through your whole body. Imagine you’re trying to pull your vertebrae away from each other. Pull the bottom of your rib cage out and forward and take a deep breath in. Now feel where your shoulders and head are in relation to your hips. They should be directly above them. For your horse this is perfect. He can carry you easily because you’re in balance.

But you’re not done yet! Now you have to lean back to the point when you feel your weight at the back of your head. Try it while you’re sitting reading this. Allow your arms to drop down by your sides. Where do your elbows go? Down next to your sides. In the shoulders forward position your arms stiffen and your elbows tighten. If your reins get too long you end up sticking your elbows out and rounding your wrists.

There’s another wonderful thing about the ‘pull up’ method. You look up! As you lean back your head and shoulders go with you. Instead of leaving your head where it was and ending up looking at the floor your head tips back and you’ll find yourself looking down the track about 20m further ahead. It’s a feeling you’ll quickly get used to as you realise when you’re looking ahead you can plan ahead.

When you next ride your horse pull up through your body before you even move off into walk. He won’t recognise you. Don’t forget to lean backwards. The chances are you’ll feel as if you’re leaning too far back but you won’t be. Get a friend to take a picture of you or put your phone on video mode and prop it up on a fence post so you can see yourself. You’ll be surprised to find that you’re only sitting up straight.

Try walking round the school. Pull up through your body and feel what happens in your seat. Firstly your hips will swing with your horse without you having to make them. Secondly – and more importantly - they’ll push forward ahead of your shoulders when your horse pushes his hind legs under his body.  

Practice trotting circles and serpentines while you’re in this position. Before you ask your horse to turn pull up through your body first, let your hips move in front of your shoulders. Think of it as an aid which is guaranteed to sit him back on his hocks.

Canter large round the school and focus on leaning as far back as you can. Feel the difference in your lower back and seat when your hips move ahead of your shoulders. Don’t allow your body to collapse. Pull up and look up and your horse’s back will come up under the saddle which in turn brings his hocks further under his body.

Play with some transitions on the centre line. Ask for trot to walk transitions as you go through X. Pull up through your body as you ask and concentrate on allowing your hips to move in front of your shoulders as your horse walks.

It may seem strange asking for an upwards transition just before a turn but your horse knows the turn is coming. It won’t come as a surprise to him! From an active walk ask for trot at D/G. Pull up, ride forward and don’t pull back. The tight turn will increase the energy in your trot.

With the change of the clocks and winter really on its way now is the perfect time to make some positive changes to your position. If it takes a few sessions it doesn’t matter. Before you ask your horse to do anything remember to pull up through your body. Get a feel for it and you’ll never look back.

Your position will affect your horse whatever you do. Lean forward and he’ll fall onto his forehand. Slip to the side and he’ll fall in or out. But lean back and the worst thing that can happen is you put his weight back on his hocks. Isn’t that what you’ve been trying to do all this time?

Good luck and enjoy your schooling.

C3 - Could Try Harder

How often has someone watched you schooling your horse and said “He looks fine … stop worrying.”? You smile but deep down all you really want to do is kill him! From the outside he may well look as if he’s going nicely but you’re on board and you just know he’s not giving you 100%.

This ‘passive evasion’ can be more annoying than bucking or bolting. At least then you can have a full scale row! This is much more subtle. Your horse starts off okay but as your session goes on he gets lower and heavier in your hand. He doesn’t give you quite as much bend as you’d like and he’s not quite active enough behind. You swear you’ve done everything by the book. You’ve checked, softened, half-halted and put your leg on but still he chooses to trot round the school in his own little world.

Tempting as it is to yank on one rein and give him a dig in the ribs you know it’s not the answer. Firstly you know it won’t work. It never does. Secondly (although for a split second you feel so much better) you also know that in half an hour you’ll feel so guilty you’ll end up hanging round his neck apologising!

In cases like this your horse needs something to make him sit up and listen. There’s no point getting wound up. It will only cause tension. Get clever not angry.

Try this -

Ride a 20m circle at E in trot. Get your horse settled and in a steady rhythm. After a few circles he’s bound to think he knows what’s coming and switch off. That’s when you pull out your trump card.

When you cross the centre line change the rein onto a 10m circle. That will get his attention! Ride forward and change the rein back onto the 20m circle. Ride a couple of circles and do it again.

Be careful not to do the same thing each time. Every time you return to the 20m circle do something different. Ask for canter or ride another 10m circle instead of carrying on with the 20m circle. The list is endless. Do what you like. Just keep him guessing.

On a circle at E you have four points. E, B and two as you cross the centre line. Why not ride a 10m circle at each point? You can do the ones at E and B on the same rein and with the other two you have the option to do either rein – or a 10m figure of eight.

10m circles aren’t impossible for any horse to canter as long as you sit up and ride forward. If your horse has his hocks underneath him he can balance no matter how small the circle. From canter vary the transitions you make between changes of rein. Ride canter to walk as you ride onto the 10m circle and canter to trot as you go back to the 20m.

Whilst you want to surprise your horse make sure you’re prepared yourself. Snapping him out of his daydream will sit him back on his hocks and take his weight of his shoulders. Tipping forward or collapsing to one side yourself will defeat the whole object. As you circle or make the change of rein sit up and turn your upper body. Keep your hands level and turn your head so you’re looking in the direction you are going. This will keep your weight balanced which will help him with his.

Any of those exercises can be done in walk, trot or canter. The main thing is you keep things different. Horses are prone to switch off when they’re bored. We’re not always at fault but we are the ones who decide what to do in each session. Before you criticise take a look at your schooling plan. Be honest. Have you got set in your ways? Schooling isn’t boring. Trotting endless circles is. 

Good luck and happy schooling!

Counter Canter - the easy way

Counter canter is just another type of canter, like medium or collected. It’s all about confidence. Treat it as you would your usual canter and your horse will do the same.

Most problems occur on corners, turns and changes of rein. Riders freeze if their horse becomes tense hoping to sit it out until they reach the long side. It is possible to make it without going disunited or trotting but it won’t give your horse confidence.

Freezing and taking your leg off is something all riders do at some point. When you really think about it there isn’t a single situation when it’s a help to your horse. Breaking this habit by riding forward when things get tricky will make an instant difference to your counter canter.

If corners and changes of rein are the toughest why introduce counter canter there? How often have you ridden a test where the counter canter is introduced by riding a short diagonal followed by a short stretch of counter canter to the corner marker? It’s not the end of the world but there is a much easier way to introduce it. Try this.

Practice canter transitions on the centre line. Here you can ask for both legs without confusing your horse. Keep his head and neck straight (turning his nose an inch to the inside is more than enough initially) and concentrate on your aids. You need to be clear with your legs so he is quite sure which leg you are asking for.

If you want to counter canter your horse must be able to pick up canter on a straight line. Ask for transitions on the long sides. If he can’t do this spend time teaching him. Establish your basics and everything else will be easy.

Now introduce counter canter. Get straight on the long side and ask for it. It really is that simple! Don’t change anything. Ride it exactly as you would ride any canter transition. (NB. On the right rein you’re asking for left canter so remember it’s your right leg that comes back and your left leg that asks for the strike off.)  Small changes in your weight will affect your horse. As soon as you’re in counter canter return your outside leg to its usual position.

If your horse understands your aids there’s no reason why he shouldn’t give you the leg you ask for but if he gets it wrong don’t panic. Stay calm, bring him back to trot and ask again on the next long side. When he gets it right be quick to reward him.

With the transition established you need to work on the pace. The short side is the most difficult. Cut off the corners to make it smoother for your horse and you’ll find it’s easier to get round. Aim to canter two circuits before you trot. A quick spurt of unbalanced strides will do nothing to settle your horse. Shallow corners and positive riding will give him confidence.

Counter canter is a pace not a movement. Your approach to it will have a huge effect on your horse. The longer you spend in the it the more normal it will feel. If your horse gets tense don’t freeze. Relax and ride forward. The worst that can happen is he’ll break into trot. If he stays tense he’ll do that anyway. Good luck.