What is the best way to increase (dare I say teach?) impulsion from behind on a green horse? And what exercises? I also would love training tips on toning the hind muscles. Thank you. 

Depending no how green this horse is there are a few exercises you can try. How green is he/she?

1. Cavalleti is a great way to build muscle, suspension and engagement. Spacing them  at different distances can help develop either collection, lengthening, or developing a good regular trot as long as the horse is through (truly on the bit).

2. Shoulder in is also a great exercises in developing engagement and adjustability. Make sure it is a true shoulder in and not your horse bending only through the neck and make sure hes no 3 tracks.

3. Shoulder in, lendthening, shoulder in, is also a good for developing engagment and lenghthenings.

LOTS of transitions!!!

Hope this helps 

Thank you.

I am definitely planning on our workouts being mostly longitudinal and lateral work (shoulder-in, haunches-in, half-pass, lengthening/shortening, rein back etc)

I might also take him up the small back hill we have to encourage muscle from his back and hind end.

And then we'll see about him being a jumper.

Thanks for your help!

Anyone else have brilliant ideas as well?
 

A fairly simple answer, but trotting up hills may help a lot if you can manage that where you live.  If the horse is really green maybe find a friend with a more experienced horse to go with?

 Trotting up and down hills will the excellent for developing muscle.  To increase impulsion remember he has to be moving FORWARD FORWARD FORWARD with energy BEFORE you catch that energy with the bridle.  It's an oft-practiced habit to take up that contact first and the push forward second -- backwards.

Solaris:

 Trotting up and down hills will the excellent for developing muscle.  To increase impulsion remember he has to be moving FORWARD FORWARD FORWARD with energy BEFORE you catch that energy with the bridle.  It's an oft-practiced habit to take up that contact first and the push forward second -- backwards.

i definatly agree with this but be sure its FORWARD not RUSHING. There is a very big difference. and dont let him run around on the forehand, this will create rushes and send his hind legs flying out behind him. Good luck with him

 Agreed.  Once the engine is running, make sure you catch and balance it so you don't get the rushy lean-y stuff all the time.

faluut42:

i definatly agree with this but be sure its FORWARD not RUSHING. There is a very big difference. and dont let him run around on the forehand, this will create rushes and send his hind legs flying out behind him. Good luck with him

 As the other poster stated, don't allow your horse to rush.  This is one of those really common mistakes too.  Many people are concerned with just going up and down the hill but this is one of those very good times for you to practice maintain speed and cadence.  Start out on the flat working transitions, all sorts of transitions, transitions to and from other gaits, transitions within gates (even the walk), backing and do the same thing up and down the hill.  Even maintaining a good working walk up and down a hill will increase your horse's impulsion and build up his hiney.  Get creative after you've got that down and do circles and serpentines up and down the hill, always maintaining speed and cadence of course.  As others have said, use ground poles and cavaletti to get your horse thinking about lifting and thrusting forward.  Never allow your horse to jump the ground poles or cavaletti, just walk and trot over them.  A good exercize for teaching them to maintain the forward while doing other things is shoulder in/shoulder out.  Do this everywhere, in the riding arena on the diagonal, on the long rail, on the trail, up the hill.  Practice backing up exercizes... back up between ground poles in all different shapes, back up in circles but again try to maintain speed and cadence, no step then stop then step, etc.  On a green horse, start slowly, let your horse learn the movements before you push for more speed or lots of control then gradually expect and require your horse to give you more to reach what your goal is.  I believe you'll find that not only will your horse have more impulsion, increased hiney muscling and suppling but you'll probably also see a huge difference in the immediacy of your horse's responses to your aids.

I find lots of canter transitions on a circle good for improving a horse's understand of how to balance himself from behind. I start by just asking for canter off the 20m circle between X and the track (so he has 3 'corners' to navigate before the next long side). I would ask for trot again before I got to the long side. Because he has to balance himself on his inside hind to canter the circle and he never gets to canter a straight line, I find this a quick way to help a horse get the idea.

 Later I would move up to cantering half circles across the school (say from B to E for example) and then to cantering full 20m and 15m circles.

When I felt the horse was ready I would ride the long diagonal to X (say M to X for example) in trot and then half circle back to the track at say B picking up canter on the half circle. Basically picking up canter on a half 10m circle. Once I got to the track I would canter up the long side to M. This would be the first point at which I would introduce cantering in a straight line - coming OUT of a 10m circle means the horse will be extra engaged to support himself and you won't end up getting too long and flat on the straight line.

Not until I could confidently pick up canter on the 10m half circle out of trot or walk either from the track to X or from X to the track would I even consider cantering more than half the school in a straight line. Cantering in a straight line IMO is the last thing a horse should do if you are working on impulsions and 'coming through from behind'.

obviously if your horse is very very green and struggling to balance on a circle, he needs to establish his ability to canter with a rider on a straight line but at this stage of his training, I wouldn't worry about impulsion. As soon as he has the balance to carry your confidently, I would personally stay off straight lines as much as possible.

 Echo hill work for building muscle BTW.