Improving walk

[arabheaven]

up for bicky

[suewhitmore]

Admin found it! Thanks admin. This goes with the canter thread.

[arabheaven]

can we sticky this and the trot thread *all hail admin* ;D

[lisap]

Sue said:

There is a theory that the current culture will dictate the ideas people get (oh dear, I am beginning to sound like Derek ) and so that the same ideas will emerge simultaneously and uniquely from different people. It is not plaguarism, more a cultural evolution that makes the time right for the emergence of such ideas. In a different life , I knew a lot of people involved in leading edge computer development. The older and wiser of them said, "Don't expect to see these technologies around for 10 to 20 years." And they were right. I think it is the same with "new" ideas, there is a time lag between the emergence and the adoption

.

So glad this thread has been upped - missed it first time around.

As Sue pointed out, there always seems to be a time when ideas, innovations, discoveries (and re-discoveries) start to emerge. For example, the opportunities of using steam to power machinery were accredited to one or two people, but in fact this 'discovery' happened in all sorts of places all around the same period in history.
Like Sue, I am an old bat who pre-dates many of the published works that focus on helping the rider to improve their position on a horse, and X years ago myself and some of my friends were definitely looked at as being a bit 'odd' as we experimented with Alexander technique, martial arts and yoga (nobody had heard of Pilates then) to see if we could get our bodies in better alignment.
This 'oddness' continued as I had gait analyis for *me* rather than my horse, got 'remedial shoeing' as a result (special inserts in my shoes), and ended up with a fancy dental gumshield last year to stop me gritting my teeth. (Believe me - it's a complete passion killer in bed...)
But, interestingly, far fewer eyes are raised these days, and now when I suggest a meditation type workshop to help people calm their busy minds before riding nobody starts running for the hills and even seem pretty enthusiastic and open to the idea. (Or perhaps they're just humouring me while backing away slowly )

I got into Centered Riding as being a rather uncreative type, it was much simpler to pinch the great exercises and visualisations from someone else who had done all the hard work for me. (I'm the same with anything, friends who spend hours researching computers, holidays, video cameras and then I just go out and buy what they've got - such a time saver.... ;D). However, I have an 'eclectic' approach, which is a posh way of saying that I nick great ideas whenever they come along, and most CR instructors I know are the same, which is just great when we all get together on one of our update courses.

Anyway, I digress....

The explosion of 'new' ideas that are being considered, discussed, tried out and adopted in the horse world at the moment, is, incredibly exciting and I feel it's a privilege to be involved in equestrianism. No doubt there may be a few blind alleys, but until you travel up them a bit, you won't know if they lead anywhere or not. And those of us who have always had that sneaking suspicion that it's the rider who has the most profound effect on the horse are suddenly finding that we're getting lots of company.

[smonebull]

great post sue! and to add...I find closing my eyes when using lengthening aids really helps too.

[laura]

I missed these threads first time round to so now printing out ....... will digest as its "feel" that is the main focus we had on the silversand clinic I just been on ........

I realised I focus too much on hind legs ... need to feel the front end more to get the timing of the rein aids better to make it clearer to Taz And not just for riding ..... I will be applying observation much more when driving too!!!!


Its really really sinking in that if Taz can respond to me just "breathing in "and shifting body balance minutely back by moving sweetly into a soft two time reverse ...... I owe it to her to develop more and more feel.

The only thing "bad" side effect is you realise just how "crudely" you have ridden other horses (or even the same one ) and just how clever / forgiving many of them have been.


agree that we need extremes to get / appreciate the middle way ;D ;D ;D . and to prompt change when needed. Equestrianism does indeed have extremes of riders / trainers / horse owners and as many "good" ways as "bad" ways . as well as good and not so good practitioners of each way .......... oh what a load of spaghetti

[Persianhorse]

Hi:
Unfortunately I have not read all the posts in this thread I hadn't the time but I do my best to read them all.

What we do for Improving WALK:

1- Long Line Reining on Walk Only and Trot Only.
2- The outside Line must be touching the Hinds just above the Hock's and I do long lining with rider (Dummy sometimes if needed actual rider it depends on the Horse under training) on and off
3- Step to the back is crucial.
4- Picking Up hand while the rider is on the Horse and stretch it forward (this is a crucial action and must be done by some one who knows his/her job well in another words a well TRAINER).
5- While long lining after 5 steps forward give the Horse a long PAUSE then 5 steps forward (what I mean is giving the Horse pause in walk).
6- While the rider On Pausing is crucial after each steps of WALK.
7- If we want to improve our Horse in Walk , Trot or any other kind speed we must only concentrate on Walk and Trot ONLY.
8- Each day 15 to 20 minuets depends on the fitness of the Horse Waling in the WATER where the level of the water is touching the Horses chest the gap between the hands must be covered in water very much important.

WALK / STOP / PAUSE / STEP BACK / STOP / PAUSE / WALK / STOP / PAUSE / STEP BACK / STOP / PAUSE and on.

WALK to TROT / STOP / PAUSE / STEP BACK / STOP / PAUSE / WALK to TROT / and on .

We do not run our Horses in canter or in any other kind of speed at all we put in our minds that our Horse could not go over that speed limit just like in High ways that you have a speed limit and this is LAW for us and we don't give that Horse which we are training to any other rider to ride .

Always be careful,
PH.