Riding a Bigger Gait

[TinFoilHat]

Hey gang. Looking for some tips and tricks for riding a bigger gait/bigger horse (16.3hh).

Context: despite being the tall kid, I was extremely lanky so therefore I primarily was stuck on ponies throughout my entire riding experience from 7-18. In fact, the tallest horse I had ridden up until meeting my lease horse was 15.2 hh, and she was my last horse. She was an OTTB but a narrow, delicate little flower so she felt smaller if that makes sense. So on top of exclusively riding small to medium sized horses my whole life, I’m just now getting back into the riding game after a 7 year hiatus to do the college thing (and start my career, marriage and family).

So my lease is a big bodied OTTB, who is built like an Irish Sporthorse and is16.3 hh. Despite previously being pretty intimidated by anything above that 15.2 hh mark, I’m surprisingly very at ease with how big he is (he’s a saint). However, today while visiting him and his owner, I realized I’m having a LOT of trouble riding his big gaits. Haven’t attempted a canter yet but I’m struggling with the trot and overall working out his “tests” to see how much he can get away with.

Keyboard warriors!! before you keel over because I am self aware enough to know where I’m not meeting the mark, here is what is CURRENTLY (and soon to be) being done to both help me and him:

• lessons for me, on a school horse and in a solid lesson system. Although I’m honest in my background and what I had once accomplished, my core strength and balance are shit so I think it’s fair to say I’m a strong-beginner again. my goal with this is to build my strength back, develop good habits, build confidence and develop my skills as a rider.
• training rides for lease horse. once I take over care, I’ve spoken with an accomplished trainer at my new barn (I already vetted her USEF/USHJA results and local stuff) and I’m going to have her also put some rides on him. he has some balance issues that his owner hasn’t resolved (he balances HEAVILY on his rider) and overall, he needs some fine tuning (he has a hard time with leads and other seemingly basic things)
• lessons for the both of us together

Okay so back to my question: is there anything specifically that I can do positionally or physically to ride a larger gait? My biggest issue is that he’s a BIG PUSH ride and, again because of my core strength and balance, I’m having a hard time pushing him into a trot, for example, and then keeping on with the push while also balancing the bigger gait.

[atr]

OK, I can speak from personal experience here!

Fitness and core strength, probably for both of you.

And, the hard one… learn to let go and let him move forward. Its a bit easy to keep the handbrake on when you are getting used to all that big intimidating movement, thus the need for so much more leg and push. (When I moved up to my 17.2 monster from my comfy 16 hand sofa horse, I had to chant to myself repeatedly in the canter “sit up, sit back, let go!”)

And carry a whip, and wear spurs if/when you’ve got a steady leg. You have to be significant to him.

[Fiesta01]

Maybe try some time on the lunge so you can concentrate on relaxing and going with the movement without worrying about controlling the horse?

[TinFoilHat]

@atr

Fitness and core strength, probably for both of you.

Very much both. Home boy has been out of work for almost a year and is a little under weight so quite literally, my first order of business when I take over is to put some pounds on him and then exclusively lunge and go on walks to condition and muscle him up. For my previous mare, once she gained a bit of muscle her balance improved significantly. On the same tune as muscle, specifically focusing on his hind end and top line.

@atr

Its a bit easy to keep the handbrake on when you are getting used to all that big intimidating movement, thus the need for so much more leg and push.

So this is an interesting note because today, while he was being testy, I specifically asked his owner how loose she keeps her reins. I feel like I have a fairly steady hand, even as I’m getting back into it all, but he was acting like I was reallly IN his mouth when I kept any kind of contact. That’s telling me a couple of different things, but his owner was telling me that that’s what he does when he gets testy. So ¯_(ツ)_/¯

@atr

And carry a whip, and wear spurs if/when you’ve got a steady leg. You have to be significant to him.

He is damn near unrideable without a whip (so fun) and after I get some riding-skill back, and specifically, better core strength/balance and a solid leg, I’m going to dabble in spurs.

[TinFoilHat]

agreed! next time i see him I’m going to ask his owner to lunge me - today we shared the ring with a couple of other riders so it wasn’t possible.

[initiate1987]

On top of definitely working on your own core strength and fitness, also make sure you don’t ride with your stirrups too long too early. Not sure what discipline you ride, but starting with shorter stirrups (not jumping short, but not dressage or a longer flatting length) with help with stability. I just started riding one with bigger gaits as well and all of these have helped me. I’m finally back down to my dressage length after about 3 months of riding him 2x a week.

[TheBigEasy]

I own a 17.2 Belgian X TB and am familiar with the big canter gait you speak of.
One challenge with these weighty guys, is to not let them hang on the bit. Self -carriage is the mark, and if they hang on the bit, it’s exhausting to carry them. The more precision in position helps with this. Balance, keeping them between the legs. Big horses take just as much or more balance and finesse than their smaller counterparts.

[S1969]

@initiate1987

also make sure you don’t ride with your stirrups too long too early. Not sure what discipline you ride, but starting with shorter stirrups (not jumping short, but not dressage or a longer flatting length) with help with stability. I just started riding one with bigger gaits as well and all of these have helped me. I’m finally back down to my dressage length after about 3 months of riding him 2x a week.

Along these lines, make sure the saddle fits you both. No sense fighting with the saddle to get the right point of balance.

[Posting_Trot]

One question is, what type of riding, what discipline will you mostly be doing? If you’re going to be jumping mostly with only a little flat work, then you might just try going into a half-seat at the canter. Until you both get fitter and as you’re trying to get him forward, just getting out of his way might be good.

But, if you’re mostly focusing on dressage, then, while doing some work in half-seat at first might be good, you might also incorporate a lot of walk-halt-trot transitions, some low-key lateral work, etc. Only incorporate the canter when you feel that he is bringing his back up and will pick up the canter underneath you. And then just do a few transitions and call it a day.

But mostly, you should have fun! Change your routine up every few rides and do something completely different, go for a long slow hack in the woods, etc.

[TinFoilHat]

Super solid advice - next time I ride I’ll check my stirrup length. I go on autopilot and you may be right in that they could be a touch long… Thanks!

[TinFoilHat]

yep you’re spot on! he’s fairly unbalanced and very much does “hang on” to his rider. im hoping that putting some weight on him, building muscle and putting in some work on the lunge will help. then for anything else to help with balance, im going to rely on his training rides to provide that insight and then work accordingly on that.

anything that you’ve done to help a horse find their balance?

[TinFoilHat]

Flat for now but looking to get in the jumper ring when we’re both there physically! Half seat is a good call - I remember feeling really secure in a half seat way back when.

[Manni01]

Advice. Start to do Pilates. I would recommend classes but videos will do as well…. It will make a world of difference because you will be able to use your lower back…. And then big gaits will not be a problem…

[RedHorses]

It’s easier to work on a curve of some kind. Having a degree of bend through his body will help you to get him to step up under himself (inside hind leg). It will also help your position and consistency with your aids (but change direction frequently or you, or he, or both will brace).

Needlepoint from 101 Dressage Exercises is an excellent pattern for this as it has different curves, some straights (where you could ride shoulder fore to have that little bend) and frequent changes of direction (so you won’t have to repeat the work on the other rein). As written it is a warm up exercise in trot, but the big circle can be done in canter (prepare and be precise in transitions), as mentioned the long sides can be done in shoulder fore (or shoulder in, or haunches in), and the diagonals in leg yield (walk or trot).

If you let go of the rein or let them lengthen when he gets testy you will convince him that he can take the reins from you whenever he wants. Release the tension in your fingers, wrists, forearms, elbows, upper arms, shoulders and neck without changing your arm position or rein length to “let go”. It’s easier said than done, and you might have to think through releasing tension in each part of your arm (fingers to neck) step by step at first.

If he goes well for a bit and then starts “testing” he may be telling you he’s getting muscle fatigue. Get a few more good steps (half or even a quarter of a circle) and give him a rest. He may be telling you that you are getting fatigued and making his job harder, so make sure you are correct in your position for those steps as well. If both of you need to develop muscle strength again this recognition and rest is very important. Do little bits well!

[RedHorses]

Oh - and I highly recommend DRT (Dressage Rider Training) online program.

[MapleBreeze]

Planks planks planks

Also planks are okay but side planks are a b and will fix those core issues but working on those obliques.

[outerbanks77]

@RedHorses beat me to it! The Dressage Rider Training program is great for building the strength and balance needed. I started DRT 1 at the beginning of the year and am about halfway through DRT 2 now. It has helped a lot with my goal of sitting my 17H warmblood mare’s trot without looking like a sack of potatoes or having to damp down her gaits. Hip flexibility is another big one, since big horses also tend to be wider. That is more of a thing for dressage, but it sounds like you’re riding more in a forward seat. For that, I would say really keying on balance and leg strength will help. The big gaits can just roll under you when you’ve got your weight well centered and flowing down into the stirrups. Squats on a Bosu ball can help with this, and eventually you can add in small dumbbells with your hands held as if you’re riding. In the dressage seat I have to frequently make sure I’m pushing my knees down and keeping my seatbones centered and “plugged in”.

@TheBigEasy

Big horses take just as much or more balance and finesse than their smaller counterparts.

Yes, I’m learning this! She has so much more of a suspension phase in both the trot and canter as compared to my 15.2 appendix mare. That airtime is just an opportunity to respond to any change in balance from me, so I have to sit very still unless I want to change something. I like to envision the fat Buddha with the low center of gravity, very still and the spine stays stacked over the pelvis.