Is nature sometimes against us in dressage?

[sara]

I have been pondering this question for a while, but watching the boys playing in the field last week really made me think.

My friend has a lovely TB, Smarts, who when playing automatically goes into a beautiful outline. He is nice and round and low, really uses his back end tp push himself along.

Lloyd on the other hand, when he is playing in the field has his head straight up in the air, and pulls himself along with his shoulders. He is half Clydesdale, which were obviously bred for pulling.

He will come onto the bit, and really work through from behind when I am schooling, but it has taken a very long time, and can be hard work.

Do you think sometimes nature works against us in dressage?

[june]

Yes, definitely. Horses are bred for different purposes so have the conformation to match. It doesn't mean you can't improve their way of going and help them to shift their weight back and lift their backs but a horse bred for dressage will find it easier and do it "better" in terms of dressage marks. Working with "ordinary" horses and getting the best you can out of them is very satisfying though.

[Furiey]

Ditto June's comments. If you think of the horse as an athlete and compare them to people - not everyone can be a top gymnast, we just aren't built for it. But that doesn't mean we can't do it at all or enjoy doing it, it just comes harder. I certainly enjoyed doing the gymnastics I did at school and even got quite good, but I was just not the right shape and some of the moves no matter how I tried my body was just balanced/proportioned wrongly. I did have fun trying and it certainly kept me fitter. It's no different with horses.

[Persianhorse]

Hi,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
Your question has a deep feeling inside you towards them and that is so great
I know one thing dear friend and only as my opinion I hope I don't offend anyone,
Horses are part of the nature, stabling and keeping them is against nature but at least it made them to survive specially if people would do it as IH at least otherwise they will be just Prisoners in our hands.
I am sure they love it more than being food on our tables.
Wish you the best from deep in heart.
PH.