Intriguing exercises for improving suppleness?

[_DressageDiva]

I posted this on HGS but didn’t get much response, so I’m going to try here, hehe.

Kidd’s been enjoying time off in a 10 acre pasture with 3 round bales and his BFF but after the holidays I will be taking him back to the local indoor boarding facility. I’m itching so badly to get back in the saddle and though he deserved the break, I can’t wait to get some serious work done and hopefully tackle First Level this coming season.

Kidd really lacks suppleness thru his body, and is very one-sided. It’s something, I admit, I have really overlooked. I’ve addressed it slightly, but truly not as I should so my goal once I put him back into work is to tackle this. Imagine a bobble-head on the end of a 2x4, and this is my horse. It’s about 99% rider encouraged, but his bodyworker made a point recently… “realistically, this time off has allowed his body to kind of ‘re-set’, so it will theoretically make it easy to correct once you get him going again, rather than trying to address it when he’s fit in the middle of a show season.”. Anyway, moving forward I will mention 2 things: 1) He does have a slight ‘stick’ in his stifle, but there’s nothing structurally wrong, it’s just not as supple as the other and my Vet feels the best course of action is to just get him really even on both sides 2) He didn’t get any time off due to any issues - I got married and he’s worked hard for 1.5 years straight, he deserved some down time as he’s just coming 6.

So, doing shallow loops (such as K - 1/4 Line - H, etc) get him really active and supple and I will do more of this. I’ve also found leg yielding him on the wall makes a difference because we can focus more on the quality since he tends to see the wall as the goal and just rushes to get there (which is why I rarely do 1/4 Line - Wall leg yields anymore). Of course, transitions are a constant throughout our rides, and even more so since watching a lot of Youtube (Did i mention I can’t wait to start riding again? I’m vicariously living through USDF Network and Youtube in the mean time). There are many things that we’re always working on improving (the usual, better transitions, hotter off the aids, more consistency in the bridle, developing better ‘feel’ and so on and so forth), but does anyone have any fun or intriguing exercises that might help him really get working through his shoulders and back? Making him a more supple horse will help us in all aspects and since Lengthen and Leg Yield will be presented in the First Level tests, i’d really like to nail them if I can

As of right now, my plan is to do lots of work going large and really getting him to push forward evenly in working trot with his hind end as well as do lateral and some pole work for the first 4-8 weeks before having any expectations or goals beyond the basics. I realize that if I don’t address these issues, they will bite us in the tush later, so I really want to develop that solid foundation.

I included photos since i’m not really a ‘regular’ here.

https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net…76&oe=56E34096

(one of my trainers riding)
https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net…1b&oe=571E2C77

https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net…2a&oe=572045B1

Currently… Fat, Furry and Bum High again!
https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net…ad&oe=56DD4687

[_DressageDiva]

[

(one of my trainers riding)
[IMG]https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11822464_10203232918943224_7499839306698916784_n.jpg?oh=19bc0813e7112c9315685c448b92bb1b&oe=571E2C77)

[IMG]https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/11903802_10203274040691242_9182934899401838663_n.jpg?oh=cc04b1cfdea21025bd4bdd8b1974662a&oe=572045B1)

Currently… Fat, Furry and Bum High again!
[IMG]https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/12347712_10203736166404096_2353870136800685201_n.jpg?oh=ed37f59197b2f54fd6918061158235ad&oe=56DD4687)

[princessfluffybritch]

https://youtu.be/G-zjXpurSao

This got me super started. Everything in this video works wonders. In the past year, my horse has become supple and collects on her own, does a shoulder in very easily. I do not have a tense rein, or have to kick or push her. Shoulder in is a very good suppleing exercise as well as haunches in. Leg yielding doesn’t seem to be suppling. The enjoyment has come back to my riding.

[HSS]

half volte to center line; change direction; half volte to long side. Repeat.

Walk trot and canter

throw in transitions between gaits and within gaits as mastery allows. Pay attention that he is straight on straight lines and bending on bending lines.

throw in lateral work as mastery allows.

This works from Tr level to GP. It’s extremely good practice for test riding as well.

very simple but difficult to do correctly. Works like a peach.

[BEARCAT]

I know you said you can’t wait to be back in the saddle, but in all fairness to the horse, starting with some in-hand work will pay for itself in the long run.
I started doing the exercises in this program and can tell already after a couple of weeks that both of my horses are more supple and carry themselves in a different (better!) way.
https://www.youtube.com/user/straightnesstraining/videos

She had a series of 5 45mns videos available for free last month, and maybe will do it again.

Also the Manolo Mendez videos are very helpful.

[_DressageDiva]

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate the input. I’ve been doing some work in-hand and on the lunge the last 2 weekends (week days are hard because it’s dark by 4 and I work until 5). I’m a huge fan of consistency but right now can’t really practice what I preach… because of this, I just keep the sessions short and fun.

I’m thinking I may also do some short rides and just work on suppling him in walk… Our freewalk needs some tweaking, so it might be a good time to address it since I’m really limited as to what I can do for various reasons and morals

[Scribbler]

[QUOTE=princessfluffybritches;8438558]
https://youtu.be/G-zjXpurSao

This got me super started. Everything in this video works wonders. In the past year, my horse has become supple and collects on her own, does a shoulder in very easily. I do not have a tense rein, or have to kick or push her. Shoulder in is a very good suppleing exercise as well as haunches in. Leg yielding doesn’t seem to be suppling. The enjoyment has come back to my riding.[/QUOTE]

We do these exercises as well; my instructor studied with Philippe Karl, who also uses a lot of Baucher. Absolutely, use shoulder in, straight and on voltes, at the walk. IME a lot of people just jump straight to the trot shoulder-in when they need it for the next level they showing, but doing all the lateral work (shoulder in, travers, renvers) at the walk in a slow, methodical, and correct way is very, very good for stretching and straightening the horse. Just keeping the horse straight does not improve straightness, since it doesn’t stretch out the muscles that are keeping the horse crooked and stiff.

[princessfluffybritch]

Scribbler, that’s the way I think of it.

[Beentheredonethat]

Hm. Not loving that video. It’s good there’s suppling in hand and in the walk, but those horses aren’t collecting. They are dropping their backs and bringing up their necks. Just make sure you understand the difference between exercises to supple and communicate with your horse versus actual collection, which takes many years of correct work and strengthening to build up the musculature to actually do it correctly.

Love your Appy, diva, You’d get extra points from me.

[Equi88]

I agree with the previous poster. I found the video hart to watch. While the horses might be on the aids, most are off the bit, with no muscle and topline development…

[RedHorses]

Going large is not going to help with suppleness. Yes you need some push in the gait, but beware of focusing too much on the forward. I find that if impulsion is really lacking a round or two in the next gait often brings it back to the lower gait without getting into the constant pushing. So trot once or twice large, pushing for forward, then return to walk (canter to improve trot).

I rode my younger horse in a clinic recently and the clinician had me focus on getting a nice response to the rein, then rhythm, then add push. It was almost painfully slow at first, but it wasn’t long before I could push him forward and he was more relaxed and supple than usual when he did go. We did serpentines to start, in the walk, beginning with a nice bend. The size of the loops was irrelevant, each one was the size it was given how much bend he gave me. As we continued I asked him for more or less bend based on the previous response in that direction, and the loops became more uniform. The clinician kept saying “Finish it” meaning to get the horse bending nicely, relaxed, not hanging on the rein or resisting the bend as he anticipated the change of bend. That meant sometimes doing a full circle instead of proceeding across the centreline into the next loop.

We added transitions within the walk, again “Finishing” the transition before asking for the next.

Repeated in trot. This was where the trot was painfully slow, but it was a better trot in the end because he was slow enough to think and respond at first, and could carry that into the more forward trot.

Exercises that frequently change the degree of bend, or the direction of bend, or both, really help with suppleness. So serpentines, spiral circles, small circles within larger ones, etc.

One I like uses a 20m circle and two half 10m circles. Ride a 20m circle at A. Every time you get back to A ride a half 10m circle to the centreline, then a half 10m circle the other way (to X in a 20x40) and back on the 20m circle. It’s only a half 20m circle back to A, so if you need to finish the new bend just ride another full circle back to A before doing the half 10s again. This exercise really highlights the horse’s stiff vs easy sides, and any tendency for sloppy riding on the rider’s part. Because you are constantly changing direction there is no need to repeat the exercise on the other rein.

[_DressageDiva]

Thank you for that! I should mention, I didn’t intend to increase lateral suppleness in going large, but rather just to get him strengthening himself evenly since he’s so one sided - but I see your point!

That last exercise sounds fun, and similar to one I did years ago and totally forgot… the clinician called it a waterford, but it was basically half 10’s all the way up center line and really pointed a lot of stuff out, and if things just weren’t quite ‘right’, you could do a full circle.

[merrygoround]

I too found the videos lacking. Entirely too much emphasis on the jaw. The jaw relaxes when he is coming up from behind and engaged. The horses were obedient but did not appear happy. Nor did they exhibit the fluid grace that is expected at that level.

OP one of the early suppling exercises in a starting or restarting horse is the 20 meter circle, ridden correctly, which sometimes requires a bit of work from the rider, who then can move on to serpentines.

In neither exercise can the hindquarters be allowed to swing out, but must stay in the forehand’s track.

[RedHorses]

Thing is, a horse will always cheat on a straight line if he’s got one side stronger than the other. He needs exercises that force him to use the weaker side correctly. But beware!

Years ago my coach explained to me that we should work both sides evenly, even when one side is weaker. Our tendency is to work the weak side more, but that can backfire by making the weaker side sore, and the horse cheat the work to protect himself. By working both we maintain the stronger side, and the weaker side will catch up.

That is one reason why I really like exercises that have the change of rein as part of the pattern. It is very easy to overdo or under do one side if we have to repeat an exercise on the other rein. I also find it’s easy to slip into a resistance/demand if working too much on one rein. The horse can be protective of weak, tiring muscles and lock into “this much bend” and resist the rider’s attempt to get him to soften. Frequent changes in degree and/or direction of bend can help prevent the resistance/demand lock.

Another go to exercise I use comes from 101 Dressage Exercises. The exercise as written has a 15m canter circle at C, proceed in trot large to E/B (depending on which rein you’re on), half 10m circle to X, changing rein on the diagonal back to H/M, and repeating on the other rein (canter circle, trot large, half 10m to X, change rein on diagonal). This exercise can be modified to increase or decrease difficulty. From trotting a 20m circle with 15m half circles and longer diagonals, to cantering the whole thing with shoulder in (H-E, M-B) and half pass (X-M, X-H) with counter canter to a flying change at C - the possibilities are limited only by your creativity.

[keysfins]

OP, do you have a chance to hack out? One of the exercises that will help strengthen stifles is walking up and down hills, straight, balanced and collected. No hurry, smaller steps are fine, and just at the walk. This may help strengthen the weaker stifle, and closer to matching the strength and ability of the other hind.

[silverdog]

Every ride #1 goal is front to back suppleness (this is a necessity for my horse). #2 side to side suppleness while maintaining front to back. #3 steady rhythm at walk and trot. I do 20 m circles, 1/4 line to rail leg yield at walk with 6m (or so) volte, leg yield along rail with 10m circle at trot. I will circle at any point to reestablish correct tempo, contact suppleness. I also will do a 20m circle randomly to check that my horse will stretch and then allow me to retake the reins. Once my horse is solid at this I ask for him to come up a little in the bridle and go a bit more forward and work on responsiveness to the forward aids. If I get after him to much about this before I have him consistent in the bridle he gets agitated and rushes. He is less likely to be consistent in the right rein so I may do some leg yields on a 20 m circle to the left. This horse is very delayed in his training due to a million health issues and he is now doing better than I could have ever dreamed. Just doing this.

[silverdog]

Oh, and he used to stumble like crazy behind. Mostly on the left hind. I have almost eliminated that with this program. When I finish the ride, I look back and see what we need to improve on the next ride or what I need to be extra prepared for in a test. Doing our first test in 3 years this weekend so will be curious to see if I can implement this away from home.

[_DressageDiva]

Thank you everyone! And thanks for the kind comments on him, he’s pretty cute for an Appy x Arab!!

Good luck Silverdog! I took about 6 years off from showing but i’m glad I went back to it!!

I’m really enjoying the exercises and playing them out in my mind. I’m the first to admit, I get ‘stuck’ on one exercise and before I realize it I’ve done 15 or 20 20M circles mindlessly… I’m working on becoming more of a ‘thinking rider’ and these interesting exercises will motivate me to be more active as I ride!!

As for Hacking, Kidd’s at home right now enjoying some time off as previously mentioned. One of my goals for 2016 is to get him more out n’ about, but it’s not something i’m comfortable doing alone just yet (he can be quite hot, and he’s not really one that handles time off ‘well’), which is why I’d like to just get us comfortable with short lunge or riding sessions in the neighbors field for the time being, as my usual riding area here is grass and it’s quite slick with the skiff of snow we have… I sadly just don’t have a ton of free time right now and i’m leaving next week for the holidays, but in mid January i’m going to take him back to the local boarding facility where I can ride after work; at home it’s too dark by the time i’m finished.