Working walk, could be a little more stretched out to the contact, but poll/shoulders high and swingy. Would probably be better if I were sitting all the way up and putting spaces between my vertebrae. Or if I were sitting up and being a little pickier about alignment.
Stretched out and down a bit, notice my posture and his hind leg engagement.
Fully stretched down, in front of vertical, shoulders still lifted.
I’ve had a few epiphanies this year and one of them is that the correct stretch is as much out as it is down. By only letting the horse stretch down if he is reaching to the contact, the circle of energy is connected, the sail is filled, the connection is correct and etc. The way I have been getting there is by getting a decent working walk and then doing a Centered Riding half-halt of breathing out-centering-thinking the rubber band with my body(basically putting spaces between my vertebrae) and only letting him stretch down a little at a time if he is reaching into the contact. It’s been working pretty well to get him in front of the vertical and more swinging through the back without getting on the forehand.
Then one day I was riding and thought, “Ding ding ding, what if I just aligned him more precisely on the circle? Wouldn’t that make the energy from the back feet cycle through the body, out the top line to the contact? Even without the half-halt?” And the first time I thought about poll high, self-carriage, and being super picky about his alignment he reached right out to the contact. No half-halt necessary.
Many roads to Rome. I can see how alignment is the preferred method, because the horse is really straight as well, but the connecting half-halt might be a bridge with a greener, less straight, or defensive horse.
How do you initiate the active stretch?
Nice. This is why I love dressage- so many things to think about to get the horse working. I really believe that alignment is key, as is relaxation (vs tense).
ReplyDeleteYes it really fits in that in the Dressage Naturally way of organizing relaxation, matching energy, and alignment must be present to hit the sweet spot of working gaits. The rider checks this by making sure the poll is high, the horse is in self carriage, and is stretchable that first inch or so. It's taken me a while to understand the interplay/correct versions of all these things but now it is coming together.
DeleteA lot of times the free walk or extended walk is worth double points on the dressage tests, so developing that can sometimes make or break your placings. And to paraphrase Xenophon- if we can't get it right at the walk, what business do we have thinking we should go any faster?
ReplyDeleteDo we think speed is going to make it all better or come together? Lol
That being said- as a friend if mine told me once, "The walk is often the hardest gait to train and the most overlooked." The other night when the arena was still a little wet in places the other boarder asked if I was going to ride out there? "Yes I am. There is a lot that can be accomplished at the walk."
I agree, you can do a lot at the walk. Everything is slower and there is more time to go step by step. I think it does show holes in training though, and is easy to mess up without correct fundamentals.
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