Posts Tagged ‘hindquarters’

So many riders are confused by how a dressage horse should look and feel when he’s honestly on the bit. So what follows are specific ways for you to tell if he’s on the bit by what you see and what you feel.

When a dressage horse is on the bit, this is what he’ll look like:

His entire outline from back to front looks round.
His hind legs step actively underneath his body, his back is up and swinging, his neck is long and low enough to be in line with the “power train” of his hindquarters, his poll is the highest point, and his nose is about 5 degrees in front of the vertical
From the saddle his neck is widest at the base (just in front of the withers) and becomes progressively narrower as you get closer to his ears.
From the side, his neck looks longish and relatively low rather than up in the air and short.

When your dressage horse is on the bit, here’s what he’ll feel like:

He’s one unit rather than a jumble of “disconnected parts”.
He’s more comfortable to sit on because his back is relaxed.
In trot and canter, he feels like a beach ball bouncing along.
His back (behind the saddle) is up and swinging rather than dropped and tense.
The energy is self-perpetuating. The power comes from behind, over the back and gets recycled back to the hind legs. If the horse is truly connected and isn’t crooked with the shoulder falling out and the haunches falling in, the energy is self-perpetuating. If the horse, let’s say, is popping out one shoulder and the energy is going diagonally across his body, then you have to come with your driving aids and recreate the energy because it’s not self-perpetuating.
Anything is possible within the next step. For example, he can immediately go from trot to canter. Or he can immediately go from working canter into a canter lengthening. Or he can do a canter depart in the next step.

If you’re not sure if your dressage horse is truly on the bit, ask for a transition. If it’s easy to do within the next step, then you know that your horse is on the bit.

Author: Jane Savoie
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Duty tariff

Have you ever seen the fast horses galloping in the races? Well, these horses are called Standardbreds, and they are well known for their skill in harness racing, being the fastest trotting horse in the world. In continental Europe all harness racing are behaved between trotting horse. Standardbreds have shorter legs than the American thoroughbred race horses and longer bodies. Often their hindquarters are several inches taller than their withers, which provides them with the power and thrust necesary to trot or pace at high speeds. Standardbreds are any color, usually chestnut .

Standardbreds are the cavalry of alternative for the Amish, as they often find these affordable, sound horses at local auctioneers or compensate away the course. The horses handle the change from the busy racetrack environment to the farm roads of the country. Standardbreds can be found ridden for pleasure or show in many disciplines: jumping, dressage, equitation, trail, team penning, endurance, gymkhana events, saddleseat, and even sidesaddle. There are even growing associations for racing Standardbreds under saddle — trotting or pacing just as they do in harness. Standardbreds race as either a pacer or a trotter. Trotters, as the name implies, race at the traditional trot.

Standardbreds are known for their skill in harness racing, being the fastest trotting horse in the world. Usually these horses require good food and good protection during the winter and rain, breeders recommend using Rambo horse blankets or  Turnout horse Blankets to protect this unique animals. Standardbreds are any color, usually chestnut, black, or brown; they average 15 hands (60 in./160 cm) in height and weigh near 1,000 lb (450 kg). Standardbreds will trot in a few races in which they need to trot out very chop-chop while asseverating their instinctive pace. If the horses break gait and do not return immediately, they are disqualified from the race.

Standardbreds have a wide range of height, from 14.1 to 17 hands (57"-66"), and most often are bay or the darker variation of bay called "brown," although other colors such as chestnut and black are not uncommon. Gray and roan are also found. Standardbreds are a relatively new breed, dating back just over 200 years, but it is a true American breed. Standardbreds are bred for racing and command training earlier all-purpose horseback riding. If trained correctly and consistently, they will adapt well to other tasks after retiring from racing.