what steps should you go about for training a green hunter starting with a horse who is learning bending and the correct frame. what shoud they know by now and what should be the next few steps?
plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz help me I rly want to be successful with training my horse.
Okay this reply might be long but here it goes.
If your working on framing, use draw reigns. But if you dont want to use those this is what you do to get a nice, low, hunter frame.
Use a "see-saw" motion with your hands, like a half halt in time with his stride, almost like your squeezing a sponge, alternating hands so "left, right, left , right…." and dont stop or lose contact ever, and when he puts his head down squeeze alot with your leg so he knows to stretch and move forward. keep doing this and he will lengthen out 
The most important thing to remember is, when he gets his head where you want it, although you can stop see-sawing, dont lose contact and dont take off your leg!
Bending:
A really helpful tip with bending is stand in the middle on your horse, pull lightly to make him turn to your foot, and do the same with the other. Then, eventually he’ll know to do this with just you sticking out your foot
When riding, do little half halts on the inside reign before you come to the bend. With some horses, the "pull and give" might have to be exaggerated "pull, pull, pull…give" till they get it. What some horses will do is TILT their head, so theyre nose will be to the inside, but their outside ear will be to the outside. If this happens, pull up on the outside reign so they correct it. You can work on bending to the inside all the way around the arena with constant pull-gives =)
CIRCLES CIRCLES CIRCLES
help SOO much starting big and then getting smaller and smaller and then back to getting bigger and bigger, all the while working on bending. Whats important with circles is inside leg is pushing your horses bum out, and your outside by the girth pushing his shoulders in, making him bend almost around your foot and so hes not drifting out. ALso, make sure your square to your horses shoulders, not falling in to the circle.=)
One more thing that helps is figure 8’s from corner to corner. Your horse has to change his bend in the middle and it helps him realise when he needs to bend in what direction. There are so many other techniques you can use as well, weaving in and out of pylons, etc.
Sorry this was so long! >.< I could probably go on but ill save you the reading if you want any other info just email me! The most important thing to remember is you give back as much as you take and you’ll have a happy horse!
Keira
Okay this reply might be long but here it goes.
If your working on framing, use draw reigns. But if you dont want to use those this is what you do to get a nice, low, hunter frame.
Use a "see-saw" motion with your hands, like a half halt in time with his stride, almost like your squeezing a sponge, alternating hands so "left, right, left , right…." and dont stop or lose contact ever, and when he puts his head down squeeze alot with your leg so he knows to stretch and move forward. keep doing this and he will lengthen out
The most important thing to remember is, when he gets his head where you want it, although you can stop see-sawing, dont lose contact and dont take off your leg!
Bending:
A really helpful tip with bending is stand in the middle on your horse, pull lightly to make him turn to your foot, and do the same with the other. Then, eventually he’ll know to do this with just you sticking out your foot
When riding, do little half halts on the inside reign before you come to the bend. With some horses, the "pull and give" might have to be exaggerated "pull, pull, pull…give" till they get it. What some horses will do is TILT their head, so theyre nose will be to the inside, but their outside ear will be to the outside. If this happens, pull up on the outside reign so they correct it. You can work on bending to the inside all the way around the arena with constant pull-gives =)
CIRCLES CIRCLES CIRCLES
help SOO much starting big and then getting smaller and smaller and then back to getting bigger and bigger, all the while working on bending. Whats important with circles is inside leg is pushing your horses bum out, and your outside by the girth pushing his shoulders in, making him bend almost around your foot and so hes not drifting out. ALso, make sure your square to your horses shoulders, not falling in to the circle.=)
One more thing that helps is figure 8’s from corner to corner. Your horse has to change his bend in the middle and it helps him realise when he needs to bend in what direction. There are so many other techniques you can use as well, weaving in and out of pylons, etc.
Sorry this was so long! >.< I could probably go on but ill save you the reading
if you want any other info just email me! The most important thing to remember is you give back as much as you take and you’ll have a happy horse!
Keira
References :
10 yrs of riding
I totally agree with Keira. I use the same methods with my 3.5 y/o gelding and he’s really coming along. It’s been a year since I broke him and I am just now starting to worry about his headset (or "frame") because I was always taught don’t worry about where their head is, if they move their body properly, their head will soon follow. Which is totally the case with my dude.
I ride him in the side reins that go with a circingle (sp?) once a week to remind him how his head needs to be, because I’ve found draw reins aren’t as efficient with him. He needs that constant contact of the side reins being connected to the girth.
Here’s a picture of him a few months ago at his first horse show- his head wasn’t exactly right yet (I hadn’t started working on it yet) but he won this hack class anyway because his BODY worked the way it was supposed to
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12327730@N08/3063042553/
Hope this helps. Feel free to e-mail with any more questions.
References :