Forward Moving Horses with Jesse Krier - Greatmats Horse Training Series
Date Published: 12-23 - 2021
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This here is a 2-year-old filly and we’re gonna get on her and we’re going to warm her up for just a second, and then we’re going to go down the driveway and get her feet moving.
And I’m going to talk you through the steps of what I would do with this filly.
This is a pleasure-bred filly. She’ll probably never see the outside world, but today she is going to experience it.
She’s been out a few other times and this is just going to add to her repertoire - where she can be a little bit more of a solid citizen in the show pen or out.
One of the first steps we’re going to do is just like I do with every horse, is I want to disengage that hip prior to getting on. I’ll just take this inside rein, pick up on it and ask for that hip to disengage. I want this inside hind leg to cross over the outside hind leg. I want her to crossover.
If she’s not crossing real deep, I’ll actually pick on this inside rein, spank her forward just a touch.
Forward motion. Once she’s crossed over just a step or two, we’re going to release and go over to the other side. We’ll do that same thing this other way, asking for this hip to disengage - cross over in the hind.
This is a relaxing exercise. This is a stretching exercise - stretches her out prior to me getting on. This is horse yoga if you will - prior to me getting on. We’ve just stretched her out just a touch, so when I get on her, she’s just a little more soft and supple for me to get on.
When I get on, I can step up in the saddle. We’ve moved her and moved her and moved her so the reverse psychology to it is, she wants to keep her feet standing still. So when we get on, she stands and is a lady for that.
Once I get on, I’m just going to ask her to move forward. And just like I did from the ground, I’m going to do from her back. I’m going to disengage that hip and ask her to kick that hip a little bit and stretch out. This is just to reiterate what we did from the ground. Once we get her both ways and she’s soft, pick up on her - few rocks in the driveway she’s hitting but - cross over in the hind. Disengage that hip.
There. Nice cross. Now I’m just going to take her and we’re going to move our feet and get down the driveway.
This is a really good technique to get the horses moving out and exploring. Rather than just riding in the arena, it really sets their minds for the future.
#HorseTraining #ForwardMovingHorse
