This message is from: Patricia Pasqual <tishpasq...@gmail.com>
I think this is a great discussion. Just because the way many of our Fjords are built the amount of "compression" (and I don't mean just in the front of the frame) you are able to get may be limited. However, all horses can and should learn to work off of their back ends. I have found several things that have helped in this work: jumping - because to do this well absolutely requires transferring power to the back end, and in my (very limited) experience this helps make that abundantly clear to the horse (and the rider!), long-lining - because you can see right in front of your eyes what is happening/not happening with the collection (body not hollowed out, footfalls tracking), carriage driving, because it builds up the muscles that help the horse carry themselves in frame (as long as the carriage driving is done correctly and you are asking the horse to get into frame), and finally giving lots and lots of breaks, letting the horse relax and stretch out that neck (so you have something to "take back" when it comes time to practice collection and so that you develop the ability bit by bit). It takes a long time for horses to develop the muscle system to handle correct collection and self-carriage. I have been working with both a riding and driving trainer, and they are in complete harmony about how to achieve this true collection, which I am very grateful for. The work continues! Tish and Elph in Minneapolis GREAT WEEK here in the Midwest FOR SHOWS - have a wonderful time, everyone! Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw FH_L Shirts: http://tinyurl.com/8yky94l
