Tell when a horse is, or is not using its back end, and is engaging its hocks?

Question

Can anybody tell me how one can tell when a horse is, or is not using its back end, and is engaging its hocks?

Every book // trainer // etc tells you that you "must have impulsion" and must "engage the back end, and get the horse to step under and use its back legs actively, lowering the haunches". (With regards to dressage & other sports).

It is well for someone to say this, and even explain this....or even feel this yourself if you are riding.

My real question is how can you tell this from the ground as an on looker?

(I am a rider turning coach, so while I can do whilst riding, I need to transfer my skills and experience to the ground!)

Answer 1

Well if you are watching the horse moving you can clearly see if it is traveling on the forehand. It is fairly obvious. Other pointers would be the level of it's back and whether it is actively tracking up or not.

I think that what you should do is watch other riders ( possibly in the company of a trainer) and discuss/critique their performance. ( if it's friends do try not to be too critical unless they want it)

I could easily get on my horse and trot a couple of circles to show exactly how bad he can be and then pull him together and illustrate how good he can be.

If you just watch a couple of lessons it should become very obvious very quickly.

Answer 2

The haunches tuck and the back rounds. I recommend you talk to a trainer and have them show you the difference while the trainer is riding the horse and you are on the ground watching. Agood trainer should be able to get a horse to collect with his haunches under himself in a couple strides. It's tough to explain you just need to see the difference.

Answer 3

Engaging quarters and tracking up from the ground can be recognised when the horses hind feet go almost on top of the imprints of the forefeet when you look at their tracks in the school.

One way to establish this is to get some poles slightly of the ground - always an odd number so that the horse cannot jump them as a spread, and trot them through every so often.  A horse that is engaging will not have to alter his stride over the poles in trot, and will continue the same stride after the poles around the school.  ie when going over the poles you should feel no difference or just a very slight elevation.

Alot of leg work is involved, as is a steady rein contact.

Also another excersise would be to count the strides between letters through the school ie K to H and the M to F - they should be the same.

This was all taught to me when I was doing my AI.

Answer 4

when the horse has his rear end "engaged" his hind feet will over track his fronts.  Ie.. his back foot will be placed, or leave a foot print Infront of the same side front foot.

when horses are not engaged, they rarely track even.  placing hind in the fronts foot print. Its usually close behind  the front print.

Answer 5

If a horse is framed up and truly carrying himself correctly you'll feel a wonderful smoothness to the lope or canter....if not, if the horse is dragging his back end along at the lope you'll feel it coming up right through your seat....very rough to ride...it "feels" as tho the horse isn't coordinated behind.  He'll be throwing an extra "beat" into the lope...no mistaking it.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1ELP244CUvA

Look at the length of back on this horse and watch it move...the back is too long...could put two saddles on it; watch the jog, the horse is slopping along, not carrying itself; the lope is one in which the horse is trotting behind and hardly holding the lope in front...repeatedly breaks to a trot....the length of back isn't helping this horse.....difficult time rounding its back to collect.  

You can easily see this from the ground as an observer.

The horse will appear as a "four beater" or trotting in front and loping behind to the onlooker, or moving "downhill" in front.....watch the riders hips at the lope...if they appear to move like a washing machine then look below and you'll see a horse that is out of frame and very uncollected.  When you correctly apply legs or spurs and ask that horse to frame up and he responds you'll see this flattened out uncoordinated movement disappear and smoothness reappear...some horses are worse than others about falling out of frame...some horses you really have to ride to keep them collected...you're feeling every footfall as it comes up through your seat....I had one of those and had to ride her every step...in the showpen...

I had people come up to me and tell me I made it look "so easy", an effortless "go"...I'd tell them that they had no idea how hard I was working out there....!!

Edit:  You cannot have collection without impulsion from behind or an "engaged" hindquarter....all of dressage is forward motion or engagement of that engine in the back.

Answer 6

Just watch the horses hind end. When he's moving, are his back legs stretching forward and carrying his hind end, or do they look lazy, sort of working behind the horse and not doing their fair share of the work? It's kind of a hard thing to explain, but if you see both, you'll understand the difference.

Answer 7

It is incredibly easy to spot, once you know what you're looking at.

You just need experience and a good eye.  I don't recommend attempting to coach anyone unless you know what you're looking at, though!

Answer 8

i know HOW to engage their hocks lean back a little when catntering,  i think it means go faster or work harder coz pony mag said only use it on slow ponies.