Maintaining
Connection Through Winter, Part 2
by Trisha Wren
Following on from last month, here are a few more
exercises you can do with your horse to keep him ticking over and prepare him for
riding if he’s had some time off.
Connected Groundwork exercises ‘develop and maintain freedom of movement and
self-carriage’ – in short, they are a great way of tuning your horse up,
keeping him alert and attentive, and teaching him how to use his body in the
way we would ideally like.
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Caterpillar: This is a great exercise for releasing the poll,
base of the neck and shoulders. It teaches
the horse how to release or telescope his head and neck forwards and down
whilst maintaining his balance; all the things we want in collection. On the horse’s right side, connect your
right hand lightly to the halter.
Starting at the base of the neck, cup your hand around the vertebrae;
your thumb will be roughly in the jugular groove.With the heel of your left
hand, start following the vertebrae of the neck upwards, from the base of the
neck up to the ears. Your fingers will
run through his hair, pointing towards his ears. The first few times just stroke, then
gradually you can add a little pressure to the slide. Make sure you keep your body and joints
soft, to encourage him to soften and stretch. |
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Belly
lifts: If you do these slowly, they can be a useful way
of a) determining the current condition of your horse’s back (how high does
he lift it, and how quickly does that lift go back down again?), and b)
teaching him how to lift his back, lower his head and use his abs. I use a rubbing or scratching movement with
the finger pads of alternate hands, right under his belly just behind where
your girth would normally lie. If your
horse is sensitive under there please be careful! Go very slowly and lightly until you know
whether they are ok with it or not. In
the before and after pictures here, you can see that the neck has lowered and
the back has risen; look at the scenery in the background if you aren’t sure
what you are seeing. |
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Heart
girth press: This exercise is great if you have a horse that is
girthy / cinchy, one that holds it’s breath, or a horse that is short coupled
and finds it difficult to really release and bend through the ribcage. Press with your forearm, just above where
your girth would normally be, letting your whole weight press against the
horse. Hold for maybe a minute, then slowly
release. When the horse releases into
the pressure he will learn to bend through his body and increase his
breathing. |
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Observing your
horse
Having this down time over winter is a great
opportunity for you to really get back in tune with your horse and observe what
is going on with him right now. What I
love about the Connected Groundwork exercises is that, for a change, we are
doing something for our horse, something not only beneficial but also enjoyable
and therapeutic. Otherwise, how many of
us actually do something purely for our horse’s benefit and pleasure? Treats don’t really count; to your horse
that’s just food, a necessity. Most times
when we groom it’s for us, so that we can ride.
But with these body and leading exercises you are getting right into
your horse’s nervous system, increasing his awareness, relaxing him and
teaching him how to let go of any tension and bracing patterns. I’ve had several clients tell me that ‘all of
a sudden’ their horse that was previously tricky to catch comes eagerly to them
in the paddock – because they enjoy the exercises and look forward to them!
While you are working with your horse, observe what
kind of reactions you are getting, particularly facially. You might see sleepy eyes, flickering eyes,
flaring nostrils, yawning, licking and chewing, head lowering, disappearance of
tension lines around the eyes or muzzle.
He might shuffle his feet, or rebalance himself. All of these are signs that your horse is
processing the new feelings that you are producing for him. Give him as much time as he needs to finish
these thoughts, rather than bashing on with the next thing. Your reward will be a happy, relaxed, willing
and attentive horse!
For more detail contact Trisha about Connected Riding,
or see ‘Connected Groundwork I’ by Peggy Cummings. Peggy Cummings will be conducting clinics in
NZ in early March 2008.
©Trisha Wren
July 2007
as printed in: The Organic Equine magazine (Aug 2007)