Re: RC: High headed? "Collection" at "extension"???

[Farafix@aol.com]

Kerry,

You make an interesting observation.  My experience has been that the horse 
needs to lower it's head to get into a really good "road" trot.  My mare had 
a lower neck carriage naturally, and could really trot.  Her son was 
naturally very collected and had a very nice dressage type trot with a lot of 
bounce,  He had to canter to keep up with his dam when I first started 
getting him out on the trails.  Three yrs later, he has now developed as good 
a trot as his mom, & will trot when other horses are cantering.  I noticed 
that he used to play around with his neck/head carriage trying to keep up 
with his dam --- he would raise & lower it, & eventually figured out a lower 
head carriage helped to send the energy of the trot forward rather than so 
much up & down.
However, I learned the hard way with the mare, that too much extended "road" 
trotting will tend to cause the back to get stiff, making the canter stiff.  
Some collected cantering & collected trotting, as well as brisk walking with 
a "swinging" back will help keep the back muscles stretched.

Nancy
Md


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