About collection....I have some questions for the more
experienced riders out there. It amazes me how much I learn every
year!! :) Anyway, I have not been able to condition the miles I
would like to lately and this winter have spent some time
riding/training/working on simple stuff to keep our minds sharp and the cabin
fever at bay. Spring is here (I have been able to go on longer and longer
rides) and Nelson is training our 5 yo stallion to drive (doing beautifully by
the way.) To make a long story short, I have been riding Malik while
Nelson drives Mykal. The two stallions are at very different levels of
fitness and I am often required to hold Malik back to accomodate Mykal. In
so doing, he began doing this very beautiful, fun, collected "canter"...almost
like staying in place but going nowhere slowly. :) Well, not
nowhere...but you get my drift. Malik will travel well collected for me at
the trot and canter but I have never asked him to do this ultra controlled
collection. When he has, it is usually a protest on his part. The
first time we did it for a ways and it was quite a work out for him. Since
then, I have begun initiating these little mini workouts during our rides...at
first, he did it out of frustration at not being able to go the speed he wanted
to but now he will do it for me when I ask (usually...but it is hard work for
him). Nelson and I feel this is working a different set of muscles for him
and also causing him to really concentrate mentally (neither of which can hurt
him!). Does anyone else do this kind of thing with their horse as a
physical or mental exercise? If so, tell me about it...I don't want to
overdo it.
