Exercise 3
YIELDING THE HINDLEGS
This is the first suppling exercise. You want to persuade your horse to bend his neck and step under and across with the hindleg closest to you.
How to do it
1 Shorten the rope to about a foot long. Put the rope into your left hand, with your little finger closest to the halter. This makes it easier to use your arm and keep the shoulder relaxed.
2 On the nearside, step towards the area just behind the girth and bend your horse’s neck towards his elbow. ‘Bowl’ your energy into his ribcage, but try not to actually touch him.
3 The movement of your body and energy with the bend in the neck should be enough to get his hindlegs moving away from you.
4 You are looking for your horse’s left hindleg to step under his body and across, step by step.
5 If he rushes away from you, rub his ribs gently with your right hand until he starts to relax and then try again.
n6 Once he’s relaxed and happy to yield from the nearside, try from the offside.