Introduction to Impulsion

Overview

The entry is about what I have learnt at Anna Auer's over the past 7 or 8 months, which I believe to be the "Introduction to Impulsion". It is aimed at the rider who can ride, but who is not getting optimum performance from their horse. Some of the problems the horse can exhibit are - rushing, not stopping, being tense in the jaw, leaning on the bit, head tossing, working above the bit, bucking, plus many others.

The key to Impulsion is that it comes from behind. It is energy that starts at the back of the horse. Then it moves forwards, and as riders we can either block it, or channel it. We need to learn to channel it. To shape it as it moves forwards.

The Hind Leg

The horse moves from halt to walk by first moving one of the hind legs. The hind leg needs to come underneath the horse. The horse, under the guidance of the rider, needs to learn to do this, one leg at a time.

Bringing the leg underneath is actually hard for the horse, and its initial reaction is either to run away from it (go faster), or to get rid of the cause (buck). The key is not to ask too much, to not allow the horse to run away, and to make the horse comfortable when it does the correct thing.

The exercises for the novice horse are: shoulder in on the circle, shoulder in and quarters in.

The Back

Once the leg comes underneath, the horse needs to arch and use his back. The horse's back needs to arch in a similar way a cat arches his back. The horse cannot do this if the rider is sitting in the wrong spot, or in the wrong way.

The Rider

The rider needs to feel like they are perched on the wither. When looking at the rider, there will be a straight line from ear to hip to heel, and this line will be perpendicular to the ground. However, to the rider, this is totally irrelevant as it doesn't describe how it feels! Your leg feels like you're kneeling. And your body feels more like you're standing rather than sitting. You are suspended in the saddle by a strong thigh, and a strong calf. Your heels are down, but only in a dressage kind of way. If you compare it to showjumping, they heels actually feel like they are up. Most importantly, your body is close to the pommel, and far away from the cantle. Simple. Just do it. Walk, trot AND canter!

Hands and Reins

Hands must be soft. Arms must be soft. If the horse is correctly stepping under with the inside leg, then he should seek contact with the outside rein. That rein must support the horse and not let him fall out. It must control the speed. But there must still be softness in the hand and through the entire arm. The inside rein just asks for more or less flexion (bend). The smaller the circle, the more bend is required. This hand and arm is very soft, and the touch on the rein very slight.

The Neck

When the horse's hind leg comes underneath itself, AND he learns to accept this, the neck will arch. Period. Job done. That simple. You're not quite getting this result? If the horse hasn't been using itself correctly, and all of a sudden you ask for this, and you actually get it right, your horse will probably start head tossing in protest. (Or it may buck, or run, or something else nasty). "Ouch! I'm not used to this. It hurts!" If the horse isn't used to this way of moving, then it just doesn't have the muscle to do it. If you get head tossing, persist. You're asking at the right level. But persist for 10 minutes at a time. If you get bucking, then you're asking too much. Do the same thing, but ask for half that. Aim for the head tossing level. Then train at this level.

Time

Once you start working your horse correctly, it still takes time for the horse to build up the right muscles. If you ride your horse twice a week (like I do), and are still learning what to do and how to do it (like me), it takes probably about three or four months. A lot depends on how troubled your horse is to start off with.