Well, actually the newest of my old horse pictures, me and the jug-headed grey horse I part-boarded, before my health went to crappola.
Here we are, out in the top field, where all the XC jumps were. Had to climb a mountain to get there. Old Grey (he's about 7 here) had been steadily "fed up" surreptitiously by me, he was half-dead-starved when I started. Real quiet. Amazing what an extra flake of hay or two will do. I'd been riding him (as much as I could) since the previous fall. Lovely spring day.
Boy, he's feeling goooood here.

I'm "behind" him, using my body angle & weight and my (bad, rounded) shoulders to bring him back, there's a lot of weight in my hands right now, but since his mouth was pretty numb, he's not reacting much. Yup, my leg is also too far forward, but I am in defense mode, where it's allowed. I'm aware of where we are, and what I don't want him to do. Please don't kill me, Grey Horse. I have to work tomorrow.
Don't bully me, I won't bully you.
Where I'd surprise him, him having been trained to lean constantly on your hands, is I'd consistently "drop" the contact, when he was in the balance I wanted, if only for a fraction of a second.
The result?

He'd lighten. Look how happy we are! Yes, I know his hind end is still all strung out behind him. Yes, I know he was long-backed, short-necked and um, larger headed. Old grey smelled great. Horse enough for me:) Together, we worked on finding a balance that was comfortable for us both.
A Canadian Point of Pride
Just to celebrate how well he's doing..EricLamaze&Hickstead. Proud Canadian? Darned right!
Remember, I live sort of near Toronto, home of ALL the losing "major" sports teams on the planet. You get to be my age, you'll appreciate any little nationalistic lift. Even if Eric IS from KayBeck. (Québec.) That's in CANADA. You know, big, colder country?
So dang polite, we literally apologize when people remark on how we're so dang polite. No sense arguing, when it's this cold out.
DressaHhhhge.
I was musing on the whole roll-kur thing. How something that is not even really that useful for a second, suddenly becomes the position to be assumed, for hours. I do Not, and will never, understand it. When did it happen? I guess it's my fault, having left the poor horses to their own devices...
It is the same old story. Why should the people who are winning, listen to the people who are not? The winning edge is achieved with more money than most of us will ever dream of possessing.
This is why I still hold out for, and watch, the ShowJumpers. Yes, there are terrible ways to train horses to jump higher better quicker. But the objective completion is what counts, i.e. whether they clear the jump or not. NO Subjectivity is allowed. Like Math. You're either right, or you're wrong.
Dressahhhhhge has become a haven for the circus. A semi-trained explosion, as opposed to a symphony.
Great Dressage hasn't disappeared. 2006 World Cup
I have watched this in better quality, NicoleUphoff, learning just recently she was supposedly the "first" to be seen using the dreaded too deep position. Have I got that history correct? Who knows. All I know is, it's gotten less "broke" in dressahhhge. I mean, if the halt is now considered irrelevant, why include it in a test of ultimate obedience or training? Does that make sense? Why should a horse exhibit the very worst form of disobedience, and still win a medal?
How does that further the cause of correct riding from the beginning?
The examples of questionable ideals are pretty rampant at the upper levels, it seems, and this has trickled down to the great unwashed, confused public, wishing someone would just make up their darn minds and answer the dang question. What is correct riding? Any discipline!
Ask an excellent young-horse trainer. The single most under-appreciated niche on the planet! If they go extinct, horses are in even huger trouble.
Hey, it's Puppy Blaze's Burp-Day, today!! Three years old.
awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!
The day after we got her. She slept most of the first day, poor little bayyyBEEE!.

Can't help myself. She's sooo adorable. The giant horse-sized longe-line was firmly attached until she got older.
Why? You may ask;)
The very first day Blaze arrived, she disappeared for 20 minutes. I took my eyes away from her for one, maybe two seconds. Scared the ever-lovin' heck out of me. Flip was no help, at all, she was too busy flirting with Blaze's daddy, brought along for introductions.
I guess Blaze thought, "WTF? I'm so outta here." She was 10 weeks when we got her. Heavy puppy. Her paws smelled like popcorn...

Ears A'Rising! Excuse the background, my lovely, filthy, house.

A few more, why not? It's her Birthday!

When they could still both (barely) fit, into one dog bed:)

Have a great week!
16 comments:
She's a cutie patootie!
Very confusing to me too the rollkur thing. I always wonder how amazing those horses who are subjected to it WOULD BE if their trainers were patient and let them hold their heads more comfortably. I just can't help but think how awful it would feel to dance/run/jump with my chin always on my chest. I know their necks are longer but still...
What a cutie pup!!
What I don't understand is the top dressage riders are always claiming that dressage is just a exagerated and controlled form of the horses natural movement. do you see any horses running around the paddock with the chin in their chest??
Just my opinion
"Where I'd surprise him, him having been trained to lean constantly on your hands, is I'd consistently "drop" the contact, when he was in the balance I wanted, if only for a fraction of a second."
Quickest way to end a game is simply not to play.
The more they pull, the more a rider tends to pull and from there it all goes downhill. Tough to pull on something when there is little or nothing to pull against. And you gotta love those hills for builing up their butt.
Rolkur should have never become anything more than the disgrace than it truly is.
WHat a darlin! Blaze !
WHen the "some is good more is better " philosophy is applied to horses we tend to see a mess , whether it be the rolkur ,chin to chest or the unatural peanut rollers in WP. Let them be a horse FCS !! let them move freely and they will carry you!
How sad that the beauty of dressage has been lost to the extremes. Such a better view when the horse and rider are relaxed and in sync.
Which is why I and several people I know quit showing, out of simple disgust. And the new amateurs coming up are looking at that crap as if it's normal...
Happy Burpday Blaze! I love the pup pics, they are too cute.
He might have some flaws, but he is still a pretty grey.
I second dvm2012's comment.
"do you see any horses running around the paddock with the chin in their chest??"
Once only. I was 11. A Cryptorchid that would self-mutilate.
Gorgeous, gorgeous horse, nutty as a fruitcake.
That Connemara cross that I rode for three years reminds me of the grey you are on. Had lots of talent but was like riding a freight train and was also a fruit loop. He is now about 18 and still a kook.
The difference between the first picture and the second is pretty clear. Wow. Just look at what happened to your position. Beautiful.
Thanks for sharing!
Ah, Andreas and BlueHors. Sigh.
Only thing that makes me happier is seeing Totilas and Edward.
Check out the walk at 2:53. That's why I like this. Still have a good walk at this level, something's been done right, imo.
I love your pictures. Happy B-Day pup.
You have it nailed GL. You are my internet riding guru.
14th, so there!
eeep.
You goggies are adorab-luh.
I wish you were closer.
you could so be my coach.
I need to learn centered riding.
Or I just need to go to a chiropractor and get straightened out.
:D
Sad, sad world of competitive dressage. To bad the horses are the ones paying the price. Rollkur is the beginning as they don't believe in ride with collection when you can yank on the horses mouth and force it to bend it's neck.
Yes, drop contact and the problem stops.
On a happier note, happy birthday to your adorable puppy. You got to love puppies.
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