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Comment by vickie lawson on February 1, 2012 at 12:33am

starting to think higher level dressage is beyond me! marks are very discouraging!

 

Comment by Christopher Hyams on January 19, 2012 at 8:25pm

There's a new post on http://DressageUnderground.wordpress.com.

It may give you insight into how it IS done, rahter than how it is NOT.

 

Comment by Christopher Hyams on January 10, 2012 at 10:54am

new post on http://DressageUnderground.wordpress.com

May teh horse be with you!

Comment by vickie lawson on January 8, 2012 at 5:59pm

Hi Mary:  Thanks for that. I agree she is lazy to the leg and I probably, as you suggest haven't been insisting every ride, every minute that she wake up to the aids. So I am going to focus on this.  I am lucky that I can forest ride her here in nz on lovely sand tracks that are up and down hill, so I also practice getting her to work outside the arena, which also is lovely for building strength, muscle and stamina. Unfortunately with work, I don't get out there as much as I wish. Thanks again for the advice and your effort in putting it nicely into text, I will be more diligent.

 

Comment by Mary McGuire Smith on January 8, 2012 at 1:51pm

Vicki, extension is developed from collection.  Focus on further developing the throughness, strength and straightness in your mare to truly carry herself in a balanced way and you will "automatically" be developing the best medium/extended trot your mare can produce. (Keep in mind that not all horses possess the ability for phenomenal medium/extended gaits, but all horses possess the ability to do the best gaits their conformation allows with a correct foundation).  The key is in developing the overall athlete.

In your work which you describe at the end, it sounds as though you are going through the correct exercises to accomplish quality med/ext....BUT, if the horse is not TRULY in front of your leg, then the entire body of the work is not only unproductive, it is counterproductive.  

Think of the huge amount of effort that is put forward when a serious body builder is doing his/her weight-training....it takes incredible effort to build that muscle mass...this is seen every time they work out by the fact that their breathing increases, their muscles bulge, they become sweaty even though the room temperature is chilly to the observer. It actually doesn't look very pretty or pleasant because of the amount of effort they put forward to build.

They work in a very logical progressive way, yes, but they are also very keen to push the envelope just a bit past the current point of their physical ability every day.  And they repeat that almost every day.  

Very, Very few of us ride our horses like they are athletes.  Very few of us allow our "personal trainers" to push us and our horses to receive the maximum effect from the maximum effort.

 And one more point....I am sure your trainer is just trying to show you how it "could" be by coming into the arena with buggy whip/baggie; but resist the urge to try to "show the mare how you want her to move" that way.  

When she moves under herself due to excitement, you lose the suppleness in the topline, and she becomes a "leg mover", which is a false movement and undermines future correct athletic development of the entire horse.

To recap:

Make sure the horse is and stays truly in front of your leg for the entire ride.  To accomplish this you may have to instill a much bigger reaction to your aids than you are getting now.  She sounds lazy to the leg (I am not criticizing your mare--MOST horses are or become lazy to the leg since it is such a big effort every day), so you have to sensitize her effectively.

Make sure you work your horse (with your trainer's supervision as many rides as possible, and clear "homework" instructions in between) to the absolute top of her physical ability each ride. 

To this end, have a clear picture of your daily training goal for each ride before you get on, and be flexible ONLY enough to focus on what your horse needs in the moment to get you to that overall daily goal.

Only bite off what your horse can chew, but make that bite big enough to truly satisfy the appetite for that day.

I know this is a lot of analogy, but I think you will get the meaning of what I am saying---it is not so much the mechanics of what you are doing that may not be enough...it is probably more about the amount of "torque" you are getting from those mechanics.  I hope this helps.

Good luck!

Comment by vickie lawson on January 8, 2012 at 10:52am

Hi. Im not getting the movement I so desire. I have a rising 6 yr old who has been under saddle for 3 yrs. And her just turned 4 yr old brother. The 6 yr old isn't giving my med paces- especially at the trot. She has them in her, like when my coach comes into the arena with a buggy whip with a plastic bag on the end, she can really move under herself then......

 

Ive tried adjusting the pace inside the trot work, and transitions, but  she is not stepping under herself and driving forward. 

 

Ideas?????

 

Comment by Christopher Hyams on January 4, 2012 at 8:07pm

Happy New Year, DFs! If you have not already seen it, I posted George Morris taking a dressage lesson ----WHAT?!?!?---on http://DressageUnderground.wordpress.com

Comment by Elaine Flintoff on October 3, 2011 at 2:15pm

Why does our Canadian Dressage Team have to travel to New York for training?  

Comment by Elaine Flintoff on October 3, 2011 at 2:05pm

I really enjoy this site !    So many issues to discuss, and so many knowledgeable responses.  I have always found that  horse training is individual to the horses' mind,  their age, conformation and physical ability to perform the task at hand.....

Comment by SUSIE-SOLOMON-MABE on October 3, 2011 at 12:30pm

Thanks E. call me Susie, ok= I dont show- hate the  whole scene- and study classical riding for the goal- the long term outcome of sanity and soundness  way into their 20's for my herd. while I want to achieve the highest levels of training that I can I will do it slowly and with kindness to each one of the horses.

 and  I do a lot of trail riding on my friesian stallion- and  he is  naturally up and very aware of his surroundings so when we go  thru creeks and up  the BLM paths and the valley cut down - he  can be up and still be looking where he puts his feet,-  and the little pic of him and I is when he was 7 months of age- now he is a big handsome fellow.

Since the stud is just 4 and beginning his life under saddle I do not school  him in *dressage*- more than 2 or 3 x a week and we do often start or end with a long hack over the  orchards and roads in N Ca. and he s just ridden 4 x a week- he does not need more until he is done growing into his skeleton at age 6.

   lotsof pics here on my  page  of the beautiful horses i SHARE MY LIFE WITH, and I do  ride the same way in my western saddles and my dressage ones,  and am equally comfy.

 thanks again, Susie

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