Collection or not?

[Silvia]

I recently started to do some schooling with my new horse, Nikita. He is starting to work on the bit, but I like to keep him in a long outline. There is an instructor at my yard (not my instructor, for good reasons) who keeps telling me to pull up his head to get him to engage his hindquaters and get the weight off the forehand. That seems wrong to me. Nikita is nine, but spent the last years as a pasture ornament. I think he should be treated like a youngster and learn to relax and find his balance.
But the instructor said to trot like this would damage his joints and that he needs collection to learn balance.
Does she have a point?
There is a picture of me riding Nikita at http://homepages.about.com/newrider/photos/id6.html at the bottom of the page. Please take a look and tell me what you think!

[Heather]

HI Silvia,

Just looked at the photos of Nikita- what a lovely horse!

He has a kind look in his eye, and I can just imagine that he is very happy to try to please.

I think that what your instructor means is that he is just lowering ihs head and not stepping through with his hindlegs, - he will only truly be going 'long and low' when he is stepping under better.

Without actually seeing him move, it is diffcult to tell whether he is just not using his back end because he has never been taught how to, or whether he finds it difficult naturally.

If you intend to ride him long and low, you need to use your legs to engage his back end more, but not to make the stride faster. Do this in rising trot. You must regulate the tempo by your slowing your descent to the saddle, by holding slightly with your thighs as your seat returns from the rise phase.It is a bit like putting your foot on the accelerator, and at the same time, using the handbrake. But what we want is long slower strides in a regular rhythm, not fast choppy ones.

When he is able to maintain this outline through changes of bends, on circles, serpentines, shallow loops, demi-voltes etc, then is the time to ask him to work mre 'up' in front. Do this by making many transitions from walk to trot, trot to walk, then trot to halt and halt to trot, eventually also adding canter transitions. This will engage the hocks more and really get the back end working. Then teach him rein-back, and go from rein-back to trot- this again is a great exercise for increasing engagement.



Hope this sets you both off on the right path- let me know how it goes-

Heather

[Silvia]

Thank you Heather! I think now I have a clue what the instructor meant and what I am supposed to do. Sounds pretty difficult, though. I'll give it a go tomorrow.
P.S: Did you get my e- mail about the video assessment?

[Bootyfulcobs]

that's one gorgous horse!:)

[Tammy]

Silvia, I can't believe you even thought twice about Nikita! He looks great and I bet he really tries to please you. Lucky horse!

Is that your new HM dressage saddle?

[Silvia]

No, sadly it is not the HM saddle. I had a bit of bad luck - the computer system of the Austrian stockist I ordered it from broke down and they sent the saddle to someone else by mistake. That person appearently liked the saddle so much that they didn't send it back. So now there is no knowing where the saddle has gone and I'll have to wait for two months till I can get another one. :rolleyes:

[Dizzy]

Silvia, what a beautiful horse, you look as if were made for each other.

Bad luck about the saddle, it's so frustrating when things like that happen.

Good luck with the schooling,

Lesley

[Silvia]

I tried your advice today, but could not get it to work. Nikita clearly had no idea what I wanted him to do. He tensed up and slowed down and it felt like he was trotting with his front but walking with his hind legs. He was snorting and getting very excited and tossing his head, even though I had the reins only a tiny bit shorter than usual. He ever did a tiny rear - with his feet just an inch off the ground, but it scared me. When I stopped squeezing with my tighs he went off in a very fast and bouncy trot.
I dropped the subject after ten minutes because I did not know what to do. Did I do it wrong or could there be something physically wrong with him? I have never seen him act like this before!

[Heather]

HI Silvia,

It is pretty unusual for any horse to react in this way to what is the normal way of slowing the tempo, without resorting to pulling with the reins! He may be ultra sensitive. and get a bit wound up because he doesn't yet quite understand what you mean.

The only other thing I can advise you to do, is to let himm go on a loosish rein and then think slower, literally just think the trot slower and softer. You will be surprised but this often works with sharp horses such as these.

I did not get your email, by the way re: video lessons.

Try the 'thinking slower' and let me know how you get on. Don't worry about where his head is at this stage, whe he starts to relax and breathe correctly instead of rushing, his head should start to lower of it's own accord.


Heather

[Silvia]

I had my instructor take a look today and I know now what I did wrong. I did have the reins too short, plus I was tensing up my whole leg, not just the thigh. No wonder the poor horse got upset with me, especially as he experienced a lot of kicking and pulling the reins in his former home!
My instructor and me decided it would be best not to ask too much of him until I sorted out my chair seat and know how to give the correct aids. It would be a shame to spoil his trust by rushing things. Thanks again for your help!

[floppy]

awws nikita is such a lovely kind lookin horse :)