Riding the Whole Horse

Gymnastic exercises for horse and Rider – part 4

by Alice Trindle

With spring knocking at the door, I am ever so anxious to get outside…with my horse, with my mind, and with my attitudes! Relaxation, release, forgiveness, forgetting, and letting go are feelings for which I yearn. With these exercises we have been practicing, I am set up to put them to practical use in working with the cows, riding the hills, and just enjoying the relationship I have gained with my horse over the winter months. I am prepared to ride the whole horse mind, body, and spirit, with great joy because we now have jobs to do! The art to which we aspired now has purpose.

In this article–the final portion of our gymnastic exercise series–we will examine an exercise that helps me a lot with ranch-type jobs. Opening and closing gates from atop the horse, backing up for various purposes...these are jobs that, when accomplished effortlessly, illustrate great communication between horse and rider and are the mark of a true aspiring horseman.

Backing or Rein Back

In Circles, Zig-Zags, Squares and Half-Pass Postures

What: This exercise asks your horse to carry his energy backward in balanced, rhythmic cadence, without resistance and with the feet working in energetic, light, diagonal pairs (the same foot pattern as the trot going forward).

Why: This exercise will:

• Engage and strengthen the hind legs, hips, and hocks

• Flex the ribcage and topline

• Soften the jowl and lower hips

• Help both horse and rider understand precise use of aids

• Develop the ability to subtly change and flow between postures. 

This is not an exercise limited to those pursuing ranch-type work. These backing exercises are great preparation for soft canter departs, correct turn-on-the-haunch, and confirmation of the aids. 

When: I use these backing exercises after I have established a great forward. Poorly executed backing through use of pulling on the reins, pushing on the stirrups and excessive bumping with the legs will achieve nothing but a dead, dull, stiff relationship. On young horses, or ones I am re-starting, I start very slowly with the request to back up, and then I reward quickly. 

I try to work on just one thing at a time: 

• First, I work for the softness in the jowl and giving to the bit. 

• Next, I search for a shift of balance from the front to the hindquarters without stiffness in the top line. 

• Finally, I reward the slightest movement of the feet in a diagonal pattern. 

The idea is to build on these elements, asking the horse to hold them longer, then carrying this softness on specific patterns with a backward energy. I also use these exercises with horses that may have become heavy on their front quarters, are pushing on the bit, or horses that lack confidence. Learning to trust that I have eyes on my back can be a wonderful feeling for a horse!

 

How: With rein back exercises, it is extremely important that you visualize the geometry of the pattern you will be backing prior to starting. I start, as always, by taking a deep breath, becoming present, finding good posture, and then visualizing the backing exercise. Next, I ask for a "soft feel," giving in to the bit or bosal, and a wrinkle or two in the jowl. These are the “get ready” signals for my horse; they tell him that we are about to accomplish an exercise together. 

When backing, it is very helpful to visualize that you have an eye in the small of your back. By using this "horseman’s eye," you will automatically develop good posture, which does not lean too far forward (your eye would be looking into the sky), nor backward (your eye would be looking into the ground), but positions you perfectly centered and balanced. Using your horseman's eye, you will also position your hips, shoulders, and leg cues correctly, and stay out of the way of your horse’s energy as you move backward in whatever pattern you have envisioned. As always, I highly recommend backing these patterns on your two-leg horse first to feel the balance and rhythm of the diagonal pairs and to assist you with using your horseman’s eye. 

Exercise Patterns

Here are the patterns I suggest you back to prepare your horse for a brilliant forward:

Backing a Straight Line – This is more difficult than it sounds. It will help to focus on an object about twenty feet in front of you. Then, using your horseman’s eye in the small of your back, rein back away from the object with flow, rhythm, and energy. Picture your horse’s feet picking up as if he were backing in a foot of snow.

Backing a Circle – In this pattern, your horseman’s eye will really play a role. Start with big circles, and reward after you have backed 1/8th of the circle. Build on that until you can fluidly back the entire circle without resistance. As you progress, try backing a circle in a half-pass posture (i.e., with the nose to the inside of the circle).

Backing Squares, Serpentines and Figure-8s – Again, the eye in the middle of your back is really important. Take time to half-halt or take a deep breath to prepare between each change of the bend.

Ground School Patterns – Don’t forget to practice backing with rhythm and flow in your ground school exercises!

Cautions

The biggest caution with rein back exercises requires you to check your humanness at the gate: try not to fall into a mindset of making your horse back up. Rather, set it up so he wants to move backward--gracefully, with rhythm--and see that there are many purposes for these backing maneuvers. No pulling, no bracing, no force. Relax, breathe, and picture, which will set it up for you to wait for the correct response, and then reward! 

It has been great fun writing about these gymnastic exercises. I know that if you practice them, they will make a world of difference in your relationship with your horse.

As always, there's more to be found at tnthorsemanship.com/articles!

References:

Gymnastic Exercises for Horses by Eleanor Russell

Reflections on Equestrian Art by Nuno Oliveira