How to Make Your Horse More Forward
Your horse isn't lazy. Your hands are the problem.
"I don't know why my horse is so lazy," Sarah complained. "I have to push and push and push him to make him go forward. He just wants to slog around the arena. The vet says there's nothing wrong with him, and he's pretty energetic out in the pasture."
"It's your hands", I told her. "You're not aware of it, but you're holding him back."
She looked at me in disbelief. "I'm not sure I believe that", she said finally.
So I got on her horse, a 16.2hh, 15 year old thoroughbred gelding, and put him through his paces. He showed energy and rhythm in the walk, and impulsion in trot and canter, striding out energetically as he engaged his powerful haunch muscles.
Sarah still wasn't convinced. "You probably have stronger legs than I do," she suggested. So I put her on a longe line, holding the line the same way I hold the reins under saddle. (More about that here.) I had an elastic feel of his mouth, and he again went forward quite energetically with Sarah providing the leg and seat aids at walk, trot, and canter.
"OK, now you take up the reins," I told her. Her horse immediately tensed throughout his body, resisting her leg aids, and slowing down.
"OK, I believe you," said Sarah, sheepishly. "What am I doing wrong?"
"Don't think of it as wrong. Think of it as currently under-developed," I told her. Then we got to work.
What ‘Before the leg and to the hand’ actually means
We've all heard that our horses should be "before the leg and to the hand." It's a phrase that makes little sense until you experience it.
When your horse is "before the leg", it feels as though most of his barrel is in front of your leg. When he is "to the hand", it feels like he's moving forward energetically and deliberately seeking contact with your hands.
A sluggish horse feels resistant to your leg, as though you're sitting on his withers and his entire body is behind you. A horse who avoids contact feels as though he is either ducking behind the bit or leaning on it so hard your arms ache.
In my experience, both of these problems crop up when a rider has "heavy" or "unfeeling" hands, or an unsteady seat which causes her to balance herself on the horse's mouth. What horse would want to go forward under those conditions?
Exercises for getting your horse to be "more forward".
Resist the temptation to kick harder or to make more frequent use of the whip. Instead, focus on making yourself more stable in your seat and more "feeling" in your hands.
The best way to fix this is to have a good trainer longe you with your hands free using these three exercises:
1. The trainer controls the horse's tempo with the longe line and whip.
You should rise in trot with your hands on hips, twisting your upper body to the right and left as your legs remain under you, quietly on your horse's barrel (no gripping!). This exercise is usually an eye opener for students who don't realize how much they rely on the reins to prevent themselves from falling back in the saddle or otherwise losing their balance in rising trot.
2. The trainer alternates between driving your horse forward and slowing your horse down as you post.
The trainer urges the horse forward with the longe whip, and slows the horse down by squeezing the longe line between her fingers as she would her reins when riding. (Here’s how to do that: How to Longe a Horse Correctly) If you lose your balance or fall back in the saddle during these exercises, you know you've been balancing yourself on your horse's mouth. You should remain stable and secure throughout, no matter the sudden changes in your horse's gait and speed.
3. Then have your trainer longe you in canter, again without your holding the reins.
Simply allow your lower body to follow the horse's motion. Again, you should feel stable and secure in canter, even if your hands are not holding the reins. Resting your hands on your hips will also help you feel how your hips must move in order to follow the horse's movement.
Once these three exercises have been mastered, it's time to work on developing an "elastic feel" through the reins. You can read more about that here.
When your horse is happy with your rein contact and your stability in the saddle, she will go forward easily. Then you can take that "forwardness" one step further, creating true impulsion.
Impulsion is an over-used and often wrongly used term. It isn't about speed, and it isn't simply about pushing from behind. Impulsion is a powerful surge from the horse's hindquarters that propels the horse forward, giving elasticity and spring to her gait. It occurs only in trot and canter because there must be a moment of suspension in the gait (all four feet off the ground).
Here is a terrific video that shows exactly what that term means, and what it looks like when a horse goes forward with impulsion.
"It's your hands", I told her. "You're not aware of it, but you're holding him back."
She looked at me in disbelief. "I'm not sure I believe that", she said finally.
So I got on her horse, a 16.2hh, 15 year old thoroughbred gelding, and put him through his paces. He showed energy and rhythm in the walk, and impulsion in trot and canter, striding out energetically as he engaged his powerful haunch muscles.
Sarah still wasn't convinced. "You probably have stronger legs than I do," she suggested. So I put her on a longe line, holding the line the same way I hold the reins under saddle. (More about that here.) I had an elastic feel of his mouth, and he again went forward quite energetically with Sarah providing the leg and seat aids at walk, trot, and canter.
"OK, now you take up the reins," I told her. Her horse immediately tensed throughout his body, resisting her leg aids, and slowing down.
"OK, I believe you," said Sarah, sheepishly. "What am I doing wrong?"
"Don't think of it as wrong. Think of it as currently under-developed," I told her. Then we got to work.
What ‘Before the leg and to the hand’ actually means
We've all heard that our horses should be "before the leg and to the hand." It's a phrase that makes little sense until you experience it.
When your horse is "before the leg", it feels as though most of his barrel is in front of your leg. When he is "to the hand", it feels like he's moving forward energetically and deliberately seeking contact with your hands.
A sluggish horse feels resistant to your leg, as though you're sitting on his withers and his entire body is behind you. A horse who avoids contact feels as though he is either ducking behind the bit or leaning on it so hard your arms ache.
In my experience, both of these problems crop up when a rider has "heavy" or "unfeeling" hands, or an unsteady seat which causes her to balance herself on the horse's mouth. What horse would want to go forward under those conditions?
Exercises for getting your horse to be "more forward".
Resist the temptation to kick harder or to make more frequent use of the whip. Instead, focus on making yourself more stable in your seat and more "feeling" in your hands.
The best way to fix this is to have a good trainer longe you with your hands free using these three exercises:
1. The trainer controls the horse's tempo with the longe line and whip.
You should rise in trot with your hands on hips, twisting your upper body to the right and left as your legs remain under you, quietly on your horse's barrel (no gripping!). This exercise is usually an eye opener for students who don't realize how much they rely on the reins to prevent themselves from falling back in the saddle or otherwise losing their balance in rising trot.
2. The trainer alternates between driving your horse forward and slowing your horse down as you post.
The trainer urges the horse forward with the longe whip, and slows the horse down by squeezing the longe line between her fingers as she would her reins when riding. (Here’s how to do that: How to Longe a Horse Correctly) If you lose your balance or fall back in the saddle during these exercises, you know you've been balancing yourself on your horse's mouth. You should remain stable and secure throughout, no matter the sudden changes in your horse's gait and speed.
3. Then have your trainer longe you in canter, again without your holding the reins.
Simply allow your lower body to follow the horse's motion. Again, you should feel stable and secure in canter, even if your hands are not holding the reins. Resting your hands on your hips will also help you feel how your hips must move in order to follow the horse's movement.
Once these three exercises have been mastered, it's time to work on developing an "elastic feel" through the reins. You can read more about that here.
When your horse is happy with your rein contact and your stability in the saddle, she will go forward easily. Then you can take that "forwardness" one step further, creating true impulsion.
Impulsion is an over-used and often wrongly used term. It isn't about speed, and it isn't simply about pushing from behind. Impulsion is a powerful surge from the horse's hindquarters that propels the horse forward, giving elasticity and spring to her gait. It occurs only in trot and canter because there must be a moment of suspension in the gait (all four feet off the ground).
Here is a terrific video that shows exactly what that term means, and what it looks like when a horse goes forward with impulsion.
As long as you’re here, check these out!
Equestrian Products That Make Your Riding and Horse Care Easier and Better!
Tips for Improving Your Riding
How to develop elastic rein contact
Get Fit To Ride!
Happy riding!
Copyright Denise Cummins March 2016; Updated June 3, 2024
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Equestrian Products That Make Your Riding and Horse Care Easier and Better!
Tips for Improving Your Riding
How to develop elastic rein contact
Get Fit To Ride!
Happy riding!
Copyright Denise Cummins March 2016; Updated June 3, 2024
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
