Test Your Knowledge Contest October, 2010
The horse in this video needs to become more collected. What advice would you give this rider to increase his horse's collection and self carriage?
This month we are giving away a set of Shutz Bros. Double Ply, Stitched Reins.
This month we are giving away a set of Shutz Bros. Double Ply, Stitched Reins.
The key to collection is to get the head at the right angle. Collection is not, though, simply about the position of the horse's head. The head should be at an angle such that the mouth or place of the bit is above the point of the hip. This will accomplish the hindquarters being under the horse. Collection partly means that the horse is using its hindquarters and not just riding off the front.
ReplyDeleteThe rider should lenghten his stirrups so that he can sit more deeply in the saddle. Keeping his hands low and quiet, softly make contact with the bit until the horse gives his face. Squeeze with first his thighs and then his legs until the horse is moving forward. Don't keep contstant tight contact on the reins. Establish contact until the horse gives his face and then release. Do this at a walk, then a trot, then a canter, only moving up each time when the horse is consistently collected.
ReplyDeleteLengthen his stirrups at first, to get out of the "Chair"-Seat and center his body weight more underneath him. A more balanced seat is important, so the horse can lift it's back more easily. The legs of the rider are too close to the cinch and should move back. He keeps contact on his reins at all times and sends confusing messages with too little quick release at the right moment to show the horse the way out.
ReplyDeleteIt would be important to first work on lateral flexion, then work on vertical flexion. When the horse lowers it's head and starts lifting it's back, lengthens it's stride, release slowly with soft hands, allowing the horse to slowly slide out of this position. This will - in long terms - help the horse understand that when there's a release, it doesn't mean drop posture as well, but encourage it to stay in it.
- Rider's seat needs to improve and become more independent
- Gear needs to be corrected (stirrup length)
- Hands need to be softer with a better release at the right second
- Horse needs to be allowed to feel a release slowly with soft hands that follow a feel, to remain in the wanted posture - collection.
Is the horse in draw reins or a tie down? Maybe the yo-yo headsetter? I can't tell in the video, it's a little grainy on my monitor, but I can just see something running from the bit to the breastcollar. You can see clearly at 15 seconds where the reins release pressure (draping can be seen) but whatever is going down from the bit is not releasing (staying taut). So the horse is not getting a complete release from pressure on his mouth to tell him when he has done something right. He just continues to fight it. I agree with lengthening and relaxing the rider's legs, but until the constant pressure on the bit is fixed, no amount of correction in the rider's position will help the horse. I would also say that he needs to focus on collection at the walk and trot before moving on to the lope. Even at the walk the horse's head position is behind the vertical and he's not collecting there.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to advise this rider, it would be a little more simple: at a walk, drive with your legs, when the horse drops his head and rounds up, immediately release the reins, RELAX and ask again. The horse will eventually get the idea It just takes repetition and a lot of time. Make the right thing easy for the horse.
ReplyDeletethe Horse needs to became more supple. Round his back, Carrie himself on his hindquarters instead of the forehand. I would suggest a lot of stopping and backing up. Some rollback work alone the rail wouldnt hurt either. First get him up in the bridle.
ReplyDeleteThe rider has a good start with the german martingale. It will help the rider with some of the suppleing exercises. The rider can do many different exercises to supple and collect the horse. Bending the body in an arc and pushing the horse off the inside leg to help get the horse to bend laterally is a good way to start. Then the rider can shorten the reins to the point that it restricts the horse from poking his nose out and then use the legs to send the horse up to the bit. As the horse learns to move while his head is restricted he can gradually restrict the head more, still sending the horse forward into the bit with his legs. Another exercise that helps teach the horse to get supple and move forward into the suppleness or move "through" is to bend the horse with one rein and back him with the other until the horse drops his head and backs freely on a loose rein. Then he can send the horse forward into a lope without allowing the nose to go back out. Lots of lope departures done while maintaining this "frame" will help the horse push off from behind and will eventually help him use his rear to stop also. Just loping the horse forward and working the hands back and forth to encourage the horse drop his face and actually overbend while useing the legs aggressively enough to keep the horse moving forward at a steady lope will help the horse learn to round his back and lower his head so that he is using his rear end in a way that will allow him to stop properly.
ReplyDeleteI would suggest that the rider lower his stirrups a bit and sit up straight, he's leaning forward which puts this horse on his forhand to compensate the balance. The riders legs need to make better contact with this horses sides to drive and cue. To have collection, you must use both hands and legs together. As he's loping, I would rock my legs and hands to collect this horse. Prior to loping, I would have warmed this horse up by suppleing and bending this horse laterly on both sides. Bend his head to your boot and have him move off of your inside leg then go into your lope.
ReplyDeleteFirst, to gain collection and self carriage, I would begin slow, at a walk, and then a trot before continuing with the lope. Many people have a false idea of what "true" collection is, and they think it is simply getting the horse to lower the head, but there is more to it. To have a nicely collected horse, it is important to have a proper headset, but also to engage the hind end of the horse as well. Some changes I would suggest:
ReplyDelete-Lengthen stirrups (allows rider to move legs to gain better control)
-Rather than a constant pull at the bit, reward the horse when he drops his head and shows any signs of doing what he is supposed to do. Ask for more once he starts to understand.
-Ride with your legs rater than your hands. Pushing with your legs rather than just riding with the reins will help the horse engage the back half of his body rather than just the front.
-When preparing to stop, ask with your body instead of just with the reins. Sit back on in the saddle and mentally "stop". Take your legs off, quit riding and just say "whoa". Along with the amount of pressure needed on the bridle, your horse should stay collected and stop smoother.
If you keep the idea in mind that collection is more than just a headset, you will have more luck with developing a better self carriage.
Test
ReplyDeleteI won't repeat all the wonderful suggestions already made but will add some. Work on backing the horse until he drops his head into the position and elevation you want, backing in cirles to elevate shoulders and then ride forward without losing the frame you've created. As soon as you lose it, stop and back again in to frame then forward in walk, eventually back to trot, then back to lope as horse learns what you want. Be careful you don't lean forward in the back up. You might try pressing on your stirrups to lighten your seat allowing the horses back to come up to you. The other thing is to think about riding stop sign shapes instead of circles as each slight corner is a place to lift shoulders in, and therefore up. The horse will have to get his butt under him to lift his shoulders. Also start the exercise at the walk, then trot, then lope. Think of the stop sign shape as a guideline only. I would lift his shoulders in and then turn him loose and as soon as he loses frame lift his shoulders in again and turn him loose. In the beginning it will be like a stop sign because he won't hold frame and you'll have to pick him up again right away but with practice he will hold frame longer and your octagon will become a hexagon then a pentagon then a square. You get the idea, the horse will learn to hold frame and you will correct when he needs it and then, Turn Him Loose
ReplyDelete