Re: Re: Training ride today

["Tracey" <tracey@tbt.co.za>]

Hi, all.  I just wanted to add that in my admittedly limited experience, I
have found that horses who do this (star-gaze) as youngsters often benefit
from the rider staying OFF the back for as long as possible.  It is then
easier for the horse to round his back, and you can gradually start lowering
yourself into the saddle.  And I second, third, fourth and fifth the "no
gadget" rule.  That's just lazy, lazy, lazy.

Tracey


-----Original Message-----
From: Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>
To: ridecamp@endurance.net <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Cc: donp@dcr.net <donp@dcr.net>
Date: 11 September 2000 06:09
Subject: RC: Re: Training ride today


>>... At the canter [he] ends up with his nose in the air after a couple of
>>hundred feet... He's had plenty of
>>practice at the canter but not in the woods.
>>
>My guess on this situation would be that the horse's muscles aren't quite
>strong enough yet to keep him rounded and his back lifted for that long of
>a distance.  I was taught (and consequently train green horses this way) to
>ask them to do the hard exercise correctly (back lifted, back legs coming
>under) for a short stretch and then stop doing the exercise *before* they
>start to fall apart.  If you continue with the canter after the horse has
>started to tire, you will help develop the muscles in the wrong direction
>and the end result will be counter-productive to what you want to
>accomplish.
>
>Adding gimmicks to the exercise (tie-downs, martingales, side reins, draw
>reins, etc.) will be as counter-productive as having them continue doing
>the exercise incorrectly.  (Altho it may seem to be helping in the short
>term, it will be detrimental in the long term.)  The muscles strength and
>stamina will develop on the underside of the body instead of on the topline
>since horses will learn to lean or balance on the assistive device when
>they start to tire...and your goal is to develop the strength in the back,
>abdomen, and haunches, not in the underside of the neck -- or you will have
>a horse that will continue to throw his head up for lack of strength in the
>proper muscles and *continue* to strengthen the wrong muscles.  It's much
>more difficult to reverse this development -- we've done this with several
>horses here that had been ridden with gimmicks "holding" their heads down
>or had been previously pulling carts, etc....and it's a loooonnnngggg, slow
>process since they will opt to use the strongest muscles (the underside)
>until they become the weaker muscles and the topline becomes the stronger
>set of muscles.
>
>The head will come down when the horse is using the topline correctly (back
>lifted instead of hollow) and using his rear end for push rather than his
>front end for pull.  Keep in mind that "practice doesn't make
>perfect"..."PERFECT practice makes perfect"!  If you do an exercise very
>well for 100 feet (or 3 times, or whatever) and then you do it very poorly
>for 600 feet (or 20 times, etc.), which way has the horse had the most
>practice???  Pulling the head down will NOT develop the correct muscles.
>The ability to lift the back and use the abdominals will bring the head
>down naturally.
>
>Now, having said all that (!), a collected canter in the arena is a bit
>different than a forward canter for a long stretch.  With a proper
>collected canter, the horse's head will be down, face will be vertical with
>the neck and back lifted, and the haunches very rounded...with a canter
>down a long stretch on the trail, the horse's head will be a bit forward of
>the vertical -- not high in the sky, but not nearly as low.  This is to
>allow the body to lengthen (the front legs can't go out further than the
>nose), maintain balance in a lengthened frame, and have better visibility
>of the terrain further ahead.  The key to look for here is whether the
>topside of the neck looks rounded or the bottom side is bulging and
>rounded.  If he hollows his back, throws the head up, and goes on the
>forehand, give him (his muscles) a rest before continuing...and don't
>overdo.  TTT!!!
>
>Sue
>
>
>
>sbrown@wamedes.com
>Tyee Farm
>Marysville, Wa.
>ARICP Certified Riding Instructor
>Recreational Riding II, Dressage I
>
>
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