[Kodachrome]

I had it explained to me when we were working on getting Koda on the bit...if you have correct contact with the mouth, forward moving from the hind, that energy circulates. If you have a horse carrying themselves properly, that energy just keeps circulating. You get that nice, supple, floaty trot . They swing thru in the rear.... they engage their hind end and actually use it.

Speed has nothing to really do with impulsion. I wish I had some video of Koda - he can go SUPER fast when he wants too without actually *trying* or working.... but the feel when he is actually using himself is COMPLETELY different.

And it's totally a drug. LOL!!!

[Outrider]

Originally Posted by Kodachrome

I had it explained to me when we were working on getting Koda on the bit...if you have correct contact with the mouth, forward moving from the hind, that energy circulates. If you have a horse carrying themselves properly, that energy just keeps circulating. You get that nice, supple, floaty trot . They swing thru in the rear.... they engage their hind end and actually use it.

Of course we can discuss what impulsion is and it IS imperative that riders know what they are trying to master for without direction many riders will fail for they will not be able to complete the feedback from the hind end to the front.

So maybe this thread can also discuss ways people have achieve the creation and managing of the impulsion offered up by the horse.

In my case I don't really care if the horse is lazy or not for I take whatever IS offered and work upon it to make it better and to expand upon it.

Engaging the hind end is the goal of every ride and on a trained horse the closing of the calves, apply a half halt which will raise the back and cause the hind legs to travel more underneath itself. On a young untrained horse it will take more time. If there is willingness on the part of the horse it becomes easier.

So many times I read where the rider attempts to bring a high headed horse "into frame" but it is a useless battle without knowing that it is resistance in the hind leg that the rider needs to act upon. It is by bending that leg by sitting deeper, and using their pelvis to get the hind end to flex and step farther under itself that will achieve the desired results. Horses that leave their hind end out behind will be the most difficult to correct as they can never give any support without the hind legs reaching more under themselves than the distance the hind legs may travel backwards.

So I will take whatever the horse gives me and I think of him and his body as a piece of dried up leather that must be massaged and manipulated to that it becomes softer and like a pliant leather piece can be bent without breaking. Slowly work him back and forth with bends and turns until he starts to relax and drop his head and accept your contact. From there do the same thing at a VERY slow trot bending ,turning and changing direction. I do not worry about the speed I have for as the horse relaxes the hind end becomes more willing to be driven by me and impulsion increases over the period of the ride. Slowly over time you will increase the impulsion as it will be offered to you more willingly and widen the area of riding and if it is done slow and careful you should end up with a horse that is totally focused on you and trusting ist body to you. All of this called relaxation working towards suppleness and without this you cannot succeed in getting real collection.

In my case I create impulsion through relaxation.

[Chiko]

Originally Posted by Outrider

Of course we can discuss what impulsion is and it IS imperative that riders know what they are trying to master for without direction many riders will fail for they will not be able to complete the feedback from the hind end to the front.

So maybe this thread can also discuss ways people have achieve the creation and managing of the impulsion offered up by the horse.

In my case I don't really care if the horse is lazy or not for I take whatever IS offered and work upon it to make it better and to expand upon it.

Engaging the hind end is the goal of every ride and on a trained horse the closing of the calves, apply a half halt which will raise the back and cause the hind legs to travel more underneath itself. On a young untrained horse it will take more time. If there is willingness on the part of the horse it becomes easier.

So many times I read where the rider attempts to bring a high headed horse "into frame" but it is a useless battle without knowing that it is resistance in the hind leg that the rider needs to act upon. It is by bending that leg by sitting deeper, and using their pelvis to get the hind end to flex and step farther under itself that will achieve the desired results. Horses that leave their hind end out behind will be the most difficult to correct as they can never give any support without the hind legs reaching more under themselves than the distance the hind legs may travel backwards.

So I will take whatever the horse gives me and I think of him and his body as a piece of dried up leather that must be massaged and manipulated to that it becomes softer and like a pliant leather piece can be bent without breaking. Slowly work him back and forth with bends and turns until he starts to relax and drop his head and accept your contact. From there do the same thing at a VERY slow trot bending ,turning and changing direction. I do not worry about the speed I have for as the horse relaxes the hind end becomes more willing to be driven by me and impulsion increases over the period of the ride. Slowly over time you will increase the impulsion as it will be offered to you more willingly and widen the area of riding and if it is done slow and careful you should end up with a horse that is totally focused on you and trusting ist body to you. All of this called relaxation working towards suppleness and without this you cannot succeed in getting real collection.

In my case I create impulsion through relaxation.

Very well said Outrider...... I understand exactly what you mean and I'm going to use it tonite when I ride.

[Suzannah]

Subbing to learn more. I don't quite get it, but I kind of do. I have ridden that lovely, floaty trot once or twice (!!), and I am trying to get it back.

[Kodachrome]

Originally Posted by Suzannah

Subbing to learn more. I don't quite get it, but I kind of do. I have ridden that lovely, floaty trot once or twice (!!), and I am trying to get it back.

It is a DRUG! Once you get it, you just want MORE MORE MORE!

[Chiko]

I tried for an hour and I still couldn't get that lovely, floaty trot. I did lots of turning, s curves, small circles, big circles and all to no avail. She did eventually drop her head for the last few rounds with a little gentle see-saw encouragement. I know, mybad, your not suppose to see-saw. But thats the only way I can get her to drop her head.

[John]

Or you could try the other way. Only allow forward when the young horse is collected and in frame from day one. This mare is in her first week of training. She could do flying changes at the end of it.

[Chiko]

So I should be holding the reins tight enough that there is no slack once I have her head tucked in? The way I ride now, the reins have no slack but her nose is sticking out.

[pippy]

Chicko - The idea is that you have a contact with the mouth all the time no matter what the head is doing. In the beginnings what can be done is hold or have a firmer contact with the reins and driving the horse with legs and seat so the horse moves up into the contact - when the horse relaxes the poll will flex and you have the beginnings of engagement and impulsion. As soon as the horse offers any relaxing it is imperitive that you soften the contact - take a deep breath in and out - it helps you relax also. Sometimes if the horse doesn't understand the pressure of the rein with the driving leg a wiggle of the inside rein helps incourage softness.
The other way is very similar - but instead of a constant pressure you use half halt to ask the horse to relax.
In both methods the most vital thing is the timing of the application of the aids and the release or softening as the reward to the horse.
The other issue that i see often that hinders progress is an inconsistant contact from the rider - you need to maintain the same weight in the reins at all times or it all gets a bit confusing for the horse.

It also takes time if you haven't achieved it before and until you learn the timing of the aids could take a while to achieve properly, once you have the relaxed poll you then start more exercises maintain the relaxation to further encourage the hind end to work and step futher under themselves and it will all aid in impulsion and engagement.

And it is a drug lol - there is nothing the same as sitting on a horse having them truely between leg and hand with all that power just waiting on you to let it do something.

[Chiko]

Thanks Pippy, I'm going to work on that for a while. I'm always afraid that I'm going to make her hard in the mouth instead of soft because it actually hurts my hands to hold the reins where they need to be and with not too much slack.