Hi, I have a four year old horse that has been under saddle for about 45 days. She's super balanced and has all her basic walk, trot, canter, halt aids. I plan to make her into a nice hunter/jumper but I'm having trouble getting her soft and collected. Do you have any advice on how to teach such a green horse to be on the bit? Thanks, 

Eilie 

H&C's blogger and dressage rider Alice Oppenheimer replies:

Hi Eilie,

Your young horse sounds fabulous for her level of training. To be confidently working to all aids and well balanced after just 45 days is a massive achievement and I wish all of mine were like that!

As she strengthens up, she will naturally be more able to come soft and collected but it will take some time, as with young horses you are governed by how quickly they mature physically and mentally.

To help her build muscle tone, I would suggest lunging her once or twice a week with a pair of side reins to help her understand where she should carry her head so she is in the correct outline. However, it is important not to have the side reins too tight as she must be able to continue to move freely forward from her hind legs into the contact. We also do a reasonable amount of walking and hill work with our young horses to help them strengthen up. I hope this helps. 

Good luck and do let us know how you get on. 

Alice