Forward drive in a newly backed 4-year-old pony

Early on, while the horse is learning the basic aids, the key is to keep everything clear for him. Your timing matters enormously, both for when you apply the leg and for when you release. So does reading the moment, choosing when it is most sensible to ask for the behaviour you want. And never punish the horse for getting it wrong.

Learning to push forward in a relaxed way can take time. Some horses stop or refuse to go forward when they find something hard, while others rush away from it. Are you doing any work from the ground as well, such as lungeing in a working frame or long-reining? Teaching the aids from the ground first makes it easier for the horse to understand, because then he only has his own body to manage, with no rider or weight on his back.

You might start by seeing whether he can walk a little slower and a little faster. Play with the tempo here. Ask him to walk faster and faster until he chooses trot himself because it feels easier, then praise him hugely and slow down fairly quickly. The aim is to draw out the behaviour you want, not to push. Ask for more when he looks focused on you and seems to find it easy to go on, on a long side, for example. Putting out a few poles to go over now and then can also draw out focus and willingness. Make it easy for him to succeed, and do not punish mistakes. That is how you build a partnership and trust between you.

Once you have built this up well from the ground, you can mount up and ride. Have someone on the ground who can help guide the horse if needed.

Work in short spells with lots of small breaks. Some horses want to stand still and rest, others want to walk around on a long rein. Working the same exercises a few times and then building on them tends to help the horse understand his job, which in turn makes him more confident. For example, work an exercise for a short spell from the ground, then hop on and do exactly the same thing in the saddle. 😊