It's About The Horse

Julie · Member Joined: 07 Feb 2009 Posts: 1297

has anyone watched this and what did they think - loved it and it blew some ideas out of the window!
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cokey · Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 6:18 pm Post subject:

I thought it was amazing. I keep meaning to buy it, but it's soooo expensive! I think I might have to get the book first..

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www.suffolkhorsemanship.co.uk

I survived the externship, then realised that I didn't want it anymore..

Julie · Member Joined: 07 Feb 2009 Posts: 1297

I would get the DVD - well worth the money - you can always put it on ebay when you watched it! i am thinking of starting a new thing called pay it on!! lol!

Are you going to watch him in september - stow / oxford / TTT ?
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cokey · Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 6:40 pm Post subject:

But I've already seen the DVD - I'd only be buying it to lend to people!

I didn't know he was doing anything over here? Where do I find details?
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www.suffolkhorsemanship.co.uk

I survived the externship, then realised that I didn't want it anymore..

Julie · Member Joined: 07 Feb 2009 Posts: 1297

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=317535
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Blue Flame · Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 10:34 pm Post subject:

Yes, we have watched it (rented) and it changed the way we ride - especially the warm-up. I found it also help educate your eye for movement.

Currently have the book (again rented from the place we rented the video). Just trying to finish off Sylvia Loch's Dressage in Lightness and then I''l dive straight into Gerd's book.

Julie · Member Joined: 07 Feb 2009 Posts: 1297

Sylvia loch does a really good clinictoo, been to some of them
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Blue Flame · Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 11:41 pm Post subject:

Blue Flame · Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 9:44 pm Post subject:

Just finished reading Tug of War.

Quite a light read after the marathon of Sylvia's book, very concise and revealing.

Having read it, I can now see the huge mistake that was made with Blue Flame when we first got him. Not knowing any of this stuff, we booked Miki and him in for a lesson with the local riding instructor.

Her first aspect to work on was his head position

. He did very well but the instructor advised us after the lesson to get a vet to look at him because his hind legs were trailing out behind.

After reading Gerd's writings on relative and absolute elevation in conjunction with hollow and overstretched backs, its now pretty damn obvious why he was leaving his hind legs out behind. The instructor was having us try to get him to do something that he was physically not conditioned for.

Fortunately, a rider injury on a different horse caused us to stop until the rider healed. During this break in riding, we discovered NH so contact and bits have not been part of the scene for several years now. We are just now starting to get back to the classical stuff - this time more prepared and less ignorant.

Something very interesting in the book is Gerd's observations on horses ridden without contact versus those that are ridden with bad contact versus those ridden with good contact. These observations are of course general in nature - there will be exceptions. Gerd's comments are quite brief compared with my interpretation of them below.

Those ridden with the kind of bad contact going for absolute elevation (before they are ready for it physically) or hyperflexion have by far the most physical and sometimes mental problems. Absolute elevation tends to hollow them while hyperflexion lifts the back from the front using the ligaments, tending to cause the HQ to be left out behind and unable to step forward enough to develop carrying capacity in the HQ. The overstressing of the ligament and fascial systems severly limits the range of movement of the HQ. These horses tend to be on the forehand.

Those ridden without contact in general have far fewer problems but tend to lose impulsion - and by impulsion he is talking about bendy hind legs stepping under which develop superior pushing power which translates also to better carrying power. These horses, being largely able to chose how they carry their backs, also will be lifting the back from the front using the ligaments but are less likely to overstretch or overstress the nuchal and supraspinous ligaments in order to lessen muscular effort. However, since upper neck muscle development is less, the extra weight carried by the ligaments and fascia limit the range of movement available to the HQ but not nearly as badly as for the hyperflexed or absolute elevation horses. This horse tends to find his own balance between support from ligaments and muscles, but horses being what they are with regards to conserving energy tend to use the ligaments more. Hence these horses still tend towards the forehand due to tension in the ligaments limiting HQ range of movement.

Those ridden with good contact taking relative elevation (the optimum head elevation for the particular horse at his particular stage of training development) into account are generally as sound or better as the horses ridden without contact but also have superior impulsion and carrying capacity. If ridden correctly, their muscles are developed such that they are capable of creating the necessary tension in the ligament sytem for lifting the back from the HQ using their HQ muscles. Their neck muscles are capable of correctly supporting the neck and head at a height neccessary to slacken the ligaments and fascial systems enough for the HQ to reach forward, while the HQ musculature maintains enough tension in the ligaments to lift the back. The back muscles are then freed up from trying to carry weight and can then be used for locomotion as intended.

A point that was explained in the book was that of the leverage of a bit on the horse. If we were to fit a horse with a bit that is entirely incapable of causing pain (not possible) we would still have leverage over the nuchal and supraspinous ligament system of the horse at a ratio of 10 to 1. This is the approximate ratio of lengths between the bars of the mouth (our end of the lever) and the atlanto-occipital joint (the fulcrum) and from that joint to the trop of the skull where the nuchal ligament terminates (the horses end of the lever).

Quite an enlightening book that doesn't bog the reader down with too much detail. Though it still does provide enough basic understanding for the reader to be able to think for themselves next time they are watching a horse move.

Clarissa · Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 12:54 pm Post subject:

BF all that you wrote regarding the 3 styles of carriage is what I have worked out for myself over the last 2 yrs trying to get Sonny to carry himself better & get off his front end. Working him at liberty, he has finally begun to coil his pelvis & can now make leaping lead changes through the center of the pen. This is a really good thing as it shows he understands the process & is having fun with it even for just a fleeting moment.

Much practise to go yet before his body is strong enough to carry me also. I am totally delighted with the seemingly permanent topline changes that have occurred this year. I also wonder whether a positive change of biomechanics might influence a change for the better with his hooves.

I can’t envisage how a horse would learn to carry itself in this better way while still carrying a rider without either a bit/less/halter or strong heel contact. It is a big change for a horse to make.

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jobialkowska · Member Joined: 04 Jun 2010 Posts: 51 Location: UK

I'm going to his Oxford lecture in September! Very excited - I've read Tug of War but not seen/read any of his other material. I'm hoping he'll have suff for sale then and I'll top up.
Glad it's good, I really enjoyed the book and learnt a lot from it.
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'Great spirits always encourage violent opposition from mediocre minds'

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Julie · Member Joined: 07 Feb 2009 Posts: 1297

I am going to Stow! the day before!
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