By Catherine, of the dressage list: My personal path is a little different than most. I come from "collection" and is going to "undoing" collected work into bits and pieces. So, now for example, I am fascinated by the walk.
Back to your question: To collect a horse, one has to be sure to have something to collect at the first place. Also, to many nowadays, collection is reduced into the ability to do the movements. But as we know horses can perform all the advanced movements without collection. (Klimke was a genius at this, his horses were in horizontal balance, but no one really noticed apart from some journalists at the time). I am studying a little, the various ways, of how horses are being asked to carry riders, I found myself passionate about the Basics because it seems that no one is really interested in them (!) while all are absolutely adamant that one cannot escape having a good base while keeping in mind the goal. This I do not understand. Everybody is talking about it but really, all want to do "collected work" as soon as possible. I saw a video from W. Zettle in which he says all the right thing, but looking at the horses it is all wrong. How come no one can see that the horses are struggling under heavy handed and harsh riders ? What happened to people's eyes ? This is not collection and Mr Zettle may also know it, but if his lifehood is at stake, he has to do what he can, with the riders he met, as long as he is not nasty, and I do not think he is. But why say good when it is no ? I am the first to feel if I do bad work, but then, I do not show it as Good. This is the difference. I am not harsh, I am trying to keep the Truth about Collection going. Well, I now truly believe that people have forgotten how a collected Dressage looks or feels. So, not many horses are truly collected, so being a very "end of the market" buyer, my path has been more to take horses that have been "compacted" and to uncompact them, learning on the way the damage that bad training create and therefore deepen my search about energy and matter, bodies and ability to heal. This was a made choice and also of course a choice made, up there, for me. It is a little bit like if you are a "Ferrari lover", you can only afford to buy bits and pieces or broken ones to fix. Even if your Ferrari will never look as good as a top class brand new garage kept one, you sort of learn more on the way than most drivers about the car, how it works, and you may even be asked by other Ferrari owners for help. Collection is result, it is not "another option". To "prepare" towards collection is what I am interested in, as I was trained to be. A collected horse has to have the ability to jump a 4 feet fence, halt, extend his trot without losing balance at all and not hollow his back going quicker in the tempo at extended trot. His tail still has to swing gently with the rythm of the pace, his hoof have to be placed softly on the ground, toe first. Everyone thinks they are collecting their horses, I am a little more careful and cautious... To see so many horses dragging their hindlegs and performing advanced movement without collection is a hallmark of the third millenium. I do not wish to ride or train like this. So I am a little stuck in "preparation" work, which I adore of course. I hope you can see parts of "my world" and thinking. Life brings us what we need and my path is certainly at the low level of the ladder, but I am getting serious now, I may even climb on the second step soon. I rode collection in the past with childish joy, now, old and a little worn out, I think of how to give this joy to others, without going banana and telling everyone they are wonderful when they are not : I think it is not fair on them. I love people who are true and kind. These people can see faults in themselves and others too, but they will be interested. They are even the one who will truly ride well one day, even if it does take several lifetimes, as Kottas said. Ah now, I have now to help an arthritic horse to grow bigger in front and longer first, so that he learns to let go of his tension and fears and stop dragging and hitting the ground. I have to help him to believe he is allowed to move like a horse... Longitudinal balance before anyting else. Collection is not my aim, it is my base and I think that everything else need deepening and looking into much more. Some ride back to front, some ride front to back. I would love to learn to ride from "above" the middle as some masters can. It also is maybe why we call it "the pyramid" of training ? Best Regards, Catherine _____________________________ Judy http://icehorses.net http://clickryder.com
