I have a quiet seat and am constantly struggling to get horses in front of my leg. I’m not sure I even truly know when I have them correctly in front of my leg. I feel like I’m always chasing. Any tips?
If you feel you are chasing your horse forward, he’s not in front of your leg and might just be running.
Maybe your seat is more stiff than quiet and the horses feel blocked by it.
Getting a horse in front of the leg feels, to me, like the horse is active and on the verge of exploding, but in a controlled way. But for a lot of people, it can be kind of a blocking stone because they want the forward, but can’t or don’t want to control the explosion!
The worse are those who are spooky, and athletic… but horses are way less spooky and more easily controlled once they are in front of the leg. You just need to pass through the explosion phase.
One problem that also prevent riders to get their horses in front of the leg is their own awereness of it. They aren’t quick enough the react when the horse goes behind the leg and so it learns it can travel as it wishes.
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Alibi’s post was a spot-on summary.
Just going to add my own experience as well, with teaching my hot/sensitive horse to be in front of the leg: the flip-side is that you also need a horse who listens to your half-halt to get them in front of your leg. At first, my guy would try to take over and pull downward with his shoulders when I put my leg on (running), but now that he’s listening to my half-halt, he goes more upward and into the good forward-but-still-controlled feeling that Alibi described.
Before this, it always felt very backwards in my riding - he was always on the verge of taking over. It’d be like driving a car with your foot always hovered on the brake. Not only was frustrating for both of us, but it was impossible to get him in front of the leg riding like that. We did a ton of walking, with halt transitions anytime he felt like he was trying to take over, until I had the “brakes” properly installed. And every time I asked him to walk again after the half, he had to respond promptly from my leg and march with a forward-thinking rhythm. (Until that spilled over and he tried to take over with his shoulders, at which point, back to the halt.) So when we were walking, I needed to feel confident in the “gas pedal” and confident with the “brake”, and make sure that I was separating the two of those aids. And then taking that feeling to the trot and canter with the downward transitions back to walk (or halt) as necessary.
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I have a different approach. When my horses are in front of the leg they are willing and obedient and they do whatever I ask them to do. I believe the horse being in front of the leg has to be combined with a good connection in the front otherwise it goes nowhere.
I know my horse is in front of my legs
if I can go in my desired tempo along the rails.
When I can turn down the centerline and feel that I control my horses line with my chosen inner leg and the outer rein.
When I can do leg yield towards the rail from the centerline.
When I can speed up and do downward transitions in the trot…
When I can bring my inner leg and can do a smooth walk trot or trot canter transition.
I think its pretty amazing how easy everything gets once the horse is in front of the leg and is accepting the leg…
As long as there is any resistance, the horse is not in front of the leg…
oh and if the horse is not obedient to my leg and is resisting, I do admit then I kick with my leg until the horse listens… A quiet seat is nice but only if it is efficient. Sitting quiet and inefficient on a horse will go nowhere…
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A whip.
A whip is an extension of your leg. It your horse isn’t listening to the leg aid, a whip may be in order. Similarly, spurs. A half-inch PoW type is a place to start enforcing the meaning of your leg.
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To me “verge of exploding” is a totally different feeling - I’ve been there with my OTTB and it is not fun! I think @Manni01 described it pretty well.
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I agree with what Manni said as well.
You also must be careful that you are not nagging. That also gets you nowhere, and makes for a dull and annoyed horse.
I add my leg, if the horse doesn’t listen I add more or a tap of the whip. They must listen and move off of my leg promptly. A horse can feel a tiny fly on their skin, so it’s not like they can’t feel your leg on them. Of course they must know what you mean, so you must be direct, fair, and reward as needed. It’s go, NOW. Not later, not in a few seconds from now, it’s now! This is incredibly important and having a horse infront of your leg can save your bacon should you get in some precarious situation on the trail.
Some riders can be fearful of the reaction they may get when they ask their horse to actually move forward, and that holds them back. Whatever the horse offers as forward at first, is accepted. Just go with it. Maybe they break into a canter instead of more trot, but that’s OK.
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All great advice and explanation.
CanteringCarrot, I’ve tried the “Ask nicely, then ask more firmly” method before and feel I’ll just get a jump forward for a stride or two, and then they’re right back to being pokey and even if I do it again and again, I can’t seem to sustain that forward motion for very long. What am I doing wrong? Perhaps my position IS too stiff, like alibi said above and I am blocking them.
What kind of contact do you have while getting the horse in front of your leg? Like Manni said I believe, if you don’t have the connection up front the energy goes nowhere…but I’ve always been taught to not ask for a lot of contact if the horse isn’t going forward. How do you balance that?
Manni explained it perfectly. And it gives you several examples to check and see if the horse is truly in front of the leg. Good luck OP!
I suspect he was not taught to go forward into contact and now thinks contact is a “brake”. Back to basics - him to go and stay forward FIRST and THEN ask for contact. If he only goes forward for a step or two, he is not forward and he is not obedient to your leg. Lighten your contact then send him forward - if he doesnt jump forward immediately, get firm with leg (spur) or whip - and - hold the grab strap if you want - and the second he drops back SEND HIM AGAIN. Repeat until he stays forward until YOU say come back. THEN start asking for it on contact.
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Thanks so much for the advice! I really appreciate it.
Those few strides the horse is going forward - are you putting your leg on every stride or is he taking himself forward?
The biggest issue is usually that a rider never takes their leg off of the horse they don’t trust is in front of the leg. I will literally stick my feet out to the side like a little kid on a fat pony to make sure my legs are off. Then add leg, reinforce with whip if necessary, and take the leg off.
I find my sensitive to the whip but sneakily behind the leg horse and the dull, sticky horse I ride both can be fixed easiest at the walk on a longer rein: Leg off, leg on, add whip, jump forward, back to walk, repeat.
I do this with a long rein first, shorter rein second, then start walk-trot, halt-trot, trot-bigger trot, and trot-canter transitions. Do it in posting trot and half seat at the canter if needed. Until all of these transitions are quick off the leg and the horse continues forward under their own steam without nagging, the horse is not in front of the leg.
When the horse is in front of the leg, then you can add some half halts and transitions, with your leg as part of the aids, and you should feel less of the running and pushing feeling.
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This and… Manni01 had a very good and detailed explanation of what happens and how the horse behaves when it IS in front of the leg… all the exercises become so much easier. I am afraid that while my horse was doing rehab for a torn tendon I spent too much time telling her to ‘go slow’ and we ended up with ‘pokey’ being our main speed. My instructor said we need to ‘find another gear’ and sent us out to the fields and trails to trot and now to canter in a more forward way that has convinced HER that I am serious about going forward. It is easier to do this with a horse you feel safe with. It seems that in an arena it would take half an hour or so to convince her to go forward off my leg. Plus this year we have had so much rain that our time “out” has been limited. We have spent more time on this the. I had wanted to but Manni01 points out that you can’t really get the connection in front ( or throughness) without the horse being responsive to the leg, in front of the leg or whatever else you call it. FORWARD then contact.
But that’s where you’ll get the expression, the pizzaz!
You want that burst of energy, that boldness
A lot of riders don’t find it fun because it is electric and more energy than what they are used to.
But once under control, that’s how you get 8 and 9’s.
What you felt was bad energy, you need to redirect it into good energy. Next time, try using it instead of tuning it down. (If it is not dangerous and you feel particularly confident)
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Now I understand the commentary on the BTV threads.
I very strongly disagree with this. In fact, I find it dangerous.
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Personally, if I touch with my calf I want a clear response and that response is sustained until I ask for something different. If I touch for more energy and that energy dies in two strides I am going to touch and then tap with the whip. If the energy dies again the horse is getting a tap followed by a decent smack. If that is still magically ignored, we are going for a brisk hand gallop. I’m not a super bold rider but having a horse sucked behind the leg is evasive. Nearly every “oh s***” moment I’ve had on a horse happened when they were behind the leg and then decided to cut up, spook, or whatever.
My mantra: Black and white. Clear expectations every single time.
n exchange, my promise to every ride I get on is that I will (a) seek to ensure my position is not creating an energy block (b) never correct out of anger and © will stay with the motion so that a prompt response to a correction is not inadvertently punished.
The biggest mistake I see is someone corrects for a horse behind behind the leg and then subtly (or dramatically) catches the horse in the mouth or falls behind the motion, effectively cutting the energy flow and punishing a prompt response.
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I agree to an extent, yes if you are able to redirect this energy you can get some true magic. However, I don’t think this is a requirement, or definition, of being “in front of the leg.” Ie, there is a lot of room between beimg in fronr of the leg, and on the verge of explosion. But yes this can be the difference between good and great! Just my opinion!
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That’s kind to the horse for it’s clarity.
I find that with some riders, they don’t want to actually ride the degree of forward or energy that they should be able to create with their leg! That’s doubly true for reinforcing your leg with the whip. If you want to school the horse on “When I close my leg, you go NOW,” you need to be prepared to go with him; make it comfortable for him to do the right thing.
I come from HunterWorld, so it feels natural to me to ask a horse for forward and then, if necessary, get up in a low two-point and allow him to go while praising him from doing as I asked. But I watch many dressage ammies who don’t ride the “big forward” they generated in a rewarding way. Remembering that you can sacrifice the good contact and nice neck outline for a bit while you are requiring that the horse answer your leg. Just make that point clearly and fairly with your ride.
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I’m not really sure I understand your link between the two threads.
Maybe you think I kick the shit out of horses I ride and rollkur them? :lol: :rolleyes:
I actually don’t think you understand… neither here or in that other thread.
You can disagree all you want but there is nothing dangerous about how I ride and train horses.
I use what the horse has to offer and let it express itself… in a controled way.
I’m actually hyper carefull about each horse’s abilities and never force. I barely uses spurs, a whip at times, and I don’t train for btv. :lol:
I’ve rode with lots of BNT, attended clinics and scribed for the best judges… I’m not worried my way of doing is that wrong or dangerous.
Wishing you the best.
I mean, the basic answer I would have to “how do you get your horse in front of your leg?” is an annoyingly straightforward set of concepts (for an issue that’s a bit of a beast-with-many-heads). Transitions really help - if your horse is sluggish to the leg, they help sharpen awareness to the forward aids. If your horse is forward minded already (but not necessarily in front of your leg or on the aids) it can help connect them in a whole-body approach. Generate energy and impulsion, but in a controllable manner.
The other answer is, of course, to find a great big field - many horses will have more forward energy/forward mindedness in this situation, so instead of feeling like you’re nagging for forward, you can work on reaffirming your aids and making sure you and your horse are through and relaxed and connected (and forward at the same time).
The feeling of my horse being in front of my leg, for me, comes as a combination of power and lightness (and this goes both for horses that are very forward minded but that will suck back behind the leg and for horses that aren’t necessarily super forward/energetic). As mentioned above, movements get easier when the horse is in front of the leg - but I also feel that I have more energy and impulsion to work with. It is easier for me to get a horse connected at this point, so the lightness in the hand and the forward energy can be directed in a way that, for the horses I’m currently riding, manifests as a balanced, connected, and uphill way of going.
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