THANK YOU for making this video. I get so tired of explaining to people who think Reining = Low Head, period, or that we need to use all manner of contraptions to achieve self-carriage. Thank you Thank you Thank you. Well done.
I teach my dressage horses to lower their head and go long and low. Will Faber from Art to ride has some excellent videos on how to teach the horse to go "long and low"
thats really awesome..and it all makes perfect sense..sadly i bought a 10 year old horse who is actually 24 and paid a small fortune - I'm 53 have no riding arena and he is about as comfortable as a 1980's 4 wheeler his mouth and body about as equally soft as a 1980s 4 wheeler as well so without a riding arena and only acreas of pasture thats chooped up and full of ruts and bumps and holes I dont dare try to move him forward enough to obtain all that..and honestly at 24 years I dont even feel its fair to the poor old fellow to even try..the seller has broken my heart beyond words as this was to be my last horse to replace my 23 year old Appy and ease the pain of when he passes and last the last of my riding days - I borrowed the $5k for him believing I was getting the perfect horse 😢 - I am grieved beyond what this what this woman can comprehend..
@WarwickSchiller yes but i believed him to be 10 years old so I wasn't so concerned with that - I've mostly ridden dressage and figured i could fix that easy enough (I'm 53 and beyond my yea haw rodeo years..he was quiet which was my most important requirement). sadly i rode him yesterday and used my hands a good bit just closing my fingers til he gave - he actually smothed out when he would yeild to the rien pressure..I know going forward is more important however he is 1/2 shire and 1/2 appy so he is already strong and as supple as a brick so trying to sit or even post as you move him forward is difficult..but after your video I know I went about it all the worst and wrong way..For his sake/age its probably best just to let him be what he is and use him only for easy walks around the farm. maybe another opportunity will arise and I can get another horse more suitable..will have a vet check if I ever do get that opportunity..sad over it..I've waited a long time to have time again for the horses and I go & let myself get suckered..I need to focus on caring for this new fellow more than getting him collected. you are a talented horseman sir. thank you for sharing your skills with us..
just after opinions or even facts if anyone knows but I've been taught about how when horses work in an outline it's good for the back because it helps them stretch yet a recent study shown it to be bad for the horses back and it's better to keep the horses head low and forward as to more rounded up in an outline. Hope I made sense with that and would like to hear all opinions on this.
Also is there any really good exercises to do with a blind horse to perhaps strengthen his other senses? mine can't see a thing but has so much confidence when being ridden or doing ground work and he has improved with finding things in the field but would be brilliant if we could help improve his other senses at all.
Could you do a video talking about the very first groundwork session you should have when bringing home a new horse? Specifically one who has minimal training/is untrusting of people?
Could this be done at the jog as well? I have a Standardbred and were not quite to the lope yet. Would bending her around on a circle at the jog encourage the same action?
But doesn't that make the horse heavier on the front end? Seems like if the neck goes way below level of the spine that would lighten the hind quarters?
Could it be that dressage horses are asked to hold a head position for extended periods of time. So it would make sense when you let them loose that they try to relax their neck.
It is. After a training session, they stretch out and it makes them feel good. It’s because they’ve worked those muscles for an hour or so, so relaxing it and putting it straight out is like us stretching out flat after we’ve done a bunch of push-ups.
lauca6969 ? Horses are horses, whether they’re ridden English or western. Good dressage horses are the most supple of them all. Perhaps I didn’t understand your comment?
@@clarkosteo are you telling me dressage horses are more supple than western ? Lmao I've seen grand prix horses who have no lateral flexion. I think your idea and my idea of suppleness is different but go on...
@@lauca6969 What could have been an interesting discussion became a my way is better than your way. You probably both use a combination of flexion, stretching, collection and relaxation to get the best from your horses. The fact that you both like Warwick says it all. We should share our experiences with the same goal in mind, happier horses everywhere ;)
i dont understand why the horse doesnt try to turn they way his head is being directed? How is he steering the horse left but bringing his head right?Can someone explain that for me please
+Dani Bee Most of the time, on a trained horse, turning is based off of the position of the rider's seat and the position of the rider's weight. He's cantering a circle to the left, and while he's doing it, his right hip is in front of his left and his left stirrup is weighted more than the right. You'll also notice that his body is "on the arc of the circle," meaning he it positioned to ask the horse to canter that size of circle and he is not overly twisted to the inside or outside, but rather his shoulders are in line with the horse's ears. Its this position that allows him to counter-bend the horse without turning it. Its the same but reversed when circling right. If he were to simply look right, that would change his body position and the horse would go right. Hope this makes sense.
You pull the head to the right, the same moment the shoulder sticks out to the left. The horse follows the shoulder/front legs, not the head. In a well trained horse you ride the turn with the outside rein and your weight, the inside rein just provides the bend of the neck, but the bend of the neck is not what makes the horse turn.
The only time horses is a natural setting , move with their head low is being aggressive. A stallion going after a horse or a mare chasing off another horse. They never move fast or ever travel with their head in a lowered position.
When I put my head down at my horses, they know I'm ticked off, and they stop messing around and pay attention to me immediately. Usually it's when I'm asking them to come in and they ignore me... I learned it from them. So, I agree, it doesn't seem a natural state- certainly not a relaxed one.
My horses spend most of the day mooching around with their heads down. Occasionally they have a yee ha and bomb around with their heads in the air unless they're bucking. When a horse is being aggressive they lower the neck but extend the chin not relax at the poll. Just my observations of my horses.
In this reining class video the horse's head looks abnormally low as well as the horse looking very mechanical and unhappy; not like in your video where the horse is obviously relaxed, ua-cam.com/video/Yo0dS-Uhsbo/v-deo.html
THANK YOU for making this video. I get so tired of explaining to people who think Reining = Low Head, period, or that we need to use all manner of contraptions to achieve self-carriage. Thank you Thank you Thank you. Well done.
Warwick: thanks for taking time to answer about counter bending. Makes sense & I realize full suppleness is important
Holds true for dressage too. Many people care too much about the head position even though it is just a result of a well ridden horse.
I teach my dressage horses to lower their head and go long and low. Will Faber from Art to ride has some excellent videos on how to teach the horse to go "long and low"
FASCINATING! Makes SO much sense. And we saw it here - it is as you said. :)
thats really awesome..and it all makes perfect sense..sadly i bought a 10 year old horse who is actually 24 and paid a small fortune - I'm 53 have no riding arena and he is about as comfortable as a 1980's 4 wheeler his mouth and body about as equally soft as a 1980s 4 wheeler as well so without a riding arena and only acreas of pasture thats chooped up and full of ruts and bumps and holes I dont dare try to move him forward enough to obtain all that..and honestly at 24 years I dont even feel its fair to the poor old fellow to even try..the seller has broken my heart beyond words as this was to be my last horse to replace my 23 year old Appy and ease the pain of when he passes and last the last of my riding days - I borrowed the $5k for him believing I was getting the perfect horse 😢 - I am grieved beyond what this what this woman can comprehend..
Was he like that when you went and rode him before you bought him?
@WarwickSchiller yes but i believed him to be 10 years old so I wasn't so concerned with that - I've mostly ridden dressage and figured i could fix that easy enough (I'm 53 and beyond my yea haw rodeo years..he was quiet which was my most important requirement). sadly i rode him yesterday and used my hands a good bit just closing my fingers til he gave - he actually smothed out when he would yeild to the rien pressure..I know going forward is more important however he is 1/2 shire and 1/2 appy so he is already strong and as supple as a brick so trying to sit or even post as you move him forward is difficult..but after your video I know I went about it all the worst and wrong way..For his sake/age its probably best just to let him be what he is and use him only for easy walks around the farm. maybe another opportunity will arise and I can get another horse more suitable..will have a vet check if I ever do get that opportunity..sad over it..I've waited a long time to have time again for the horses and I go & let myself get suckered..I need to focus on caring for this new fellow more than getting him collected. you are a talented horseman sir. thank you for sharing your skills with us..
Very cool. Glad I stumbled upon your channel.
I can’t wait to try this exercise, especially at the canter
🔸️The world soooo needed this video and explanation 💛
Glad you liked our remark. Well. this is a fun find. Thanks. Hope you enjoy our channel. We liked and subscribe.
Personally experienced this with my horse yesterday.
You do actively encourage phases of long and low in dressage training. You need that for the horse to relax when you train collection.
just after opinions or even facts if anyone knows but I've been taught about how when horses work in an outline it's good for the back because it helps them stretch yet a recent study shown it to be bad for the horses back and it's better to keep the horses head low and forward as to more rounded up in an outline. Hope I made sense with that and would like to hear all opinions on this.
cool! its like shiatsu for the horse on the horse
Amazing... 👏
Also is there any really good exercises to do with a blind horse to perhaps strengthen his other senses? mine can't see a thing but has so much confidence when being ridden or doing ground work and he has improved with finding things in the field but would be brilliant if we could help improve his other senses at all.
Could you do a video talking about the very first groundwork session you should have when bringing home a new horse? Specifically one who has minimal training/is untrusting of people?
Abbey Johnson Look up one of my videos called Bonding with a new horse.
Could this be done at the jog as well? I have a Standardbred and were not quite to the lope yet. Would bending her around on a circle at the jog encourage the same action?
So the counter canter is like a stretching exercise to get the stiffness out?
Lovely, thank you
But doesn't that make the horse heavier on the front end? Seems like if the neck goes way below level of the spine that would lighten the hind quarters?
Thankyou !! :)
Warwick. If you have chance to answer it'd be nice but I m sure ur very busy!!! What r main goals or reasons of teaching counter bending??
Total suppleness of the whole body, its like straightness training, you find all the little sticky spots.
Could it be that dressage horses are asked to hold a head position for extended periods of time. So it would make sense when you let them loose that they try to relax their neck.
It is. After a training session, they stretch out and it makes them feel good. It’s because they’ve worked those muscles for an hour or so, so relaxing it and putting it straight out is like us stretching out flat after we’ve done a bunch of push-ups.
@@clarkosteo yup but in western its a by product of suppleness.
lauca6969 ? Horses are horses, whether they’re ridden English or western. Good dressage horses are the most supple of them all. Perhaps I didn’t understand your comment?
@@clarkosteo are you telling me dressage horses are more supple than western ? Lmao I've seen grand prix horses who have no lateral flexion. I think your idea and my idea of suppleness is different but go on...
@@lauca6969 What could have been an interesting discussion became a my way is better than your way. You probably both use a combination of flexion, stretching, collection and relaxation to get the best from your horses. The fact that you both like Warwick says it all. We should share our experiences with the same goal in mind, happier horses everywhere ;)
i dont understand why the horse doesnt try to turn they way his head is being directed?
How is he steering the horse left but bringing his head right?Can someone explain that for me please
+Dani Bee Most of the time, on a trained horse, turning is based off of the position of the rider's seat and the position of the rider's weight. He's cantering a circle to the left, and while he's doing it, his right hip is in front of his left and his left stirrup is weighted more than the right. You'll also notice that his body is "on the arc of the circle," meaning he it positioned to ask the horse to canter that size of circle and he is not overly twisted to the inside or outside, but rather his shoulders are in line with the horse's ears. Its this position that allows him to counter-bend the horse without turning it. Its the same but reversed when circling right. If he were to simply look right, that would change his body position and the horse would go right. Hope this makes sense.
You can start in the round own teaching them that they can bend their neck while traveling forward. Isolate and recombine
You pull the head to the right, the same moment the shoulder sticks out to the left. The horse follows the shoulder/front legs, not the head. In a well trained horse you ride the turn with the outside rein and your weight, the inside rein just provides the bend of the neck, but the bend of the neck is not what makes the horse turn.
If the head is turned to the right on a left circle use a bit more right leg to keep the horse going forward
Get then soft left and right and the head follows. :)
What about in the trot?
You can do the same thing at the trot, and in fact we lots of it !
Why would I want to tell my horse how he should carry his head? He knows better than I do where it's most comfortable for him.
🏆
Wow
The only time horses is a natural setting , move with their head low is being aggressive. A stallion going after a horse or a mare chasing off another horse. They never move fast or ever travel with their head in a lowered position.
When I put my head down at my horses, they know I'm ticked off, and they stop messing around and pay attention to me immediately. Usually it's when I'm asking them to come in and they ignore me... I learned it from them. So, I agree, it doesn't seem a natural state- certainly not a relaxed one.
My horses spend most of the day mooching around with their heads down. Occasionally they have a yee ha and bomb around with their heads in the air unless they're bucking. When a horse is being aggressive they lower the neck but extend the chin not relax at the poll. Just my observations of my horses.
I have never understood why anyone would want their horse's head down.
Forward, fine, but down? It seems unnatural and uncomfortable for the horse.
Have you ever noticed what horses do out in the pasture? they spend all day with their face in the grass. How is that unnatural or uncomfortable?
head up = hollow back, tensed muscles, unable to carry a rider. head low = rounded back, muscles are actively engaged in the movement. that's why.
In this reining class video the horse's head looks abnormally low as well as the horse looking very mechanical and unhappy; not like in your video where the horse is obviously relaxed, ua-cam.com/video/Yo0dS-Uhsbo/v-deo.html