| Author | Topic |
|---|
Jacquie
Member
| Posted: Tue Dec 1st, 2009 03:25 am |
What is a good way to develop a horses ability to extend in trot without it risking the horse producing a running trot, a toe flicking trot and without the horse falling on the forehand?
Jacquie
|
DrDeb
Super Moderator
| Joined: | Fri Mar 30th, 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 3335 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
| Posted: Tue Dec 1st, 2009 01:48 pm |
Commit to making softness and 100% interior OKness your first priority.
This means that whenever the horse ceases to give a soft feel and be 100% OK, then you MUST STOP whatever you think you are doing and go back and recover these things.
The key to obtaining extension of gaits is to first obtain correct collection, for extension is founded upon and cannot exist without collection.
But collection is founded upon straightness, and straightness is founded upon OKness.
This would be the protocol that is the one and only way to obtain real results instead of the ersatzes that we see in dressage competition at all levels. -- Dr. Deb
|
Jacquie
Member
| Posted: Tue Dec 1st, 2009 02:00 pm |
In that case I suppose the way I have been attempting to do it is probably about right then. I am trying to acheive those things and the horse is pretty soft and is mostly OK in his balance now. I will keep working on him. It is taking a long time, but thats OK. I dont have a have a particular time schedule for the horse - or me. The move you call 'the rocker' works well for this horse to help him coil his huge loins. He is at last finding himself and is able to mostly carry out balanced transitions without hollowing.
thanks
Jacquie
|
DrDeb
Super Moderator
| Joined: | Fri Mar 30th, 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 3335 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
| Posted: Tue Dec 1st, 2009 02:13 pm |
Jacquie, TURN just as soon as you feel him brace, every single time you feel him brace. Then after the turn, make a down transition as soon as that can be done softly. Then go a few steps in the walk, set his body to a curve, and make the up transition without permitting him to straighten out. And as soon as he has made the transition -- he may brace during the transition but within a few steps of making a curved transition it will fade out of there, and you don't let him off the curve until it does. But as soon as he gets soft, make another down transition and rub his neck and give him the buckle and walk a while before doing this whole sequence again.
Not the rocker for this, so much as asking for the longest possible steps, then the shortest possible steps, then the longest possible steps at a WALK. 30 long, 10 short, 50 long, 10 short, 30 long, 10 short, then on the buckle and rest. By "short" I mean a step that is five inches long. By "long" I mean a step that is a yard and a half wide.
The secret to getting passionate, involved, more-than-willing responses is SHORT BOUTS and MANY TRANSITIONS.
And 100% OKness. -- Dr. Deb
|
Jacquie
Member
| Posted: Wed Dec 2nd, 2009 10:52 am |
Dr Deb
thanks very, very much for that. You have been most helpful, - as always.
I will try.
Jacquie
|
|
|