Miniature Dressage in hand ..

[Leeana]

I've always thought this was a neat idea. Dressage in hand! Obviously dressage seems like it would be much more easy from the saddle, but look where we are today. We have taken jumping down to miniature style. Why not dressage? I think this would really catch on personally. I've used this all year, played around with it to help my horses with jumping and ground manners. For instance, i can control Chiefs speed of trot and how he trots easily through the lead, body language and a crop (if needed). He can 'pick up the lead' with just the slightest touch of the crop to his shoulder. I dont even have to apply pressure to his halter, ifi move the lead back he slows if i move it up towds his muzzle he gets going just a pace faster, from just the slightest movement of the lead rope i can control his pace. He could eventually do everything that a big horse with a ridder can do, expet with a lead and crop on the ground. Today i played around with the idea out in my drylot and we did a couple play 'freestyles' and it was so much fun, almost like dancing with your horse. We did the diagnals across the drylot (i ended up doing the biggest part of the sidepassing on the diagnal myself lol) ext. Chief can trot extremely slow, just a pace above a walk and then speed up. I highly encourage you to put together freestyle 'dressage like' patterns. If something like this 'Dressage In Hand' cought on, i think it would really be something usefull for breeders. This could showcase how well the horse moved and how intelligent the horse was. It takes allot of thinking on the horses part to learn what you want it to do threw body language and a lead. I wish i could do a video and share it. I've been putting together little freestyles this year just for fun but today while i had 'big horse friend' over helping with pics, we were playing around and while before i used it for fun ..i just could not help thinking that this could be something HUGE in miniature horse performance. Miniature Dressage Horses

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Now, i have not yet figured out horse to do some of the more fancy dressage stuff with Chief but i want to figure out how to. I wish i could get a video and show you what i am talking about. I might try to this week. I am very excited about the idea personally.

What do you think? Could it catch on? Would you do it and condition your horses to? Allot of good things could come out of dressage in hand with your miniatures. I'm sure people probably though liberty sounded useless at first ..look at it today!

Maybe if you just tried it out. Its allot of running, walking and turns but its dancing with your horse. I think it would catch on, you never know what its like to you try it! Right?

I think it would be awsome to watch a miniature horse and their partner do a dressage in hand performance and then end with a bow or waive or something like that. I found that if i move my hip to chiefs inside shoulder and just tap his heel, he will pick up his hoof and if i then slip my foot under his hoof while its up i can raise it and it looks very fancy like a 'thank you' or something at the ending. Very neat little ending.

Thoughts? Comment?

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Well, minis already do driven dressage in ADS competition and there are quite a few people in the wider world who incorporate minis doing long-lined or freestyle dressage as part of trick acts. Not many people take it up to high school level (or have the knowledge to) but if you're talking more of a "dancing with your horse" kind of thing, then yes, it sounds like great fun! That's the kind of thing that gives me the most pleasure with my horses. What I'd like to see is a liberty class where the horse and handler together are judged on the performance they put on. Watching a beautiful horse showing itself off is great, but how much more wonderful to watch two beings play together?

Leia

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

I've always thought this was a neat idea. Dressage in hand!

Me too!! I've always pictured my mini leopard stallion doing a lovely piaffe (sp?) but alas, haven't had time to even train him to drive! Argh!

They do start dressage horses with long lines, and switch to a rider!! I thought about approaching the dressage stable in our area to see if they would train a Mini, but I was afraid they would laugh me out of the barn!

I say go for it!! :aktion033: :aktion033:

 

[targetsmom]

Oh my gosh - you have been reading my mind!!! As a baby boomer myself, I think this would be a great way for minis to catch on with fellow boomers and also anyone who has ridden dressage. I highly recommend the book I was just reading TONIGHT - Schooling Horses in Hand by Richard Hinrichs. It covers longeing, work in hand, long reining, and airs above the ground. I would love to train the mare in my avatar to do this, as I think the has great potential, but alas, I also want to breed her! I too, would love to see this catch on so that there could be competition, but not necessarily at the Miniature Breed Shows. I could see this as a way for the "big horse" people to be introduced to minis, as they are in ADS and CDE competition.

Let's start a new trend!!!

 

[Gizzmoe]

I trained my stallion to do long reining. When I was activly working him I was able to shoulder in, yielding on the lines, and he is trained to be collected and foward working off his rear. I have had many big horse people suprised on how small he is and how much like a big horse he moves. Hopefully later in the year I can start training him again and get a cart. Last one I had, I was not happy with so sold it. Anyways it is posible and is fun to teach. Just be aware it takes a lot of practice and hard work.

 

[disneyhorse]

I had talked about this with a girl at my barn... she trains her Andalusians high school dressage. I had my little stallion doing the levade and piaffe in hand... gave up the levade as he is my driving horse (he has one year of driving under his belt and I wanted him just keeping all fours on the ground for his driving classes!). We had just started the Spanish Walk on him but i never got around to anything beyond praising him for picking up his foot to the whip cue.

I think it would be fun, but takes a lot of time for training. Years of training. I foresee it would only be a very very small handful of people that would have the time and ambition to compete in the class, and what would be the fun in that?

Andrea

 

[susanne]

I've always been interested in this...and the fact that it would take years is the key -- if it's easy and something anyone can do, I'm not interested (this is why I'm bored with most crossword puzzles and only do the Sunday New York Times puzzle, LOL...if I can finish it, it's too easy. Only trouble is, I now finish it, too...)

It certainly would be a small, select group, and that WOULD be fun...

We've always wanted to have Mingus perform while Keith is playing guitar live in the arena, and I'm working on a comedy routine with Flash that we may do in Liberty, but of course, we wouldn't really fit in the class. I think a special exhibition time at shows would be fantastic...

 

[ClickMini]

I would definitely show Alladdin in in-hand dressage. I like the idea of showing in long-lines. Another class I would like to see similar to what Leia said is Freestyle. Here are some links to things I think we could do something similar.

http://www.tanyashorses.com/ Look for info about the Mini Marvels and Tanya Larrigan.

K9 Freestyle:

http://www.dancingdogs.net/frame506131.html scroll down the page and look at the video. This is a hugely growing sport with dogs. I am working with Alladdin right now on standing on his hind legs, walking on his hind legs, hopping on his hind legs, and also turning while standing on his hinds. He will also do a low bow, back away from me and run to me. It is so much fun!

 

[Chamomile]

I would LOVE to do dressage in hand and have looked into this a lot. I have books on it as well and have been reading about it! I think the BOB colt I have here would do wonderfully! I agree with Leia on the liberty thing. To judge the horse and handler would be great!! That's kind of what I want to do with the BOB colt as he totally plays with me in the ring. I don't think that will make us points in liberty, but I appreciate it more than just plain chasing the horse around and in some cases scaring the daylights out them!

 

[Bess Kelly]

I believe it was the '95 Reno Nationals (AMHA) where an exhibition was performed with a mini and longlines. What a beautiful performance :aktion033: Lovely dressage movement, about 15-20 mins.

Always remember it. Only thing I would have changed was the horses color

: A lighter color would have just shown up so much better against the ground and the detail of the legwork made more obvious.

Another gentleman had a black pinto mare at a Nationals -- '94 or '95, and she was trained for liberty. Stunning gentleman with a grey tux (and hair :bgrin ) who could move a hand or flick his whip and she'd add a buck, turn, etc. to her run. In the end, when the music stopped, he popped his whip twice. At that que she trotted to him, stopped and put her head into the halter he held. It was poetry. Oh, she was a tremendous liberty horse, and had many, many wins to prove it.....including that one.

All I can say is that the TIME they spent to develop the bond between them and the horse was obvious! But, all great show teams have to have that devotion to one another.

: Naturally, not every horse is of the mind and body to achieve these goals -- but many are and could be develped with the training. I'd love to be able to do such a training---I'm gonna need a whole stack of books

:

: So, how do I teach the horse to read ? :bgrin

 

[Meg]

Our club holds in-hand dressage classes at our "big show". Just basic tests, serpentines/circles/showing extension/reinbacks etc, but the classes are ALWAYS popular. People have said that they really enjoy doing that class, showing off the partnership with their horse

: And its great for people who dont drive or jump but want to do something more than their halter classes, or for horses who arent old enough do do all the performance classes.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

We've always wanted to have Mingus perform while Keith is playing guitar live in the arena, and I'm working on a comedy routine with Flash that we may do in Liberty, but of course, we wouldn't really fit in the class. I think a special exhibition time at shows would be fantastic...

Hey, Pacific Crown is doing this on Friday night! You should totally sign up!

I believe it was the '95 Reno Nationals (AMHA) where an exhibition was performed with a mini and longlines...Only thing I would have changed was the horses color

: A lighter color would have just shown up so much better against the ground and the detail of the legwork made more obvious.

Ah, and now we discover the real purpose of white leg wraps. LOL

Naturally, not every horse is of the mind and body to achieve these goals -- but many are and could be develped with the training.

Right on! :aktion033: A horse doesn't have to be perfectly built to become good at something and it's amazing what some horses can do when the right person believes in them.

: Ah, the magic of little girls and horses.....

Sounds like this is a popular idea Leanne!

Leia

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Brilliant idea- we did it last year at our breed show- I did not go so I shall have to ask what happened- it was a led dressage test, elementary level nothing fancy- just remembering the tests is enough for most people!!

High School in hand is another thing entirely and I think what most would go for would be a natural extension of the Liberty class- sort of "Dancing with Small Horses" rather than dressage per se.

Mary Ray started the "Dancing with Dogs" thing and it is she who performs at Crufts every year- she is very good but she is already being left behind for ingenuity by the younger crowd coming up, using her ideas and taking them one step further.

I think this could really take off- Danci9ng Dog classes are held at almost every bigger show over here now, and there is a training class for it just down the road from me- I am too unsteady on my feet to even contemplate it but I think the younger ones among us would love it.

I can always join in vicariously!!

 

[Mini Whinny]

: I think its a great idea!!!

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After all, why should mini's miss out on all the fun :new_multi: :new_multi:

 

[Leeana]

I'm glad i am not the only person who has played around with the idea. I'm not talking about on long lines or a lunge line, a regular lead right beside your horse. I know i had heard of dressage driving somewhere with the miniatures i think CDE's or something like that but what i am talking about is in no way related to driving really. I really want to pick up this idea and run with it.

If it ever got the the point of being added to AMHA/AMHR shows, we could have two levels if it got big enough 'entry' and a higher level, but until we got enough people into it, it would prob be easier with only 1 level for everyone to comepete it. Dressage in Hand could be as easy as just a couple difference speeds at the trot, walk, fancy turns, diagnals across the ring and some other fancy dressage moves. Most horses can learn the handlers body language fast enough, i dont think this would take years and years to train a miniature horse to compete in.

I'm set on this, after seeing a miniature horse performance at Equine Affaire ...there really is no limit for what these miniatures can do!

 

[gatorbait4sure]

All my dressage horses do in hand work LONG before they do it with someone up.

I have a Mini gelding (Triple) who has been long lining for at least a year now, as I do my big guys. He does shoulder in and out, haunches in and out, side passing, and is learning his baby steps, in preperation for some piaffe work. I'm not too sure he will progress to that, but my driving mare, Lyric is next on the list for this work and she will certainly be physically able to make the grade!

All my work is in long lines, NOT in the round pen.

I'd LOVE to have some classes or at least demos of this to get people excited about it and later on some classes at shows! What a super way to train your minis!

This gelding is pretty haughty and seems to love it. He isn't a driving prospect at ALL but is great at this!

You need long lines, and a sircingle with rings (turrets) that stay standing up (not flopping down) I found mine at Cathy Waxler's Star Lake Tack......and hadn't seen these offered anywhere else. It's the Bitting Rig she offers, sans the side checks. I just use the crupper as it's easier than taking it off (and I use it daily for my driving horses...almost need a second, I use it so much!)

dru

 

[Chamomile]

I bought my bitting rig from Mini Express. It has a lot of turetts that stand up along the saddle and then the floppy ones are along the saddles edges, for long reining and such. Mike McCabe designed this bitting rig and it's beautiful!

I'm going to have to get more serious about this and the liberty thing! I haven't been sure where to start with it all, but I guess I'm going to have to just jump in!!

: The colt I have for both is so active and fun. He does things like rearing, leaping up and kicking around and spinning and cantering all with my body language. But I don't have a huge arena so I'm not sure how he will be then. He may forget it all and do his own thing, which can't help but be pretty

: I do want to do something like the gentleman in the gray suit though....

 

[Shari]

I don't see why not. When I worked for an Andalusia barn way back when,,one of the things I did was worked the main stallion doing High School on the long lines.

All mini's should be able to do the basic dressage...and others should have the ability to do more if you wanted.

To do it right and correctly,,does take a lot of time, years in fact. Is not a fast process but well worth it.

 

[Jaxjag2000]

I believe it was the '95 Reno Nationals (AMHA) where an exhibition was performed with a mini and longlines. What a beautiful performance :aktion033: Lovely dressage movement, about 15-20 mins.

Always remember it. Only thing I would have changed was the horses color

: A lighter color would have just shown up so much better against the ground and the detail of the legwork made more obvious.

Yes, I have video of that from the 1996 Worlds. It was a black Mini performing with a Fresian. The rider rode the Fresian and the Mini did long rein dressage. Breath-taking!!!!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Oh my, that's the one I was thinking of! They performed in the Mane Event at Equitana USA in KY the year I went. Lovely.

: Although I've got to say, the ridden tandem of Friesians going over low jumps in longlines was a mind-blower! :new_shocked:

Leia