“Advanced work is only ever as good as the basics.” -Egon Von Neindorff
Before worrying about any kind of frame, a horse should be able to:
-Feel confident moving forward without restriction from the reins
-understand and follow your seat’s ability to drive, slow, half halt and move laterally
-stretch forward and down with an unrestricted neck: in other words, both sides of your horse’s neck are evenly loosened, and both shoulders are free, allowing your horses neck to be in the center of both shoulders.
-move with an unrestricted back, especially in transitions.
Until these things are working, the more advanced movements will require tension in the horse’s body. These basics are what good riders spend their time working on. The advanced postures and movements are a side effect of these good basics, not the work itself.
Again right on the money with this post !! Although it’s a real high to get to do the higher movements on an advanced horse , I still get the best feelings when I’m working the basics on a basic horse & get the right reaction & the horse knows he did it right !! It might be only a moment but it was so exciting for both of us !! To have a horse excited to be able to do for you what you ask & understand is the best feeling ever !!
LikeLike