On the forehand

[Spud04]

I have recently been told that my horse is unbalanced and on the forehand. She has always felt ok to me, if just a little fast!!

I was wondering if anyone has any tips on how to bring her up off the forehand and get her working from up from beind? She does tend to be quite heavy to the bridle, and lacks consistency when working, she comes light, then goes heavy, then comes above the bit and its a bit of a viscious circle!

Here are a few details:
She is an 8 year old Danish W/B x Selle Francais, I have owned her since she was 2. Previous to that she was owned and bred by my Aunt in France. I dont actually do dressage with her, just local showing classes, and a little unaff jumping, in which she has done really well in in the past. I ride her in an eggbut snaffle with a flash noseband for schooling, hacking and certain showing classes, I jump her in a double jointed happy mouth dutch gag with a flash noseband, and I use a jointed pelham with a leather curb and cavesson noseband in showing classes that permit.

The main thing I am wanting to do is to be able to slow her canter witout restricting her movement, and to bring her up off her forehand so that she becomes light to the bridle, and responsive to the aids without firing up!!

Does anyone have any suggestions of useful exercises I can do with her to strenghten her hindquarters?

[IrisSilverMoon]

do a lot of halting and backing...walk, halt back, trot, halt back. As much as you can, everytime she begins to fall on her face, halt and backup. She'll learn its a lot easier to carry herself than halt and back up all the time. Mind when she backs up her head actually comes up, if she puts it down and shoots backwards she'll still be on the forehand, but if she picks it up to back then she'll be off the forehand.

Make sure when you are backing that you don't pull straight back, then she'll be able to continue to fall on her face, instead lift up, give half halts until she stops and backs.

lateral work will help too...you can never forget that...:)

you are going to have to understand that getting a horse off its face will fire it up, its actually something you want, a horse with lots of energy that you can channel. Its really easy for a horse to plug along on the forehand, but once you get its haunches up under him he'll find it a lot easier to go faster. Its really not that bad, sinc ea horse off the forehand should be easy to stop, their speed should be easy to control, but you will have more energy to work with.

[Dressagefreak]

Well...not much left to say after that long reply! HEhe! BAsically do loadsa loadsa transitions! And avoid riding on the track all the time, do loads of little circles and bendsand stuff which will make your horse have to think rather than just plough round the edge of the school which doesn't require any thought.