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The Importance of Lengthening the Neck / Developing the Basics

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The Importance of Lengthening the Neck / Developing the Basics n the paddock or in the wild, we can see horses We should never have too much contact. We should EDUCATIONAL Schooling the Horse: The Importance playing or challenging each other with a naturally use the reins to gently guide the horse in the direction collected outline and a flexed poll. But a horse of the leading rein, then we should change softly, of Lengthening the Neck Iwill hold this posture for moments only before allowing the horse time to organize his legs and returning to his most natural and comfortable stance adjust all his vertebrae. Superior balance becomes by Manolo Mendez, Specialist of In-hand and - head and neck lowered and most of his weight on even more crucial for the airs-above-ground, such Classical Equitation with writer Ysabella Dean the forehand. And when he does collect, he will also as levade, courbette and capriole. Interfere with the instinctively lift his back and use muscles, ligaments, mouth, have the contact too short at the wrong time, tendons and bones all over his body to properly and you will cause the horse to shorten his neck and support this posture. thus lose his balance. In training for dressage, one of the most damaging How short is “too short”? things we can do to a horse - especially a young Of course, training with too long a neck can cause horse - is demand an “outline”. A beautiful outline is problems, too. If the horse is not encouraged to seek something that will, if the training is correct, develop contact with the rider’s hands, to lift a little, he will naturally over a period of years. To insist on it before never learn to carry himself in a way that will help the horse is ready can and does lead to premature him develop the muscles he needs. breakdown in body, mind – and spirit. But how short is too short and how “A nose behind long is too long? How much contact A short neck destroys balance is the right amount to allow the horse Horses have evolved to carry most the vertical to work with his neck in the optimal of their weight on the forehand position? It depends on each individual most of the time, and freedom of causes the poll horse and the level of his training. the neck and head is a crucial factor in being able to balance this weight. to become stiff” In any type of training, the nose must A green horse has natural balance, be in front of the vertical AT ALL but all that is changed when we expect him to carry TIMES. If we force a green horse to work with a a rider as well. Now he must find a new balance. short contact he will go behind the vertical in an This alone may take many months, depending on the effort to evade the pain we are creating in his mouth, horse, his conformation, temperament and natural neck, and back. ability. A nose behind the vertical causes the poll to become Training a horse to perform the higher movements stiff. The neck rounds too much, which makes the with grace and beauty is not possible without topline muscles too tense. The muscles underneath conserving the horse’s natural balance. For flying the neck “suck up” as the horse tries to support changes, pirouette, half pass, or any other advanced himself in this uncomfortable posture. The seven movement, the horse must have superior balance. A neck vertebrae become stiff and tense, which causes short contact used to create a short neck and to force the rest of the vertebrae (the horse has fifty-four in poll flexion will interfere with this balance. all, from the poll to the tail) to also become stiff and Take the flying change or the half pass, for example. tense. Manolo Mendez was the first Head Rider, and one of six founding members of the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art. Based in Jerez, Spain, the school is one of the four classical schools which also include the Cadre Noir in Saumur, the Spanish Riding School in Vienna and the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art in Lisbon. A master horseman with over forty years of experience spanning classical dressage, doma vaquera and jumping, Manolo is dedicated to a soft, sympathetic and thorough training method which prepares horses physically and psychologically for each stage of training from training to Grand Prix and Haute Ecole. For more information and more articles visit: www.manolomendezdressage.com Shoulder-fore. Manolo and Dinamico in shoulder fore. Note the © 2011 Manolo Mendez Dressage attentive ears, relaxed tail and independent balance of both rider and horse ..40 41.. With a horse working at a high level we may need Deep and round restricts the respiratory system EDUCATIONAL more contact, but this is because a horse at a high and blood supply, and the horse can’t see where level has developed the ability and the stamina to he is going. The horse ends up weak in the spine. WolfeMen Stallions Presents... hold himself in a collected You cannot always see the damage outline with his poll flexed. “..when a horse is immediately; it happens over time. It is still a light contact: he does not need to be held worked too deep in In the beginning was the long neck there. Shorter contact should the neck, his back Dressage is an art form and, like any Imported Andalusian | Grey | 2000 | 16.2hh always be the by-product of must arch down. art form, it needs time and the right physical development, not conditions in which to grow and 2010 & 2011 Victorian State the means by which physical flourish. The rider and his horse must development is achieved. This will indeed work together, in harmony, to develop Champion Pure Spanish Entire If it is the means, then it cause him to work balance, rhythm, coordination and will be the wrong physical skill. We do not teach the horse passage Dinamico campaigns successfully in numerous development. his back legs harder or piaffe or tempi changes: movements events and dressage competitions showing a calm he was born to do. But to do them with mind, 100% reliability and commitment in all Even so, we should not work to compensate, but the same grace and beauty under saddle events. Dinamico is known for his outstanding temperament and is proving to be very popular at even a highly trained horse means we must work within his natural there is too much all outings. in a collected frame for the limitations, building his strength and entire workout but should movement in the willingness. If we don’t, we end up with instead integrate rest periods a pale copy of the real thing. Allowing Standing at Stud for the first time from collection which will stifle and the hock, him to work with his neck long and low allow him to stretch out from is where it all truly begins. a Introductory Service Fee and not enough in Baturro VII time to time. In general for $1650 including GST Enojado II Enojada II a horse that has not reached the body.” Fresh & Chilled Semen available Salinero XV this level of collection, a lot of Jenson Salina the work in leading up to collection should be Animosa IV done on a gentle, fine contact and we should also Dinamico XII Jenson encourage him to stretch down and out with his Celesto Nema neck and head, to seek our hands through the Popular Andalusian Dinamica IX reins. This is called “long and low”. representative at Barquillero X Obstinada II Equitana 2010 Animosa IV “Long and low” or “deep and round”? Long and low is not the same thing at all as the “deep and round” principle, which relies on bringing the horse behind the vertical with a lowered head and a shortened neck. Working a horse deep and round is often achieved with side reins and running reins, and is thought to lift the horse’s back and stretch the spine by enabling the hind legs to come through properly. In fact, when a horse is worked too deep in the neck, his back must arch down. This will indeed cause him to work his back legs harder to compensate, but there is too much movement in the stifle and the hock, and not enough in the body. The hind end is not working in harmony with the front end because the bridge between them - the back - is not moving. With the legs working so hard, they hit the ground harder. This will over time cause concussion to the hock 0422 726 132 : : [email protected] Saddleworld Dressage Festival 2010 - Novice 2nd Place and stifle, along with stiffening of the spine and www.alphalink . com.au / ~annj pelvic area. Equestrian La Mancha Sunbury, Victoria. Phone: (03) 5428 1882 | Mobile: 0427 810 180 | Email: [email protected] ..42 43.. EDUCATIONAL Developing the Basics: Step by Step Manolo Mendez, Specialist of in-hand and Classical Equitation. With writers Ysabelle Dean and C.Larrouilh Dinamico XII is an imported Andalusian stallion. The photos from daily training represent only some of the exercices Manolo uses in his training. Dinamico is trained by Manolo and compaigned by his working pupil Chantelle Matthews. Dinamico was: 2010 Victorian State Champion, Led Spanish Entire, Andalusian State Competition; 2010 Victorian State Champion Ridden Spanish Entire; 2010 Victorian State Champion; Overall Ridden Andalusian, 2010 ASPR Dressage Competition, Lara, Melbourne; Novice Champion 1st 2B and 2nd 2D, 2010 Dressage Festival -National Competition Novice 2nd placing in 2C.
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