Tack n' Talk
Online Equestrian ResourceArchive for June, 2011
Perfecting Training Level Test 1: Movement 5
Movement 5
Points 10:
Between E & K Working trot
Directive: Willing, balanced transition; quality of canter and trot
What can I say…this movement is all about balance. In my previous posts, I have described quality in both the trot and canter gaits…now it’s all about balance!
There is one thing that the best riders in the world share, that is they have a special feeling for “balance.” A dressage horse has a much different balance than a racehorse for example, but balance is the key to each and every equestrian sport. The greatest secret of riding is the achievement of “balance.”
The rider who hasn’t experienced balance with his horse, won’t miss it. He’s just happy to ride his horse with a huge smile on his face. However, if you know what it feels like to sit on a well trained, balanced horse, it’s really a punishment to sit on a horse that is unbalanced and/or poorly-trained. I know that is the one thing that really get’s me going!
Riding towards better balance requires quality transitions! Poor transitions that are on the forehand will make the horse worse by teaching him exactly the opposite of what we want to achieve. Correctly ridden transitions achieve three objectives: One, they help the horse to understand the meaning of your aids to go forward and come back. Secondly, they make him physically strong by building muscle in all the correct places and thirdly, they develop the balance to allow your horse to carry more weight on his hindquarters without losing that forward momentum.
In this test, the judge will start looking at your balance in the transition. By nature, your horse is balanced toward his forehand, so if you sit on your horse and allow him to move forward on a long rein, 60 percent of his total weight will be on his forehand. This is his natural balance. There’s nothing wrong with that, but if you go forward into trot or canter, your horse will go more on the forehand, and this is what we want to avoid! We want your horse to remain in balance whether we go forward or come back, at all times!
As a training method, the shortening of the canter stride can prepare your horse for the transition to trot, however, he must wait for your final aid to make that transition. If, for example, your canter speed is 7 miles per hour and your trot speed is 5 miles per hour, your ultimate aim is to slow down the canter to five miles per hour, which if you think about it is a form of collection, and then the transition will be smooth because your horse is already going at exactly the same speed as the new gait! If your horse breaks into trot too early, that may mean he just isn’t accepting the aids for slowing down the canter. Perhaps the shorter strides you are asking for are much too hard for your horse to do, so, the request to trot shouldn’t be delayed. If you think your horse is able to slow down the canter, then you really need to get after your horse and make sure he delivers on the collected canter.
Transitions are all about feelings. Once you and your horse get the feeling for transitions, then you can start to make them at the exact letter in future tests where the judge would like to see them performed. Remember, judges are always looking for the final result. No judge would be happy to see you do downward transitions if you slow down the canter as I have described as he wants to see the canter, then a crisp, clear transition to trot without any in between collected steps. However, keep this in mind, only when your horse is very well trained and over the back will he be able to perform the transition as the judge wants to see it!
Good luck in those transitions, Larissa!
It’s warm outside!
According to the calendar, we have just started summer although some of us are still waiting very patiently for those sunny, hot days. Many, like me, enjoy riding in the sun, and we may tend to forget while enjoying the ride, that our horses overheat much quicker than we do. What should we know as we enter the hot summer riding season.
Firstly, a good beginning is to be aware and keep a record of your horse’s vital statistics. A horse’s normal temperature is anywhere between 99 and 101.5 degrees. The normal heart rate for an adult horse is 30 – 40 beats per minutes. The respiration rate, for an adult horse is between 12 – 25 breaths per minute. Remember, that the more fit the horse, the slower the pulse and respiration. A good test for dehydration is to pinch the skin on the horse’s neck. The skin should return to the flat and normal position within 3 seconds. Another test for dehydration is to press your finger on the gums of your horse causing a white area. The pink color should return in 1 second. I like to keep a statistical log on my horse and I routinely check their vitals weekly. If you do something similar, you’ll have a very good understanding of your horse’s pattern.
It is a hot, humid day and you are riding your horse moderately through the trails, or in the arena. You may be surprised to know that it only takes 17 minutes of moderate intensity exercise to raise your horse’s temperature to dangerous levels. That is three to 10 times faster in your horse, than you, a human. So remember that horses feel the heat much worse than you do.
A higher temperature, rapid respiration rate, weakness, dry skin and erratic behavior are all signs of heat stress and exhaustion. If the body temperature of your horse increases from 99 to 105, the working muscles can reach as high as 109, a temperature in which proteins in the muscles literally being to cook. So, it is very important to take care when riding your horse during hot days. If you would like more summer riding tips, check out my article “Hot Summer Riding” on Tack and Talk, but in the meantime, enjoy the sun!
Larissa
Equestria Collections Discount Coupons For Our Tack and Talk Readers
I am very excited to announce that after collaboration with Chris Duggan, President of Equestrian Collections, I am able to assemble great products to help YOU, the rider with all your equestrian needs. I love Equestrian Collections! It truly is a one stop shop for everything equine from top manufacturers around the world. Thanks Chris for making such a wonderful online store! Available only to Tack and Talk, Equestrian Collections is offering up to $15 off your purchase. To get your coupon, log onto my Product Watch Page and just click on your coupon. It’s as easy as that. Equestrian Collections has “Keep Cool” riding apparel as well as Fly Masks and Fly Sheets for your horses and ponies.
Equestrian Collections is the place that I shop. Happy shopping – Larissa.
