Training the upright built horse to stretch into contact

[Scandias]

Anyone here riding Dressage with upright built horses such as Friesians and Morgans?

Have you found that they tend to shorten their necks rather than stretching the neck into contact?

What type of exercises have you done that have been helpful in correcting this?

Longe work? In-hand work? Under saddle?

[lecoeurtriste]

Me! I have a Friesian/ASB cross mare who loves to tuck her chin and make the throat latch disappear (here is a shot of her on a loose rein to prove she has a throat latch)! I’d love to tell you that there was a magic exercise that did the trick, but rather it was repetition and patience in all gaits from first backing to the upper level work (push from behind and create space with my hands for her to go down and forward…if she curled, lift up and push forward again). She also had to learn to stay through/forward in down transitions (and not curling and dumping on the forehand to evade), so making sure she accepted the contact everywhere eventually helped with the stretching.

I also warm up on a stretch every.single.ride. We start at the walk and incorporate all lateral movements, then move to trot (and all laterals), and finally to canter before picking up the reins to do any collected or extended work. Lastly, I experimented with bits, and found that an anatomical mullen mouth loose ring was her favorite and encourages steady contact.

Good luck!

[rascalpony]

I have a Half-Arab (other half is ASB) who is naturally high-headed. There are some great photos of her being ridden around with her nose above her ears.

For the first few years of dressage work, getting her to move forward into contact was a nightmare. She just preferred to go around with her head up. I think she was afraid of contact, to boot. She was started by a not so pleasant lady and ridden by a novice rider; not a good combination for any horse, nevermind a very sensitive one.

There hasn’t really been a magic fix, like above. Just repetition and more intensive dressage work as she got stronger. She slowly got better about going on the bit. I adjusted her bit; she wore a regular jointed snaffle, but has a low palette. She is much more comfortable in a french link. She also got stronger so it became easier for her to stretch over her back. She has only recently really gotten better about stretching OUT and down, but it isn’t her favorite. Collection and lengthenings and transitions have really helped.

I also warm up on a stretch every.single.ride. We start at the walk and incorporate all lateral movements, then move to trot (and all laterals), and finally to canter before picking up the reins to do any collected or extended work.

Sounds like my mare. I ride her for twenty minutes at a loose walk and trot; then I’ll do a loose canter. Then I slowly pick her up, do spiral circles, lateral work, collection, lengthening, starting with a looser rein and slowly moving it up. Her muscles need a lot of warm up, and she seems to stretch better if I warm up that way.

[tollertwins]

lecoeurtriste , do you mind putting a link to the bit you are talking about?

not something that i’ve heard of?

[Scandias]

[QUOTE=lecoeurtriste;8365197]
Me! I have a Friesian/ASB cross mare who loves to tuck her chin and make the throat latch disappear (here is a shot of her on a loose rein to prove she has a throat latch)! [/QUOTE]

Thanks for your response; your mare is gorgeous

[mvp]

IMO, this starts with a training issue. Any horse, with any neck can be taught to “fill up the reins” such that he’ll stretch into any contact you give him-- reins long and neck out or not.

It takes some rider skill and feel to do this. And expect that it will be harder/less intuitive for the upright-built horse to learn that “the right answer” is to lower his head and extend his neck so as to create the contact with the bit that you taught him was desired when his head was up higher.

In general, lecoeurtriste’s first paragraph describes the process. The “feel” part is harder to teach on a bulletin board. And it does take repetition, plus conditioning on the horse’s part.

[Scandias]

[QUOTE=rascalpony;8365217]
I have a Half-Arab (other half is ASB) who is naturally high-headed. There are some great photos of her being ridden around with her nose above her ears.

For the first few years of dressage work, getting her to move forward into contact was a nightmare. She just preferred to go around with her head up. I think she was afraid of contact, to boot. [/QUOTE]

Thanks for your response; wow, mine is not quite that extreme; she does actually stretch down nicely on a loose rein, but getting her on the bit properly without the neck coming short is difficult; I can get a step or two at a time, that’s it. Then she either dives down or the neck comes short/curls under. So I make sure I praise her a lot when she does step into contact correctly.

[lecoeurtriste]

[QUOTE=tollertwins;8365649]
lecoeurtriste , do you mind putting a link to the bit you are talking about?

not something that i’ve heard of?[/QUOTE]

http://www.horsebitbank.com/productimages/informed-designs-loose-ring-mullen-2_1.jpg

It’s USDF and FEI legal…the curve sits front to back in the mouth (versus up/down like a fixed port). It feels steadier in her mouth and she seems to like it (if the shear volume of slobber streaming down her face is any indication!) :-). The price was also very reasonable to ship from the UK.

[Gloria]

Scandias, your question may seem simple, the answer is actually quite complicated. For one, the horse must be “through” in order to stretch properly. Unfortunately many Morgans have strong front ends and hind ends, with the hinge (the back) sort of missing. And without the back working properly, you have no chance of getting her “through”.

If I were you, I would ride her with contact, with loose reins used for reward only during short breaks. If she curls in, shorten your reins so you maintain consistent contact. Don’t worry about her behind vertical. It will happen until she learns to use her back. Start at walk - if she is not through at walk, she ain’t getting it at higher gear. Ask her to be active in her walk. Make sure you are not tight in your body. The moment she pushes her nose out, push your elbows out so she does not bump into the bit. Use a lot of lateral works - leg yields, turn on forehands, spiral in and out, to help her to supple that back.

If she bumps her nose into the air, maintain your hand positions so she put pressure onto herself, and the pressure is released when she brings her nose down.

Another thing to remember is, dropping nose down is not necessarily correct stretch. Many horses drop their noses down along with their shoulders, and just plow on the forehands. In order to stretch forward and down properly, their shoulders must stay up. It could mean they stretch only one inch. Stretch is hard work and test their core strength, so don’t be discouraged if the progress seems slow. Most horses don’t have good stretch until they are solidly into 2nd level.

[Scandias]

Hi Gloria! Long time no Morgan talk

Ana has come quite a long way already; I’m super proud of her; just trying to compile a list of fun exercises to help develop her. Thanks for the tips!

[SomedaySoon]

Hahaha, rascalpony could be describing my mare’s start, just substitute Morgan for Arab/ASB. It took a year or so to teach her that it was more comfortable to work without her head straight up in the air and her back arched. Once we established that, we had to overcome her fear of contact, which is a work in progress, and lack of strength. It took about 2 years to get her strong enough to really start using her back properly (as Gloria mentioned–weak hinge), and in the last 6 months, this has allowed us to make great strides. A few things that helped: tons of trail riding on a loose rein, starting with lots of walking up hills (in hand, then loose rein); a fabulous PT/masseuse who was able to adjust the poor posture she had developed in reaction to early bad riding, and who gave us exercises and stretches to keep her comfortable in between appointments; living out 24/7 in a huge field on a hillside with a group of other mares; some side rein lunge work (without, then with, a rider) to build correct muscles, help her find her balance, and teach her to seek even contact); and poles and jumping also really taught her to use her back better and pick up her feet. I am a firm believer in cross-training and trails/turnout for mind and body.

Hmmm, from reading what I and the others wrote, it seems the “answer” is that you really have to build up the backs and top-lines of the upright-necked, high-headed breeds extra in order to get them to stretch long and low in the way that seems to come more naturally to TB/WB, etc.