Newsletter #15. August 2010

29th July, 2010

with a look at the backup.

 

"All you need for happiness is a good gun, a good horse, and a good wife."
  Daniel Boone


 

 

Backing Up

 I am often surprised how little attention is paid to the back up. There are good reasons for having a well established soft and willing back up in place; as much as anything it's great to be able to just go backwards whenever, wherever you like, uphill or around corners.  It can be controlling and settling when used to connect with the mind of the horse, and is useful as a suppling exercise.  From a conditioning and fitness perspective, backing up; first in straight lines, then in circles, and then up slopes is unequalled in providing opportunity to build the strength and pushing power of the hind end.

It must be set up and used correctly. The traditional rein back where the horse is dragged back with the reins with the riders legs forward and seat buried has no place in any form of fine horsemanship. It's important to spend the time when working with a young horse or retraining an older horse to get the basics of the back up firmly established.

 

Starting on the ground it is a straight forward process of introducing the idea of moving back off pressure.  As this becomes more refined it will take only a thought to shift the horses weight back. Ground school exercises such as; The "Sending Off onto a Line" and "Simple Change of Hands and Rein" (see below) will free up the horse and remind him about shifting weight in preparation for the back up.

Some horses where the foundation is not well established may need some help to get soft in the back up. The ground school exercise "Turn on the Forehand into Back Up" (described fully below) will assist immensely in un-sticking the horse. In short; after stepping the hind over, the horse, assuming he's listening well to the handler, will hesitate or wait between steps with a front foot forward. Before he squares himself, asking for some movement back will get results as he is well set up to take that step backwards. Setting it up like this just gives him a place to go. This is a useful exercise to help a sticky horse start to lift his feet and understand that the backup can have life. It's simply getting in time with his feet for maximum influence.

 

spud backing 

 

 

Here Spud is going back nicely. He's soft in my hand, and in a nice shape, squatting on his haunches a little and elevating his shoulders.

 

 

 

 

Once the horse is relaxed in shifting his weight on the ground the change to under saddle is straight forward. 

 

To set up the back up under saddle; take up a soft feel to flex the base of the neck, jaw and poll, use your legs smoothly and sit taller on your thigh, lifting your butt to give room for the back to lift. When your horse has softened, you will maintain a feel to indicate no forward motion and continue asking with your legs and your upright position for activity. With the soft hand blocking, the horse works out that he is to move somewhere and it's apparent that the right option is backwards. After even the slightest response to your feel, reward with release. When asking the horse to take another step be in time with his front feet, connected by the rein to the foot you wish to move, left then right and so on. Remember the horse is moving on the diagonal, or should be, so your rein influencing the front also controls the diagonally opposite hind foot. Build step by step. We are looking for a light, smooth, energetic, and committed response.

It is important that the horse backs straight and it is initially the hind that steers him, so it's quite useful that it is the diagonal hind that is coming off the ground with the rein influenced front foot, using leg and your other rein with timing will make it easy to direct the backup.

 

The lightness of the feet develops from the lift to the legs that arises out of the engagement of the core and the lifting of the back; all critical to a great back up and ultimately building strength for engaged work.  The cue to engage his abdominals and lift his back muscle is the pressure of your leg. We are looking for that life to come up from the feet.

 

It is possible to teach the horse to back up so he effectively leads with his hind feet. Start as described earlier but instead of asking the horse to step back; with your rein, leg, or both, ask the horse to shift his hind foot over a step, change rein and leg and ask him to step over again, your rein stops forward movement and prevents the forequarters from moving over.  We want the step with the hind to be over and backwards. Wait for the horse to look for options here, one of which will be a step back. BIG Reward. It can be hard to feel, a helper on the ground could assist here. Effectively it's putting into the horses mind that the hind feet lead and the front follow. It's a subtle difference which influences how the horse thinks about the step and how he balances to take it. This exercise is reflects the Turn on the Fore and Back up in ground school.

To advance in the back up you will have to have be able to move the hindquarters and shoulders freely and take up a soft feel. These are the basics of teaching the horse to respond; by bringing his body to attention, staying relaxed, and developing suppleness in the rib cage so making a circle becomes simple.

To back up in a circle, you would ask for a couple of steps straight back and then take the horse's neck to the outside, the right for example, and ask with your right leg for the hindquarters to move over to the left, the shoulders wil stay on track. This asks the horse to position himself in an S-bend. Keep his feet moving with commitment and rhythm.

To back up hill I would suggest to start by walking off a flat place down hill a couple of steps then backing up onto the flat. He'll get a rest here so thats a natural reward. Extend the number of steps. Give the horse time, start on an easy slope and only move to a steeper slope when he is really confident. When you have got the horse backing up hill softly and lightly, try him again on the flat; it will feel different.

As with every gait the horse will have a natural backup. However we can get him to go faster and slower. There is no reason he can't run backwards, or go really slowly, step by step. A few steps slow then speed them up, slow down speed up, go forward. It will become a thought.

All the work so far described will assist in building the knowledge in muscle and mind so the horse will be more able to work off his hindquarters when carrying a rider. I really like to feel that engagement, the powering up of the hind and then working at taking that back up feel forward. Initially as I play with this the only change I make is in my intent. Once I'm moving forward my seat will change but the feel of sitting over the power of the hind under me stays.

Consider what you are asking of the horse, how you are asking the horse and how you are rewarding the horse. Think about your intent when you ask for a back up and stay upright and straight in your body.

 

 

Ground School Exercises.

Sending Off onto a Line.

  • When putting the horse out on the line I feel that standing in front of the horse and asking him to step over with his fore has merits. It is submissive, it is clear, and you are getting an extra job done by moving the forehand.
  • Asking the horse to step over with some energy should also shift his weight onto the hind so he can free the forequarters. We are reminding him to shift weight and move his feet.
  • As he moves off subtlety driving his hind may assist in keeping him engaged.

 

Simple Change of Hands and Rein.

  • Send the horse around you, as he passes in front of you change your leading hand and hold, the hindquarters should move away and the horse prepare to stop.
  • Then send the horse forward again on the new rein.  
  • Throughout this exercise you are walking forward going somewhere.
  • As the horse changes rein it will be necessary for him to rock back over his hindquarters to bring his front through.  You may have to use some energy at first to ensure he gets this.
  • You are not going to pull him around. It's a push to shift his weight back and then a push on the eye away from you. If that's ineffective use a "Bigger Boo". If he over reacts initially that's fine as long as he understands about shifting off the forehand.
  • Be aware of how his front feet are moving. Is he making a nice step with his outside foot in front of the inside foot or is he just hopping around with both feet in the air.
  • If the horse is lively or reactive you can use this energy and direct it around you safely.

 

Turn on the Forehand into Back Up.

  • When your horse is moving forward freely you can start working on the turn on the forehand into the back up.
  • Shorten the line; send the hind away for a step or two, as he comes to a stop you will notice that one front foot (and the corresponding diagonal hind) may be forward, this is the one you want him to step back with.
  • Make sure the horse is soft in your hand, ask him to drop his head and soften to the vertical and suggest he steps back.
  • Make sure you ask for each step with a release between steps. It may seem that you are releasing early but this is because the step is going to happen anyway.
  • Play with this lightness; it will become a thought.

           

          

 

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