Appendix Quarter Horse in Dressage?

Question

I own an Appendix QH, and she is a great mare! I want to show her, but no matter what we do, she won't let herslef become round, unless she is cantering. Does anyone have any ideas how to get her to round, without just pulling on the reins, which is a fake round?

Answer 1

Train her correctly.

Getting a horse round won't happen right away. It takes months of training, and that doesn't mean they can hold it for a whole test.

And yes, you are right, you should never create a false round with a horse.

Get a good dressage trainer, preferably a Classical one, and start taking lessons.

Remember, for a horse to go round, they must have impulsion. You need to get her going at a good trot, where she is really working her back legs, up to her front, and it will be easier for her to go round. Work on the walk also.

Edit: You should NEVER use Draw Reins. They hold the horses head in an incorrect position to create a false round. This builds incorrect muscle, and your horse will never truley go round or do well at Dressage shows.

I wouldn't use a Pelham either. Stick with what your doing and get a trainer.

Answer 2

There is a lot of foundation and groundwork that needs to laid before true collection can be obtained.  It requires a lot of strength and suppleness, remember Dressage is the "ballet" of riding.  

You would not expect yourself to put on a tutu and perform a perfect arabesque, pirouette, or walk en pointe (on your toes) without extensive training and preparation.  To achieve collection from your horse, you're going to have to provide her with the same: extensive training and preparation.

The best way to achieve true collection, is to find a good dressage instructor to work with you and your horse.  In the meantime, here is link to a great article with tons of exercises to help pave the way to collection.

Answer 3

A daily training method to ask for roundness.

1. Warm up, nice and snappy, mostly walk and trot, short canter, changes of rein asking for long stretched out. You sit gently in the saddle or stand in the stirrups to encourage your horse to swing with its hindquarters.

2. Asking for increased use of the hindquarters and suppleness. Lots of transitions, start with 30 and build up from there. Do simple trasitions from walk, trot, canter. Then advance them to halt, trot, halt. Then Walk canter etc slowly right through to halt, canter over a period of time. This may take up to 6 - 8 weeks, or more depending or rider skill and fitness of horse.

3. Durring this time you will be encouraging her to work into your hands. Don't allow the energy to rush out the front door. Keeping nice rhythm and bend.

4. Tweek with your inside hand as required (like turning on the keys of the car), to encourage flexion at the pole.

I would expect her to be rounded up for 5 minutes in three weeks time. In eight weeks time I'd be aiming for her to be working nicely for 15 minutes. Getting to this stage is all you need for showing, as you only require short bursts of work. Most classes would only last 5 - 15 minutes max.

If it was me, I'd start off with a stiff horse thinking, I'm going to do 20 minutes good work. 10 minutes warm up then 10 minutes of trasitions and bend.

Then I'd gradually increase this to 20 minutes to 30 minutes. I'd be encouraging with my horse, pleased with one or two strides of correct work, then I'd string a few of these together to get 10 good strides and build from there. At the end of week one, I'd expect to see 10 strides of rounded work in each stride. Lots of tweeking those reins to encourage flexion at the pole.

After my 20 minutes I'd relax with something fun, a short/long walk, jump some poles/jumps - anything to keep us fresh and interested.

Best of luck, happy riding - you sound like a happy couple, rounded or not! Don't be too worried about the years of training, I'm a true dressage rider, but you can pull a horse together for showing in 6 weeks. It just won't be quite as athletic.. ..just have fun, showing is fun!!

Answer 4

try her in a pelham, and try exercise like leg yeilding or use something like draw reins, dont use them all the time though i just used them like 3 days a week for 3 weeks to teach my horse where i wanted his head and now he carries it like i want even on trails and stuff cause he built muscles to hold his head down, but we do hunters, im sue you could do the same for dressage, you can hook the draw reins on your dalles Ds instead of under the horses belly, lol

Answer 5

Work on transitions. Walk, trot, walk, trot, canter, trot etc. This helps the horse engage their hind end more and helps them become rounder. Does your horse bend, go on the bit?? If she does not do any of those, you have to start there before you can have roundness. Do not ever use a martingale or other device to "hold" the horse's head in the correct position. It should never be forced, it should come naturally with proper training and riding. Side reins and martingales are good to keep the horse from lifting their head too high, but not to hold the head low and force the position. It take months, even years, to create a well trained mount, so have patience. If you do not have a trainer, I would find one. Even if it is just for one lesson a month.