Work in hand? If you’re like me, I just like to get on and ride. Recently, I experienced the purpose work in hand has in building communication with my horse. This translates to our riding time, makes training easier, develops harmony, and helps the naturally gaited horse move in lightness and balance.

Why Work in Hand Makes Training Gaited Horses Easier

By Jennifer Klitzke

Before I set out to Seattle, WA to visit family for a week in 2016, I learned that Classical French Dressage Master Philippe Karl had been teaching School of Légèreté instructor certification clinics in three USA locations. One of these locations was not far from where I would be staying.

Ecstatic with the opportunity to get first-hand teaching in this Classical French Dressage method I have been studying, I contacted Nichole Walters, the Légèreté instructor in training to take lessons while I was in Seattle.

Nichole asked about my experience with Karl’s philosophy and the training with my horses. I explained that I had been studying Karl’s DVDs Classical versus Classique and Classical Dressage 1-4 and applying what I learned with my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, fox trotting horse, and Spanish Mustang.

Learning by DVDs are great for teaching concepts, but nothing beats one-on-one instruction for applying these concepts in real time. Lessons with Nichole were dot connectors!

When Nichole urged me to begin understanding balance and lightness with working in hand, I sighed. I just wanted to get on and ride. Philippe Karl’s DVDs cover work in hand, but I had glossed over that portion thinking it wasn’t important.

WRONG!

Nichole said Karl believes educating the horse’s mouth in hand is so important. He won’t teach his students how to ride until they know how to work the horse effectively in hand.

Benefits of working in hand

• Balance: Teaches the horse lightness; how to carry its own head and neck and not lean on the bit; teaches the horse to lift its head and neck, open the throat latch; shift its balance from the forehand to carry more weight on the hindquarters; and helps the horse raise its whither by engaging the chest and shoulder muscles.
• Educates the mouth: Teaches the horse how seek and follow a light, steady, even contact with a snaffle bit; relaxs the mouth and lower jaw, taste the snaffle bit and swallow; flex at the poll; and carry its own head and neck and not lean on the bit.
• Flexing: Teaches the horse to follow an even, steady contact of the bit to a 45- to 90-degree bend to the right and left. This allows the horse to stretch the outside neck muscles while remaining balanced in the shoulders; then follow the snaffle bit to extend its neck down and out to stretch the top line muscles and spine. (Ideally the poll should be no lower than the height of the wither, so the horse remains in balance.)

After these work in hand exercises in place, I learned to direct the horse in hand at a walk. The horse’s body remains straight while the neck is in a 45- to 90-degree flexed position. This teaches the horse lightness, balance, forwardness, and straightness in the shoulders before the horse is directed into a small circle while remaining in balance.

After the horse walks straight while bending in the neck, then directed the horse into  a neck extension on a small circle (volte). If the horse learns circles first, it often loads the inside shoulder. This in hand exercise helps the horse learn balance, lightness, and straightness as it follows an even, light, steady rein contact.

Three hours of work-in-hand lessons were GOLDEN! Work-in-hand taught me how to direct my horse to find body balance and acceptance of a light, following snaffle bit contact. This ground work made it easier to train my horse from the saddle. 

Video: Why work in hand makes training the naturally gaited horse easier

Steps to work in hand

1) Face the horse and align my spine to the horse’s spine;

2) Raise the horse’s head and neck and open the throat latch (open the angle between the neck and the lower jaw) by applying equal contact on the corners of the horse’s mouth in direction of the horse’s ears. This helps the horse shift its balance from the shoulders onto the hindquarters. (Notice the horse square up its fore legs and raise its chest). This is a terrific for horses that lean on the bit.

3) Keep gently raising the horse’s head and neck until the horse begins to taste the bit and swallow. If the horse leans on the bit, QUICKLY press and release upward with both hands on the bit toward the ears. Wait for the horse to respond with lightness and remain in the upward position you desire. If the horse leans on the bit, repeat with a QUICK upward motion. The horse will learn that it has to carry its own head and neck.

4) If the horse stops tasting the bit, unlock the tension in the jaw. One hand remains neutral and holds the snaffle ring and the other hand directs the snaffle toward the bridge of the nose. As soon as the horse begins to taste the bit, bring both hands to the neutral position and maintain a light and steady contact;

5) Then, while holding one ring of the snaffle while the horse is in a balanced stance, collect the rein of the opposite snaffle ring so that there is EVEN contact with the snaffle ring and the opposite rein;

6) Gently lead the horse’s head and neck to one side with even contact. This stretches the outside neck muscles. (Notice the inside neck muscles concave and the outside muscles convex) ;

7) Then direct the horse to follow the contact down and out to the side to stretch while keeping its ears level. This stretches the outside neck muscles and prevents the horse from contracting the neck muscles and hollowing the underside muscles. It also builds the top line muscles. Karl’s book Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage goes into detail why this is so important.

My lessons began with a horse that knew these exercises so that I could experience how it feels when it goes right. Then I worked with a horse that was just starting these exercises so that I could experience what it is like when things go wrong and how to correct it. This would help me at home when I began teaching my naturally gaited horses these in hand exercises.

Nichole guaranteed that if I spent ten to fifteen minutes in hand with each of my horses, it would produce balance, each horse would learn how to taste the bit, swallow, flex to each side, and follow an even, light, steady contact before riding. My horses will progress quicker in their training and become lighter on the bridle.

Applying work in hand at home

After the lessons with Nichole, I returned home and began to apply these exercises with my horses. Now I see why Karl feels so strongly about educating the horse’s mouth while in hand. I’m astounded with how soft, light, and balanced all of my naturally gaited horses are becoming when I begin riding sessions with these in hand exercises.

Lady: Grade fox trotting mare

Anytime my horse begins to get tense, anxious, or lose balance, I slow down the tempo or to a halt and reapply these flexibility and suppling exercises until relaxation and balance are restored. This has been a better option for me and my naturally gaited horses compared with riding through miles of tension.

The same cues used in hand can be applied from the saddle at a halt. Plus, the riding we do in a relaxed and balanced state develops the quality smooth gaits and muscle memory I desire. This dressage approach has led to a harmonious partnership with my naturally gaited horses.

Makana: Tennessee Walking Horse

Years later, work in hand and Legerete is how my unstarted three-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse / Spotted Saddle Horse, Marvel, has been trained and is coming along nicely. Plus, I cherish the fun and interactive partnership we have developed. Below are photos of us as a six-year-old.

Marvel: Tennessee Walking Horse / Spotted Saddle Horse

Anytime my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horses get worried, or my Foxtrotting mare, Lady gets tense in her body, I just ease down to a slow walk, halt or even dismount to work in-hand and restore relaxation. I don’t proceed until I’ve established mental and physical relaxation.

Getting started with work in hand

I had never given work-in-hand its proper respect until Nichole’s introduction. If you are a visual learner like me, I’d encourage you to purchase Philippe Karl’s Classical Dressage DVD Volume 1 which covers the work-in-hand exercises plus much more. Karl’s book Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage is also a great study aid with lots of pictures and detailed explanation.

For those who have studied decades of German dressage like I have and wonder what the differences are between German and French dressage, Karl’s DVD Classic versus Classique is an amazing contrast with riding lessons from Philippe Karl and FEI German Trainer Christoph Hess. Here’s my thoughts about it after watching this DVD: Can German and French Dressage Co-Exist?

I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.

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