Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Kat,     

 

Ginger and Heidi explained it well. I also do a lot of work at the walk. I think a good walk is one of the most underrated gaits on a horse!

 

When i start a youngster, I don't worry about collection., As Grant Golliher told me, to make a horse go straight, first let him go crooked. Meaning, let him find his balance. It won't be pretty at first, but with the balance comes all the rest.

 

I let youngsters just walk and feel themselves and me on them,. When they are well balanced, we work at the trot. I may not add canter for a year, depending on how quickly the horse learns or feels comfortable.

 

During this, I let them go on a loose rein, not worrying for now about what their head or back end is doing. Meaning, I don't try to force a frame, the frame will come ....

 

When the horse is ready, I start asking lightly for collection at the walk. I think if you can't get collection at the walk, you won't have true collection at the trot or canter. i could be wrong, but my mentor was SRS trained and I learned his way of doing things.

 

When I ask for collection, I also am asking the horse to work "on the bit". I collect up the reins, but don't ask for a dropped head at this point, I ask the horse with my legs to move up into the bit. When the horse feels that, at first he'll root around trying to figure out what you want, but then he'll figure out that he gets his own reward by "giving," and working with the bit. The hind end is propelling the horse and he learns that dropping his head and rounding his back is a comfortable way to travel, but a little hard, too.

 

When we're starting out, I  only ask for that for a step or two. I want to give the horse a release quickly so the horse knows he got the right answer. Gradually, we ask for the collection a little longer at a time.

 

It's very hard work for a young horse to do a true collection and work from the hind forward, but once they get it, it's great.

 

I'm not asking for a frame like a dressage rider would like. I want the horse to be able to use his head and neck and whole body for balance. Collection is great when you are preparing to descend a hill, or you get into rough terrain, or you come up behind some slower moving horses or the horse gets a bit antsy about something.. My mentor used to say, a piaffe was a cure for many bad behaviors, LOL...

 

Yes, I guess you could say my mare was jigging a bit when she got a little unnerved by the galloping horses on the other side of the fence, however, it was very easy to ride and smooth, because she was giving, i.e., yielding to the bit and working in a nice frame. It wsn't a teeth jarring kind of jig. I've ridden the jigs where the horse is clenching the bit and hollowed in the back.. it's awful.

 

Rather, this was an energetic, collected trot with her feeling soft and yielding in my hands. To me it was an awesome moment. That feeling of real back to front movement with a horse's mouth like butter at the end of the reins.

 

Being as I know enough about dressage to be dangerous, I don't get those nice yielding moments as often as I would like, but when they happen, when I'm doing things right and the horse is responding, it's almost magical. It's certainly not a gait I would ask of a horse for a whole ride, but I'm glad we've got it when we need it.

 

Will we be able to do this when there's 25 prancing horses at a start, who knows? Probably not at first. But it's cool to know we have this tool in our toolbag and as we practice, I hope it will become second nature for her to respond to me that way.

 

It also teaches the horse to focus on the rider and not so much on peripheral stuff going on around her.

 

Some people teach this on the lunge line in side reins, but I prefer to teach it from atop the horse. My hands can give and reward the horse for giving me the right answer, the side reins cannot. They hold the horse in what many people call a false frame, with the head cranked down, but the horse not truly engaged from the rear.

 

I hope this explanation is better.

 

chris

gingerodgers@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> Kat,
>
> When training a horse to collect, my opinion is that you should always start with the walk. That is the most difficult place to start but it's also the best place to start. Once the horse understands what you want them to do, the trot and canter will follow in the proper manner. Not only are you teaching your horse but you are teaching yourself at the same time to do it properly.
>
> My understanding of "collection" comes from the little amount of dressage training I've had which is where, I believe, collecting your horse is best taught. My new horse, Brigadier, is incredible at it but has also had extensive dressage training prior to my purchasing him so he's teaching me, really! When your horse is properly collected, he is giving to the bit, head down, bending at the pole and impulsing from the rear, very light on the front legs. When you can get your horse to bring
>  it's head down, round it's neck and reach for the bit himself instead of you pulling him into it, you have then accomplished gaining control and him listening to you. 


"If I fill this moment with gratitude, the next moment can't help but bring blessings."


Chris and Star

BayRab Acres
http://pages.prodigy.net/paus