Posts Tagged ‘Strides’

We all want to keep our horses as healthy as possible for as long as possible. How to do this is the tricky part.

Fortunately we have a superb source of information available. Studies of wild horses show just how well these amazing animals have adapted to suit their environment. It follows then that by recreating the horse’s natural environment as far as possible you will be promoting his health and well being. One of the most obvious differences between the environment of a wild horse and that of our domestic horse is the amount of space they have available.

Wild horses are free to roam, and typically cover great distances each day. Most domestic horses on the other hand are kept in small paddocks, barely a few strides from one side to the other. The impact of this incarceration on the horse can be significant, both in terms of mental health and physical health.

Boredom:

In a small paddock there is very little to keep the horse occupied, and extreme boredom is a real possibility. This can promote the development of bad habits such as wind sucking, crib biting and the rest. Horses are generally curious, active and intelligent creatures. Being contained in a small square however dulls the senses and it is hardly surprising that such horses invent ways to keep themselves busy.

Musculature:

Horses in the wild typically display enviable condition, being both fat and fit. People often explain this as the result of not having to carry riders. In fact, it is not being ridden that impacts the condition of our domestic horses as much as the restriction of their natural environment. Wandering across distances as great as 30km per day,

every day, builds tremendous stamina in the wild horse, as well as conditioning the musculature. Domestic horses are largely stationary, with infrequent bursts of high energy usage when ridden. This is not the best way to ensure your

remains fit and sound.

Hoof Wear:

The inability to roam means a big impact on hoof wear and the circulatory system. Wild horses wear their hooves naturally. Domestic horses are usually shod. As a result the hoof cannot wear normally, and the mechanics of the hoof action depend upon the skill of the farrier.

Circulation:

The hoof typically plays a large part in assisting the circulation of the horse. In fact it has been said that the horse has five hearts – a cardiac pump and four hooves! Unshod, a horse’s hoof flexes as he walks, with each step drawing blood into the hoof and then forcing it out again along the veins. If the horse’s movement is dramatically reduced, this pumping mechanism is drastically reduced, leading to the pooling of blood in the extremities and decreased blood flow from the hooves.

Feeding Patterns:

In a small paddock a horse typically cannot graze 20 hours a day as he would tend to in the wild. In order to make up for this horses are often fed concentrated feeds. This provides the necessary amount of calories that the horse requires, but falls short in other ways. Firstly, a horse’s digestive system is built to handle a constant flow of fibre. Without this, the horse will feel hungry, even if he is receiving sufficient nutrition in total. There is also evidence that few high-calorie feeds lead to ulcers in the horse. Not surprising, considering the stomach is empty for most of the day. Secondly, concentrated feeds can upset the bacterial balance of the horse gut, leading to complications such as laminitis and colic. There is no doubt that any good horse diet must consist primarily of fibre, and lots of it. A biscuit of hay now and again is not sufficient!

What to Do:

It’s very simple. Provide the maximum amount of space for your horses that you can. If you have large paddock try and ensure that your horse spends as much time there as possible. If you have several small paddocks, open them up and let your horses wander at will. This will provide them with another natural factor – company. Your horses will reward you by being more curious and active, happier, healthier and more fit with less effort. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful result?

Carol Botha is passionate about horses, having been involved in riding and caring for them since she was a toddler. She has participated in numerous equestrian disciplines, and has several years of experience in studying the psychology and behaviour of these wonderful creatures. Read more about horse care and training at [http://www.placeofpets.com]

Author: Carol A Botha
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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First, let me define rhythm and tempo. I want to do this because lots of dressage riders use those terms interchangeably and they don’t mean the same thing.

Rhythm – Regularity of the rhythm refers to the even spacing between each step in a stride of walk, trot or canter. Regular rhythm is a priority for all work–whether or not you’re riding a pure dressage horse. Movements and exercises should never be done at the expense of rhythm. Rhythm should always stay the same. Tempo or speed, however, is a different matter.

Tempo — which is the rate of repetition of the rhythm — can be adjusted, depending on what your horse needs. Think of rhythm and tempo this way: A waltz is always done in 3/4 time. That is the rhythm of a waltz. But a waltz can be played faster or slower. In other words, the tempo can vary.

When should you ride at a tempo that’s different from the one your horse chooses? Let’s take an overly fresh horse as an example. You start your warm-up, and this horse is so excited that he picks up a trot that is much too quick. The longer you let him go at this clip, the more his tension builds. Left alone, he probably isn’t going to slow down. He’s like an overtired child who is so wound up that he can’t quiet his mind or his body. He needs you to help him calm down by asking him to trot at a much slower tempo than that of his normal working trot.

Slow the tempo by asking for a transition to the walk (or even the halt!), Then, just as he’s about to step into the walk, don’t finish the transition. Instead, allow him to jog forward very slowly. Think about riding “halfway to walk”, and then jog forward slowly. If he accelerates after a few strides, repeat the incomplete downward transition until he understands and is willing to stay in the slower trot.

Ride him in this lazy tempo — the opposite of what he wants to do — until he relaxes. Once you feel him relax, gradually allow the tempo to become more normal.

On the other hand, let’s say you have a horse that tends to get too slow and labored in his tempo. For example, his canter becomes 4-beat because the tempo is too slow. Quicken his tempo by doing a few strides of a lengthening. Feel how your seat moves faster during the lengthening. Then when you shorten the strides, keep the same quick tempo by moving your seat “as if” you’re still lengthening.

So whether or not you’re riding a dressage horse, always work in a regular rhythm and a tempo that allows your horse to be in good balance.

Are you sick and tired of complicated and confusing training techniques? Are you frustrated by negative emotions like fear and lack of confidence? Would you like to be trained by a Three Time Olympic Coach? Learn how by going to: http://www.janesavoie.com/

Author: Jane Savoie
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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I often hear riders at the basic levels say that their dressage horses are collected. I assume they’re confused and are actually talking about connection as opposed to collection.

But since I run across this confusion a lot, I want to take some time to explain how to evaluate whether or not a horse is collected.

Many people think that when a horse is collected, he just takes shorter, slower steps. But you can shorten a horse’s strides without actually collecting him.

Think about three things in terms of collecting any gait.

1. The steps are shortened, but the rhythm and tempo stay the same as they were when the steps were longer.

2. The center of gravity must shift back toward the hind legs. That is, there is a loading of the hind legs. In nature, a horse has approximately 60% of his weight on his front legs and 40% on his hind legs. As you collect the horse, you gradually shift that center of gravity back to the hind legs. As a result, the horse begins to take more weight on the hind legs so his forehead can be lighter and freer.

3. When a horse is collected he bends the joints of his hind legs. As a result, his croup lowers and his forehand elevates. Look at the top of his withers and compare it to the top of his croup. In this balance, he’ll have the silhouette or outline of an airplane taking off, or a seesaw where one end is pushed down and the other end goes up.

It’s very important you don’t get fooled into thinking that a horse with a high head and neck carriage is necessarily collected. That’s because if the horse is “hand-ridden”, the rider can lift his head and neck up. But if the rider does this, the withers will stay low. And if the withers are low and the croup is high, there is no collection.

So when you evaluate whether or not a dressage horse is truly collected think about those three things–a shortening of the frame, a loading of the hind legs, and the relative height of the top of the withers to the top of the croup.

Are you sick and tired of complicated and confusing training techniques?
Are you frustrated by negative emotions like fear and lack of confidence?v Would you like to be trained by a Three Time Olympic Coach?
Learn how by going to: http://www.janesavoie.com/ or http://www.dressagementor.com

Author: Jane Savoie
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Some dressage horses don’t understand accepting contact with the bit and your hand. They are quick to go from coming above the bit to curling behind the bit. If that sounds like your horse, you need to be able to quickly and smoothly change your aids to help your dressage horse understand and accept contact.

When your horse comes above the bit, use connecting aids as follows.

1. Close both legs to send him forward toward a lengthening.

2. When you feel the “surge” of power coming from behind, close your outside hand in a fist to capture, contain, and recycle that power back to the hind legs.

3. If your horse starts to bend his neck to the outside, vibrate the inside rein to keep his neck straight.

As soon as he ducks behind the bit, send him “forward through his body”.

Here’s what I mean by that. Go on a circle in rising trot, close both legs and ask for a trot lengthening for 6 or 7 strides. Do this several times until it becomes a knee jerk reaction for him to go “forward over the ground” when you close your calves.

Then close your legs as if you’re going to do a trot lengthening, but don’t lengthen. This time you want your horse to go ” through his body” rather than “forward over the ground”. As you feel him go forward though his body and start to take a contact with your hand rather than curling behind the bit, praise him.

You might have to alternate a trot lengthening with asking him to take a contact with your hand several times. But once he understands, you’ll have a tool to use any time he comes too low in front.

This system works well for the horse that likes to go with his poll too low and his face behind the vertical, but if he’s curling so badly behind the bit that he’s ducking his chin toward his chest, you’ll have to be a bit more proactive as far as explaining correct contact to him.

If he’s curled behind the bit really badly, in addition to sending him forward through his body, you might have to raise your hands to place the bit out in front of him so he can step toward it.

The feeling is like putting a sheet on your bed. You lift the sheet up, and then let if softly drift onto the bed.

You can also think of it like doing “the wave” at a football game.

If you do have to raise your hands because your horse has dropped behind the bit, keep the following things in mind:

1. Always use your legs BEFORE you raise your hands.

2. Raise both hands evenly.

3. To the degree that you raise your hands, ALSO put them forward toward his mouth without losing contact. That is, if you lift your hands 2 inches, they must go forward 2 inches. If you lift them 4 inches, they must go forward 4 inches.

4. As soon as you’ve placed the bit out in front of your horse, put your hands back down. If you keep them up, he’ll curl behind the bit even more.

5. Keep a smooth, steady contact with his mouth throughout this whole process. Don’t let the reins get loose, drop contact with his mouth, and then snatch him up. That will discourage him from stepping toward the bit.

To sum up, for the dressage horse that alternates between coming above the bit and dropping contact to come behind the bit, smoothly switch from connecting aids to sending him forward through his body as needed until you’ve clearly explained the right connection to him.

Are you sick and tired of complicated and confusing training techniques? Are you frustrated by negative emotions like fear and lack of confidence? Would you like to be trained by a Three Time Olympic Coach? Learn how by going to http://www.janesavoie.com/ or http://www.dressagementor.com.

Author: Jane Savoie
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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