# How do I stop my horse leaning on my hands



## eccles alley (15 June 2011)

I have a beautiful grey mare that I do eventing with but all my dressage comments are always saying needs to use back end more to lighten her front end , she is built rather down hill, has lovely paces and is very obedient but I just need to up my marks a bit. I have tried lots of transitions, shoulder in , doing smaller circles but she still leans on my hands any help appreciated, I ride her in a neule schule bit and school her in a double bridle which makes life a lot easier, but unfortunately we cannot do our test in it.


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## angelish (15 June 2011)

stop giving her something to lean on 

i'm sure u will get far better advice from the dressage divas and i'm not very good at explaining things ,but mine used to do this and it is really hard not to pull back but you really have to do loads of transitions -halt -trot-halt-canter -walk -2 steps leg yeild -trot lots and lots of it and it will lighten her up in front

mine kind of needs me to "hold his hand" all the time and gets heavier and heavier ,when he does it now i just drop him on his nose or do above ,soon as he leans i go into shoulder in - leg yield - travers ,anything to make him work harder - he stops leaning and carrys himself ,i let him do easier things.
soon as he leans i repeat , i also make sure i don't go on and on at him and make sure i let him strech/rest plenty as if they get tiered you can't really blame them for leaning 

hope this gives you some new ideas ,good luck


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## AengusOg (15 June 2011)

Try teaching her, in-hand, to yield to the bit, and to bring her nose round to touch her ribs. You'd have to do it in stages, starting with a longish rein and shorten it up as she learns, asking by holding one rein round and up to her withers. Hold it and let her work out how to yield to the feel on the rein. As soon as she gives, slacken the rein. She'll come round a bit more each time. Then do the other side.

From the saddle, you can do the same. Ask with the rein and give when she yields.


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## Polo*Pony (15 June 2011)

Hi,

I'm not a dressage diva (far from it!) and I'm sure others will give you lots of effective tips, but something that a friend told me which has worked with two of mine: alternate the pressure down each rein when they start leaning, whichever pace they're in. Like the post above - stop giving them something to lean on . I relax one hand for four strides, then retake contact and relax the other hand for four. Takes about half a circuit for them to decide to carry themselves. May take longer at first.
One of mine would lean to the point that my hands would blister and bleed, but I tried the above (and invested in gloves) and we only have occasional problems now. When he does forget the above exercise always reminds him quickly.


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## Foxford (15 June 2011)

Some good advice here! I was taught to change the flexion - keep swapping from inside to outside flexion and go straight for some of the time too. Giving the contact and picking it up again works well too, as decribed above. Good luck!

PS Do you use a loose ring? They are a bit harder to lean on, as the horse can't fix on the bit as easily.


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## Lurky McLurker (15 June 2011)

My cob used to lean terribly. I found that loads of transitions helped - I would start by making a transition (walk to halt, halt to walk, walk to trot, back to walk) at every marker, then add another one in between each marker so we were never in one pace for more than a couple of strides.  If I started a schooling session this way he'd usually remember to carry himself for the rest of the ride, and if he forgot and started leaning again I would just drop the contact completely and let him fall on his face (sometimes very nearly literally!).  He usually picked himself up again then, because he knew he couldn't just rely on my hands to do the work for him.


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## OneInAMillion (15 June 2011)

My boy used to really lean, I used to go round the school and just drop the reins. I did it again and again until he realised hands weren't for carrying him. Maybe not orthodox but it worked!


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## B-B (16 June 2011)

Problem is you are addressing the symptom not the cause so it wont go away.

All horses have a weaker hind si the strong hind pushes to the opposite shoulder....loosing straightness...leaning.   

So the answer is suppling exercises..leg yeilds, serpentines....then transitions and shoulder in to build carrying strength.....which all help with straightness.

This all takes time.  The double is masking the problem and at the wrong end.


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## eccles alley (16 June 2011)

Thanks for all the tips, I find when I am schooling she is much better because I can do transitions and shoulder in etc, but then when we get into the dressage arena she begins alright but then after the canter she seems to fall onto forehand, she is quite a big girl and I am not,( I am no spring chicken, my first year of BE and am an OAP) so sometimes I struggle in making her listen to my half halts. I will persevere on all the tips though.


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## Rowreach (16 June 2011)

What mouthpiece does your NS bit have?  Is it double jointed?


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## eccles alley (16 June 2011)

My bit is a loose ring and it is jointed I think it is a verdiband


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## ellie_e (16 June 2011)

Use lots of leg, to make him work up into the contact rather than leaning on you make him carry himself.


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## Rowreach (16 June 2011)

Verbindend   with a lozenge in the middle.  I find a lot of horses lean in anything with a double joint because of the angle of the centre piece and the way it sits on the tongue - it is more comfortable for them in the mouth if they lean on you (try it on your wrist - you may need an assistant )

What mouthpieces are on the bits on your double?

I've lost count of the people who come for lessons with horses that "lean" and a simple change of bit (the mouthpiece being more important than the cheeks) and eureka, problem solved!


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## spacefaer (16 June 2011)

I have a dressage horse currently training PSG so he should know not to lean by now!  When he's working in canter, particularly during tempi changes (which are very exciting!) he gets seriously strong - to the point where my fingers can go numb if I don't do something about it.

I do transitions - just going round the outside of the school, keeping it very simple - but they're "listen to me" transitions, not dressage judge friendly ones - he has to STOP when I ask - whether it's from walk, trot or canter, coming down to halt from any of those paces - he has to do it within 2 strides.  Then I soften the contact to the one I want, and ask him to move off - again, instantly.  Doesn't take many, but there's no point in trudging round and round the school, teaching them to be numb in the mouth and plough along on the forehand.

Hindquarter engagement comes from lightening the forehand (among other things) and if they're towing you around with their mouth, then enegagement is never going to happen!


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## TigerWoo (16 June 2011)

I have this problem and it all stems from me! I naturally ride with tension in my lower back which creates a super fulcrum for a horse to lean on, tipping me forward ever so slightly onto my inner thigh and from then on I'm holding his entire forehand in my forearms and hands, and he loves it! I have worked on me, softening my back and letting the tension go out of my hands and wrists, when I ride correctly he has nothing to lean on. We always used to get 5s and 6s for our trot work, last time out we got 8s!

Doesn't matter what the horse is doing if the problem is the rider, not saying it is you but always worth getting someone to video you when she is leaning to analyse what you are doing at the same time.


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## eccles alley (16 June 2011)

Yes sometimes she gets me tipping forward, but unfortunately she is built rather downhill anyway - neck set on rather low, she loves to go long and low and our free walk on long rein always gets a good mark. The judges always say very relaxed and good harmony and paces, but I will be out there this afternoon full of enthusiasm and lots of things to try


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## Tempi (16 June 2011)

Transitions, transitions and more transitions!! Your horse needs to learn to carry the weight behind and not on the forehand (ie in your hands).  You need to be doing hundreds of transitions when you are schooling both within the pace and up and down the pace.  Each long side of the arena you should be doing around 5/6 transitions, dont just trot/canter/walk around as this will encourage the leaning and not teach your horse to carry herself and for her to develop the strength over her back.

Someone mentioned lateral work, thats all very well but your horse needs to be in self carriage and strong over the back before doing the lateral work.  Look at the scales of training - all of which need to be in place before starting the lateral movements.


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## MadisonBelle (16 June 2011)

B-B said:



			Problem is you are addressing the symptom not the cause so it wont go away.

All horses have a weaker hind si the strong hind pushes to the opposite shoulder....loosing straightness...leaning.   

So the answer is suppling exercises..leg yeilds, serpentines....then transitions and shoulder in to build carrying strength.....which all help with straightness.

This all takes time.  The double is masking the problem and at the wrong end.
		
Click to expand...

This makes a lot of sense...... and I also try to do this but my horse only leans on one rein. The left, always the blooming left and I forget and the have a death like grip. I've been working on her her right hind getting more under but should I be working more on the left hind to lighten the left rein??


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## B-B (16 June 2011)

It could be not wanting to take the weight on the hind so check which is weaker....slightly shorter stepping and slightly less muscle.   

If you wait to have all the scales in place before starting ley yeild - which disengages but supples - you will have collection - last ob the scales - before you start!!

Leg yield helps them to work over and supple/strengthen the back which helps thr rhythm, supplenes/submission, contact impulsion, straightness and collection!


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## Elfen (16 June 2011)

Get shot of the double, 100's of transitions up and down and within the paces plus ensure that your horse has enough Impulsion - really motoring from behind. If you havnt already get yourself a good trainer, ensure your hands are up rather than down by your hips and like someone else said don't give him anything to lean on - soft elastic contact


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## eccles alley (16 June 2011)

I have just been out there in my ordinary snaffle and doing loads of transitions and flexing her to the outside for a few strides and then flexing her to the inside. I don't think I have been doing enough transitions as this time it was only a quarter of circle and then change of pace, its hard work but we were gettting less heavy in the hand although her head carriage was a little low. I think it will take time but I must try and improve as I am off to the Riding Club Horse Trials championships at Aston le walls at the beginning of August.  One other question can you use a flash with a cheltenham gag or does this defeat the purpose of the gag. Thanks everyone for your help


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