Does your horse ever get hot and tense, and you just can’t seem to calm them down? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Riding a tense horse can be tricky – but remember – all that extra energy really is a great thing – you’ve just got to learn to channel it into something productive!
The first Grand Prix horse I trained, Trump, was a crazy half-thoroughbred. He was so tense and tricky when he was young, and my trainer at the time, Sue, would always say to me, “One day, when you are doing the Grand Prix, you will appreciate all that energy!” She was right!
When your horse gets hot and tense and wants to rush, the worst thing you can do is pull back on the reins, take your legs off, and try to force them to calm down. The best thing to do when your horse gets tense is to breathe, stay calm, and envelope them with your aids.
If I have a hot tense horse, I go straight to riding circles and bending lines, lateral movements, and focus on a steady tempo and contact to help my horse accept my aids in a way that will help him calm down. With a hot tense horse, you want to allow them to move forward and let some of their energy out, but don’t let them run wild crazy either. Focus on maintaining a steady tempo and make the work almost a little boring!
Here are some exercises I use on a hot/tense horse:
- 10-meter circles
- Serpentines
- Leg-yield
- Turn on the Forehand
- Shoulder-in
- Haunches-in
When riding these exercises, focus on riding from your seat and finding moments when you can give the reins. Check out the video where I demonstrate all of this with Mercurio who can get hot and jiggy when he gets excited, and let me know in the comments below if these tips help you and your horse!
Happy Riding!
Amelia
