Order of things

[Wendy]

Under saddle, would you establish the walk and trot with relaxation before asking for collection?

[Della]

If collection is an expression of extreme suppleness - and how else can you achieve the flexion required to truly transfer weight backwards? - then relaxation is one of the first, and essential elements required on the road to collection.

That's my short reply.

For the longer version ... that's a book in itself and I can't type that well.

[whisper's mum]

Agree with Della. 

[Camacoona]

   me too! 

However it does depend on what you mean!    and what school (german/French) you use because as time has gone on for me, relaxation and the development of contact and suppleness (and therefore relaxation) is different in each school. 

I think relaxation in the German school would have the horse in a lower frame with the horse pushing to the contact (French purists would say pushing through the hand) and wouldn't consider collection until all other elements of the training scales were in eveidence at least.  The French school would tend to have softness in contact as some evidence of relaxation (but some German school riders would say these horses are hiding behind the contact)

 But maybe someone more qualified should comment on that!

[Della]

Omar, you are much too technical for me!

However, I will try to put what I mean into a few words (don't know if it's what Wendy means though).

Relaxation - starts mentally then flows through the body of the horse so that it is like riding melting butter. Sorry about the analogy. That's how I think of it.

Then I work on mobilising the both end of the horse independently, but still maintaining that feeling of 'melting butter'. By mobilising I mean literally just asking the back end to move around a bit, then the from end. This is necessary because these exercises enable me ask for equal weighting in each leg so that balance is improved. I do ask for balance at the halt before moving, but I can't do this initially with most horses. That tends to work better for me once we have done som mobilisation work. That is probably just my lack of skill.

During this work I don't really care too much how the horse is using itself as long as the relaxation is maintained.

Once this is good(ish) at walk, I'll repeat the whole in trot.

[Della]

I was editing and pushed the wrong button 

Well, it's posted now.

I will just finish an already flawed post by saying that once the horse understands that it should maintain the same mental and physical approach to the work, we tend to push on quite easily without tension (that major restrictor of the range of movement) being an issue.

However, I think that my method of working does reflect the horses that I have worked with - too many ex racers - I love  them 

[Camacoona]

  Sounds very much like my techniques too Della!   

[Wendy]

Interesting answers, thanks.

So - by asking for too much too soon - for however short a period - how is that likely to affect the horse physically and psychologically?

[whisper's mum]

Interesting answers, thanks.

So - by asking for too much too soon - for however short a period - how is that likely to affect the horse physically and psychologically?

Look at Rija.  We are now doing what Della says, under the guidance of Lou. 

[issywizz]

I would have thought it would likely cause all sorts of stress/tension and blockages in the horse 

Loved Dellas post 

[Wendy]

Look at Rija.  We are now doing what Della says, under the guidance of Lou. 

What happened to Rija?

[whisper's mum]

What happened to Rija?

Rija was pushed hard before Maria had her and she falls to pieces under any kind of stress.   She used to offer Spanish Walk or Piaffe(piffle)  when she felt under pressure (she nearly knee-capped Heather when she moved close to work her inhand  ) but then progressed to little rears. Her paces became more and more restricted because of her tight back and she actually lost her canter, it began to look like a camel, even in the field!    

At the moment the only focus of her work is relaxation and after only 2 lessons, it is working.  Rija loves Lou, at the end of our last lesson, she put her head into Lou's chest for a cuddle.  

[ukica]

Wendy, are these questions arising out of the MDJ stuff???  Or after the the bucking episode or something?  Very interested in your answer.  Am wondering whether some of it could be making Santi's back tight.

[Wendy]

No, Angela, nothing to do with the MdJ stuff.