 |
| A lovely arena |
So what was the clinic like? How did it go? Here's the scoop:
While videotaping was generally forbidden, I got written permission in advance to videotape Ri-Ri at the clinic. Well... We had permission, but my husband was getting a "the border collie stare" from one of the barn staff. Believe me we didn't imagine it. I thought about explaining but I didn't want to miss any of Riley's session.
In light of the hairy eyeball incident, I'm nervous about posting a lot of footage here. To be safe, I substituted music for the clinician's narrative -- here you see a good sampling of Riley's ride. In this segment the focus was on getting Riley to move more through his whole body. At about 23-25 seconds the clinician said that this is an "8" training level frame. Riley looks great to me, but this outline looks a whole lot like a hunter frame, yes? Hunter riders what do you think? This footage makes me want to go out and get a pair of Tailored Sportsmans...
.jpg)
He doesn't look at all huntery to me there. He looks like he could be trained to do hunters, yes, and that athleticism and flexibility to cross disciplines is nice! But here he looks like he's nicely reaching for the contact, and using it to communicate with your trainer to reabsorb his energy to his back end. If you compare some of his earlier rides in which his head is in nearly the same position, you'll notice his neck has more arch, and his front legs are coming up more now. He looks like a horse starting to use his back end more, and like he has an admirable training regimen going on to get him where he should be. I hope you're proud!
ReplyDeleteExactly right, I am totally salivating! Riley looks fabulous and could easily win a hunter undersaddle in that frame. He has a lovely trot and an even better canter. I know we've had a little dialogue before about Riley not being a jumping horse due to his hoof history, but he would certainly be a gorgeous hunter. He is an equally lovely dressage horse though, so no harm there.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first saw the video I was struck -- in a good way! -- by how much more "open" his frame looks here. I do think, from what I have overheard and been told by judges, that it is a more appropriate frame for training level. He looks very relaxed and happy and is swinging forward freely.
ReplyDeleteThe videoing thing drives me crazy. It's not like people are going to get an entire $$$ clinic out of a few video clips!
This post is from Jean -- I tried to moderate it on my droid but my fat fingers slipped and hit delete. Hope you don't mind Jean...
ReplyDeleteLovely training level frame...absolutely. Far too many horses at that level are too elevated and "bundled" up instead of swinging into the bit the way Riley is. A masterful bit of riding by Olivia there too. She has done a super job with him. (And you do too, by the way...next time you should be in the saddle!!)
Too bad the clinician did not offer some exercises to address the transitions as that's where Riley tends to come up off the bit a little here and there. A lot of transition work would have helped. I do see some, but no work to make them better. Lots of exercises can improve transitions which, in turn, help the horse to become more engaged, on the bit, and eventually, elevated onto his hind end. From the looks of it, Riley is ready to start on that path. He has goon engagement now and certainly has all the basics to move on up!!
Way to go, Team Riley! And yeah, the place is gorgeous...drool.....*lol*
I don't know enough about hunters to compare, but I like his frame for a dressage horse very much. He is open in the throatlatch and reaching towards the contact with an even, regular arch to his neck. His back is long and soft and he is gently springing off the ground. He looks to be giving Olivia an easy ride, and isn't this the ultimate goal?
ReplyDeleteI wish I could know what the clinician is saying when she is shaking her head down towards the microphone. I can kind of get a feel for what she might be saying. Also, I can sort of understand the video restrictions; once something goes on the internet, it is there forever.
This could be an interesting contest -- what do you think the clinician is saying? I can't participate because I know :-)
ReplyDeleteWell, speaking from a hunter perspective, that's a lovely hunter canter, but the trot looks a bit "dressagey" for a hunter. From a training level perspective absolutely he looks great, nice and relaxed and responsive.
ReplyDeleteThanks Allie -- a compliment from my perspective, not that I don't like hunter movement but Ri isn't really a hunter prospect. Can you tell me, though, why his trot is dressagey? To me a hunter is defined by sweepy straight movement, not a lot of joint articulation.
ReplyDeleteThis is strictly for my own understanding, I'm not questioning your comment.
Hmm, the reason I wasn't more specific is that I wasn't sure myself why it looks that way to me. I think possibly he has more elevation at the trot than I'm used to seeing in the hunter ring, and his neck is held higher. Hunters have more of a "daisy cutting" sweep with their feet. As far as his neck carriage, he's beginning to lighten up and round his neck and move in a dressage frame.
ReplyDeleteRiley looks great here! I do think he has a very nice huntery canter. Considering the general idea of hunters is "long and low," I think is frame is more dressagey here, as his forehead is at an almost 90 degree angle with the ground at the trot. The hunters under saddle usually have their noses stuck out a bit more. I really like this ride though. He looks well packaged, yet his movements are unresticted. Lovely!
ReplyDeleteThat's true, i don't think hunters are generally ridden on contact much. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHe looks very good, stretching nicely. Hunters are a tad more flat and level so that they are looking down the ring towards that next jump, at least that's why the "hunters" are suppose to carry themselves that way even if there aren't any jumps in the ring:)
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing they don't want the clinic filmed so people don't get a lesson for free? I find this kind of sad. It's like a boss at National Geographic told a new hire photographer, you find a good technique, you share it, you don't keep it to yourself. But maybe they have another reason for not wanting it filmed.
Lovely! He's seeking the balance, a great place to build from. I attended a LZ seminar in the UK, liked her a lot.
ReplyDeleteI don't see dressage vs. hunters as a matter of joint articulation/knee action or what have you. Some dressage horses are born with more "daisy cutting" movement and less knee action, but the given paces aren't what makes a horse a dressage goer or not.
ReplyDeleteIt's more about how elevated the front end is, and how the horse is lifting the front legs with the shoulders. There should be more "up" in a dressage trot--and that is irrespective of knee action.
Riley is def. dressagey, in all paces, particularly the trot since you can see a definite "lift" each stride. It's very noticeable at the up transition from walk to trot. There you see a powerful lift, not a gentle sweep into the trot like a hunter would do. His canter, like my young horses, shows great rhythm & softness which is great for BOTH disciplines.
Had a few minutes to myself and went back and watched the entire video, wow! He looked fantastic. Not a hunter frame at all.
ReplyDeleteYou should be very pleased -- I think he looks great. I like the openness of his frame and the length of his neck. I think too many people start to shorten the neck and lose the "throughness".
ReplyDeleteNot huntery at all. Lovely, proper training level dressage frame. On the vertical or slightly ahead. Nice and open. Wonderful and a nice change from a lot of what we see out there these days. Transitions, transitions and more transitions in this frame will help him gain the balance and strength to not have to raise his head up when he transitions. beautiful :-)
ReplyDeleteJust fyi Linda Zang is an "O" judge. The highest rank in dressage and one of two in our country. I guess what I am saying is that when she says its an 8 training frame its an 8.
ReplyDeleteAnon, anon, yes, we KNOW her creds, that's hardly the point. Do you always follow the dictates of others unquestioningly? Even "O" judges like a thinking student that asks questions. No one questioned whether it's an 8 or not. We're talking about the hunter frame.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to be snide under your real name, you might get some respect here, but you're apparently not that brave AND not very curious.
Oops, sorry anon, but anon comments of late have been pretty cheeky, and I'm a bit sensitized.
ReplyDeleteLinda Zang's a big name and she knows her stuff. I was waffling about calling her "Linda" (too familiar) and Ms. Zang seemed a little weird. Zang seems a little flippant.
Oh well. Carry on!
Just came back to read the rest of the comments, since I find this dialogue so interesting. I bet Riley would get a good ribbon in a hunter hack, even though he also has lovely movement for dressage (hope you're not offended!). There are some old school judges that still like the daisy cutters exclusively, but the more modern trend at the A shows is to appreciate a horse with truly athletic movement, even if there is a little knee action. A relaxed frame like this, instead of a nose-poked-out trot, is much more appealing on the big warmbloods we see in the hunter ring today, so most people hack their horses in a bit of a frame. My horse is the kind of mover I personally like, he has a very pretty trot, a big step, but he does have a little bend in his knee. Some judges love him and pin him over fancier horses because his movement is better, and then others hardly use him at all, in favor of something that trots like a big welsh pony. All a matter of opinion really, as with everything else. Anyway, very interesting to hear the perspective from the other side of the fence!
ReplyDelete