Heavy on the Forehand - Training Ideas/Suggestions

Horses are amazing for children.  I volunteer at a theraputic riding center and am amazed all the time by the bonds between the children and horses.

As to helping this horse - I'm no expert, so I am sure more suggestions will be around shortly, but one thing you can do is trot - whoa - back up sequences.  It gets them working that back end more.  Also trotting up hill gets them working those back-end muscles more.  The more in shape those muscles get, the more likely they are to use them and lighten that front end a bit.  I also like working small slow circles and serpentines with lots of change of direction and toll in a random whoa & immediate back. 

My trainer told me the same thing my mare is heavy on the forehand so my trainer told me her top line is weak ans needs to strenghten so she can drive her back end and by that she needs to lift her rib cage and with a poor topline they cant successfully drive there back end so they use there forehand more(hopefully i got that right thats what my horse is having prob with i do this exercise    
 
 
 
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I'm not an expert/trainer/smart person by any means but I want to say the last real jumping lesson I was in, I rode Manny and HUGE heavy QH who was extremely heavy in front.  I was told (as our friends have said) to pick him up with my legs, getting him to use the back and drive with legs so his backend is more under him. 
 
[8|] I was recently in a lesson where the instructor told me to pretend I was driving his back end out through his forehead.  I really wasn't finding that visual helpful. [:-]
 
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Transitions!!!!
Transitions!!!!
Transitions!!!!

Do lots and lots of up and downward transitions this gets the horse to bring his hind end underneath himself and therefore makes it lighter in the front end.

A good exercise is to canter-halt-rein back then straight away go back to canter from a halt and do the canter-halt-rein back transition again, make sure that each section is done in a relaxed manner so as not to create tension.  This exercise makes the horse bring his hind legs underneath himself in the rein back and thus makes it easier for him to go straight into canter as the front end is light and elevated as soon as he gets heavy repeat the exercise.  This can also be done with trot-halt-rein back if the canter is a bit too much for either horse or rider.  Remember this is a heavy workout for the horse so don't ask for them for too long build it up slowly over a period of time.

Good luck

Hedgy

Dontcha wanna just reach out and slap one of them kangaroos as it flies by?  Just once?  Anyway, what's a rein-back?  I'm English and I have an idea but I probably don't know how to do that.  I think the OP is English, too, but she may know how.  My horse needs his backend under him BIG time.  He's an OTSB.   If I can get him off balance he will pick up a trot.  He's more apt to after a quick turn.  Welcome, btw.  Where's your hedge located?

Hi hunterseat
A rein back is a dressage term, a correct rein back is a 2 beat, diagonal stepping, backward movement with no moment of suspension usually for about 4 stides.  When he does this he naturally brings his hind end under him thus elevate the front end.  When you strike off either into the canter or the trot ensure that the transition is snappy "instantly" this means you have to be prepared to ask for the forward transition and ask it clearly and presisely ensuring you don't get left behind when you do get it.  

I live in Canberra which is the capital of Australia


Hedgy

OK.  My thinking was WAY off.  (and you LIVE way off, too....a fur piece, as they say in Mississippi) []
Let me see if I understand. 
 
"2 beat, diagonal stepping, backward movement"
 
Facing the original direction.  Going in reverse.  At a walk? 
How very cool!  Thank you so much for the explanation and welcome from the land of Elvis! []

You got it

Another exercise to try is the spiral.
Ride a 20 metre circle in walk, using your outside leg to gradually spiral in to a 10 metre circle, maintain the circle until you feel your horse is in balanced (as though he is maintaining the circle himself) and bending correctly around your inside leg, then gradually spiral out again.

The spiral is created by your outside rein guiding the outside shoulder (think of it like a soft wall) the outside leg is asking for the smaller circle whilst your inside leg is supporting the bend.

To spiral out increase the pressure of the inside leg and relax the pressure on the outside leg making sure that you don't let fully go as this maintains the speed of the spiral out, the outside rein supports the outside shoulder.

Make sure you don't go too fast in and out and if you find that you are not keeping a circle it could be either your horse is falling in or out through his shoulders, support him with your outside rein and leg if he is falling to the outside or the inside leg if he is falling to the inside. 

Hope this helps, I love doing this exercise as it helps me and the horse connect (they listen and soften).

Hedgy

Thanks Hedgie!  []  I was driving home yesterday and, out of the blue I thought...."DUH, Beth!  Watching kangaroos fly by.  She's in AUSTRALIA!"  I thought maybe you were into some form of hallucinigenic.... mushrooms, peyote, lysergic dithalamide...  *smacks self in head*
 
Nice to have a connection down under.  Never know where Uncle Sam is going to send me!  []
 
Thanks for the ideas.  ALSO on the drive home (long drive) I was thinking "isn't that rein back just sort of backing up?"  I imagine it's done with a bit of momentum, not just the ugly pull and resistance of most horses to back up.