One of the especially impressive horses at the clinic was the 18H Hanoverian by Bergamon, Brazil. A heavier type without being coarse, Brazil had huge, powerful, uphill gaits and an ability to collect easily. In fact, when Bo asked for half-steps Brazil offered a beautiful controlled levade. You might argue he was just rearing, but I had the distinct impression that he was offering this movement to see if that was what the handler wanted. Brazil showed a lot of exuberance without being naughty. I later learned he could be a handful, but tactful handling kept him nicely in check.
Brazil is for sale by Harmony Sport Horses. I think he would be a great "guy's horse."
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I would call that a levade - front legs are parallel throughout their length with the toes very elegantly pointed at the ground, and the hocks are deeply flexed. Rearing horses usually have much less hock flexion and uneven, tightly curled forelegs.
ReplyDeleteHe's a big 'un for sure!
He looks great! I have an 18.1h Han/TB and "exuberant" is a pretty good description of his character. Huzzah for the moose! (I sure wish mine would collect as nicely, though...)
ReplyDeleteThat does look like a lovely levade.
ReplyDeleteSome horses just naturally offer the airs above the ground, sort of proving the concept that all the dressage moves are actually quite natural for a horse.
Brazil does look like a big boy.
If he isn't already doing piaffe, then this is not a levade. Piaffe is necessary to get the collection needed to perform the airs. Probably he just did a controlled rear. Dr Hilary Clayton has a video study of Paul Belasik 's horse St Graal doing a levade and he does it coming out of the piaffe. Belasik's book ..A Search for Collection:Science and Art in Riding..is a great read on the topic.
ReplyDeleteVery pretty. Looks like a levade, not a resistant rear.
ReplyDeleteI am not surprised that the exuberant horse is also a talented one. You need that extra energy and thoughtfulness to find the icing on the cake, so to speak.
I, however, will pass on the 18 hand exuberant horse; I have my hands full at times with a 15 hand exuberant horse!
He's a gorgeous boy. One of my former instructors said that the most talented horses have a particular feel under saddle. She described it as being tightly wound enough with energy and high jinx and excitement as to make the rider not sure if the horse will actually stay in the ring long enough to complete the test. I remember saying, "Wow. I would hate that." She replied something along the lines of, "Well that's why you're an adult amateur rider." It was a totally fair assessment of my skills. :-)
ReplyDeleteThat horse is freakishly huge... In contrast to the handler on the ground, he just looks like a goliath of a horse.
ReplyDeleteWhich, I suppose, he is.
Looks like a levade to me too. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHi Anne,
ReplyDeleteAren't all of these things horses do naturally in an exuberant horse? If things have to occur in a particular order I'm not sure anyone told this horse, or Bo Jena, because he joked about it.
Well as I undersatnd it from reading experts on collection, the airs are not natural for a horse. Piaffe is not natural to the horse and it is piaffe that precedes all the airs. And I mean the collection necessary for a horse to perform the airs is not something a young horse can do. Just look to the training at Spanish Riding School, horses that perform the airs are generally older and they usually specialize in only one air. Also the levade takes tremendous strength, the horse does not push off from the front he loads his/her haunches and uses the strength of the back and belly muscles. Hilary Clayton proved that with St Graal..interestingly she also shows that not all horses in piaffe are loading the haunches...which then brings up the whole debate on classical vs competition dressage. I'm not trying to be controversial..I just enjoy the 'science' of riding.
ReplyDeleteWell, I have several horses that passage and piaffe naturally, all on their own, in turn out or on pasture. They are broodmares and have never gone beyaond leading, tying, and loading in the trailer in their training. I guess someone forgot to tell them the movements must follow a certain order!
ReplyDelete"She described it as being tightly wound enough with energy and high jinx and excitement as to make the rider not sure if the horse will actually stay in the ring long enough to complete the test." Quoted from HLS.
ReplyDeleteI love this. And I swear my horse has it, even if he was a pasture ornament before we found each other. Electric is the word.