Foundation Exercises Every Horse Should Know

Horse training requires a combination of softness in the face, control in the body, and fine-tuned maneuvers. A foundational exercise for achieving this is the Bend Counter Bend exercise, combined with the back-up zigzag exercise. These exercises are crucial in building towards maneuvers that require more advanced body control.

Bend / Counter Bend Exercise

How to Perform Counter Bend

1. Positioning: While walking a circle, use the outside rein and leg to ask your horse to step its shoulder to the inside, with its head to the outside.
2. Execution: Using your outside leg, ask for the horse to step to the inside as the horse’s outside leg is coming off the ground.

How Perform Bend

1. Positioning: While walking a circle, use the inside rein and leg to ask your horse to step its shoulder to the outside, with its head to the inside.
2. Execution: As with the counter bend, ask for the horse to step to the outside as the horse’s inside leg is coming off the ground.

Benefits

• Softness and Control: This exercise develops control over the horse’s shoulder and build softness and body control in its movements.
• Foundation for Advanced Skills: As these maneuvers develop, you should be able to use the exercise to spiral in and spiral out, maintaining the roundness in the circle and rhythm in the horse’s pace.  The body control that develops from this exercise is the foundation for more advanced maneuvers. If you are not sure about your leg and hand position and contact then you should watch the video, Using Reins and Legs

Back Up Zig Zag Exercise

How to Perform

1. Initial Back Up: Start by taking the slack out of your reins, but don’t pull. Gradually apply leg pressure, then spurs if needed to signal the horse to move backwards. Only apply enough rein contact to stop and forward movement, don’t pull to get the back up.
2. Zig Zag Motion: After the horse has taken a couple steps backwards, use the reins and legs to ask the horse to move its shoulders laterally 1 or 2 shoulder widths then release the reins.
3. Consistency and Patience: Repeat the drill, varying the direction of the lateral movement. The focus should be on moving the shoulders, not just the face.

Benefits

• Enhanced Back Movement: Improves the horse’s ability to round its back and engage its hips in the back up and back straight.
• Shoulder Control: Increases control over the horse’s shoulders, leading to a softer front end.
• Strength Building: This exercise is helpful in building muscle and strength in the horse’s back and the hips.

Advanced Maneuvers Building from These Exercises

1. Spin Development: The control gained over the horse’s shoulders aids in teaching spins.
2. Rollbacks: The back-up zigzag exercise sets the foundation for quick, efficient rollbacks during cow work.
3. Lead Changes: These exercises are the foundation for the body control needed for lead changes.
4. Cow Work: Both exercises help the horse develop the body position needed for cow work boxing and fence turns.

Conclusion

The Bend / Counter Bend and Back Up Zig Zag exercises are more than just training routines; they are stepping stones towards higher levels of equestrian skills. By focusing on these exercises, you create a path towards developing a horse that is not only soft in the face but also has the necessary body control for advanced maneuvers. You can watch me working these exercises in the video, Foundation Training. You can download and keep the video on your phone for reference when you are riding your horse.

My horse training journey has brought me from winning world titles to now trying to make every horse the best they can be. My Youtube channel, Tim Anderson Horse Training, you can follow the horses I have in training. This will help you to improve your equestrian knowledge.