FUN EXERCISE TO “UNSTUCK” YOUR HORSE
Howdy friends! Many times as horses are trained and conditioned for show, and other disciplines, through repetition of the same demands and movements, they become tight, or what I call, “stuck.” Let’s look at a fun exercise to unstuck your horse.
A Lack of Free Flowing Movement.
You may notice a lack of free and flowing movement, a choppy gait or even a tight walk. They may become heavy on their forehand, inverted, dropped at the withers and tight in the hind end. They may develop a negative, unfocused or difficult attitude.
A Neat Little Exercise
Here is a neat little exercise to master for your horse to “Rock Back” off its forehand. Stand your horse relaxed, tap its chest and ask them to “Rock Back” not step, simply shift their weight from chest to hind end.
Be careful your body language does not tell her to step back.
Be soft but secure in your stance, she will be looking to you to help her figure this out. We are looking for only a shift in posture and weight off the forehand, not a step back. If she steps back, start over. Watch for the slightest move, at first it may just be her pectoral muscle moving. Stop asking as soon as you see the slightest movement or change. You may need two inches of rock back to get her correct and off her forehand, and you may need to get it an eighth of an inch at a time.
This exercise is so great for the horse. An added benefit is how it helps the horse engage it’s Thoracic Sling. Hope you’ll give it a try! ~ Gitty Up, Dutch.
THIS AND MANY OTHER GREAT EXERCISES CAN BE FOUND IN MY BOOK “IT’S FOR THE HORSES.”
