Getting your horse to bend!!

[Bertie]

Can anyone help me with this?????

During my lesson my instructor keeps asking me to get my horse to bend correctly around the corners and changing reins etc.

One instructor says use your inside leg on, outside leg slightly back to stop hind quarters swinging, open the outside hand out, whilst tweeking the inside to incourage the the bend and allow me the rider to see the bend.

Another says inside leg on, outside back, open the inside rein to incourage the bend whilst placing small tweeks down the inside to incurage bend.

Which is right????? :rolleyes:

I need help and advice!!!:confused:

[cvb]

in a way they are both right - they are just explaining it a little differently. Your outside hand should support around the corner but should also allow a little. It should not cross across the horse's withers (unless you are deliberately using an indirect rein).

Depending on the horse you are riding, and their degree of education, you may need to use an open inside rein to encourage the flexion. The bend needs to be through as much of the horse as possible, not just in the neck - so don't over do it !

(Having said that, the horse has physical limits on how much they can flex their body eg under the saddle)

If it helps imagine how you would wheel a wheelbarrow around a corner. The wheelbarrow does not 'flex' as such but it does corner. Also the handles of the wheelbarrow don't change length as you corner - ditto your reins stay the same, but if you look around the corner yourself, the small amount of turn you have in your shoulders will advance your outside hand by just enough.

I always think of my shoulder being parallel with the horses shoulders around the corner, and my hips are parallel with the horses hips. If you think about how they get round the corner that means your outside shoulder is slightly forward, but your inside hip is slightly forward (which gives you the inside leg on and outside leg slightly behind).

Does that help ?

[Echo64]

CVB's right, both are correct. I've found that both work equally well, but it depends on the horse you ride. My gelding likes both ways, but he's extremely aimiable when it comes to things like that. My pony requires a more direct rein, because for one thing, if she thinks she can be lazy and get away with it, she'll try it.

horses that are uncomfortable in a restricting situation will often bend more if you "throw the rein away". Not always the case, but it's been known to happen.

[LisaS]

Good luck Bertie, CVB has explained that very well:)

[jUmPingIsLifE]

the first way you mentioned is the way that i was taught to do it.

[intouch]

Instructors can only offer you suggestions on how to do things, as has been said, different horses respond to different "feels" and you have to experiment a bit to find what works. I find it helps to imagine a big "eye" in the region of your naval, and have it look in the direction you want to go. (Sally Swift). Seems to help you to use weight aids effectively.

[Bertie]

CVB/Echo64/Intouch - thanks for all your advice, I have a lesson on Thursday night so I will try and put your advice into action, depending on which horse I get to ride - :rolleyes: :)

I will let you alal know how I get on :p

[Bertie]

I just thought I'd keep you updated on my progress with bending. Having tried your advice - haven't been able to get much practice in the last 2 weeks been jumping. But still tried. Last week was better than this my horse Cheiftan is relucatant to corner and particularly dislikes the right bend but persisted and finished going quite well.

This week was not so good started off on a mare called "lizzie" who doesn't like bending and fights you for whole lesson on everything but luckily got to swap 20minutes in just as I was settling into her.

I got to ride a little fire cracker called Jet, on the flat in walk and trot he is a dream not a plodder forward going but responsive. However put a jump in the arena and he turns into a lune - he was originally a "jump off" pony and loves to turn tight and bomb at jumps, riding deep into corners and getting a calm collected approach was not an option - Advice anyone!!!!! This was fine when we strated on small jumps but we ended up going to about 3ft + and he is only 14.2hh and gives all jumps at least 2 foot clearance.

Probably wrong thread for this but sort of links into my previous one

[cvb]

It can be difficult to break/manage long term behaviour patterns like this within the confines of a lesson - cos ideally what you would do is plenty of half halts, plenty of circling, and only allow the horse to jump when it is calm and sensible.

The half-halts will be of use any way - a million or two should do it ! Plus just because the horse is going fast - don't feel you should stop riding. In fact it is even more important under these circumstances to ride leg into hand. Our instinct is to ride as if our legs are 2 inches (or feet !) away from the horse's side on the theory that if you use leg the horse will actually just go faster. But remember its is not leg in isolation - its leg into hand (a soft hand, but a firm hand). This is where the control comes from. If you just create energy and let it all rip out the front, its no good. If you contain and manage the energy, then you have control.

This pony may be one that runs on by grabbing the bit or by raising its head. Keep your hands steady and just 'sponge' the reins. (Imagine you are squeezing the water out of a sponge, then release - this is without moving the hand either forward or back). Sit firm in the saddle with your legs wrapped around and close to the horse. (ie the leg part of the leg into hand is not about creating more energy but about channelling that energy into your hands)