# Horse leaning on my hands!



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

One thing your could try when she starts to lean is have her pick up speed until she's pooped. When you feel her lighten for a few strides, that's when she's allowed to rest. I think you'll find she's quite willing to stop. When she has had a rest for a few minutes begin again. You may need to do this 3 or 4 times as that's how long it could take her to make the connection. When she is bracing she is engaging a lot of muscles. As she tires you will feel her begin to relax and that is what you want to reward.


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

Not give her anything to lean on. If she starts leaning, throw the contact away completely. Take it up again at a level of pressure you want her to be at. Every time she leans, throw the contact away.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Agreed, don't let her use you as a crutch. If she leans, drop the contact and make her support herself.

Now if she begins to yank the reins out of your hands, engage your abs and drive that mare forward. Add some figures and make sure she knows she can't take what isn't hers!


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## CJ82Sky (Dec 19, 2008)

lots of trot work riding on the buckle. like a prior poster said - if she has nothing to lean on, she can't lean. make her move forward without a rein contact. eventually she'll learn to balance herself and then you will be able to use the reins for communication rather than for holding her up!


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## rachelgem (Oct 22, 2011)

Thanks guys, this is really useful, and CJ82Sky, i tried that today while i rode and she was so much better!


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## CJ82Sky (Dec 19, 2008)

@rachelgem - i've had horses be really heavy and for years tried to hold them up, half halt, help balance, and the best thing i ever learned was to just LET GO. stop holding, ride the buckle and go back to basic trotting and wait for them to seek the contact. so many horses are incorrectly taught to balance by leaning on the bit and/or false framing that the horse isn't truly driving from behind or balanced at all (no matter how nice their headset may look). the result over time is the horse becomes more and more reliant on the rider for balance and to hold them up to maintain the false frame as none of that is coming from their own impulsion.

by going back to riding on the buckle and just trotting FORWARD until the horse learns to balance themselves, eventually they will start to seek out the contact. if you only have 2 pounds or LESS of weight/pressure AT MOST AT ANY TIME on the reins, the end result is that the horse is using the bit to communicate and not lean or balance. once you are at that point, you will be able to really move forward with suppling and softening and whether your focus is jumping or dressage, hunters or eventing, a more balanced horse is a more responsive horse and then the slightest shift in your weight, light movement of the reins, etc. can translate to communication. it's pretty awesome. i remember when i first got my horse to the point where we could do flying changes based on which stirrup i weighted more on the STRAIGHT!! it was so cool! no other cues needed - just shift weight and bc the reins were just guidance, i was able to use them to guide him straight while changing leads. cool stuff!

sounds like if you are seeing a difference in just one ride, you're already well on your way!!! congrats and keep us posted on the progress!!!


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

So happy I found this thread, having the same problem.



CJ82Sky said:


> by going back to riding on the buckle and just trotting FORWARD until the horse learns to balance themselves, eventually they will start to seek out the contact.


I'm interested in this advice- I've been trying this, and find that when I totally give up the contact, my horse just starts lurching around in these jagged lines, turning direction erratically. Is your recommendation to just worry about forward and not necessarily where she's going? With all the lurching, she gets even more unbalanced, and I can tell she feel frantic because she'll go in this crazy zig zag for a minute and then just stop suddenly. Clearly this is not accomplishing the desired outcome.


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

egrogan said:


> So happy I found this thread, having the same problem.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm interested in this advice- I've been trying this, and find that when I totally give up the contact, my horse just starts lurching around in these jagged lines, turning direction erratically. Is your recommendation to just worry about forward and not necessarily where she's going? With all the lurching, she gets even more unbalanced, and I can tell she feel frantic because she'll go in this crazy zig zag for a minute and then just stop suddenly. Clearly this is not accomplishing the desired outcome.


If she is going straight when she is leaning on your hands, and crooked when she has no contact, then she isn't holding herself at all. So yes, this is a desired outcome, because it clearly demonstrates the problem. Your next step will be lots and lots of work to have her listening to your leg and seat so she doesn't turn all over the shop with long reins, and lots and lots of work with long reins so she learns to hold herself up without leaning on you for support.


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## thesilverspear (Aug 20, 2009)

I'm interested in what you guys would do with a leaner who, when you drop the reins and push it forward as described above, will then bog off with you. Someone at my yard who has a leaner asked me for advice and I said, more or less, what you guys just said, which worked like a charm on my horse a zillion years ago when she used to lean. This owner said, "Yeah, but then he takes off with you." At which point I said, "Oh, right. That's kind of a bigger problem." I then uncertainly suggested they ride lots and lots of transitions and find a good trainer.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

Chiilaa said:


> So yes, this is a desired outcome, because it clearly demonstrates the problem.


Thanks, Chiilaa- you're right we have definitely identified a problem! I was thinking about your advice and it's very clear that my seat & leg are not getting my point across- so now to find out how much of the problem is me and how much is her not understanding (probably mostly the former! :?). 

I like your suggestions on how to try to encourage her to balance herself. Can't wait to bring this up with my instructor and have her watch us in person!

(OP, sorry to hijack your thread, and glad you found some success in your ride today!)


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## apachewhitesox (Dec 9, 2010)

I found the trotting on the buckle to be very effective. My horse Sammy was great for leaning/bracing on your hands and slowly speeding up. 

A friend told me to do this following the fenceline until he was consistent then move into a larger paddock and then make up patterns in the open. Because my horse also sped up, she said only touch one rein to bend is neck and if needed turn him in a circle towards the fence until he is at the speed I want. 

At first he was completely lost because he didn't think he had anything to guide him or help him balance. He has improved a lot and is now responding to my seat and legs much more. I also had a slight problem of him wiping me off on the fence which I could seem to stop him from doing. After doing what I described above which resulted in him hitting his nose a bit hard on the fence a few times he keeps a respectful distance between himself and the fence. 

I have yet to move up to cantering but it does help a lot.


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## CJ82Sky (Dec 19, 2008)

thesilverspear said:


> I'm interested in what you guys would do with a leaner who, when you drop the reins and push it forward as described above, will then bog off with you. Someone at my yard who has a leaner asked me for advice and I said, more or less, what you guys just said, which worked like a charm on my horse a zillion years ago when she used to lean. This owner said, "Yeah, but then he takes off with you." At which point I said, "Oh, right. That's kind of a bigger problem." I then uncertainly suggested they ride lots and lots of transitions and find a good trainer.


when he takes off, ask him to go more forward, kick and encourage even faster...99% of the time, the horse goes wait, that was MY idea! and stops. and when they try to stop, say oh no, you wanted to take off, let's keep galloping! come on! let's GO!

quickest way to break a bolter that i've ever found 

(note: please do NOT attempt this unless you are an experienced rider/trainer - i used to break horses for the track so well used to rider bolters)


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

thesilverspear said:


> This owner said, "Yeah, but then he takes off with you." At which point I said, "Oh, right. That's kind of a bigger problem." I then uncertainly suggested they ride lots and lots of transitions and find a good trainer.


Big loopy figure eights.


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## Barrel Baby (May 16, 2011)

Hi! I am currently Riding a horse that does the same thing! She gets really heavy at the trot! I was reading your posts and saw that someone suggested 

Ride the buckle
And drop the contact

What does that mean  -thanks!


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## Barrel Baby (May 16, 2011)

And also what is a half halt? Sort for dumb questions


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## apachewhitesox (Dec 9, 2010)

Riding on the buckle means literally just holding the buckle on your reins. Though if your riding in split reins just make sure there is a fairly big loop in your reins.

Dropping contact dont hold your horses mouth with your reins so like explained above. 

I'm not going to go into a half halt though I don't want to explain it wrong.

Kind of like this picture I got off google


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## EvilHorseOfDoom (Jun 17, 2012)

thesilverspear said:


> I'm interested in what you guys would do with a leaner who, when you drop the reins and push it forward as described above, will then bog off with you. Someone at my yard who has a leaner asked me for advice and I said, more or less, what you guys just said, which worked like a charm on my horse a zillion years ago when she used to lean. This owner said, "Yeah, but then he takes off with you." At which point I said, "Oh, right. That's kind of a bigger problem." I then uncertainly suggested they ride lots and lots of transitions and find a good trainer.


My friend's 5yo TB mare leans like anything for balance so each session I get her into a nice big, loose trot and keep dropping contact. I don't do it all at once because she takes this as a signal to canter and as she's very narrow set and unbalanced on the turns, this is pretty unsafe in an arena. So I just drop a hand's length on each rein (together) every letter, and eventually she's working in a long, low outline. 

If she gets too fast and excited I change reins across the diagonal or do Skyseternalangel's big loopy figure eights to give her something to think about. Once she's settled and balanced, I work on her trot-walk and walk-halt transitions with seat only, then start taking up a very light contact and doing the same. She's getting there slowly. A better rider/trainer would in all probability get all this fixed a lot lot faster but at least we've had some progress *shrugs*.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

A half halt is half of a halt. 

Leg on the horse to ask for impulsion, stop hip motion for 1-2 strides, squeeze rein for one to two strides, release and follow with your seat.

It helps to re-balance the horse and let them know something is coming next (what I do for my green horse)

If you don't ask the horse for impulsion first, then they slow down and lose their drive. 

Gotta do it properly, with the help of a riding instructor if you aren't familiar with it. Or you can teach it the wrong way and it will be useless.

This is an old thread: http://www.horseforum.com/dressage/mysterious-half-halt-causes-effects-92170/page5/

but has good information in it.


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## Barrel Baby (May 16, 2011)

apachewhitesox said:


> Riding on the buckle means literally just holding the buckle on your reins. Though if your riding in split reins just make sure there is a fairly big loop in your reins.
> 
> Dropping contact dont hold your horses mouth with your reins so like explained above.
> 
> ...



Thanks a bunch


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## Barrel Baby (May 16, 2011)

Skyseternalangel said:


> A half halt is half of a halt.
> 
> Leg on the horse to ask for impulsion, stop hip motion for 1-2 strides, squeeze rein for one to two strides, release and follow with your seat.
> 
> ...





Thank u!!!


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## RiddlesDarkAngel5 (Jun 2, 2009)

Half halts are always helpful.
My last horse used to lean very heavily on my hands. I too found that dropping contact and pushing him forward helped him to find his own balance. Also, if you have them taking your guy over trot poles with a loose rein will really help him pick himself up and learn to balance.


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## Valentina (Jul 27, 2009)

Initially there are 2 ways to go
#1 Drop the contact. Horse "hanging" on hands, hands getting blisters? Make reins so loose horse can not depend on rider to hold their head up. When horse falls on face pick up reins and start riding normally. Repeat as necessary.

#2 Dropping contact hasn't worked - so what now? IF you are a GOOD rider and have CONSISTENT contact you can try this method - Keeping/maintaining same contact with outside rein - take inside rein and "bump" rein straight up in the sir then IMMEDIATELY revert that rein back to the original position. This means the horse, whose head was down leaning on the reins, will jerk head into the air and off your hands. Then horse will realize reins are back where they started and should go back to correct contact. Horse will not immediately realize the bump will be your method of training him/her to get off your hands - so you will need to repeat this MANY times in the future. IF rider is consistent with this correction (and performs correction correctly) then horse will eventually stop leaning so heavily on hands. If rider has no clue they will be introducing more problems to the horse. Clueless riders should stay with technique #1 (above). ALSO - horses need to develop the correct topline muscle in order to hold up their own head/necks, so fixing the problem permanently WILL take time.


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