The upjerk
Is the horse on the aids, moving forward? Try a little "upjerk": First close your leg (he must learn that the leg can push his nose out); then give his mouth a little bop upward and toward his ears. Now, be careful not to direct the bop toward you-there is absolutely no backward pressure. It's just a little tiny jerk up into the corner of his lip. And it's not finished until, as your hand starts to come down, you immediately give it slightly forward so he has room to go out in front of the vertical to the bit.
Do Transitions.
Doing lots of transitions, back and forth between gaits and within gaits, is another way to get your horse to step toward the bit. Go from normal trot to a forward trot and back again twenty times in a row. Try to do your downward transitions with your voice, so you don't have to put pressure on the reins.
Go Sideways.
Simple lateral work where your horse has to cross one hind leg over the other, such as basic leg-yielding across the diagonal or along the wall. This will just naturally push him toward the bit. Keep it going forward.
Distract Him
Put down some ground poles, change directions, circle, canter, halt, whatever gets his attention.
What I love about these fixes is that they don't require a ton of expertise. Thanks Lendon.
Excerpted from His head's too low! Practical Horseman Apr 2001. Vol. 29, Iss. 4; pg. 108.
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Here's a very long comment, and it has to be broken up. Part 1:
ReplyDeleteIt's very fixable! Especially if it's a new thing. Most likely in his case, it's lack of engagement of the hind end and he doesn't want to work hard, as everything is getting harder. I say that because of his age, level of training, and it's just a VERY typical point for it to crop up.
I got my horse at 8, and as an OTTB who also had a rider for years who kept a tight hold on him, he was a confirmed curler. My trainer rode him last year, but at most once or twice a week with a beginner riding him most of the time - which didn't work to help fix the problem. (And by beginner, I mean someone who had been riding a year, not someone who can ride like you do in those videos!)
I won't be offended at all if you choose not to look at all the pictures I'm posting here, but I'm trying to give encouragement that it's fixable even when it's an ingrained habit, much less when it was a one-time problem! :) The best step-by-step I can give you, given I tend not to post the worst pictures online! I'll also link to the photo pages in case you care to check out the other ones around there. I've sent you a link to my horse album in the past anyway, when you were looking for horsey photos to use in the blog.
This was my guy competing at training level eventing (dressage ~1st level) with my trainer last year. You can see he shortened his neck far too much, and didn't even curl behind the bit so much because his neck was so short he almost couldn't.
https://www.capturedmomentphoto.com/cgi-bin/store/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Equestrian/Horse_Trials_Combined_Training/Coconino_(Flagstaff,AZ)/Horse_Trials/2009/2009_July_17-19_Summer_II/Denise_K_on_Tucson_Magic_(11)&img=16
When I started riding him, we first started on a loose rein. He had to learn it was possible to stretch his neck at all, as he never voluntarily did so, even on the longe line.
During our trial period, my reins with no contact, asking him to bend, he's breaking his neck in the wrong place and still btv anyway. He's out of shape after nearly 6 months off, but notice the lack of bend to the hind leg, indicating he's not using the back end, too.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/netg15/4448864065/in/photostream/
Lots and lots of changes of direction mostly off my seat, circles, pushing forward, leg yields, ground poles, and two months later - our first schooling show. Still too much break mid-neck, but some lifting going on in front of his withers. Neck clearly still too short, still clearly not enough contact, but a bit more bend to his hind leg at least.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/netg15/4592719035/
Here's a very long comment, and it has to be broken up. Part 1:
ReplyDeleteIt's very fixable! Especially if it's a new thing. Most likely in his case, it's lack of engagement of the hind end and he doesn't want to work hard, as everything is getting harder. I say that because of his age, level of training, and it's just a VERY typical point for it to crop up.
I got my horse at 8, and as an OTTB who also had a rider for years who kept a tight hold on him, he was a confirmed curler. My trainer rode him last year, but at most once or twice a week with a beginner riding him most of the time - which didn't work to help fix the problem. (And by beginner, I mean someone who had been riding a year, not someone who can ride like you do in those videos!)
I won't be offended at all if you choose not to look at all the pictures I'm posting here, but I'm trying to give encouragement that it's fixable even when it's an ingrained habit, much less when it was a one-time problem! :) The best step-by-step I can give you, given I tend not to post the worst pictures online! I'll also link to the photo pages in case you care to check out the other ones around there. I've sent you a link to my horse album in the past anyway, when you were looking for horsey photos to use in the blog.
This was my guy competing at training level eventing (dressage ~1st level) with my trainer last year. You can see he shortened his neck far too much, and didn't even curl behind the bit so much because his neck was so short he almost couldn't.
https://www.capturedmomentphoto.com/cgi-bin/store/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Equestrian/Horse_Trials_Combined_Training/Coconino_(Flagstaff,AZ)/Horse_Trials/2009/2009_July_17-19_Summer_II/Denise_K_on_Tucson_Magic_(11)&img=16
When I started riding him, we first started on a loose rein. He had to learn it was possible to stretch his neck at all, as he never voluntarily did so, even on the longe line.
During our trial period, my reins with no contact, asking him to bend, he's breaking his neck in the wrong place and still btv anyway. He's out of shape after nearly 6 months off, but notice the lack of bend to the hind leg, indicating he's not using the back end, too.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/netg15/4448864065/in/photostream/
Lots and lots of changes of direction mostly off my seat, circles, pushing forward, leg yields, ground poles, and two months later - our first schooling show. Still too much break mid-neck, but some lifting going on in front of his withers. Neck clearly still too short, still clearly not enough contact, but a bit more bend to his hind leg at least.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/netg15/4592719035/
Here's a very long comment, and it has to be broken up. Part 1:
ReplyDeleteIt's very fixable! Especially if it's a new thing. Most likely in his case, it's lack of engagement of the hind end and he doesn't want to work hard, as everything is getting harder. I say that because of his age, level of training, and it's just a VERY typical point for it to crop up.
I got my horse at 8, and as an OTTB who also had a rider for years who kept a tight hold on him, he was a confirmed curler. My trainer rode him last year, but at most once or twice a week with a beginner riding him most of the time - which didn't work to help fix the problem. (And by beginner, I mean someone who had been riding a year, not someone who can ride like you do in those videos!)
I won't be offended at all if you choose not to look at all the pictures I'm posting here, but I'm trying to give encouragement that it's fixable even when it's an ingrained habit, much less when it was a one-time problem! :) The best step-by-step I can give you, given I tend not to post the worst pictures online! I'll also link to the photo pages in case you care to check out the other ones around there. I've sent you a link to my horse album in the past anyway, when you were looking for horsey photos to use in the blog.
This was my guy competing at training level eventing (dressage ~1st level) with my trainer last year. You can see he shortened his neck far too much, and didn't even curl behind the bit so much because his neck was so short he almost couldn't.
https://www.capturedmomentphoto.com/cgi-bin/store/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Equestrian/Horse_Trials_Combined_Training/Coconino_(Flagstaff,AZ)/Horse_Trials/2009/2009_July_17-19_Summer_II/Denise_K_on_Tucson_Magic_(11)&img=16
When I started riding him, we first started on a loose rein. He had to learn it was possible to stretch his neck at all, as he never voluntarily did so, even on the longe line.
During our trial period, my reins with no contact, asking him to bend, he's breaking his neck in the wrong place and still btv anyway. He's out of shape after nearly 6 months off, but notice the lack of bend to the hind leg, indicating he's not using the back end, too.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/netg15/4448864065/in/photostream/
Lots and lots of changes of direction mostly off my seat, circles, pushing forward, leg yields, ground poles, and two months later - our first schooling show. Still too much break mid-neck, but some lifting going on in front of his withers. Neck clearly still too short, still clearly not enough contact, but a bit more bend to his hind leg at least.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/netg15/4592719035/
Here's a very long comment, and it has to be broken up. Part 1:
ReplyDeleteIt's very fixable! Especially if it's a new thing. Most likely in his case, it's lack of engagement of the hind end and he doesn't want to work hard, as everything is getting harder. I say that because of his age, level of training, and it's just a VERY typical point for it to crop up.
I got my horse at 8, and as an OTTB who also had a rider for years who kept a tight hold on him, he was a confirmed curler. My trainer rode him last year, but at most once or twice a week with a beginner riding him most of the time - which didn't work to help fix the problem. (And by beginner, I mean someone who had been riding a year, not someone who can ride like you do in those videos!)
I won't be offended at all if you choose not to look at all the pictures I'm posting here, but I'm trying to give encouragement that it's fixable even when it's an ingrained habit, much less when it was a one-time problem! :) The best step-by-step I can give you, given I tend not to post the worst pictures online! I'll also link to the photo pages in case you care to check out the other ones around there. I've sent you a link to my horse album in the past anyway, when you were looking for horsey photos to use in the blog.
This was my guy competing at training level eventing (dressage ~1st level) with my trainer last year. You can see he shortened his neck far too much, and didn't even curl behind the bit so much because his neck was so short he almost couldn't.
https://www.capturedmomentphoto.com/cgi-bin/store/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Equestrian/Horse_Trials_Combined_Training/Coconino_(Flagstaff,AZ)/Horse_Trials/2009/2009_July_17-19_Summer_II/Denise_K_on_Tucson_Magic_(11)&img=16
When I started riding him, we first started on a loose rein. He had to learn it was possible to stretch his neck at all, as he never voluntarily did so, even on the longe line.
During our trial period, my reins with no contact, asking him to bend, he's breaking his neck in the wrong place and still btv anyway. He's out of shape after nearly 6 months off, but notice the lack of bend to the hind leg, indicating he's not using the back end, too.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/netg15/4448864065/in/photostream/
Lots and lots of changes of direction mostly off my seat, circles, pushing forward, leg yields, ground poles, and two months later - our first schooling show. Still too much break mid-neck, but some lifting going on in front of his withers. Neck clearly still too short, still clearly not enough contact, but a bit more bend to his hind leg at least.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/netg15/4592719035/
Part 2:
ReplyDeleteSeptember - neck is longer still, and he was reaching for contact. His mouth is open in a LOT of photos, because he's constantly chewing the bit. Small TB mouth, he opens and closes it happily most of the time. This is a warmup trot, and he's not really using his hind end yet - thus he is slightly btv. Had I had a photographer taking photos later in the ride (Mom gave up after 5 minutes) you would have seen him come in front of the vertical and start using his hind legs more.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/netg15/4964611222/
October - starting to really figure out using his hind end. Actually coming up above the bit at times, and nose poking too much in front of the vertical. The push from behind started coming, and we started to lose our softness through the body and flexibility. This is very common at this stage of training, as horses focus on one thing they're learning and lose others. I'm sure someone like Steffen Peters knows the secrets to make it all work out perfectly, but I'm certainly no Steffen Peters! You can see more hind leg activity and that his neck is MUCH longer.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/netg15/5072668925/
To remedy the stiffness he developed in the body, we started with more lateral work. Lots and lots of shoulder in (with rest days in between - it made his entire topline sore at times!) and a return to asking for the long, low frame.
Not much later, we started getting true lengthenings. It took him lengthening his entire body first, and the long neck was really just an easily seen symptom of that. Last weekend, my trainer on him (I was the photographer, so couldn't get shots of me on him!):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/netg15/5252161151/
There's a lot more hind leg activity in that shot, and you can see the greatly increased reach in front. You can also tell the hips are now significantly below his withers as he's using his whole body to move forward, with solid contact (which is still very light contact!) and energy.
Shorter neck here, shorter body and stride, but more activity and lower back end:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/netg15/5252774536/in/photostream/
Basically, that was just to show you progression from March through now, of a horse who was determined to keep his neck short, refuse to accept contact, and curl up. It's just correct work, asking for forward, and keeping a very forgiving hand that gets you there. Of course you'll have relapse moments - but that can happen to anyone. I mentioned him earlier - Steffen Peters was on Robert Dover's radio show and said the top thing he wanted to work on with Ravel is lengthening his neck. That's also the top criticism I hear/read about Totilas. It's a common problem, fixable, and not the end of the world!
(I don't think you do think it's the end of the world, either... just in case it sounded as if I thought you did. :) )
Overflexing is a learned behavior - the horse thinks it is correct - my Dawn has had this issue and we worked through it very successfully. The horse is on the forehand and often "falsely" flexing and is often worried - the top line isn't relaxed - rather than worrying about the head position, I worry about impulsion, often working on a loose rein, until the horse is loose and moving forward, using the core, with a relaxed top line - and only then take up contact. I also adjust my hand position to signal to the horse that overflexing isn't what I want - I wouldn't jerk or pull since that is punishing the horse for doing exactly what we've been asking him to do and that wouldn't be fair. It's also important that I not drive the horse's energy down on the forehand by dropping my head and staring at the horse's head - I need to use my focus to lift the horse up and forward, with an allowing (not driving) leg and seat.
ReplyDeleteBack to front, not front to back, has solved the problem for me. I also do some in-hand work with flexing and backing until the horse understands what I want in a stress-free and consistent manner.
This can take some work - you have to change the horse's mind about what the horse thinks is correct - since a horse that overflexes has been taught to do so by it's human riders.
Ah, a most annoying habit. Riley, right now, thinks it's the right thing to do. He is "overgenerous" in front.
ReplyDeleteThe "upjerk" really does work, but you have to be quick and ready to give your hand an instant later.
And, in all the other methods, you also have to be ready to follow with your hand when the horse does go out to the bit.
With horses I'ver known off the track I used to call it the "racehorse" headset. Sometimes it can look quite correct, but the horse just isn't really stepping through his back.
Has Riley done much stretching down where he takes the bit from you? That might get him to stretch his back and neck some more.
I agree, though. It is a very frustrating habit to cure. But I am confident you will be able to fix it.
The best way to bring a horse out of going behind the bit is to get more engagement from the hindquarters while releasing some tension in the contact. When the rider absorbs the contact as the horse comes behind the bit, she generally then holds too much tension in the shoulders, elbows and/or hands. The horse then cannot come out of that frame.
ReplyDeleteThe rider needs to maintain light contact through soft, supple arms and then ask the horse for a lateral movement that requires the horse bring the inside hind leg forward and across. A simple gymnastic turn around the hindquarters works well. This is not a turn on the hindquarters where the horse pivots on the inside hind. It is a very small circle created when the rider asks the horse to bend around the her inside leg and turns the horse into that bend from the outside leg. Adding a half halt from the outside shoulder may also be necessary. As soon as the horse brings his nose up and out, he is allowed to move out onto a larger circle or straight line.
If there is a problem in the front end, the rider needs to focus on fixing it from the back end forwards. Any exercise which requires jerking or pulling on the reins is riding backwards.
My re-training project was taught to go behind the bit, stick her head between her knees and motor along on her forehand. Bad Bad western pleasure training. They get this way by jerking their head up until they tuck it out of self defense, at which point the rider stops jerking. This is big powerful jerks, not the little tugs Lendon is suggesting.
ReplyDeleteThe distraction one works great, let the horse know it is allowed to move its head to see and forward on a loose rein can help. I have started carrying my hands a little higher than normal once I take a little contact and it seems to be helping. Light following hands make a horse more confident about contact. Good luck. Of all the bad habits my current horse has been taught, this is the one that makes me crazy.
My horse used to alternate between above the bit and overflexed. He could not find a neutral head position for more than few steps. It was especially upsetting when bystanders would comment about his head position. I was not forcing his head into a frame and the problem worsened with increased impulsion.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness I met my Connected Riding teacher shortly after buying the saddle. She saw right away that my saddle was pinching his shoulders causing him to drop his shoulders away from the saddle. The more he pushed with his hind legs, the worse the saddle dove into his back. Might I add that it was my EXPENSIVE saddle purchased with money that I had saved throughout college. Ouch. That was a tough pill to swallow, but thankfully my horse was not permanently injured and has since learned to reach to the bit without discomfort. I lost at least a year of training, but I learned a lot about saddles and horses.