If you’ve ever felt true engagement on a horse, it is an incredible feeling. They get lighter in the reins, the withers lift, the haunches lower, they’re easier to turn, ride transitions, and the feeling of floating above the ground is amazing. But teaching your horse to engage takes time, and to be honest, it’s something we’re always working on as we move up the levels.
And speaking of moving up the levels, have you heard about my FREE webinar all about Pirouettes? I’m going to be talking all about how to train the pirouettes from the walk pirouette up to the canter pirouette! Pirouettes are the ultimate example of engagement, and when you can achieve an effortless canter pirouette, there’s not a better feeling! Join me on March 3rd, and learn how to train floaty, light pirouettes!
Okay, now back to the tips! When our horses engage their hind end properly, they will rotate at their SI joint slightly, all the joints in the hind end flex, and in turn, more of their weight is shifted to the hind legs. Engagement is so important not only because it makes maneuvering our horses easier, but because it helps our horses to carry themselves and our weight more easily. So how can we work on getting our horses to engage their hind end? Here are my top three tips to help you:
- Rider Position – My number one tip to help you get your horse’s hind end engaged is to focus on your rider position. Believe it or not, if you are leaning forward or looking down, it puts more weight on your horse’s forehand and makes it a lot harder for them to balance and nearly impossible for them to shift the weight back to the hind end. Focus on looking up, sitting back, and engaging your core – this will make it so much easier for your horse to engage their hind end and take more weight behind.
- Walk-Trot Transitions – A great exercise to help you get your horse’s hind end engaged is to practice walk-trot transitions on a circle. Using the circle line will help you get your horse connected inside leg to outside rein and get their inside hind leg engaged. As you’re riding these transitions, focus on using your half-halts and a little shoulder-fore to help your horse engage and make smooth transitions. Your goal is to be able to make nice smooth transitions without your horse’s frame changing. When your frame stays consistent, you know your horse is engaging their hind end and not using their neck to balance! Make sure to practice these transitions in both directions.
- The Rein Back – This exercise is a little more difficult, but it’s great for getting the hind end engaged. If you’ve never tried the rein back with your horse before, or if you find the rein back difficult, try getting off and practicing it with your horse from the ground first. It’s a lot easier to teach your horse the aids this way. When you’re riding the rein back, first, get a nice halt, and then think of slightly closing your knees/thighs. Imagine that you have wheels turning backward in your hips. Once your horse backs up, release your aids, and ask them to walk forward.
Watch the video where I demonstrate all this and explain more about the importance of engagement. I hope these tips help you with your horse!
Happy Riding!
Amelia
P.S. Don’t forget to RSVP for my Free Pirouettes Webinar, where I will be talking all about getting your horse more engaged to achieve a nice light, floaty pirouette!
