How to Engage Your Horse's Hind End!
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- Опубликовано: 14 мар 2023
- Feeling those hind legs dragging behind while you’re riding? Getting your horse’s hind end engaged will be another step towards finding that ride you love!
In this week’s video, I will be showing you a few things to focus on during your ride to get your horse to engage their hind end, as well as a few tricks in the crossties to get your horse to lift their back and rotate their pelvis.
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It is important that your horse engages their hind end because when their hind end is engaged, they are easier to ride and maneuver. Plus, you can do all kinds of fancy moves like piaffe!
There are several things you can focus on to help your horse engage their hind end:
Tempo
It is important to find the right tempo for your horse. If they are going too slow or too fast, your horse will not be able to engage their hind end and they will go on the forehand and drag their hind legs. You want to find that happy medium where your horse is not rushing but not slugging along either.
Frame
Like tempo, the right frame is different for every horse. Your horse’s neck is connected to their back, and their back is connected to their hind end. If their neck is up and they are not on the bit, their back will be hollow, and their hind end will not be able to engage. The same thing will happen if your horse is too deep (their neck is stretched too low). Therefore, it is important that you take time to find the right frame where your horse is on the bit and round.
Transitions
Transitions are such a great exercise because your horse has to come through with their hind end for each transition. You can never ride too many transitions! As you ride your transitions, remember to continue to check in with your horse’s frame and tempo as well as contact.
Seat
Your rider position is key in getting your horse to engage their hind end! Remember to keep your belly button pulled into your spine and your seat bones pointing down into the saddle. It is important to realize that if you want your horse to engage their hind end, your core and pelvis have to be engaged first!
Crosstie Exercises
To help get your horse’s muscles activated, you can gently but firmly scratch them along their belly starting between their front legs. This will get them to lift their back, and you will see their back round as you scratch them. Once their back is lifted, your horse can engage their hind end, and you can gently but firmly scratch your horse along each side of their tail, which will cause them to rotate their pelvis. Be extremely careful not to get kicked! It is safest to do this exercise standing to your horse’s side.
When your horse’s hind end is engaged, it gives you the most amazing feeling, and your horse is so much easier to maneuver. Practice these tips, and I know you will feel a difference in your ride!
Happy riding! 
Развлечения
Amazing how you can ride and talk this well😂 I would be huffing and puffing
Haha it’s taken practice!
I remember the first time my horse engaged his hind legs it felt like I was suddenly sitting on a ball 😹😹
What a great feeling!
My instructor got on my case for not engaging the hind end lately; this and your how to feel the hind legs video is so helpful!! Thank you
Clear and concise! The formula every rider needs to develop their horse and themselves to produce that effective ride that commands those "Lovely Pair" comments from both spectators and judges alike!! Thank you!!
Thank you for your kind words!
Great reinforcement of what my instructor has told me! Great reminders!
Amelia you have a great way of explaining this. You even show all the ways the horse doesn't use his hind end, and why that doesn't work for us. So clear, so concise, it's like I am looking at my own ride! What a light bulb moment! There are a number of objectives from horse and rider that have to come together, and now I am ready to make it happen. It's exactly what my trainer has been working on with me. Put together, this all makes so much sense. Thank you for your wonderful videos!
Thank you for this, exactly what I need for my young boy to help him xo
Great information! A difficult concept made simple. Thank you so much!
Your analogy/breakdown of the lessons are incredibly helpful. Thank you so much, once again Amelia.
Much love to you and your horse team. ♥️
So glad!
Thanks amelia like that you have plenty in the description as it helps when you are going back to rewatch.
Thank you so much Amelia. I am grateful for all you continue to teach me. 😊
You’re very welcome! I’m glad you’re enjoying the content!
This video consolidates what I have been doing my last few rides now that spring has finally arrived...yay!! The t/c/t transitions are improving, his hind end is more engaged with frame but still not strong enough to w/c/w. Flying changes are in the future! Thanks for the great illustration.
Thanks Amelia. Very helpful video. And your horse is gorgeous! 😍
That glitch mid video scared me. Thank you for reminding me to subscribe. I have been searching you up consistently for advice. Definitely worth a sub! 🤣
Beautiful ridding, gifted teacher. Enjoy all your videos.
Thank you!
Great video Amelia thankyou....you explain things so well 👍🤗🐴💕
Thank you for the help on transitions....very helpful :)
My all time favorite trainer. Clear instructions and all bases covered. It’s so easy to watch then go ride and repeat. Easy small lessons to build on. ❤ love love 💕 love!
Thanks for the kind words
Amazing info/tips. Thanks Amelia
Timely video! My horse is 21 and is dragging his hind toes at the canter (and gets heavy in the the rein ). we need to start building his strength and your suggestions r perfect ! Thank you !
So helpful! Thank You
Super video Amelia! Lovely useful demo of the tips ypu provide. Really loved the visualisation provided by the last tip, from the ground. Very helpful, thoughtful & considered. Thankyou indeed, for sharing! 🐎❤️🙏
Glad you enjoyed it!
Perfect timing for me! Thank you. ❤
💕
Love this video ! And all of your videos. Very good ! Thank you
Ace video one of your finest, probably because it was pretty much what I’ve been working on with one of mine today and so key at all levels!
Glad it helped!
Merci Amelia, c'est très clair!👏👍
Omg this video couldn't have been uploaded at any better moment! Had a lesson today and we worked a lot on hind end engagement. Trainer was following me around with a whip for 1/3 of the lesson. (On a very hot morning bless her). 😅 He's on the "lazy" side but wants to please. If I get him to go quicker he gets long and disorganized. Getting that tempo is tough. If I get the right tempo pushing ++ he'll enter 🦌 mode, hollow back and all. Then if I ask him to round up more while keeping the tempo he curls behind the bit. Send help 😂 Mind you he's still building muscle. ❤
Love this so much! Thank you for all of your valuable lessons ❤
You are so welcome!
Those are useful tips thank you😃
Your leg is looking excellent there too, Amelia 👍
Awesome video, thank you!!
Love, love your videos. They are so clear and concise.
Thanks so much!
Loved the "scratches" part 😊🥰haha! Thank you for the video !
Thank you, Amelia. This is very helpful 💕💕
You're so welcome!
thank you so much for sharing
Love this!! So helpful. Thanks Amelia!
Glad it was helpful!
This really was super helpful, even more than usually - which is always.
Glad to hear it!
Lovely Leo! Great vid!😊
So helpful, it’s all about the transitions. 😂
They really are the key!
❤thank you for helping all of us try try try to reaching your level. Not easy but you're a very fine instructor. So patient, so kind so precise. You are excellent because you require precision❤.
Thank you for the kind words!
Thanks Amelia. Very helpful and clear
You’re welcome 😊
Once again I loved this video. LuLu and I are only really at the beginning of our next stage. She is only five and I have only been riding again (quite a time out of the saddle ). Your whole video made so much sense and I totally understand, as LuLu is still not sure how to engage her hind end, but also I was not knowing how to help her. You have now given me the understand of how this can all happen, not forgetting that my position plays a BIG part in this to. Which I will tell LuLu, so she knows we both have to work hard on this . Thank you Amelia
So glad this was helpful! I know you and Lulu will make great progress!
This is very insiteful, I've been working a lot on suppleness recently on my pony but was too focused on suppling her neck, I'm now working on suppling her body and what your explaining is really clear and will help us to supple body and get better hind engagement. She can do it, and when she does it feels absolutely amazing! I am going to keep on training and hopefully get quicker results the stronger she gets and the more she learns how to use her body correctly ❤
I'm so glad it was helpful for you! Thank you for sharing your story. I love hearing from riders like you.
Okay so now I got what my instructor wanted of me yesterday! I was actually riding a jump-horse in a session using poles and cavalettis but the principle remains the same - engage the hind end with trot-canter-trot transitions and changing direction/leg. And oh, I will be doing some belly-scratching today! Thanks 😀
Yay! That makes me happy to hear!
Thank you, thank you very well explained and great movie. Will look every day befors I ride my horse🥰🥰
Great!! Thanks for letting me know that it helped!
Loved that video, thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks!
Thank you !!!!
So helpful thank you! Off to work on transitions ❤
Yay! Let me know how it goes :) and be sure to subscribe so you are notified of my weekly videos!
Very helpful. Thank you
You're welcome!
Thank you... Very helpful!! I have an Arabian gelding who is a "Star gazer" so need to constantly focus on this.
You got this!
Thanks Amelia
You're so welcome!
Great Amelia explaining so well.your tips really help me .
Happy New Year.
Dominique
Happy new year!
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you
You're welcome
Good stuff. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it
The video was supper amazing and useful❤
I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for sharing.
❤️💋🌹
Thanks for very nice point "belly button pulled into your spine"
Check out this FREE PDF on Canter: www.amelianewcombdressage.com/canter-with-confidence-o/
All excellent videos
Thank you very much!
@@AmeliaNewcombDressage
I am an older rider. I was so helped by your video of engaging the hind end .I am having trouble keeping her in the canter . Although it’s way better . It was so helpful .
Thank you! My gelding is long in the back so it's kind of hard to get it so his hind legs aren't dragging way behind.
Beautiful video as usual, thank you!!!💫🙏🙏🙏💌 As I work alone, my maine issue would be an eye on ground confirming all my feelings on being right or wrong. I will win the lotto and will have the eye on ground and will even come down there to meet you and all your precious team 💫🙏🙏🙏😇😀
video is super helpful!!
@@AmeliaNewcombDressage YES! as all your videos always are :)
Super helpful as I am just starting to decode the training scale, and have frequently puzzled why the canter was sluggish and “hard” to maintain…
Glad this helped! Have you checked out my FREE pdf guide on the training scale? amelianewcombdressage.com/plan-your-ride-training-scale-pdf-o/
Thank you. This is my challenge to engage hind end of my horse in the first part of the training. He is a lazy one, so it is a bit demanding to engage his hind legs. Additionally, he is very sensitive in the mouth, so I am very careful about having following hand. On the other hand, it led us sometimes to the have him over a bit and in consequence lower his back. The most demanding for me is to find right balance of my aids to recirculate energy of the horse. I feel like a bumping between too much or too less hand, while struggling with engaging hind end.
That is always a struggle. Good for you (and your horse) to have the awareness to recognize all of those things!
Thanks Amelia. This was super informative and answered all my questions.
I don't always get notifications for you so I unsubscribed and then re subscribed. 👍
You are so welcome!
Just excellent video, so well explained and demonstrated. I apply all these tips when doing groundwork, but I still have to improve when riding, so this video will be very helpful I think. I'd add backing up as an additional exercise : what do you think of it ?
Yes! For sure rein back is a great exercise!
My horse has sacroiliac problems. I had him injected once but since we are mostly pleasure I decided not to do it again. He works nicely for me and that is all I need. He is 23 this year.
it was an excelent video. Excuse for my english
Wow that was helpful. What about a walk to canter transition?
Here's a video that will help: amelianewcombdressage.com/dressage-training/how-to-do-simple-changes/
When you watch your video, do you think he has a narrow base at piaffe?
This was helpful visually. Can you train a horse to have as much lift/expression as they have in front. Teach tracking up. Lengthening stride through shoulder without quickening.
For sure, but like with any training, it takes time and strength building
👍
Found this really interesting as now know my horse is running and clipping front feet just like your green horse did!! Gonna try these movements on the ground and see how much reaction and movement we get to lift and round. How long would you spend working on this in the saddle?? Thanks, Tanya
Let me know if it helps your horse!
Very useful! Thank you❣️ One question: why do you ride your horse behind the vertical? Its a lot of focus on this in europe theese days.
Thanks for reaching out with your question. As you know, riding is a journey and a process with no rider being perfect 100% of the time (we are all human after all!). Sometimes during filming, it can be hard to be 'perfect' in all aspects when Amelia is trying to get a point across about a certain element or focus on a specific teaching point (for example, demonstrating good and bad canter seats, or riding the exact shape of a pattern, etc). If she diverted to fix every little thing- the videos would be a whole training session long! Which isn't as educational for quick digestible videos on youtube.
Amelia is always striving to be a better rider and teacher, and it's great to be able to have a record of videos going back over the years to see her development in both regards. It really showcases how everyone- even professionals, are always continually improving on themselves.
Hope that answered your question, have a lovely day! :)
When you are riding and your horae engages his hind end, is the feeling like he is lifting your seat up? And the front of him gets a little lower?
Hi Alessandra,
Good question! When your horse is lifting his back (engaging his core) you will feel his back lift your seat up. When he engages his hind end, you might feel his pelvis rotate a bit and his front lift up in front of you. You might feel like he is more powerful, and often you will feel how each hind foot pushes off underneath you. Hope that helps!
His hind end out in Texas😂
Amelia how are you half halting into csnter is it rein aid or just seat? Great video
Mostly seat, a little bit of rein
I tried the belly scratch on my horse with ZERO response. I even tried digging my nails into his belly as I did it. Nada. I guess I can try the hoof
Ick trick next.
Do we start the warm up with the horse on contact, connection and engaged hind/back, or do we warm up slower and then connect? Mthx
Hi Sharon,
Great question. I like to get a nice active walk on a loose rein for a bit before I establish contact and work on connection.
@@AmeliaNewcombDressage Thankyou Amelia, I love what you are doing. Great understandable and effective info.🥰
Doing rein back to trot, does that help engage the hind end?
As long as the horse is round and being correct off the aids, yes! Going off in trot requires more strength and balance though
About doing too many transitions with my horse.. Transitions are helpful, but if I keep doing them for too long, my horse becomes bored. By the way, the video is very helpful!
Definitely! It's important not to drill one exercises too much
What about a Friesian....what do you think about them? Just curious .....I know they can be heavy in the hands
Hi Kerry,
All these exercises can help you with your Friesian!
Thank you 😊
But..what's the key for getting that frame in the trot and canter?
adherence to the dressage training scale and developing strength, suppleness, and connection in all gaits
Wait.. I’ve always been taught to ride the horse from back to front. That it’s the hind engagement and lifting of the back that naturally makes the horse lower his head and rounding his neck.
Ergo why you can seesaw, use tie in’s etc to make the neck bend, but that only creates a false frame as the back remains hollow, and that is damaging for the horse.
And what I’m hearing you describe is the other way around, to make him round in the neck so that the back comes up. I’m sure I’m misunderstanding something, would you please clarify/elaborate?
Hey there, yes you are correct, we want to ride our horses from back to front. We always want to get the forward response from our leg and a steady rhythm. That's the first part of the training scale. Second level is suppleness, which is about teaching and developing the adjustability and bending in the back. This is where you can use your reins to help develop that turning and then you can develop suppleness and then you get the steady contact and use your suppling fingers to ask for more connection. Hope that helps explain that a little better. Have you seen my free pdf on the training scale? That goes more into how you use that process to correctly develop the horse back to front: amelianewcombdressage.com/plan-your-ride-training-scale-pdf-o/
@AmeliaNewcombDressage Thank you for answering. The more I watch and listen to this video the more I suspect we’re thinking of different things when talking about ”engaging the hind end” For you, in this video and with this horse, you’re talking about how to start working on collection. I e. the horse is already supple and connected, and you’re asking for the next level of hind engagement to start getting that uphill frame and motion.
Whereas for me, at my level, ”hind /back leg engagement” means getting the horse to step under and use his muscles in a way that raises his back > lowers his head > finds a frame > gets connected.
Interesting how the same type of work and way of thinking applies to all levels of the training scale, just with varying difficulty.
Also a great example of the importance of communication and knowing the context (in this case what level of training) a certain instruction or phrasing is coming from, before trying to apply it to your own riding!
Can you define "engagement " precisely? Thx:)
Hi Laure,
By engagement we mean that the pelvis is rotating and the horse is pushing off his hind leg. His "motor" is originating from behind instead of using his front end to drag himself along.
Im seriously thinking of quitting riding. Recently broke both wrists when my new ...just out of training horse spooked at the walk. Im 71 and cant afford more broken bones. 2014 was on a neighbors horse that i had only been on once spooked at hault and headed for the barn. Broke my left wrist...3 surgeries. Now uts happened again. I have never fallen at a Lesson with my Instructor. Only at my home riding with my husband. Im thinking when i follow my husbands advice.. i get injured. Do you have any council for me?
Julie Castro
Brookside Utah
Oh no! So sorry to hear about this. This can be so frustrating. Do you ever do groundwork with your horses? This would help!
More weight 3/4 in your stirrups, less weight 1/4 in your seat.
Why do your lower legs/ankles move constantly? Are you having yo kick your horse each stride?
Have you ever met a horse that will not lift their back when you scratch under their belly or use the hoof pick on their bum? I have put a good amount of pressure there and my horse is just sooo resistant to lifting 🤷 the chiro is coming next week so maybe I'll ask him about it.
Haha! Maybe try a lighter tickly touch? And definitely ask your chiro!
What does it cost to subscribe?
Hi there! It doesn't cost anything to subscribe to my youtube channel! :)
Does he look a little standby on the back left leg? Or is it just me?
Let me know if you have a question I can. help with!
I wish I understood this.
I'm happy to help answer any questions you might have, or point you to another video of mine that might help.
What
Let me know if you have questions I can help with!
I suggest not doing this if your horse Bucks
yes, always be safe. If you can't stand with your horse like this, please don't!