# tips for creating impulsion?



## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

I find the best way to get impulsion through the back end is at a sitting trot. I sit back and deep and use a ton of leg, trying to get my horse to move underneath herself with minimal contact. Using a lot of leg seems to do the trick. Stop and start is also helpful too. But other than leg pressure, what other tips create impulsion??

Please help. Thanks!


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## Skippy! (Dec 18, 2006)

I have found through my experience, that if you have your horse in a good collected headset and really -use- your seat (like you said, sitting trot) it really drives that hind end underneith them creating the perfect frame.

When i post the trot, i almost rock forward when i stand up to help push the horse's hind end underneith them. It gives them the little umph they need, in my opinion =)

When ya sit the trot, dont just sit deep, really rock your seat, rub the stitches off of the pommel/seat! LOL! and make sure you have a good headset/collection going to get them to move into that bridle.

Practice makes perfect!


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## bgood400 (Nov 10, 2008)

Holding the horses mouth and 'pushing the horse through the bit' works at any gate. It will get the horse to lift its back up and reach underneath of its self.


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

Skippy! said:


> I have found through my experience, that if you have your horse in a good collected headset and really -use- your seat (like you said, sitting trot) it really drives that hind end underneith them creating the perfect frame.
> 
> When i post the trot, i almost rock forward when i stand up to help push the horse's hind end underneith them. It gives them the little umph they need, in my opinion =)
> 
> ...


Skippy, thanks so much for your advice. But I actually kind of have to disagree with you. I think the "good collected headset" comes _because_ of impulsion through the back end, not the other way around. Creating a headset before the back end is truly engaged creates stiffness and really creates no true headset at all. Right now I'm trying to really forget about the headset when I ride and concentrate on getting the muscle and suppleness through her back through light contact and lots of leg. I'm not sure if it should be "rocking the seat" but sitting quietly in perfect balance, but moving with the horse. Sorry if I totally disagreed. :?


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## Skippy! (Dec 18, 2006)

Ack, i meant to post that another good gate to practice impulsion at is the Walk. Its a good start because you can feel the difference between a regular mosey-ing walk, and a collected hind end engaging walk =)


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## Skippy! (Dec 18, 2006)

Jubilee,

When i broke Skippy!, the headset came before the hind end engaging did =) We started him on the standard height headset, and as we would trot, i would hold him slightly and make him move into his bit/bridle, which resulted in the hind end impulsion.

Its what I do with all th horses i train =) From my experience, its easier to get the hind end impulsion with the basic understanding of the headset. The impulsion will definately make the collection more "complete" and effective though!

Do what you and your trainer thinks will work for ya best!

Thanks for the crit! =)


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

You never ride FRONT to BACK. You never ride the face - you always ride the back end, first and foremost.

You pull your horses face in, your horse is now going around in a false frame - not utalizing the correct muscles they should be using. 

Hind end impulsion does not result from a head being held into a position. Hind end impulsion comes FIRST and foremost through correct, precise, accurate riding through balance, correct and educated aids. Nothing more, nothing less.

*SEAT to LEGS to HANDS to SOFTEN.* That is preached over and over and over again by top riders such as the O'Connor's. Beth Underhill, Ian Millar, and the list goes on...

You ride the back first, activate it through your seat. Then your legs take over, lifting the back and the ribs, and your outside rein is there to only support to allow that energy you created to recycle back through.

The headset comes last. Always.

Your horse cannot move forward when their face is pulled in or held or forced. The horse becomes stiff via through stiff riders arms/elbows/hands/shoulders. The horse cannot get under himself if he is being held in. The horse cannot move forward and freely if his head is being compacted in. 

Leave the face alone. Too many riders think the face comes first, when the face will come on it's own through correct, precise riding through correct aids of the rider.


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## Skippy! (Dec 18, 2006)

MIEventer,

In the past when i had tried to utilize the back end without collecting the front, the rearward energy just went straight through the long strung out neck and the front feet didnt follow through well, hence why I did it the other way which has always yielded great success for me in all the horse's i have trained.

So that being said, thats why its my opinion that i got based through my experience ;D the end goal was achieved successfully, so it was a win 

Best of luck to ya Jubilee! ^_^


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

Skippy! said:


> Jubilee,
> 
> When i broke Skippy!, the headset came before the hind end engaging did =) We started him on the standard height headset, and as we would trot, i would hold him slightly and make him move into his bit/bridle, which resulted in the hind end impulsion.
> 
> ...


You were probably not forcing him into a frame though, right? Because, yes I agree, that you need basic contact but I think riders should work long and low first. It's impossible for a horse to carry a true frame unless he's developed the muscles through his back end, otherwise it will just be a false, stiff frame. I'm assuming what you mean is teaching him to respond to your hands through light head carriage _while_ working him with lots of leg? 

I'm not really sure about impulsion with younger horses, since my horse is a "been there done that" horse. It's just me "getting there" with her. I find when I try to establish a headset first, we just end up in a _mess_. 

Here is basically, in a nutshell, what I do: I ride on a loose rein first at a walk, work at a motivating the walk in both directions where she has to move underneath herself. Then I'll assume rein position and work on bending, with very very light contact and lots of leg to push her forward. When I ask for halt, I should only have to squeeze and she's there on a dime (we're working on this and she's getting so much better). 

When I work at the trot, I start on long rein again with basically no contact and lots of leg, getting her to push herself forward from her hindquarters and lift up her back. I can feel her back lifting and getting supple as she starts to step underneath herself. Then I assume hand position and work on bending. I find sometimes she will put herself into a headset herself since she is able to _carry herself through her hind end and back all the way to her neck. _When I ask her for halt or walk all I should have to do with her is squeeze (with hands) and she's there because she responds well to light hands. 

I've been really trying to focus on a back to front method rather then worrying about where her head is at the moment. I figure that after a long, concentrated effort on the back end, and building of those muscles, she will put herself into frame easily and on her own with light contact to hold the frame. :wink:


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

MIEventer said:


> You never ride FRONT to BACK. You never ride the face - you always ride the back end, first and foremost.
> 
> You pull your horses face in, your horse is now going around in a false frame - not utalizing the correct muscles they should be using.
> 
> ...


Thanks MIEventer. Yes, I agree. So I guess it is more then legs then, if the seat comes first? How do I "activate the back end through the seat"? Is it a slight moving forward of my seat bones?


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

The reason why people end up with a horse on the forehand, after they've created the back end energy - is because they are not supporting through the outside rein, and driving inside leg into outside rein.

Far too many overuse the reins. The reins do not control the face -the reins control the shoulder.

Your reins do nothing more - nothing less. You control tempo, flow, rhythm through your seat - not your hands. Yes, you must have supportive hands - but not forceful, over active hands.

You do not get a horse in a collected frame through your hands. You get a horse into a collected frame after consistant, persistant, continuous work through correct aids vai Seat To Legs To Hands.

Support through the outside rein - your outside rein prevents that energy gushing out the front end. 

Nothing more, nothing less.

Incorrect riding is front to back. 

If you get the wrong answer when you are asking for impulsion from the back end - you aren't asking the question correctly.

~~~

You must ride on the 3 points of your seat, always. There are times when you ride on crotch via 2 point over a fence, and there are times when you rock onto your seat bones...via top level movements in dressage horses. Aside from that - always on your 3 points.

You lighten your seat, via weight flowing through into your heels. Your heels take the brunt of all your energy, all your weight. By opening up your knees *because you never grip anyways* you allow the weight from your upper body to flow down into your seat, flow down through your legs and into your heels.

Ok - so you activate the back end by pulsating your seat bones. You ALWAYS use your seat bones.

*side note* _people like to turn circles via reins....when it should come from inside seat bone, inside leg and outside rein_

Use your seat bones to activate the back end by pulsating them in accordance to the back leg movement. Left, right, left, right.

You must be balanced, through your heels, to your seat, lower back, to your upper body.

Your lower back must never be roached, must never be hollow. You hollow your lower back - you've now lost your core and your balance gushes out your front end. You roach your lower back, you've over activated your core, and your balance gushes out your back.

Must be just right, like Goldie Locks and the 3 Bears - lol.

3 points, strait lower back, tall upper body balanced over horses center of gravity.

You do not deepen your seat - why? Because of a few reasons.

1) You must remain balanced over your horses center of gravity. Your upper body must not go behind or infront of the verticle. Never.

2) Over active seat, creates a horses sensative back to drop..and not activate...which is important on getting a horse to utalize their essential muscles to build a topline to get the reached goal of "on the bit"

3) You become too loud for the horses movements.

Once you've recieved the wanted movement...you lighten your seat thorugh your heels - and now your legs take place. Same pulsating...left, right, left, right......then your legs act in lifting the back and the ribs.

NOW - your horses back end is moving. Your horse is tracking up, and your horses back is lifted - now all the important muscles are being used...........

All the while, you are supporting via outside rein. 

The MOMENT your horse gives to you, you give back. Release, praise. Releas thorugh fingers, not compromising your support.

Inside rein has very little function.

Outside rein, prevents energy from gushing forward. Outside rein keeps energy recycling. Inside leg keeps the impulsion, activate seat when needed.

Seat To Legs To Hands To Soften.

The headset comes last always.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

You will know when you get the right answer - you will feel the weight rock from the front, to the back.

This will not happen when you ride front to back.

You must aid your horse to do this, through correct, precise aids. Consistant and persistant and correct flat work.

Lots of walk to trot transitions. Lots of trot to walk. Halt, into trot. Halt, into walk.

The key is to get them off of their forehand, onto their back end.

You MUST know how to ask the correct questions, to get the correct answers.


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

Wow, thank you so much MIEventer. It's a lot to take in, but I think I understand what you are saying. :wink:


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## G and K's Mom (Jan 11, 2008)

MIE, that has to be one of the best explainations I have ever read!!!!! May I print that out and post in the barn?


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