Re: RC: dressage and keeping horse "on the bit"

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/12/99 8:08:40 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
guest@endurance.net writes:

<<  I know we want to avoid hollowing of the back while on the trails, but 
how round should the horse be kept mile after=
  mile?  How much contact do most of you use while on the trail?  Do you ask 
for more extreme roundness in the dressage ri=
 ng, but accept far less on the trail?  >>

I'm no dressage expert, but one thing to keep in mind is that roundness 
starts with the rear end.  One may need to have much more contact with the 
mouth in teaching the horse to round so that the energy from the rear end is 
applied to roundness instead of to willy-nilly forward motion.  However, once 
the horse becomes round out of habit, he wlll carry himself that way with 
very little contact (and in some cases virtually none at all).  I want my 
endurance horse as round as possible, but over time he will carry himself 
that way longer and longer without as much "reminder" from up front.  Hence 
contact during the ride need not be as consistent as in the dressage ring.  
With a young horse that doesn't have that figured out, one should ride with 
as much contact as necessary.

Heidi


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