impulsion – Horse Listening

5 Reasons Why A Horse Might Hollow His Back

People often talk about the negative repercussions of a horse that moves with a hollow back. It's fairly easy to see once you know what you're looking for: the swayed-looking back, the dropped underbelly, and sometimes, you can also see an awkwardly neck jutting up and out. Some horses show obvious signs of discomfort but often, horses get used to working in this posture and generally truck along, legs moving but back tight and tense.

So the first thing to do is to understand how it looks and then, why it happens. Because only when we know WHY, will we be able to begin to do something about it.

What makes a horse hollow his back?

1. Conformation

Some horses could have a sway-backed conformation. The only way you'd know it's truly conformation (rather than having been developed through riding) is if you were able to see the horse as a youngster, long before he was ever ridden. Was he born with a longish back? Are there any specific areas of weakness over the back? It is possible.

The good news for these horses is that with proper work, you can actually build enough top line and supporting muscling that will allow the horse to be ridden in health for the length of his ridden career. But it's good to know when there's a conformation factor, because then you can understand and address the root cause.

Other than conformation, there are many rider-influenced reasons that the horse might hollow his back. Let's look at a few ways that our riding can impact the horse's movement.

2. Restricted "Forward"

I would say that lack of impulsion is probably one of the most common reasons for the horse to have to maintain a hollow back. If he moves with little activity and thrust from the hind end, the horse has to support himself with the front end. He also has to initiate movement from the front end, which will result in the front end pulling the hind end along.

When there is little reach of the hind legs underneath the horse's body, there is little he can do to maintain his own balance, never mind the balance of his rider's weight too. And so the hollow back is the result.

3. Effectiveness of the Aids

The aids are the rider's way of helping communicating with the horse and helping him maintain his balance even while doing movements that require him to change balance all the time. However, if the aids aren't timed correctly, are too harsh (so they block or stun the horse), or too vague (so they do nothing), then once again, the horse's balance is not maintained.

Luckily, the horse has four legs and so won't literally fall to the ground (well, not usually, at least). Instead, he might hollow his back and brace.

4. Riding "The Front Of The Horse"

This one is common and takes a lot of time to unlearn if it's a habit. We always do things with our hands and so it's easy to get into the mindset that the horse needs the most help from your hand aids. But too often, what we do with our hands stop the horse, block the energy, interfere with balance, or just plain pull the horse's neck out of alignment with his body!

5. Rider's Seat (and Position and Technique)

Well, it goes without saying that what the rider does on the back makes a whole lot of difference to the horse. So much of dressage training is rooted in the concept of developing a "good" seat, one that allows the horse's back to rise and fall, allows energy "through" the horse's body, and actually encourages the horse to work more from the hind end.

I'm sure there's more reasons why a horse might hollow the back. As I'm not a vet, I haven't even mentioned all the possible physical problems that could contribute to a hollow back. I'm only looking at this from a riding/training perspective. And I know what you're probably thinking: these are fairly broad generalizations that take years for the average rider to improve and overcome. It's true! (*See the links below if you'd like to read articles I've written about how to solve some of these concerns.)

The problem is that there is no magic pill, or "buttons" you can put on a horse, that will give you any short cuts on your way toward resolving the hollow back issue. It really is all about time, effort, $$ for lessons, making mistakes and learning from them. And the horses are saints, because they usually give us the time we need to develop these skills, even to their own detriment.

But when it happens - when you feel that first swinging back, or that first "real" impulsion that helps to send the horse's energy forward (not fast!) - it's just the most amazing feeling!

And then you build on these feelings and go step by step into a direction that not only helps you improve your riding skills, but also helps your horse move freer, more healthily, and even more happily... then, you'll realize how valuable your learning path is! Because the next horse you ride will benefit from your knowledge.

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – Book 4: 20-Minute Exercises To Add Variety To Your Riding Routine

Horse Listening Book 4: 20-Minute Exercises to Add Variety To Your Riding Routine

Stop wandering round and round aimlessly!

Horse Listening Book 4 is a compilation of the best patterns that have been shared on the Horse Listening Blog. The book is divided into five sections: Warm-Ups, Left and Right, Straightness, Suppleness and Collection. Each section has specific exercises and theory based on its topic.

But there's more!

There is a Special Center Section dedicated to only Transitions - something that we can all work on throughout our riding careers. And finally, scattered throughout the book are chapters that clearly explain theory, technique and skills that can help improve the featured exercises of teach Section.

Use these 20-minute exercises!

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Available as an eBook or paperback.

25 Ways To Make Impulsion Work For You

Pretty much every ride, and every lesson, I'm reminded about the importance of impulsion and teaching impulsion to the horse and the rider. I use it myself all the time, and you'll see why when you read the list below.

Don't get me wrong. It's true that there is such thing as too much energy, but I feel that impulsion isn't exactly the same thing as energy, although energy is a pre-requisite to impulsion. And it's also true that developing "correct" impulsion may take years to fully learn and understand. But that doesn't mean that even the most novice rider can't learn it at the basic level, and use impulsion to help counter or completely eliminate riding problems as they arise.

I've written quite a bit about impulsion over the years. If you want a simple, concrete way to get started, read How Two Strides of Energy Might Solve Your Horse Riding Problem, and Not Fast, Not Slow. So What IS Impulsion? to help with understanding the concept itself.

So why do I keep coming back to impulsion? It's not like I want to harp on the same topic all the time - it's more because the topic keeps coming back to me, through lessons and rides, and solving riding or training problems. So many discomforts of the horse are rooted in not being allowed to really move under saddle. And I love it when I can help an ear-pinning, tight-backed, short-strided horse morph into a bounding, longer-strided, bright-eyed, ears-forward version of himself in one lesson, because all the rider needs is a little encouragement and direction.

Here are 25 problems (or, shall we say, discomforts to the horse) that can be at least improved upon when thinking about impulsion, even while you're doing other things.

Crookedness: You might be amazed that most of the horse's dropped shoulders or hind end crookedness can be improved upon by a straight-positioned rider and a little (maybe not even a lot) of impulsion. Energy that is allowed through the body can straighten the body.

- Down transitions: A horse that is truly forward is better connected through his body and to the rider's aids. And so, balance is better and the horse can respond better. Instead of having to pull the horse into a downward transition, you might only have to use a little leg and half-halt and transition down yourself through your seat.
- Up transitions: If your horse only moves faster in the original gait, and runs/stumbles/pulls your arms forward until you get the gait change, chances are that you needed more impulsion before your upward transition. If the horse has more energy, he has better balance and the hind end is more underneath the body, which will allow a light, skipping transition into the next gait.
- Maintenance of tempo: If you feel your horse go fast and slow and fast and slow, chances are that you have to maintain impulsion through every step.
- Shoulder-in or shoulder-fore: Moving the shoulders takes a lot of energy and strength for the horse (especially in the learning stages) and you might find your horse losing energy when you ask for shoulder-in or shoulder-fore. Ask for a little impulsion before the movement and it might be easier to move the shoulders.
- Hollow back: Allow a little more energy through your horse to begin to send the energy "over the back". This will give the horse better strength to allow the back to swing and move with his strides.
- Haunches-in: The inside hind leg bears more weight with the haunches-in. Ask for more energy going into the movement and your horse will have an easier time staying in balance.
- Halts: Wow, can impulsion improve the halt! I usually don't get too fussed over a horse that doesn't halt square, because I know that once the rider learns to power into the halt (and stay straight herself), squareness will just happen.
- Collection: Well, we all know that collection requires a high amount of energy and strength. In order for the horse to actually tilt the pelvis, those hind legs have to go underneath the body more and bear more weight. You can't collect without impulsion.
- Lengthens: A lengthen can only be as good as the collection that came before it. So impulsion plays a huge role here too.
- Leg-yield: One of the most common problems with leg-yield is a loss of tempo and energy through the movement. Add a little impulsion, maybe even every three strides or so, and see what that will do for your leg-yields.
- Circles: Many horses slow down when coming off the rail and into a circle. Circling requires balance and energy in order for the horse to continue to move freely with a swinging back. Enter: impulsion!
- Bend: The inside hind leg plays a large part in allowing the horse to bend around your inside leg. To help the horse with balance and subsequent suppleness, add a little impulsion.
- On-the-forehand (combined with half-halts): Add some impulsion before your half-halts to help your horse develop better uphill balance. You create energy, and only then you "recycle" it to the hind end.
- Half-halts: It's very difficult to have half-halts that help to balance the horse when there's limited energy. So in all cases, add that little bit of impulsion before the half-halt.
- Balance: It's so much easier for the horse to truck along on the forehand than to carry weight to the hind end. Use your two legs for "go" and see if he has an easier time staying off the forehand thanks to the extra energy.
- Mouth "issues": The first time I saw impulsion do magic with a horse's mouth problems was at a Stephen Clarke clinic. He was absolutely not worried about the mouth (and head tossing). He just worked the rider and got more impulsion, and soon enough, the horse calmed, the mouth softened, and they had a great ride. I've used this strategy many times now and it seems to work with many horses.
- Rooting the reins: Horses can only pull down and forward on the reins if they are leaning to the forehand. Before the horse gets too far, use two legs and encourage forward movement. You might be excited to notice that the horse's head comes right up and away you go.
- Lack of rhythm: Rhythm in horse riding is all about getting the footfalls to be timed correctly for the gait. So a trot is a 2-beat rhythm, the canter a 3-beat rhythm and the walk is 4-beats. If you have trouble keeping rhythm, just add a little impulsion and maybe a few half-halts.

Ear pinning/tension: The horse that is pinning his ears is generally looking and thinking backward to the rider. Send him forward and look for the ears that show that the horse is looking ahead and not behind.
Bucking/rearing/kicking out: The horse can only do one of these moves when there is little to no forward energy. Feel it coming on? Teach the horse that he can move ahead, and use his hind end.
Spooking: Spooking feels very energetic sometimes, but can only happen if the forward energy is replaced by sideways (or otherwise) energy. So send the horse forward at the slightest hint of a spook.
Stopping/balking: These two problems are almost the same as spooking. The horse simply can't stop if he's going forward. It will be your job to teach him that even before he thinks about stopping.
Bracing the jaw or poll: Horses often brace in the jaw or poll when the rider holds on too long or with too much pressure. Some learn to lean into the pressure and just truck along. If you ask for impulsion when this happens, you'll find that suddenly there is room in the reins (as long as you are not actively pulling backward at the same time). Then you can go ahead with a half-halt if needed, and the small release after that. If you can do this often enough, the horse will learn to soften.
Rushing: This one sounds counter-intuitive, because how can rushing be corrected with more energy? But it does work that way with riding, because in general, when a horse rushes, he is on the forehand. And when he's on the forehand, he's NOT using his hind end. So again, asking with two legs and then using a half-halt might help to slow the legs down, increase the stride length, and develop better balance.

Well! If you're still here, thanks for reading all that! I hope this helps you in your riding journey. The role of impulsion in riding cannot be overstated. If you can think of other ways that impulsion can change your ride, let me know in the comments below!

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

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From the first book in the Horse Listening Collection: Horse Listening, The Book

"There are many reasons why we enjoy riding horses. Maybe one of the most appealing facets of riding is the sense of freedom: freedom from our own limitations, freedom from gravity, freedom to (literally) roam the Earth. Time stands still while we have the privilege of feeling movement from the back of our four-legged friend.

Riding gives us the place to just be.

Of course, there are other purposes too. Some of us revel in the challenge of learning the skills required to becoming a good team member of this unlikely duo. Riding is like no other sport or recreational pursuit simply because of the equine partner that must not only carry us, but also do so effortlessly and gracefully. As we develop our specific skill sets, we also grow as human beings in character, emotional maturity and mental acuity.

But there is one other motivation that drives some of us to persevere in the never-ending learning process that is horseback riding: improving the horse. As your own skills develop, you begin to realize that not only can you meet your own needs through riding, but also that you can even become an instrument of benefit for the horse."

And so begins the book that reflects the most important learning I have had in all of my riding years: that I want to be the best rider I can be for the sake of my horses.

This book is geared toward the rider:

- the rider's motivations

- the essential skills for the rider

- some specific strategies

- solutions to common problems

- and the results: the great horsey moments we get to experience

Along the way, you will find chapters that discuss everything from the seat to the leg aids to the reins, discussions on half-halts, imbalance, halts, straightness and more!

Special in this book are the "In The Ring" sections that give specific suggestions based on the preceding chapters. Take these to the barn to try with your own horse!

Available as an eBook or paperback.

When Your Horse Is Heavy In The Bridle

You've probably been in this situation at some point in your riding career. No matter what you do, it seems like you simply can't lighten the pressure on your reins.

If you pull, your horse pulls. And as they say, the horse (no matter how small) can eventually out-pull the rider. Some horses (saints) get used to the amount of pressure on the bit and will carry you around even with relatively heavy pressure on the bit.

So what can you do about it? Even if you can re-educate your body to stop pulling on the reins, you might still need to help change your horse's balance to the hind end. Here are some ideas to try.

1.Go "Under"-Power

If your horse has a tendency to grab the bit and go, this one might help a lot.

When your horse wants to power up, you ask for a power down. If you're in trot, make it more of a jog. If you're in canter, make it a slower, smaller strided canter - or just go to trot if that doesn't work.

When you power down, your horse has a much better chance of taking all that energy and using it in the hind end. The slowness and the reduction of pushing power will help the horse maintain better balance. The hind legs will have a chance to slow down and therefore go more underneath the body. The front end will have less energy coming to it and therefore won't HAVE to be on the forehand as much.

You might suddenly feel a lightening of pressure on the reins. As long as you still have some connection, you want the lightness and so now your job is to maintain it through the rest of the movement.

One word of caution - don't stay in under power. Once your horse has better balance, and you feel the lightness, start to slowly allow the energy level to come "through" again. Make sure you're not just blocking the horse in the front end, because that will result in disengagement of the hind end and then you'll have the same problem, just from the opposite cause!

2. Get Better Impulsion

So we'll talk about that scenario next. Many horses become heavy on the bit because the rider isn't asking for enough impulsion or power. In this case, you need to "Power Up"!

If there isn't enough energy, chances are that the horse is long in the body, and the hind legs are not underneath the body. This is what we call "strung out". The problem with the hind legs being out behind is that the horse then HAS to balance on the front legs. All the movements begin in the front rather than the hind, and therefore, you feel the weight in your hands.

So in this case, you have to create more energy, and then learn to contain it.

I have written a lot about impulsion here on the blog, but this is the best one for this purpose. If you want to read more, take a look at the links at the end of this article.

3. Move the Shoulders

One of the best ways to get weight off the forehand and onto the hind end (to work toward your goal of better balance) is to move the shoulders. Lateral movements help the horse to shift his weight back naturally and by doing so, he will invariably have to take the weight off the front end.

So you would do lots of shoulder-fore, shoulder-in, leg yields and half-passes if you are at that level. Walk and canter pirouettes will also help build the muscles needed for better balance to the hind end. By adding in the lateral work, you might notice that your horse becomes lighter and lighter, especially as he becomes better able to get off the front legs.

4. Give to Half-Halt

This is more of a standard re-balancing technique. It's a great way to set your horse up for any transition or change within a movement. But because of its effect on balance, it might also be helpful in getting your horse off the forehand and lighter in the bridle.

The key, aside from the half-halt, is the give at the beginning. It's not a throw away rein, because if you do a sudden release while the horse is heavy on the reins, the horse will fall to the forehand (can't help it). Just give a tiny amount, say an inch. Enough for the horse to not be restricted and to be able to power out of the first half-halt.

Then use the half-halt to contain the energy forward and help in re-balancing the horse's weight to the hind end. I've written about the aids in much more detail here.

5. Many Down Transitions

If you find your horse sort of running away with you, down transitions can be extremely helpful in redirecting the energy. In trot, do walk transitions ideally before the horse gets too heavy. In canter, do trot transitions.

Then transition up to the original gait again and be ready to ask for the down transition again. Practice until your horse relaxes and the down transitions become easier.

6. Leg Yield Out/Transition

Finally, you can use the leg yield out to a transition up to help engage the inside hind leg.

So at the walk, head down the quarter line. Leg yield out to the rail, and then pick up the trot.

In trot, leg yield out and then pick up the canter.

The leg yield is an excellent way to get the horse to begin to respond to leg aids, move the body sideways and forward, and have the inside hind leg positioned for the transition. Combined, they might help to get the weight more to the hind end.

Well! That was a lot of information.

Horse Listening Book Collection - beautiful paperbacks with all the excellence of the blog - in your hands! Click on the image for more information.

From Horse Listening, The Book:

Riding gives us the place to just be.

And so begins the book that reflects the most important learning I have had in all of my riding years: that I want to be the best rider I can be for the sake of my horses.

This book is geared toward the rider:

- the rider's motivations

- the essential skills for the rider

- some specific strategies

- solutions to common problems

- and the results: the great horsey moments we get to experience

Along the way, you will find chapters that discuss everything from the seat to the leg aids to the reins, discussions on half-halts, imbalance, halts, straightness and more!

Special in this book are the "In The Ring" sections that give specific suggestions based on the preceding chapters. Take these to the barn to try with your own horse!

Available as an eBook or paperback.

4 Steps To Better Movement

Improving the horse's movement is one of the first things we should attempt to work on from the minute we get on the horse's back. We should always aim to keep the horse happy, healthy and strong into his old age.

While there are actually other ways to improve the horse's movement, I've distilled it down to four basic steps so you can get started with your own horse. Even if you and your horse are farther along, coming back to these basics might be helpful for you at times.

1. Free Moving Gait

Elsewhere, I've called this "impulsion." But I also like to think of it as moving "freely" - strong, bold, not fast. When the horse moves freely with impulsion, you can see the horse stepping out at will, looking ahead, using the hind legs deeply underneath the body, covering ground effortlessly.

The opposite is the horse that takes short, stilted steps. The legs move but the back is tight and rigid (and maybe it feels like the gait is smooth because of lack of movement). The horse might be looking around, not focused and quick to break stride.

The thing is, many horses aren't inclined to moving freely under saddle. It's tough work to carry the rider and propel through space energetically. As the rider, you have to learn how to get your horse to move better in each gait, how to be more responsive to the leg aids, and then YOU have to be able to ride that gait and not get left behind in the movement!

But with practice, most horses will move forward freely. It can be done.

In general, you always need this sort of forward energy in order to even begin to balance the horse. So it's the first step toward better movement.

2. Rib Cage and the Shoulders "In" The Body

After you have energy, you need to do something with it!

First off, let's consider the rib cage and the shoulders of the horse. If either is "bulging" (or not aligned with the body), there is a blockage of energy that results in falling in, drifting out, slowing down or even spooking. All of these problems are rooted in one cause: lack of straightness through the body.

So now that you've got some energy to work with, you can pay attention to the straightness of the horse's body. Do you feel the rib cage pushing on one leg? It could be either the inside or outside leg. If so, squeeze with the leg to "push" that side of the horse back into alignment.

Can you feel a shoulder stepping outward from the body? It could be either the inside shoulder reaching even more to the inside than the rest of the body ("falling in"). Or it could be the outside shoulder stepping farther out ("drifting out"). In each case, use a rein aid (open, direct or neck rein) to, in effect, "put" that shoulder back into the body. You want to feel each front leg reach straight forward into the next step, not sideways.

You will know you're on the right track if your horse suddenly feels like he's having an easier time moving on his own. When a horse straightens up, his balance improves and he becomes lighter on his feet. You'll feel that energy created by the hind end travel through the horse's body.

3. Straight Neck

This one is fairly easy to recognize and happens all the time! If your horse has his neck turned far into the direction of travel (called "neck bend"), or turned far outside the direction of travel, you will notice a significant change in his ability to maintain balance. He will likely bulge through the opposite shoulder and end up traveling in that direction.

While there are possibly times when we might want to bring the neck "around" to soften the neck muscles or get better access to the jaw and poll, we should always be seeking to allow the horse to have a straight neck specifically to help with balance. Sometimes, riders might have to work at keeping the neck straight if the horse has developed a habit of holding the neck farther to one side.

But if the rib cage and shoulders are kept straight, it shouldn't take much to keep the neck straight at this point.

4. Flexion/Soft Poll

The horse should have flexion (the corner of the horse's eye) into the direction he is moving. So if you're going right, you should be able to see the corner of the horse's right eye. It is generally important for the horse to look where he is going. Also, by flexing the jaw a little to the side, the horse often relaxes and softens just a bit more through the head and neck.

You also want to teach your horse to move with a soft poll. Rather than moving along with the head braced and the nose pointing up and out (try it yourself to see how it tightens your neck, shoulders and upper back), you want the horse to respond lightly to your rein aids. When he feels pressure from the reins, he should soften and "give," bringing his nose to a "more" vertical position. The nose can stay slightly above the vertical. The key is that the horse will respond to the rein aids and soften when needed.

A soft poll will allow the horse to release the whole connected muscle structure over the neck and to the back under the saddle. This release will help allow the shoulders to work better and the back to swing more.

Put It All Together

Well, it can get complicated to try to do all four steps in succession in movement.

So if you find it difficult, start with one step at a time. Go for the energetic gait first. When you can get a consistently strong gait, try to straighten through the rib cage and shoulders (this step may take some time to understand and master). Make sure you still have that energetic gait and straightness.

Try to straighten the neck soon after you're getting straightness through the body. You still should have the energetic gait and the straight rib cage and shoulders.

Finally, work on the flexion and poll. You still should have the energetic gait, the straight rib cage and shoulders, and straight neck!

You see how it builds together.

Take your time, try and try again, and feel for improvements as you go along.

Horse Listening Book Collection - beautiful paperbacks with all the excellence of the blog - in your hands! Click on the image for more information.

Stop printing off the articles! Your favorite training articles are compiled in this beautifully bound paperback book. Have everything at your fingertips - this book can be taken to the barn as a quick refresher or leisurely read at home.

From Horse Listening Book 2: Forward And Round To Training Success:

"Regardless of discipline, what would be the most significant effect a rider would want to have on her horse?

We all want our horses to improve in their athletic

development, skill acquisition and connectedness. Much of our rider development and training efforts go into working toward our show or personal goals....

But the best riders aspire to do one essential thing each and every day, regardless of goals and lesson plans: they work hard to improve their horse’s way of going.

Because proper balance and weight carriage is essential to a horse’s longevity. Each and every minute of each and every ride has the potential to contribute to your horse’s health and well-being.

Or not."

Just as with all the Horse Listening Collection Books, this book is focused on helping the rider improve for the sake of the horse. But this book goes deeper into the best training articles from the blog - horse-centered theory, strategies and ideas you can try with your own horse.

The book begins with the horse's hind end (!), considers the horse's back, moves on to rider development, and fills it all in with the fundamentals of horse riding so your horse can be:

happier in his body

happier in his "work"

better balanced all-around

Available in digital or paperback.

7 Errors To Avoid After You Ask For More Energy – And Solutions

leg aids to canter — Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

What happens when you ask your horse for more energy?

The simple answer is that he should reach further underneath his body with his hind legs, go straight and energize within the gait. The hind legs reach deeper underneath the body, the energy "flows through", allowing for a rounder top line, a more active back, and a bouncy, straight feeling. Your horse's response to the bit should improve all on its own. However, it's easier said than done.

As you probably already know, there are many different unwanted things that can happen when you use your leg and seat aids to ask for impulsion.

You will likely discover that there are a variety of responses to your request. Most of them won't be what you're seeking - the straight, strong and true gait that you are asking for. However, the horse doesn't know any better, and it is your job to know exactly what you're looking for, and to teach the horse correctly from the start.

You might think this article comes from a negative perspective, but in my experience, it is as important to know what you don't want, as it is to know what you do want.

As Edison is quoted as saying, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

Here are 7 things that can happen instead. The quicker you can recognize these miscommunications, the sooner you can address them. In fact, it would be best if you could correct these mistakes as they happen, before the horse loses more balance and then has to completely regroup.

1) Inside shoulder "drops."

This is what we sometimes call the "motorcycle lean." It happens on a circle or turn. Along with cutting the turn short in an awkward angle, your horse will likely fall into the circle, making it smaller than you want it to be. The horse will lower the inside shoulder and you will feel like you are hanging on an angle.

If this happens, try to stay upright yourself despite the horse's lean. Also, you can use a little leg yield and outside rein half-halt to improve the horse's balance.

2) Outside shoulder "drifts."

This is the opposite of #1. In this case, the horse will step outward, making the circle or turn larger than it should be. He will also often have his neck bent to the inside, while he continues to step in the opposite direction from your active inside rein.

In this case, shorten and straighten your outside rein to catch the shoulder. Avoid using more pressure on the inside rein. If your horse's flexion goes to the outside because of your outside rein, finish straightening the outside shoulder and then go back to flexion toward the inside after the correction. Once again, keep your own body upright and balanced. Don't lean along with your horse.

3) Hind end shifts to the outside.

The horse points to the inside with the front end while the hind end points to the outside. This can happen on a straight line off the rail. Sometimes, the rider causes the horse to move on an angle because of an overactive inside rein.

To correct, your inside leg can ask for a small leg yield, just like in #1. Use your direct (straight) outside rein to ask the horse to bring his shoulders to the outside.

4) Hind end shifts to the inside.

Many horses do this as they transition into a canter. It is also common for young horses to collapse through their hips even in trot, mostly because they are still weak and uneven in the pushing power from each hind leg.

Sometimes, a little extra impulsion may be all it takes to get the hind legs working more evenly.

5) Faster gait.

This is the most common response you'll get from young and older horses alike. Often, the rider doesn't recognize the increase in leg speed and so the horse just moves along faster.

A series of well-timed half-halts will help keep the horse's tempo the same even while you are asking for a little more power from the hind end.

6) Change of gait.

Horses will also change gait in response to a leg aid, mainly because it is often easier for them rather than to loosen more through the back and let the energy go "through" the body.

If your horse changes gait when you ask for more impulsion, gently transition back down to the original gait and keep on riding. Try again with your leg aids but you might want to add the half-halts in so that you can discourage a gait change before it happens.

7) Short stride/hollow back.

Some horses might tense in response to the leg aid. There may be many reasons why a horse will change his posture - whether because of lack of balance, discomfort, falling to the forehand, rider balance errors, or other problems that require the horse to tighten through the top line.

In this case, make sure that you are not causing the horse's tension. Adjust leg pressure, rein length (sometimes longer, but also sometimes shorter, depending on the horse's needs), balance (make sure you don't lean forward when applying your leg aids) and do use half-halts after the leg aids. The horse might tense just because he feels like he has to run faster.

I'm sure there are other things that can happen when you ask for more energy. In any case, you should be "listening" carefully enough to identify what the response was, and then take steps to correct any errors. Keep in mind that you're looking for a deeper stride in the hind end, a more bouncy, energetic back, a softer top line and better overall connection.

When you know what you don't want, you will find what you do want quicker and more consistently.

What Does “Forward” Mean To You?

I've discussed the term forward many times on this blog, in terms of training for it, what it is, how it solves riding problems, and how it feels. If you want to read up on it, scroll down to the links at the bottom of this article.

I'm coming back to the idea because as always, the concept is an integral part of horse riding, especially when you are working toward any sort of performance and overall balance. I'd say it's one of the most important elements of riding.

I'm forever checking and augmenting my "forward" with my horse, Cyrus. My students are constantly working on it (maybe it has something to do with my insistence - haha!) and I tend to really notice it in horses and riders when they don't have it.

In dressage, we call it impulsion. It's the pushing power that you get when you ask the horse for more energy. It's all-pervasive, in every gait, in every movement. It's also one of the most difficult things to learn to do, feel and create.

You can do whatever you want, but without "forward", the horse will always be working against itself physically, carrying your weight in a less than efficient manner, and often being hollow-backed and on the forehand.

What It's Not

Faster

It's definitely not speed of the legs. This is a common error, and it still happens to me at times. If you're not paying close attention, the horse just moves along faster, quite possibly more hollow and more on the forehand.

Slower

Even though increased impulsion, or more "forward", can result in better collection, it's not necessarily the same thing as slowing down. We often think that slow means collected, but true collection requires a lot of energy and engagement of the hind quarters.

If your horse is taking smaller and slower steps, staying generally flat in the overall movement, he's likely not forward. Collection is round movement, bouncy, "jump" in the hind end, active, energetic. The strides may be shorter but this happens because the movement is rounder and more elevated.

I've spent a considerable amount of thought on how to explain "forward" and what it really means. This time, I'd like to ask you.

What do you think "forward" means?

How do you explain it to your students (if you are an instructor) or riding friends?

How do you know you "have" it?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Please post in the comments below, so we can share in everyone's expertise and experience. Thanks!

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If you’d like a structured, but personal tool to set goals, take a look our Goal Setting for the Equestrian: A Personal Workbook. The pages are designed for you to set and keep track of your progress over the course of a year.

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More related reading here:

The One Answer To Most Horse Riding Problems: There is one solution that will improve if not completely resolve the issue - whether it be straightness, slowness, speed, or any of the other problems listed above.

Try This To Feel "Forward": If you've never felt "forward" before, how on earth are you supposed to learn it? You need a friend to help you with this one.

18 Reasons To Establish "Forward" Energy: Riding forward is often an elusive concept when you're first learning to ride. It requires an increase in energy but paradoxically, the energy can't be let "out the front".

Stepping "Forward" in Horse Riding: The term ‘forward’ is used liberally in horse riding but is often misunderstood.

Impulsion: How Two Easy Strides Of Energy Might Solve Your Horse Riding Problem: It can help to straighten the horse. It can resolve “behavior” issues. It can even help to reduce tension in the horse’s body.

How You Know You Don’t Have Impulsion (Yet)

Impulsion is the fourth of six stages on the dressage training scale (German or otherwise) and it is up there for good reason. We speak of impulsion all the time, and I personally introduce it to novice riders fairly early in their career. But this concept of increased energy is complex and it may take years to truly grasp as you progress in your riding career.

Impulsion affects so many other aspects of gait quality that it cannot be seen as an entity unto itself. In fact, when you are working on increasing impulsion, invariably, you are also working on rhythm, suppleness (over the back and laterally), "forward", quality of contact, engagement, collection - the list can be endless. Impulsion (or lack thereof) can dictate more than just the speed of your horse's legs.

You can also think of it as a sort of health insurance policy for your horse. The better the movement (which is highly influenced by impulsion), the healthier your horse may be over the long term. And hopefully, healthy movement is something that we're all aiming for.

What is impulsion?

Simply said, it's energy. But not all energy is "good" energy.

Impulsion is the type of energy that makes the gait feel bouncier. It creates a deeper stride in the hind end (therefore allowing for a more uphill balance). It feels bold, powerful, electric. The horse feels like he'll step into any gait or movement at a moment's notice.

The results of impulsion can actually be seen. The horse:

becomes rounder over the top line.
is more supple in the poll.
maintains a more even contact.
responds to lighter aids.
maintains a more level or uphill balance.
seems to have an easier time with flexion and bend.
appears more comfortable.

How do you know you don't have impulsion (yet)?

There are actually two fairly easy to spot signs.

1. First, what happens when you use your leg aids?

Does the horse go faster? Does the horse change gaits? Does the horse pull or root the reins out of your hands and get longer in the body? Does the horse resist, balk or buck?

Any or all of these responses are signs that you haven't yet achieved impulsion. Let's break it down.

Faster

When the horse goes faster, you know you've put in energy (through your leg and seat aids). The problem here is that the energy is "going out the front door". To create true impulsion, the energy must stay within the horse's body, allowing for that deeper hind leg stride, that increased bounce to the gait, that powerful rounding of the back in movement. Faster legs do not impulsion make!

Gait Change

The same goes for a change of gait. Many horses will easily respond to an increase in energy by changing from the trot to the canter. It is much, much more difficult for a horse to maintain the trot and allow that influx of energy into the trot than it is to just switch the legs. Impulsion does not a gait change make! (Although surely, increased impulsion before, through and after a gait change will improve the transition).

Heavier On The Reins

In this case, the horse is responding by lengthening through the body - front end and likely the hind end. Strung out, anyone? The horse has likely fallen to the forehand and lost balance, putting weight into the reins. The rider has likely let the reins slip through her fingers, allowing them to get longer longer longer. This sort of response happens often with young or uneducated horses and riders. It's one thing to put in the energy, but it's another thing to contain it!

Resistances

I call it "resistance", but you might call it "disobedience" or "miscommunication". Regardless, anything other than forward is backward (some people call it "sucking back"). And any backward movement is not impulsion (even if the legs are still moving in a forward manner).

2. Second, what happens during a down transition?

Does the horse come to an abrupt stop? Does the horse change gait but go faster and faster in the new gait? Does the horse trip or take a bad step? Do you feel like you have to haul off and pulllll until the legs finally change gait?

All of these signs give you a strong indication that there was a lack of impulsion before the gait change. The horse simply doesn't have the power to "power-down" in a balanced and energetic manner. While we often think of downward transitions as slower, they are anything but slow. It takes strength and energy to change gaits cleanly and without falling to the forehand.

Impulsion: The Electric Rider

Of course, the rider is the root of all impulsion. A rider without impulsion does not an energetic horse make!

If you ride with impulsion, your horse will have impulsion too. The question is - how do you create the energy and how do you contain it?

Those last two questions take a lifetime to learn and develop. At first, you may be able to energize but not contain. Then you might go through a phase where you contain but can't energize. Then you might energize but not be able to stay with the horse as he reflects that energy.

Then you'll likely go through a balance phase - where you put in the energy, the horse falls more to the forehand, you reduce the energy, the horse loses his forward... and you feel like a teeter-totter until you finally find the happy medium (I have that T-shirt!).

Your horse will likely go through all these phases with you - hopefully patiently - and if not, then you will have to figure things out a little quicker! But in the end, it's all so worth it.

When you have that first moment of clear, bold, power that sustains and magnifies the gait, when you feel like your horse just grew an inch, and when you feel like you're floating in tandem with your trusty steed (that is willing and able to stop and turn on a dime), you won't ever want to come back to non-impulsion land. And that is when things begin to get interesting!

How would you describe impulsion? Comment below.

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

From Horse Listening, The Book:

Riding gives us the place to just be.

And so begins the book that reflects the most important learning I have had in all of my riding years: that I want to be the best rider I can be for the sake of my horses.

This book is geared toward the rider:

- the rider's motivations

- the essential skills for the rider

- some specific strategies

- solutions to common problems

- and the results: the great horsey moments we get to experience

Along the way, you will find chapters that discuss everything from the seat to the leg aids to the reins, discussions on half-halts, imbalance, halts, straightness and more!

Special in this book are the "In The Ring" sections that give specific suggestions based on the preceding chapters. Take these to the barn to try with your own horse!

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Ready? Steady! (Or How to Ride Calmly and With Consistency)

Developing regularity is hard work! — Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

Achieving consistency in riding is not a matter of waving a wand and then simply hanging on for the ride. It's more than learning a few "tricks" and hoping they all fall together in effortless synchronization. In fact, riding smoothly through transitions left and right, up and down while maintaining a steady rhythm and impulsion, outline and self-carriage is nothing to be scoffed at!

If you have tried to put together a series of movements, you are probably familiar with how you need to be aware of the horse's balance. You likely know that you need to actively maintain the horse's engagement through the various bends and figures in order to maintain a rhythmical, uniform look and feel to your ride. You understand that in horseback riding, in particular, a lack of excitement is a highly desired state.

You see, it's because what we interpret as calm or routine might be just the right thing for horses and their riders.

The opposite - confusion, frenzy, turmoil - all paint a picture (and feeling) of discomfort and disarray. In riding, excitement manifests in ways that indicate discomfort for the horse. When a horse bucks, rushes or pins his ears, he is sending out messages that he is not feeling good in his work. The rider that has to make a spectacle of riding by using loud or overly active aids or voice cues certainly gives the spectator something to look at, but is inevitably not riding for the benefit of the horse.

What It Takes to Be Steady When You Ride

Boring is very underrated, but highly valuable in horseback riding. You might be tempted to think that you are watching paint dry when you see a horse flowing effortlessly from one figure to the next, setting a consistent rhythm regardless of what he is doing, and a rider that is just "sitting there". People might complain that riding (especially flat work) is not a spectator sport and therefore not deserving of attention.

The truth is that both the horse and the rider have to achieve a very high level of proficiency to portray such composure and tranquility. To appear to be doing nothing, the rider and horse must both make continual adjustments to their balance, in order to stay in balance while they progress in space, together, through various movements. How do they do it? Here are a few ideas.

1. Maintain energy level

Impulsion is the first main component of any riding. Keeping the energy at a steady level requires a horse and rider that are adaptable and quick to respond to changes of balance. Too much energy, and the horse falls to the forehand. Too little energy, and the hind end disengages and the horse again falls to the forehand. You need to ride strategically in order to keep the energy at the most effective level that helps the horse maintain a comfortable balance.

Use half-halts to prevent the horse from running out from underneath you. If you can aid quickly enough, and your horse is responsive enough, you will be able to control the leg speed but allow the energy to be transferred over the horse's topline. You can develop a rounder, bouncier gait by half-halting so the energy doesn't just translate into leg speed.

On the other hand, you may need to use leg aids to help the horse increase his energy level when coming to a more difficult movement. For example, horses tend to often "suck back" when coming into a corner or turn. They might shorten their hind leg stride length and hollow the back, resulting into a bracing movement through the corner. To counteract the drop in energy, use both legs to urge engagement of both hind legs. Maintain the rhythm that has already been established by not allowing the horse's legs to slow down in the approach to the corner.

2. Maintain straightness

The moment the horse loses straightness, the rhythm and energy level is affected negatively. The straighter you can keep your horse, the easier it will be to establish energy and impulsion. So in a way, impulsion and straightness are interchangeable much like the chicken and the egg - which one is needed first to improve the other?

You must know your horse to answer that question. Some horses lose straightness because they lack impulsion. So the secret to helping those horses move straighter is to get them to work better from the hind end. Other horses lose impulsion because they over-bend in one direction, or brace into stiffness in the other. These horses have plenty of leg movement, but they drift out or fall in, perhaps because they have too much energy that is ending up on the front legs. These horses would need half-halts and secure aids that encourage them to keep their body in alignment while they move.

Straightness isn't something that anyone is born with. Both the horse and the rider likely have a stronger and weaker side and the resulting movement is determined by how the rider can control both her and her horse's crookedness. This takes time (years?) to develop but yes, you can chip away at it slowly but surely and one day. realize that your horse is tracking straight on the lines and bends.

3. Communicate

Constant communication is one of the key ways to maintain consistency. Through half-halts before and after each maneuver, the horse/rider team shares in the knowledge of things to come. Use leg and rein aids for bend, turns and to reinforce half-halts.

Use your voice to reinforce your aids, and always be sure to acknowledge your horse's efforts while you ride. The quiet rider is the one who is communicating subtly but regularly enough to avoid any surprises.

The confident horse is the one who indicates that he knows his job and what is expected. You will know that you're on the right track when someone says that it looks like you're doing nothing, while the horse is floating along with an active regularity seemingly under his own initiative.

4. Practice

Well, it is true that (as close to perfect as possible) practice makes perfect. There is no replacement for practice, and all you have to do is get out there and put the time in. Well, maybe it isn't quite that easy.

You have to put in the best quality rides in that you can, over time. Maybe that means that you need more than one lesson a week with a qualified instructor. Or maybe it means that you and your friend can help each other out by being an "eye on the ground" and giving each other feedback. However you want to approach the concept of "effective" practice, make sure that you develop a routine for the benefit of both your body and your horse.

Here is your "homework":

Think about your rides and how you might be able to develop more regularity and steadiness in what you do. Even if you don't maintain "perfect" rhythm and stride length through your whole ride, see if you can be steady for longer and longer periods of time. As you and your horse get better at maintaining rhythm, energy and stride length, make things more challenging by introducing more transitions and changes of bend. Work on developing flow, swing, bounciness, roundness, and all those things that make your horse snort and release through the body even more.

And let us know in the comments below, how things went and what your horse thought about it.

Buy The Book! Horse Listening – Book 2: Forward and Round to Training Success

Signed Author Copies available - they are perfect gift for the rider in your life!

From the book:

"Regardless of discipline, what would be the most significant effect a rider would want to have on her horse?

We all want our horses to improve in their athletic

development, skill acquisition and connectedness. Much of our rider development and training efforts go into working toward our show or personal goals....

But the best riders aspire to do one essential thing each and every day, regardless of goals and lesson plans: they work hard to improve their horse’s way of going.

Because proper balance and weight carriage is essential to a horse’s longevity. Each and every minute of each and every ride has the potential to contribute to your horse’s health and well-being.

Or not."

The book begins with the horse's hind end (!), considers the horse's back, moves on to rider development, and fills it all in with the fundamentals of horse riding so your horse can be:

happier in his body

happier in his "work"

better balanced all-around

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Horses. Riding. Life.

Tag: impulsion

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Buy The Book! Horse Listening – Book 2: Forward and Round to Training Success