I have some video from when he was four, but basically she was dead on. She typically is, even though I whine like an overtired toddler every time I clinic with her. *sigh*
In fall of 2015, under saddle, Bird looked about like this. This is him doing his remedial jogging efforts following the DLB clinic.
This is not a horse on the bit. This is not a horse with a subtle understanding of the aids. This is a horse just beginning to carry a rider in a non-inverted frame. He is not ready to play collected/medium/extended because he barely has the strength to trot with a decent rhythm. You gotta walk before you can run, remedial jog before you can medium trot.
Before there can be any fun dressage stuff, your n00b horse who has just started his under saddle career has to learn to carry a rider forward in a nice, rhythmic trot with his head level, his abs engaged to lift his back, and his hind legs stepping up well underneath him. But this is super hard work for him and he doesn't have the muscles to do it yet.
One of the ways to help a baby horse do a "better" (more mechanically-correct in the eyes of the dressage world) trot is to slow down the speed of the trot. Slowing it down reduces the effort needed and makes it within-his-capabilities-to-do. Nudging him with your lower leg helps him remember to engage his abs and lift his back. Allowing him to "slop along on a loose rein" gives him the freedom and confidence (because he likely doesn't understand rein aids well yet) to put his head down and find a better balance point than throwing his head up in the air and being all hollow. Remedial jogging, though I hate the living shit out of it, is the slowed-down but still mechanically-correct form of trotting that young horses need to do in order to develop the abdominal strength to perform a decent dressage-style trot that can be shaped into collected, medium, or extended (once you also get contact on-line and some idea of seat cues and so forth). Ideally, said trot should have horse being, well, round over his back, and stepping well under himself and pushing with his hinds.
Bird after two years of remedial jogging efforts, note rounded outline, better acceptance of the bit:
Unfortunately I don't have video of him, but we are seriously coming along.
no subject
In fall of 2015, under saddle, Bird looked about like this. This is him doing his remedial jogging efforts following the DLB clinic.
This is not a horse on the bit. This is not a horse with a subtle understanding of the aids. This is a horse just beginning to carry a rider in a non-inverted frame. He is not ready to play collected/medium/extended because he barely has the strength to trot with a decent rhythm. You gotta walk before you can run, remedial jog before you can medium trot.
Before there can be any fun dressage stuff, your n00b horse who has just started his under saddle career has to learn to carry a rider forward in a nice, rhythmic trot with his head level, his abs engaged to lift his back, and his hind legs stepping up well underneath him. But this is super hard work for him and he doesn't have the muscles to do it yet.
One of the ways to help a baby horse do a "better" (more mechanically-correct in the eyes of the dressage world) trot is to slow down the speed of the trot. Slowing it down reduces the effort needed and makes it within-his-capabilities-to-do. Nudging him with your lower leg helps him remember to engage his abs and lift his back. Allowing him to "slop along on a loose rein" gives him the freedom and confidence (because he likely doesn't understand rein aids well yet) to put his head down and find a better balance point than throwing his head up in the air and being all hollow. Remedial jogging, though I hate the living shit out of it, is the slowed-down but still mechanically-correct form of trotting that young horses need to do in order to develop the abdominal strength to perform a decent dressage-style trot that can be shaped into collected, medium, or extended (once you also get contact on-line and some idea of seat cues and so forth). Ideally, said trot should have horse being, well, round over his back, and stepping well under himself and pushing with his hinds.
Bird after two years of remedial jogging efforts, note rounded outline, better acceptance of the bit:
Unfortunately I don't have video of him, but we are seriously coming along.