Ask HQ: How do I get my horse off the forehand?

A horse who is very on the forehand is always difficult to ride. However, a lot of training is required to help a horse to move less on his forehand as this is his natural way of going.

Unfortunately, a rider’s natural response when a horse pulls forward or becomes heavy on the reins is to pull back. The problem with this approach is when you start pulling the reins, the horse slows down and uses his hind legs even less. Instead, to get the horse off his forehand you have to strengthen him sufficiently so that he can carry more weight on his hind end and also educate him to place his hind legs further under his body. If the horse can take more weight on the hind legs, then the front end will rise automatically.

You can train your horse to take more weight on his hind legs by riding transitions, both in a gait and between gaits. These transitions help your horse gain more muscle so that he is able to support more weight on his hind end. Make sure the transitions are smooth to encourage the reaction in his hind legs that triggers him to take more weight on his hind end.

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