Break Up the Brace - Part 1 (Episode 206) - Herm Gailey: A Lifetime with Horses

Lots of horses have stiff spots - braces - that inhibit softness and engagement. Here is a simple technique to help your horse soften up and break up the brace.
About Herm Gailey:
Herm Gailey has spent a lifetime with horses. He is a nonprofessional rider who starts and trains his own horses to successful careers in multiple disciplines. Away from the show ring Herm retains a deep respect and appreciation for good reliable trail riding horses and believes that all horses benefit from this type of riding.
There is nothing for sale here. If these videos allow one person to avoid fear, frustration, or injury or help one horse get a better deal, then that is payment in full.
Filming and production by Kim Gailey-Fitting
Video Camera Company: Canon
Microphone Company: RODE
Song Credit: "Devil's Son" by Enter the Haggis
(www.enterthehaggis.com)

[@vicki1141]

Thanks for this excellent exercise. I am happiest on the trail, but when I come across an interesting method I am inspired to do some ring work. Thanks from Nova Scotia. Today was a double trail ride day..

[@hermgaileyalifetimewithhorses]

Thanks for your comment. I genuinely think that ring work improved your trail riding and trail riding improves your ring work. The secret is the balance. Hope you enjoyed your rides.

[@Bluemoonfarm17]

I have a big warmblood that has this exact same type of brace. He also stands in the field like that, as you mentioned your horse does. He has a very uphill type of build and high head carriage naturally, so I’m excited to try this exercise with him! Thank you so much for sharing your years of knowledge and experience! I’ve just discovered your channel, and I feel like finding people like you on RUclips is like finding little nuggets of gold wisdom.

[@hermgaileyalifetimewithhorses]

I’m glad you found this video helpful. It is always gratifying when people access these older videos. It was always my intention to create a sort of library that people could turn to when certain problems came up. My hope in the future is to organize things better so things can be found more easily. I’m glad this helped. Horses are horses, warm blood or quarter horse. What’s interesting is the gelding that I used for this demonstration, if you look at him physically, is a sort of mini Warmblood despite being a foundation bred quarter horse. Go figure! Thanks for your comment. Hope you keep watching.

[@carolmay-ud8cs]

What a great exercise. I wish I knew about when I had my old gelding. He was a wonderful horse, steady, and brave, but he was braced and did not have his rear under him. It was part my fault and part the way he was built.

[@hermgaileyalifetimewithhorses]

I agree. You described exactly the kind of horse that this simple softening exercise can help. Maybe you can use it on your current, or next, horse. Thanks for watching and thanks for commenting

[@kimwolfe345]

Great job

[@hermgaileyalifetimewithhorses]

Thanks and great to hear from you.

[@petebowling4717]

Herm , the way you described his breeding ( in episode 1 ), that might be where many of his " bracing " tendencies "originate

[@hermgaileyalifetimewithhorses]

Good to hear from you, Pete. I agree. He is Custom Chrome on the top side and Corona Cody on the bottom .Athletic durable horses but born with a brace.! It’s hard to distance yourself from genetics!

[@JuttaSchersing-fe4mh]

Thank you very much, that was exactly what I needed. My horse is built similarly to the horse in the video. I've tried the technique, it works quite well at the walk and trot, but we still need to practise when loping . I hope that my horse will eventually learn to maintain his head/ neck position on a loose rein. I'm looking forward to the second part! 🤠

[@hermgaileyalifetimewithhorses]

Part 2 is now up on our channel!