Getting Your Horse to Use His Butt

Since the horse’s power comes from his hindquarters, some simple exercises that target that area of the horse can get him moving better. And moving better from the hind end will help horses of all disciplines.

The most simple, easy way to get your horse to work off of his hindquarters is to work transitions. Transitions are the transitioning between gaits—walk, trot/jog, canter/lope.

Your goal is to keep your horse wondering, and being prepared for, the next command. So you don’t want to be in a particular gait for long. For example, after your horse is warmed up:

Walk three steps
Rising trot three strides
Walk three steps
Rising trot five strides. Sit in the saddle, close reins and ask for the walk
Walk three steps.
Halt by steadying seat, sitting deep and closing reins
Immediately trot off. (Might require a bit of coaxing, but it should be a brisk forward trot.)
Trot four strides
Sit deep and close reins for the halt
Trot off again briskly, six strides
Sit deep, steady seat, close reins and halt

The goal for you, as the rider, is to keep lightening/softening your aids until your horse is coming down from trot to walk just by your sitting deep in the saddle and closing your reins, then springing lightly off your leg back up to the trot. As the aids get softer and your horse gets more responsive, your riding will appear effortless.

Now do the same for the canter:

From the sitting trot, ask for the canter.
Canter four strides and step down to the trot.
Sit trot three strides and ask for the canter.
Canter four strides and trot. Repeat.

Now to further refine what your horse has learned, take the transitions within the gaits where you will move him from three variations of each gait. For example:

Walk three steps at the horse’s normal forward walk.
Extend his stride by pushing with your seat and closing your legs. Alternatively, you can apply alternating leg as the back leg moves forward, left, right, left, right. Really push him forward until he is marching.
Continue for four strides.
Steady your seat and the horse will begin to collect.
Drive with your seat to your regular forward walk.
Now move into the trot.
Extend the trot by applying your inside leg as you sit on the post and your outside leg as you rise on the post. Maintain for half of the arena.
Slow your post to bring your horse back to his normal trot. Half halt as needed.
Sit the trot and collect by sitting deep, lightly closing the outside rein and keeping a quiet seat. Hold for six strides.
Move your horse off your leg for posting trot again, applying inside leg as you sit and outside leg as you rise to get him moving out better.

If you combine these exercises, you will help your horse become more balanced, stronger, use himself better, and be more responsive to you.

In addition to this great article you can find more equine articles and horse forums at http://www.horsechitchat.com/equinearticles.

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