>>> I'm glad you said that. My new teacher works along the lines of the >>> 'training tree' which is as you describe. It is the basics of classical >>> trainng before specialisation into dressage.
I've quoted Jane Savoie many times on the list. Her "Cross Train Your Horse" book is what I have in mind when the words "dressage" and "gaited horses" are used in the same sentence. The book isn't geared towards gaited horses - just "ordinary" horses, and horses used for non-dressage sports - but the exercises are so solid, and so basic that they really don't seem like dressage. And honestly, much of the early work, before the specialization you mentioned, can be done at the walk, so gait isn't even a factor. It's just simply good, basic riding. It just flabbergasted me when the "new Icelandic-traditionalists" started talking about dressage, they just seemed to skip right over the "boring" stuff, and into the flash-in-the-pan glitz. But, then, you see the results of skipping the basics in that picture of Jolli... >>> It is awful. Try looking at the 'Astund riders' section. What do you >>> think of the riders positions? Would you buy that saddle with this >>> advert? Huggin doesn't appear to like his. I didn't look at them this time, but in the past, they have had some really awful ones. No, I wouldn't buy any products if the horses on their sites are supposed to be testaments of their value. Karen Thomas, NC
