How can I help a stiff horse?

midnightmare

midnightmare

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Oct 21, 2007
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The horse I ride is very stiff- I know this because of a NH session with him lol, anyway. usually at the begining of the lesson we are free to warm up how we like (in walk) whilst every sorts their girths, stirrups and mounts etc. Is there anything I can do to make him flex more? Before I get on I do some neck stretch things (hard to explain) which the NH lady said worked well. What else could I do?
 
Before anyone can help you with your answer, you have to let us know how old the hosss is, how often he is ridden, for how long and if he has any health issues.:p
 
ETA: The info Camyds asked for would be helpful too! :D

Try doing shallow loops down the long side, lots of changes of rein, 5 metre (or as small as he can comfortably do while warming up) circles at every marker, leg yielding from a 10m to a 20 metre circle etc.
 
Thanks, no info about him at all, but he is ridden alot, he is very popular. I'll try some shallow loops will short or long diagonals be better or wont it matter?
 
Oh shallow loops meaning...
Wait, I'll explain properly.

You ride down the long side, on the track.
Then, come away from the track, to about a quarter of the way into the school, concentrating on supporting with your outside rein/outside leg but really getting him bedning around your leg to the inside
Then when you reach the furthest point of your loop, you need to change the bend to the outside (back towards the track) and concentrate on getting a bend towards to the outside track.
Once you've practiced this for a while, you can practice leg yielding out away from the track, and back in :)

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Serpentines are great, and figures of eight (figures of 8 on a twenty metre circle as well!)

Take a look at this for some ideas and pictures :)
 
Ooh sorry! Short, long, half-voltes to the wall, or you can even try snaking through a circle (can't remember what it is called). They're all explained fully on the link :)
 
bending/leg yielding down the rail is great. and bending in circles of various sizes are good too. you can also do spirals where you start on a large circle and every complete circle you leg yield in 1 step and make a circle until you cant make a circle anymore. then you do the same thing out from the center of the circle. its great for stiff horses. Ive had to deal with two stiffy's, and leg yielding and circles are great to do in warm ups.
 
Yep agree. counterflection on circles,leg yieled,lots of circles. also try bending the horses neck to the inside as far as it can go on the long side of the areena, on both rains,this stretches the sides of the horse
 
midnightmare said:
The horse I ride is very stiff- I know this because of a NH session with him lol, anyway. usually at the begining of the lesson we are free to warm up how we like (in walk) whilst every sorts their girths, stirrups and mounts etc. Is there anything I can do to make him flex more? Before I get on I do some neck stretch things (hard to explain) which the NH lady said worked well. What else could I do?
Click to expand...

besure its not you, half the time when a horse is stiff is the rider tends to ride how they write ie if you ride as your right handed then your stronger on the strongest side ie right so horse is stiff on left side so you have to give

as in you give
here read this link to it will help you
http://www.meredithmanor.com/features/articles/faith/fixing_bit_evasions.asp
 
newrider.com
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