What's it take to correctly bend your horse?
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- Are you struggling with getting your horse to bend correctly? Is your horse over bending their neck or drifting out with their shoulder?
Ideally, we want our horses to have equal bend throughout their bodies so they can stay balanced when we are riding movements such as a circle or serpentine. All horses have a stiff side and hollow side which can make it hard for them to bend correctly. On top of this, using incorrect aids can create incorrect bend.
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In this week’s video, I will be demonstrating incorrect bend and going over the correct aids to create a proper bend throughout your horse’s body. In the video, you will see how the incorrect aids influence Leo’s body and then how the correct aids get him balanced, bent evenly, supple, and focused. When correctly bent, your horse is supple, which means you are in control of his body and mind!
There are three simple steps that can help you help teach your horse to bend correctly. Often, we resort to using the inside rein to create bend, but this only creates an overbent neck and causes your horse to fall out through their outside shoulder. As humans, it’s only natural to go straight to our hands, but really, our leg is the dominant aid that helps to create bend in our horse.
Here are the three steps to create the correct bend in your horse’s body:
1) Put your inside leg on at the girth and push your horse over into the outside rein to start your bend.
2) Position your outside leg slightly behind the girth and keep steady contact with the outside rein. Use the outside aids to “catch” your horse’s body and prevent him from drifting out.
3) Lastly, use your inside rein to supple your horse and get him looking in the direction of your bend.
It is important to remember to change your leg position each time you change the direction of bend. Your legs are the primary aid to create bend in your horse and indicate which direction you want your horse to bend. Practicing the correct aids for bend will help your horse become supple, and therefore become more connected to you!
Hope you enjoy this video!
This is a good one! Which direction is harder for you to bend your horse?
The right side is definitely harder for my horse.
Right! Always right. It's hard for him to right lead canter but we're working on building up his strength and I started taking progress pics!
Usually the second half of my circle in whichever direction we’re going … it’s inconsistent.
Left..bend and picking up lead..
Left is harder for mine
I really like these new videos that show the horse learning. I would love to see ones of a (not so good) rider learning also.
Amelia. I just love your videos. I hope you can do more of this format where you're teaching. As a lower level rider, it was great to see Sylvia mastering the nuances riding Mercurio. Having you making the comments was SO helpful.
I have a young mare who starts slow but gets more sensitive as the schooling progresses. You offered great insight. Thank you. Kristen
Yes, very helpful!
So glad!
I cant wait to try this
I am riding a 19hh boy and he’s is a little all over the place atm
Super excited to see if this will help me to help him find he’s balance and bend nicely
Thank you
You can do it!
This was awesome Amelia!❤
Great training video Amelia. To keep from spiraling in on the circle in addition to the bending aids, its a great time to master your yielding aids to maintain the designated circle you have set up in the arena. Thanks
Thank you so much for this training session! I'm learning this right now with my trainer! It makes so much sense to keep that flexion from front to back and to support your horse through that! My mare is probably very appreciative with the support of my seat and legs when turning or doing serpentine!
You're so welcome!
This was EXTREMELY helpful. Thank you!!❤
Right bend is harder for my mare.
How much inside and outside leg pressure? Also is the inside leg only applying pressure or is it pulsing against his side. I wish trainers would explain these things in more detail
You always want to add an aid and then release it when your horse responds in the way you want them to - that's how they learn what we are asking them to do!
Thank you so much!😊
Are you sure you haven't been watching my lessons?? Heeee
It is so good to know you're not alone! So many work on the very same things!
Awesome video. Thanks 🙏🏻
Check out this FREE PDF on the Canter: www.amelianewcombdressage.com/canter-with-confidence-o/
Any additional tips for correct bending in canter ? Or it's mostly the same. Thanks for the video! < 3
Yes, you can use the same tips for bending in the canter!
Thank you so much. I just got a new horse, Bubba is having a very had time with bending. He also won't take the right lead on cue. I almost have to throw him into it. We have been working on different drills but he still is more comfortable taking the left lead. We event reset his shoes . Do you have any specific drills that help with this?
Here is a video that might help! ruclips.net/video/AxFJ5P1nXeU/видео.html
My horse is much stiffer in left hind
Wow thank you! That was real helpful!
I've been watching this for a while This would be a great 30 to 50 day challenge that I think you should have for all of us that follow you a 50-day or 30 day challenge to see who can get their horse to bend with the inside leg outside rain to the best of our ability before and after it's like we did on the sitting plot challenge I would totally join that kind of a challenge
Great idea!
Really useful. My horse is more difficult on the left rein!!
I'm glad you found it useful!!
Thank you for this informative video. So the bend starts from the inside leg with a bit of leg yield. Not from the inside rein. Love the comment at the beginning where you explain that over flexing to the neck with the inside rein is counter productive and actually causes the horse to fall out through the outside shoulder. My green horse wants to fall out through her shoulder and I would love an exercise to develop better balance when traveling on a circle.
Glad it was so helpful!!
Excellent video and explanation . Thank you! 👍🏻
Super video. Very clear. I love the view from above, it really shows the bend. It will help me a lot with my mare. Thank you 😊 😊
You’re welcome 😊
I'm wondering how to make sure my horse doesn't think I'm giving the canter aid. At my level, my aids are not as refined as Amelia's!
The canter aid shouldn't just be from the leg. If you're trotting your body and seat are telling your horse to continue the gait, when you ask for the canter, your seat is also communicating that the gait is changing. It is also a different level of pressure.
Exactly my question too 😀
@@AmeliaNewcombDressage ❤
Love this explanation! I ride western, but my instructor really focuses on this and good balance and bend through turns. I realized though that I don't tend to put my outside leg on and have been working on shifting my seat and weight to cue the turn along with inside leg for the bend. It works well for the horse I ride, but I'm also going to try the outside leg forward to see how that changes things. This is so helpful!
Perfect! Thanks for the feedback! Let me know how it goes!
Whats not taught these days is the classical use of the reins, direct rein, indirect rein and indirect rein of opposition. They effect on the shoulders and quarters is very different in each of them.
Valid, but advanced concepts that must taught correctly and not the intent of this video.
@@AmeliaNewcombDressage a direct rein is not an advanced concept!
Not listening to you. Open the inside leg and get your knee off his shoulder, and learn how to use your outside leg on the shoulder to define the out side arch of the circle and let him work from inside opening leg to outside closing leg.
Right bend - for the first year with my young horse I'm not starting over! Each year for the past two years - spring I've had to really work hard all over again to get a good right bend but finally so far I've been able to maintain this year! Hopefully straight into first test 3 and freestyle and no totally going backwards for the first months.
This video was very useful! I’m learning cowboy dressage and good bends are so important, and something I definitely need to work on.
Excellent presentation and explanation
awesome demonstration supporting explanation
Your videos are so clearly explained, and you show so clearly how to do it, and the effect that applying each aid has on the horse. Thank you very much Amelia!!
You are so welcome!
How far behind the girth should your outside leg positioned during the bend?
Just a bit!
@@AmeliaNewcombDressage Thank you! This video is very helpful
Hi. So I’m assuming the outside leg stays firm behind the girth but is the inside leg pulsing or simply applying pressure? I wish someone would answer this please
This is awesome! Thank you!!
Everything seems so simple until youre on the horse
Brilliant, thank you, can't wait to try this.
Let me know how it goes!
@@AmeliaNewcombDressage Will do!!! Should get a chance this coming week, when the weather improves.
Seems so straightforward yet in the saddle a little harder to do unless you see it being done. Thanks Amelia, I will keep working at it
You can do it!
Great tips! RIGHT bend is harder.
Thank you! It is very useful and supportive video to focus on right aids, especially when you’re working with young horse. M
Super, helpful video, again to highlight every step. My guy is harder to the right and my weaker leg. Thanks a bunch!
Left much harder for both of us!
Great video! How is this leg position different from canter aids? With the inside leg at girth and outside leg behind the girth? Wouldn’t that trigger a canter transition? Thank you for your videos and help!
In the canter the leg goes back further
Thank you! You always do such a great job of explaining things!
You are so welcome!
I'm wondering what would be about the right amount of pressure for both leg positions, do you push or just lightly place the leg there? Is there one leg applying more pressure than the other?
You always want to use an aid and then release it when your horse responds correctly - thats how you teach them!
Great lesson!
Very helpful and easy to understand. Thank you, as this has helped me understand how to bend correctly!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for the detailed explaination! Super helpful!
Glad it was helpful!
But what about weight aids? And inside/outside shoulder position?
Amelia talks more about bend in this blog post amelianewcombdressage.com/dressage-training/3-steps-to-round/?RUclips&Weekly+Education
This was so helpful thank you I am working on circles right now!
Great video. Are the leg positions that same when cantering a circle?
Yes they are
Very helpfull
P.S. Are you doing a FB/YT talk tonight ?
Yes! If you have questions, please post on my Facebook page using the #AskAmelia Hashtag! I am live every Thursday at 5 p.m. PT!
Question…my horse is very sensitive to the outside foot going slightly back, she thinks it means to canter, she start cantering in place practically if I do that, how to get past that?
Put your leg on softer and keep it steadier and more consistent
@@AmeliaNewcombDressage thank you!!!
thanks for the explanation, but does your outside rein need to soften when bending or not, thanks
I'm not sure I would say 'soften' but maybe follow instead. And slightly yes, how much depends on the degree of bend and speed.
What if my horse doesnt bend around the inside leg even if I really push it into him. He just falls in. Feels like he doesnt even react to the leg even if I push him a lot. My legs hurt and he doesnt react.
Go back to groundwork to make sure he understands the aid from the ground. Remember to release at the slightest move in the right direction. It's in the release that you show the horse they are doing the correct thing.
Maybe hold steady and apply a whip or crop against his inside shoulder to help support him from falling in while applying inside leg.
I’m trying to find out if the inside leg is just applying steady pressure or pulsing at the girth 🤷♀️
Thanks for the through explanation for the leg positions for this. I never really understood why to apply outside leg behind the girth.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for your instruction always! Just a quick question, is it a possibility that the horse might get confused and start cantering because you press the inside leg at the girth and the outside leg behind the girth?
It may be a possibility, but the way the aids are timed are slightly different than the canter aids. If your horse does get confused, bring him/her back down to the walk or trot and try again, making sure you are giving the aids in the right order so that it is clear that you want bend and not canter. Hope that helps!
Excellent training video. Thank you - this is something I’ve really struggled to understand properly!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I think this helped something click! Can't wait to apply this in my next lesson
yay! Thanks for sharing. Let me know how it goes!
great video ! these constant little reminders are so helpful ! Used this info again today in my ride and my horse was so much more balanced thank you !
Glad it was helpful!
Found it very helpful, thank you 😊
So glad!
We were just doing this in a lesson this morning. Thanks for this!
You're so welcome!
I have also a question to you. If your horse is more difficult to bend riding to the right, do you recommend to work a bit more in this direction during the training session or still the same for both sides, but paying maybe more attention while riding more difficult one?
Hi Michal,
Yes, I would do a little bit more work on the side that is harder to bend. The tricky part is, don't make it too hard for the horse! Try working a little on the hard side, then go back to the easy side. Switch back and forth often during your session so you aren't drilling the hard side. As your horse gets stronger and more supple, you can slowly increase the time you work on the hard side before switching back to the easy side. Hope that helps!
@@AmeliaNewcombDressage Hi Amelia, perfect, thank you very much for your hint. I will do so. I also noticed that when I am riding on the more difficult side and we are having a bit worse day, having no nice bend on this side, I am switching to the better one quickly, and then back again, and back again to the good one, and again. I see, if we change the sides a lot this also helps in suppleness and relaxation, leading to a slightly nicer bend in second part of our training session, doing also some serpentines meanwhile, etc. But anyway, the harder side still left the harder one so far, but I am trying to remain very patiient and know it takes time to progress. Nevertheless, I will try to work a little bot more on the harder side to bend, but taking care of what you mentioned and suggested - not to drill. Thank you, it is very helpful.
Super helpful. Thanks!!
You're welcome!
Love this video and i appreciate the visuals for my brain. My horse falls to the inside shoulder tracking right so is always spiraling smaller. It has much improved with work and my farrier has done an amazing job correcting an issue we believe contributed to her going this way in the first place.
Great tutorial for me and my ottb.Thank you Amelia
Спасибо. Я смотрю с сурдопереводом. Но все понимаю. Ты очень понятно всё говоришь
Я многому научилась здесь.
Супер!!!
Thank you for all your teaching videos. I’ve only been riding for 2 years, and this is my 2nd Dressage Schooling Show. I’m having trouble with my 20 meter circles. My difficulty is being consistent and keeping the proper bend through the entire circle, and how to trot it confidently with a plan. Since I’m still learning there is so much to learn and think about with each maneuver. Any thing you can share is Greatly Appreciated.
I have JUST the video for you! studio.ruclips.net/user/videoQORNVOjCRN0/edit?c=UCge7VJZ8Kes5nrC3GeeLxQw
Yes very helpful lady. You bring to light what my books say. Will e devour to put this into practice during my 1st lesson in 2weeks coz of Michigan snow/blizzards!
Glad it was helpful!
My mare is now 20 years. She has trouble bending to the left. Thks for your video very helpfulxx
Glad it helped
I think I’m missing this ….on a right bend I need right leg on the girth and outside leg behind for balance ??? 🤷♀️
Yes, Inside leg at the girth, outside leg slightly behind the girth (but not as far as a canter aid) to keep the hindquarters from swinging out!
Thank you! This is great information and easy to understand. Yep! My guy has most trouble to the right.
Thanks for watching!
Right bend is more difficult for my horse. Find that to be true on most of my horses.
I agree! Many horses are stronger on their right sides, so it is harder for them to bend that way!
I like your video that you did it will help me win I ride my horse Nannette
Thank you!
My guy’s bad side is definitely his right side
So many horses are stronger to the right.
My boy thinks any tiny bit of leg is the que to go faster! We're getting better slowly 🥰
Thanks for the video!
Thanks for a great video and reminder.
Question: I'm very pro doing lots of 20m circles, but my instructor keeps me going large most of the time. The horse I usually ride is novice in that she's accident prone and we keep starting her again from a fitness perspective.
What advice do you have?
Hi Caryn,
If your horse is coming back from injury, I would consult your vet to see what kind of work your horse can handle at her stage of recovery. Since I wasn't there, I don't know what happened, but it sounds like your trainer does, and so maybe talk to your trainer as well and see what she has to say about your horse's fitness level. If you can't do a lot of circles right now, you can still practice bending in the corners!
Best of luck!
@@AmeliaNewcombDressage thank you so much for your reply 😊
Love the birds eye view for seeing the bend
Glad you enjoyed it. I think it is so helpful!
Thank you
You're welcome
Again an awesome explanation of how to correctly create a great bend..thank you. You are very good with your instructions.
Glad it was helpful! Thank you for watching
This was extremely helpful. I always have a hard time getting correct bend an now I know exactly what I am doing wrong thank you
Hi Amelia. This tip was super useful! I have just started riding again after 20years away from the saddle. So you could say Im a bit rusty, and a low level rider trying to find my way back. I often get a "yes! Now I rembeber. Off cause,Thats how its done!" moment after watching your tips.
That's great! Riding is definitely a lifelong journey!
Very helpful to know the sequence of the aids. I’ve been trying to apply them all at once. No wonder my horse gets confused!