Bending/Flexing - how to train

[SarahC]

Hi all,

As many of you know, I have a 5 year old mare. Now, we are certainly coming on in schooling (both hers and mine!), but I have noticed that she just doesn't bend/flex......at all!

This came to light as I recently rode my instructors 17.2hh and could immediately see the difference. Now, he is older and more experienced than my girl so I'm not expecting much but I would like to start trying to encourage her to bend and flex.

At the moment, she almost goes around the corners of the school at right angles and if she does bend its to the outside of the school (not at my request!).

After seeing an article in one of the horsey mags, I've done some in hand work with her which involved standing to the side with the inside rein in your hand, about 6-12" away from the bit and asking her to flex to the sides. She did this perfectly!! (the mag said that sometimes the horse would step to the side rather than flex which she didn't even attempt to do). So I'm thinking that my riding is at fault here. I don't use my reins alone to steer and I've been working alot on my balance and position but I'm obviously not helping things!

Any suggestions would be really welcome!!

S

[cvb]

this may not purely be bend/flex, it may be down to balance as well.

especially as the inhand yield at halt seems to be ok...

now you are currently asking for that yield from a different point to where you ask when in the saddle. if you are mounted and in halt, and "ask" for her to turn her head - what does she do ? (remember to allow the turn with the outide rein).

[Mehitabel]

first off, i'd recommend you get your back checked out, in case you are crooked somewhere and this is translating into crookedness on board. it's very hard to rectify things if you are physically wonky.

what does your instructor say about it? it's much easier to diagnose the cause of sometihng like this when you can see the horse - it could be several things, and when we know which we can probably help with some exercises or techniques, but it is harder to say which it is likely to be without seeing you.

[teabiscuit]

i had a similar problem with Finn, i'm still working on it! i've been advised to use smaller and smaller circles till i get a bend from him-he too is more than capable of bending, it just doesn't translate that well when ridden.i've been told its a mental block with him. i do lots of small circles in trot and walk,changes of rein where i make sure i change the bend,and i also make sure i allow wirh my outside rein so that i don't block any bend he offers.
it takes a while so don't give up.
as cvb says i think finn's problem is to do with balance as well.

[SarahC]

Hmmm...thanks for the replies...as always it makes interesting reading!

cvb - if I am mounted and in halt, she isn't too bad really. Although sometimes she braces against the bit as if she's expecting me to pull on her. But I will try it out again this weekend and try to get a better description.

Balance...yes agree it could be an issue...when I first got her, she used to flying change her way through canter repeatedly as she just couldn't balance. Thats when we went back to basics and started lunging. That is all sorted now and when our back lady came to see her recently, she said she was extremely well balanced for a horse of her age (don't ask me how she knew that...I haven't a clue and didn't think to ask at the time!).
first off, i'd recommend you get your back checked out, in case you are crooked somewhere and this is translating into crookedness on board
Hmm...could be a distinct possibility although I have spent a long time on my position and sorting out the crooked bits. But thats not to say they are all fixed 100% of the time of course!!

teabiscuit - glad to know I'm not alone with this!! Incidentally, if I do alot of circle work with her, her bend can improve and she also softens on the bit, starts working from behind and drops into an outline (OK, not a fantastic one, but I won't force her head into position, its got to be correct and through the back).

S

[NoviceNic]

I am trying to encourage Captain to flex and bend. But he has to be relaxed first. Are you riding too tense??? This will inhibit flex/bending... Even when I am trying to get something right I tense up which doesnt help... Try asking your RI to get Saffy to flex/bend. Watch your RI and see how she does it and then try to mimic the same actions. It will come in time. Good to hear from you.

[SarahC]

Thanks nic...nice to hear from you too!

I think my RI unfortunately is much too big and heavy to ride Spang himself. He's 6'3" of muscle!! But I wonder if I can find someone else who is more experienced than me to give me a demo?!?!?

Hmm...riding too tense...although I 'think' not, its entirely possible. I'll have a bit of a look at that and see!

S

[cvb]

How big's your horse ? 6'3 of muscle, well balanced, may not be impossible after all some quite tall blokes ride icelandics...

Watching Mark Rashid over a couple of clinics, I have a slightly different view on this. I still agree that going in a particular way uses particular muscles, so you have to be careful when you change the way of going - not to expect them to maintain it too long at first. But often the way of going that we want means them actually doing less, using less muscle to brace or to carry the rider who is braced...

So there are still things that I would want to warm up before asking (collection, extension) - but to soften - vertically or laterally - I should be able to ask from the halt, and then ask for small periods of time right from the beginning.

when you say "if I do alot of circle work with her, her bend can improve and she also softens on the bit, starts working from behind and drops into an outline" I wonder what it is that is working out and warming up in this exercise ?

[DavidH]

I think my RI unfortunately is much too big and heavy to ride Spang himself. He's 6'3" of muscle!! But I wonder if I can find someone else who is more experienced than me to give me a demo?!?!?


Ooh, pick me. Just kidding ;)
Seriously though, might have to make a trip up to nottingham soon to sort out another little problem so would love to drop in at same time and see you ride. Would make offering advice soooo much easier :D

[SarahC]

How big's your horse ?
She's just 15hh but she is quite fine.
cvb - we do quite a bit of warm up before I actually start 'asking' her to work but the trouble is, she can be a bit dizzy and lazy as in I'll ask and ask and ask, meanwhile she's happily looking off over the fence and having a general nose about and it sometimes takes half an hour or more to actually have her paying some sort of attention. Of course, I have to remember not to try and run before I can walk and that I'm an absurdly average rider (and thats me 'biggin myself up!) :o !! (DavidH be warned!!!!:D )
Ooh, pick me. Just kidding
Seriously though, might have to make a trip up to nottingham soon to sort out another little problem so would love to drop in at same time and see you ride. Would make offering advice soooo much easier
Your on David!! We've been talking about a lesson for so long, I guess its time that I embarrassed myself in front of a fellow NR'er!!

S

[cvb]

meanwhile she's happily looking off over the fence and having a general nose about and it sometimes takes half an hour or more to actually have her paying some sort of attention.

OK - I think I might have spotted a part of the problem ;) She doesn't NEED to be paying everything else attention before you. She needs to pay YOU attention first.

With sensitive horses we tend to feel we have to listen to them and allow them to settle. but sometimes all they need is some leadership from us and THAT settles them :D

So in your warm up, try asking for things that get her to think about what she is doing (but without asking more than she is physically warmed up to do). Transitions are quite useful, but also frequent changes of direction and rein. Don't go past 2 markers without asking for something...

[Mehitabel]

when i need to stop a horse gawping, i find that between the doing things (i use every marker, but to begin with, use every 2 as cvb suggests), inside flexion helps - i use a bit of inside rein, and a lot of inside leg, and flick of a schooling whip if i need to. just on-off with the inside aids - a bit like a half halt, i'll just close my hand round the rein, nudge with my leg and flick if i need to - not enough to actually say 'turn' but neough to get their attention.

i want at least one ear pointing at me or at least not pinned to the exciting thing in the distance. i am not above leaning forward and bellowing 'concentrate!' in an ear too. keep talking to her- not in a reassuring way necessarily, just 'name! pay attention!' - saying their name first gets their attention as they know you are talking to them.

i backed one a few years ago who couldn't gawp and move at the same time, so would grind to a halt every time anything happened anywhere in the vicinity. :rolleyes:

[SarahC]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

We are working on the attention thing and always incorporate plenty of transitions, circles, leg yield etc..she is getting better, but its hard work!

Anyway, as for the bending...tonight, I asked from halt, opened the inside rein, released the outside rein and basically it all went well. However, in walk, as soon as you ask for flexion, she tries to do turn about the forehand! I couldn't seem to get her to understand what I was asking for....any idea's anyone on how I can refine this? Even the softest ask from the inside rein caused her to turn.

Have to say though, the turn on the FH was absolutely excellent...the best she's ever done!!

S

[cvb]

Sarah

How much did you ask for from walk ? You have two options (at least)...

1) ask for a really small yield and build. So you may just ask enough to see the eyelashes at first, and then for more....

2) ask - if she steps under and across just maintain the ask (with the rein) and release as soon as she steps forward i.e. you only release when she gives what you are looking for. But some pointers here..

i) make sure you are NOT pulling back in the ask. It can help to anchor the rein to the thigh (put the hand against your leg) as this means there is no way you can take the hand back ;)

ii) make sure you aren't actually asking for the turn on forehand ;) Watch that the inside leg is not going on... you may need to actively take both legs OFF. if the walk slows, don't worry at this stage as she may need to slow up to manage it ...

Another thought - ask on a circle - if she start to turn in you just make the circle slightly smaller. Just make sure you keep some forward movement in there..

[SarahC]

Thanks for that cvb....some really good things for me to work on there.

I think that point ii) may definitely apply!! Although I didn't think so at the time, looking back its a distinct possibility!

Thanks again....will keep at it! ;)

S