Getting a horse into outline

[BabygirlGR]

How do you establish an outline with a horse that has not learnt to be in outline??

[welshcoblady1]

If you have a young horse,before your horse can establish an out line he has to learn self carriage , if when schooling you can work your horse your horse long and low whilst going forward ward
with rythm and consistency ,lots of transistions and and flexing on both reins, once your horse has started to bring his hocks more underneath him to help him balance you can then ask for a little more contact whils asking him to work more from behind .

Then over a period of many mounths you can ask for a little collection and progress from there.
best wishes .

[Sarah]

hello!

For a horse to be able to go into an outline he has to be supple longitudinally. Often the key to getting him supple longitudinially is to try to get him supple laterally. If you work on a circle (20m) in the middle of the school, as you come back towards the track, try to leg yield him to the track rather than carrying on the circle (apply inside leg when you feel his inside hind coming forwayd ie your inside hip lowering). Once you do this a few times hopefully the walk will feel great when you hit the track, in which case do a few straight steps down the side of the school and then get back onto a half circle.

If you do this a few times, the quality of the straight steps should improve and you should be able to get quite a few good steps down the long side. Once your horse is moving off your leg sideways to the track nicely, you can try to establish and control the bend by using your outside rein in a sponging movement as you apply your inside leg. Hopefully your horse will then twig that actaully this nice walk down the track is great to do and much easier when in an outline et voila, horse in outline!

Basically if you don't set 'being in an outline' as the target, but as a 'by product' of good work it is actully much easier to obtain!

Anyway, good luck, I hope this post makes sense!

Sarah

[Tootsie4U]

Originally posted by Sarah

Basically if you don't set 'being in an outline' as the target, but as a 'by product' of good work it is actully much easier to obtain!


I like the way you put that Sarah :D

[rache]

I like the way you have described that sarah- very easy and straight forward- to say that is ;)

I am also going to take your advise and try this with my horse- cheers:D