Howdy Friends! Everything healthy about a horse begins with proper posture. One of the many components to that is a free moving, and powerful hind end. The hind end cannot be free, powerful, or fluid if the hips are tight. This little exercises, “Hip Circle Release,” will greatly aid in the horse’s ability to engage.
Hip Circle Release
This exercise will release and relax the hip. It is part of engaging the hind end and creating proper, healthy, weight bearing posture.
A few easy steps
Hold the fetlock and hock (securely) and gently rotate in small circles each way. We want no movement in the hock, we want it in the hip. We want the hip to release.
Keep her leg under her, not out to the side. While doing small circles, move the leg slowly and gently upward, then work slowly down again, and softly set the foot down on its toe behind the other foot.
NOTE –
At first some horses are so tight that this exercise is very difficult, so be gentle and go only as far as she is comfortable with your tiny circles. Force Nothing. Things will loosen up within a few days. Keep at it. For some horses it is even difficult to have their legs raised in this fashion. Don’t worry. Simply do the circles at whatever height she is comfortable at in the beginning. It will get better. (Keep the hock stationary).
Also: It may not be possible to set the foot down, “Behind the other foot,” at first. Often those hips are just too tight to allow that. The IMPORTANT thing to remember is to do the circles SLOWLY and GENTLY – Then set the foot down ON THE TOE, wherever it is comfortable for the horse. (You will be able to feel that, don’t force anything).
Last Note
Keep the circles small. Be sure to hold the hock stationary. We want to move the entire leg with the “circle” being in the hip socket, not the hock.
EXCELLENT FOR EVERY HORSE
This little ditty is excellent for every horse! Even if your horse feels, “Loose.” Do it anyway. It creates a nerve pathway to that hind end. Therefore power, awareness, and posture benefits.
Find this and many more great POSTURE exercises in my book, “IT’S FOR THE HORSES.” I hope you’ll get it.
HAVE FUN! ~ Gitty Up, Dutch.
Do you have any videos of you doing the exercises, Dutch? I have been using these for years but want to make sure I’m doing them right. Also doing the whole series is a trust building exercise with your equine. I have fallen and my animals supported me while I got back up. I listen to see if they are hurting, and that also teaches me to listen if there is danger. Doing things like this for our equines is another step in learning their language. It communicates to them that we are trying to help them.
Howdy Ksenia, I do not have videos. I used to travel and do clinics. But don’t anymore. I wish I could help you better. My mentor, Diane J. Sept still travels. Perhaps you can find if she’ll be in your area. But, also, get my book, “It’s For The Horses, the exercises are really explained in there. You’ll know you are getting them right because the horse will tell you. Remember, light is the touch.