Pictures from my driving lesson!

[MiniHGal]

Hi all,

I haven't been posting much for a long time...but well, life takes over...and Leia answers all the questions I used to (I'm lazy--or is that busy?--now). I do get to read the forum pretty often, so I do keep up on all that is going on in people's lives and their new horses and foals.

Anyway, today I drove Fascination in a lesson with a ridden dressage trainer that also judges driven dressage. My goals for Fascination (and myself) have been to improve her self-carriage and collection so that we can really nail the Intermediate tests. This is also the hardest thing for her, as she's really built for speed and can also put up a very nice medium trot (lengthen in the intermediate tests), but the collected trot is not so easy.

I thought you guys would like to see a few photos of our work today. FYI, we were asking her to go a little more round to bring out the right neck muscles--which is the big thing we work on--as well as make it easier for her to collect.

Warming up...just walking then lengthening or stretching and coming back on the bit. The first picture is a decent stretching walk to loosen up her muscles and remind her to come down to the bit. The second was starting to come back up into a walk on the bit--I believe the next stride she dropped her head just a bit and brought all the upper neck muscles more into play. I like the walk stride here though.

Trotting...just a couple pictures because then the camera died--so of course we don't have the end of the lesson/really good pictures. *sigh* The first is a very nice working trot, a little behind the vertical, but still clearly on the bit, with decent engagement. The second is a little more collected working trot. She had some great steps of collection where the front end really lifted and she had a lot of engagement with her hind legs, but unfortunately not really captured by a dying camera.

Hope you enjoyed! We certainly do! The next show for us is an ADT (arena driving trial) next weekend, and then Ram Tap CDE (combined driving event) in Fresno in April. So its time to do the serious work...and time for a full clip! I should share pictures of Peekaboo when I get them--she's coming along well.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

She looks good Bree! I'm happy to see pictures from you again, did you borrow your roommate's camera or your mother's?

(I swear I'm going to send you my old one just so you have no excuse for not posting photos anymore. I don't care if yours is broken! *LOL*) Is Fasc using Dan's collar or did you get a new one? It looks much tighter on her around the bottom of the neck than it used to.

Have lots of fun at Ram Tap, this year my friend Gabe Garnica is bringing his Preliminary mini team down for the first time. He's the one that was on the cover of Carriage Driving World going through the water hazard. He's good!

I'm looking forward to hearing about it from both of you.

Pet the girls for me!

Leia

 

[Kendra]

Great photos, she looks great!

What sort of exercises do you do when you're working on collection? Any hints?

And can you tell me about the collar you use?

 

[keely2682]

what type of harness is she wearing?

 

[Sixstardanes]

Looking good

 

[MiniHGal]

Hey Leia, actually this is my new camera--I ended up buying myself one. So I can post pictures now! Fascination's collar is her 'new' one as of late last summer. It is custom fit for her, so yes, it does fit better...in fact, no matter where her head is, it feels comfortably snug around her neck, with the looseness in her trachea area. Love it! And I saw on the Ram Tap website that Gabe was going to be there, which is awesome! I really want to take a closer look at Bev's marathon carriage, anyway.

Kendra, its pretty difficult to explain it over the internet....but what we are going for is keeping the relaxation and connection that is now consistently present in her working trot, and adding both restriction and implusion. Her hind legs should be active (implusion), but her whole body is rocked back and put together. For Fascination, we alternated collected 10 meter circles with lengthened trots (which basically mediums now) to keep up the active hind end. But through the circles I was still asking for more forward, but then half-halting to not allow too much forward.

The collar is custom made for her by Lois Anderson of Tanglewood Farms. I've found she much prefers it to anything else because of her neck shape. Its also a god send on marathon--she can really pull it in the hazards.

Keely, I would assume you wanted to know about the collar (see above)...the rest of the harness is a mish mash--the saddle/breeching/etc is from an ancient Mini Express type harness (the hold back straps have been replaced), the bridle and reins are also made by Lois, but are from different sets.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Hey Leia, actually this is my new camera--I ended up buying myself one. So I can post pictures now!

Woohoo!!!

Kendra, its pretty difficult to explain it over the internet....but what we are going for is keeping the relaxation and connection that is now consistently present in her working trot, and adding both restriction and implusion. Her hind legs should be active (implusion), but her whole body is rocked back and put together.

Okay, you're my mentor so now I've got to ask. I've always thought the word "impLusion" on the printed ADS dressage tests was a typo. Isn't it "impuLsion??"

Aaargh!

Leia

 

[Brandi*]

You two are looking great

She is so pretty

 

[GREENWOODMINIS]

Really LOVELY

...great photos

!!!!!!

lis

 

[ClickMini]

You guys look great! Thanks for sharing the photos. One of the things that I do alot of to get the horse rocked back is walk/trot transitions. Alot of them in succession. Trot 5-10 strides, then working walk for the same #. It really helps soften them up in front and get them carrying the weight in the haunch.

 

[keely2682]

do you like that collar more than the other type collars available?

 

[MiniHGal]

Hahah, Leia, now that you mention it, it is wrong. And I'm such a tweaker for spelling too! Yep, impulsion.

Maybe I've been looking at the tests for next weekend too much!

Yes, Amy, you can also do walk-trot....lots of transitions, but it seems to be that if you use that to teach your horse collected trot, they lose some of the action and impulsion needed unless you are careful. They assume the point is just going slower than a working trot. That is why my trainer generally uses the lots of transitions to get them supple and listening for the working gaits, but the lengthen-collect to get the collection so that the lift and impulsion is compressed from the lengthened work. You should be working lots of transitions with all working horses anyway (like you said).

Keely, I do like this better than the other pseudo-collars out there. It really, really does require a custom fitting though, as it is supposed to fit like a glove...which can lead to a lot of alterations.

 

[Ferin]

You guys look great! Your mare is beautiful!

 

[nootka]

I only understand a LITTLE about what you're explaining, but the pictures are great!

Nice to see you!!!

Liz