LOOSEN UP: Two Simple Exercises to Get Your Rides Off to a Better Start

An athlete’s muscles should be as flexible as they are strong.  In fact, stretching out stiff muscles ahead of time is a great way to get your rides off to a better start. But don’t just think about stretching out your own.  Help your horse limber up, too.  The lateral movement in these two exercises helps your horse get rid of stiffness in his hips, shoulders and ribcage.

Turn on the forehand:

• Holding the reins in your left hand, keep yourself at your horse’s shoulder as you get him moving beside you in a forward, energetic walk.

• To make the turn, bring your horse’s head slightly toward you as you touch behind the girth (or as far back as his hip if needed) to encourage him to swing his hind end out and away from you.  Just ask for one or two steps at first, looking for your horse’s inside hind leg to step well underneath his body and in front of the outside hind.  

Work with your horse in both directions until you get him to make a complete small circle around you keeping the forward motion of the inside hind stepping in front of the outside hind.  As your horse begins to loosen up, you will start to feel him lightening up on the inside rein as he begins lifting the shoulder nearest you.

Leg yielding:

• To help your horse understand what you will be asking of him, use a fence or wall to prevent forward motion.  Keeping yourself at your horse’s shoulder, start out in a forward energetic walk with your horse on one side and the fence on the other.

• Turn your horse's face slightly toward the fence and touch in front of the girth applying as much pressure as needed to encourage him to step sideways away from you.   Just ask for one or two steps at first since you are only trying to get him to understand that you want him to move away from the pressure.  

Once he gets the idea, help him loosen up by working with him until he can move fluidly down the fence line in both directions with hardly any pressure from you. When your horse clearly understands this exercise, you will no longer need the support of the fence or wall.

Both exercises can be performed in the saddle, but performing them on the ground first helps your horse tune into your aids and gets him carrying himself in a more balanced manner before he has to carry you.  Only good things can come from that!