Exercises for a Horse That's Heavy on the Forehand

To move fluidly and correctly with a rider, a horse should get the majority of its power from its hindquarters. Sometimes a horse will become heavy on the forehand, primarily using its front end to move at the walk, jog and lope. This habit can result in uncomfortable gaits for the rider and give an unnatural appearance to the performance. Several exercises can remedy this problem.

  1. Turns on the Haunches

    • To do a turn on the haunches, the horse plants one back foot and pivots the rest of his body around it. Ideally that lone hoof remains planted, simply moving around as the horse completes a full 360 degree turn. This maneuver is one of the best ways to get the horse to use his hindquarters, which in turn lightens up the forehand. The horse must engage its hindquarters to pivot its body around that one back foot. Practice this exercise several times a day, both on the ground and in the saddle. Remember to turn both ways to keep the horse balanced and supple.

    Changing Directions

    • Exercises that require a fast change of direction require the horse to engage its hindquarters and lighten up the forehand. Figure eights and serpentines are excellent exercises for this purpose. Use cones or other markers in the arena to help you even out your circles. Move the markers closer together to provide more of a challenge and get the horse to engage the hindquarters even more.

    Lateral Work

    • Lateral work like sidepassing and shoulder in exercises can be effective for a horse that is heavy on the forehand. You can start these exercises by cuing the horse to move his shoulder in the direction of travel, essentially moving in a two-track with the front and back legs. Sidepassing is another powerful lateral exercise. In a sidepass, the horse moves its legs sideways without moving either forward or backward.

    Small Circles

    • It is easy for a horse to become heavy on the forehand when moving in a straight line, especially in a large arena. But it is harder to stay on the forehand as the horse moves into a tight circle. Working on circles of varying sizes is one of the most effective ways to lighten up the forehand and get the muscles of the hindquarters to do more of the work. Start out with a large circle at a fairly fast pace, then slowly move to smaller and smaller circles and slower and slower movements.