10 winter stretches: Rein-back between poles

By Amanda Sutton

Seasonal guides

14 December 2009 12:26

Short winter days can make it difficult to ride, but here are simple ground work exercises to help maintain your horse’s fitness and mobility through the cold winter months.

Horses often find rein-back difficult as they may lack mobility, drag their front feet or pull their body back. We need them to think about how the movement starts and lift their front leg up through the shoulder. This exercise helps:

- Lay two poles down on the ground and walk your horse up to them, looking where you’re going as if you’re approaching a show jump. Stand the horse squarely between the poles.

- Place one hand on the horse’s chest to push him back, saying ‘back’ so he reins-back between the two poles. Use an on/off pressure.

- If he finds it hard, reward the smallest movement back and then stop and walk forwards. 

- Next, ask the horse to stand over a pole so his front legs are over it. Place your hand on his chest and ask him to rein-back over the middle of the pole. Stand, walk forward, then repeat.