How to get my horse driving from his hind and off his forehand!

Question

I own and ride a 9 year old Quarter Horse. He's a full bar and just monstrous! He's all muscle!!! My few problems are just how to get him driving forward. We have a competition in a few weeks and I'd just like to get a little more forward movement and rounding out of him.

Once he's warmed up he loosens up a little but he doesn't engage his hind at all... I know I should drive from my seat and like get behind him but all the seems to do is throw him onto his forehand...then he starts dropping his head lower...and lower and tugging on the bit. Is there a way I can get him to balance out and still drive from the hind?

Answer 1

Raise your hands away from the neck a little to lift us his head and kick him foreward. If he is not responsive to your leg, us a crop or spurs. Also try to get him into a frame, if he has been taught how (for english riding).

Answer 2

A great exercise to get a horse off his hind is by putting him on a twenty meter circle. Canter a full circle, then trot for a stride or two(very quickly! make sure to develop the trot from your seat), then repeat. I'm not totally clear of how you get a horse round in western, but in english, if you want to engage his hindquarters, you want to drive him foreword into your reins.  If you try to pull him round with your reins, he will totally lose the engagement.

Answer 3

When you ask him to go forward don't give your reins away, if he pulls do a half-halt and make sure you hold and release (only release a little, but enough to reward him for getting off your hands, only as much as a tight and a loose hold on a sponge if that makes sense!).

Imagine energy going from his rump through his withers and then upwards towards the sky when you ask him to go forward.  Make sure you sit up tall (leaning forward is my worst habit when a horse gets sloppy on the forhand!) like there is a string attached to the top of your helmet pulling you up and push forward and think up!  Good luck!

Answer 4

I have a pretty awkward built warmblood cross and he had the same problem. He's got a massive front end and no impulsion from behind. We eventually found that he's got some hock and stifle problems so that might be a good thing to look into for your horse. Usually stuff like that, and in my geldings case, is maintainable.

One thing my trainer and I did do to help my horse is work him in an arena that slopes slightly. Now that he has to go downhill a bit, he really has to pick himself up and engage himself in the behind in order to maintain his balance. And then of course on the upside he has to drive from behind. Since most arenas don't slope (lol its really not ideal but works great in my horses case) maybe try taking him out on trail and working him on some hills. Take it easy at first. Just light trotting and maybe cantering uphill. But you might be able to strengthen his hind end that way.

You could also use training aids such as a ten ring martingale to help you pick his head up and engage his hindquarters. And, as said earlier, when in doubt work him on a circle.

Answer 5

I have trained many horses with the same problem. To fix it I do some circles. You trot them in a circle, then at a 45degree angle to the fence stop, then do a roll back to the opposite side, really hustle them out of the turn. This is what has worked for me in many cases.

If you decide to use this method you can email me at [e-mail] for more info or details.

GOOD LUCK!

Answer 6

okay u cant say he's all muscle unless he works in a frame all the time because it is almost impossible for a horse to be ALL muscle but w/t/c in a hollow frame.simply get him "on the bit" but his kneck should stretch from wither to poll and u shouldnt be just pulling his head down and from there with rythm and relaxation and suppleness and forwardness everything else will just fall in place.if he is pulling on the bit he is telling u that u r pulling his head down so use lots of leg and DONT see-saw the reins.

Answer 7

Before you lope off do several forehand pivots and then ask him to lope. When he is loping tighen your reins (not way too tight, still having a small amount of drape) and then really push him up into the bridle with you legs. Once he starts lifting his shoulder and using his hind end loosen your reins and give him his head. If he starts getting heavy on the forehand and loosing impulsion do it again. You can also work on doing pivots on the hindquarter to help him lift his shoulder more. Loping over ground poles can help some also.

Answer 8

first, teach him to give to the bit when you put steady pressure on him if he doesnt know already (if you need to know how to teach that just say so and i'll go into it). then trot or lope (preferably lope) down the rail or in a straight line and ask him to give his face. but instead of putting presure straight back, go UP and back. this will cause him to lift his neck, tuck his nose, get off the bit, and shift his weight over his hocks. then drive him into the bridle by squeezing with your legs and holding your hands where they were when you asked him to give. after he does shifts his weight and is traveling the way you want him to, release him. as soon as he moves from that frame, ask him to give and drive him again. by asking him to return to the frame you want every time he varies from it, it makes it easy for him to understand that you would like him to stay there.  

Answer 9

Make sure there is no physical reason why he isn't engaging his hind end.  Is he sore?  Some trainers get horses so heavy on the front end trying to get a low headset, that they make them heavy on the forehand and the horse quits using it's hips and hind legs for impulsion.  This practice has always annoyed me.  I make sure my horses are driving from behind, then I worry about whether I need to get their heads down. Try some rollbacks or half halts.  I like rollbacks.  Get him into an easy trot or lope, ride him toward a fence or a wall, then several feet from the fence ask him to stop and pivot then take back off at the trot or lope.  This will help him shift his weight back onto his hind end and get him more collected.  Then work up to asking him to collect without doing the rollback.  It'll take a while but it'll work for ya.