Trisha wren ~ Connect With Your Horse

Have you ever considered whether your horse is soft, or just light, and what the difference is?
The dictionary definitions are as follows:
Light: of little weight; not heavy
Soft: yielding readily to touch or pressure; not hard or stiff

So, what type of horse do you have? I believe that whilst they may vary according to the circumstances, many of us have heavy horses; some have light horses that aren’t soft, and fewer have a soft horse that is also light.

First then, what defines a ‘heavy’ horse? One that pulls on the leadrope or reins; drag us towards grass; is constantly on the forehand / hanging on your hands when ridden; always creeping forwards a few steps in a halt; not coming through from behind / engaging / collecting; stands on your foot and takes an age and lots of shoving to get back off?! Heaviness then is never desirable, but many of us put up with it from lack of knowledge of how to change it.

You could argue then that a light horse is better than a heavy one. With consistency and good timing you can easily create a horse that is lighter in hand; just set some boundaries and be clear about exactly what you require from him. (With very heavy horses you may have to make your body language or cues quite big to start with, so that they know you mean it and that things are going to change. It’s probably advisable to get help from a professional.) However, beware of drilling exercises over and over. With repeated ground and liberty exercises you can teach instant responses, and therefore lightness, but if your horse is doing them mechanically and not using his body correctly there will not be softness.

An obvious example of a light but not soft horse would be one who goes above the bit, who evades bit contact, raises the head and hollows the back. Then there’s the horse that does exactly what you’re asking, but always seems worried or tense. Less obvious might be the one who keeps slack in the leadrope and wouldn’t dream of barging or dragging his handler – but isn’t using body correctly or engaging behind. Ridden this might manifest itself as lack of impulsion or one-sidedness, or as a lack of connection with the rider.

What factors determine which type of horse we have? One of the biggest must surely be us. If you are heavy (and I don’t necessarily mean if you weigh a lot!), then your horse probably will be too. You might be sitting in a position which hinders your horse and makes it difficult for him to stay soft; be braced or tense in the saddle; not breathing correctly; using big cues or being too heavy with your hands. Even being ‘heavy’ in your mind – preoccupied, upset, nervous – can distract your horse and affect his abilities. Softness has to start with us, as most horses are experts at giving us exactly what we are asking for, whether we realise it or not.

So, why is softness such a big deal, and how can we get it? A soft horse is the ultimate compliment to its rider or handler; one who isn’t tense or worried, isn’t hollowing his back or raising his head, isn’t chewing on the bit, pawing, head tossing, bucking, rearing etc. Instead they are using their bodies correctly and efficiently, coming through from behind, rounding their back and releasing the head and neck forwards and down; relaxed and happy, responsive, and a pleasure to be around or ride.

How do you get a soft horse? Be soft yourself; be in the moment, see things from their point of view, be consistent. Be aware of your own body and how you are using it; breathe. Teach your horse how to release any tension or bracing patterns, how to use his hind legs correctly to create roundness and impulsion. Make sure your riding position isn’t hindering him and learn how to softly influence him from your body rather than going straight for the reins, legs, or extra pieces of equipment. Connect with your horse!

Trisha