4 Exercises To Encourage “Long and Low” In Your Horse

Riding your horse “long and low” is meant to encourage suppleness and help him stretch through his back.

It’s a relaxing way to help the horse to become more elastic in his gaits, looser in his body and overall more free in his movement. In some lower-level dressage, you may see a “stretch trot” circle which encompasses this kind of long and low movement.

But the benefits of riding a horse long and low expand beyond discipline. Heels Down Mag cobbled together five of our favorite riding and groundwork exercises to create a free-moving, elastic horse. Enjoy.

Gymnastic Stretches

In this video, Karen Loshbaugh of Art 2 Ride describes the biomechanics of engagement, and how asking a horse to stretch over the back into a long and low frame helps prevent injury.

For Young Horses

Trainer Will Faerber explains how using the long and low technique helps encourage the right kind of balance and freedom in the gaits from the start when training a young horse.

Stretch But Keeping The Connection

In this video Trainer Randi Thompson offers some tips on how to encourage the horse to stretch forward without losing the engagement in the hind end and the connection.

Common Mistakes

Amelia Newcomb addresses the common mistakes riders make when riding a stretch trot circle in dressage, and how to fix them.