52/ DECEMBER 2013 THE RIDER Horse Riding - The 3 Most Important Riding Frames for Any Discipline
ly called “frame”, this spinal posture from his poll to his croup affects his ability to perform two very important functions:
1) support the rider’s weight,
2) drive energy forward from his hindquarters. The frame is the shape that is created
By Anne Gage Whether your horse is a pleasure,
trail or show horse, the shape of his back determines his physical and mental ability to perform to his full potential. Common-
by his topline (the spine and muscles along his withers, back and loins) along with the position of his neck and head. The most desirable posture of the horse’s back is a slightly convex arc through the area that supports the weight of the saddle and rider (thoracic lumbar area). It is a chain of muscles in the horse’s neck, back, abdomen and hindquarters that work together and have the strength to lift the back to create this slight arc. The action of the hind legs reaching further under the body (engagement) forces the abdominal muscles to work harder and the back to lift. It is through this engagement of the hindquarters that stronger back, abdominal and hindquarters muscles are developed. There are 5 different frames that horses take. In the list below, numbers 1-4
are natural frames that horses take on their own, and number 5 is only cre- ated by human interference.
1) Long & Low - the poll is lower than the withers
2) Level - the poll is level with the withers
3) High Headed with Lifted Back - also called being “on the bit” or “going round”
4) High Headed with Hollow Back - also called being “above the bit” or “inverted”
5) Round Poll with Hollow Back - also called being “behind the bit” or going “behind the vertical”
The first 3 frames (Long and Low, Level, and High Headed with Lifted Back) are the most beneficial for the horse and for working with your horse.
The 4th frame High Headed
with Hollow Back), while a natural shape, is a posture that creates stress in the lumbar thoracic area (where the saddle sits) and also creates the flow of adrenaline. This posture is generally used by one horse to intim- idate another. Horses that spend a lot of time in this frame will develop
sore back muscles. Any hollow backed frame limits his performance under saddle by creating physical and mental stress. The last frame (Round Poll with
Hollow Back) is the only shape that is fully man-made. The nose is pulled in behind the vertical and may even touch the chest. Training tech- niques that focus on the front end or the “head set” of the horse most often cause this posture. They typi- cally apply pressure from the reins or gadgets (i.e. martingales, tie downs, side reins, draw reins, etc.) to bring the head and neck into the desired position. Some people see only a “beautiful” neck position. However, it is created through an incorrect and unhealthy posture with a hollow back, disengaged hindquarters and stressed, tense dorsal muscle chain (neck extensors, longisimus dorsi, gluteal and hamstring muscles). This frame is very harmful to the horse’s wellbeing as it causes both physical and mental stress, resistance and imbalance in the horse. Over time, the physical stress results in deterio- ration of muscles and stress to joints which can cause chronic pain and lameness. This unnatural frame must be avoided. Riding your horse in a good
frame enhances his natural move- ment, and improves the strength and
suppleness of his muscles. Your horse’s frame of body
affects his frame of mind. There is no separation of how he feels physically and mentally. If his body is being stressed and feels tense, then so is his mind. In order for your horse to work with you without resistance, his body must be relaxed, supple and without pain. So, a good frame is just as essential for your horse’s mental health as it is for his physical well being.
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Anne Gage is a Gold Level trainer certified in the Chris Irwin method of horsemanship. She teaches adult rid- ers to confidently work with their horses, improve their riding skills and bring the joy back into their rid- ing experience. Her training and coaching methods are based on building mutual trust & respect between horse and human. Anne coaches and trains clients out of High Point Farm near Orangeville, Ontario, Canada and also travels to other locations giving one & two day clinics, workshops and private ses- sions. For more information, visit her website
http://www.annegage.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=An ne_Gage
2014 Dressage Canada Election - High Performance
Committee Chair Declared
Dressage Canadsa News Release Ottawa ON, October 30, 2013 — Dressage Canada is pleased to announce that nominee Gina Smith has been elected as the High Per- formance Committee Chair for a three year term. Smith has been the volunteer Chair of High Perfor- mance since 2012 and she will continue in this role until the end of 2016 having received the high- est number of votes in the recent election. Smith is one of Canada’s most
accomplished dressage athletes with a list of impressive credentials spanning 30 years including; World Cup Finals, Pan Am Games (Team Gold-1991 Havana Cuba) and three Olympic Games (1988 Seoul South Korea [Bronze Medal], 1992 Barcelona Spain, 1996 Atlanta Georgia, USA). Smith brings a depth of
knowledge to the position that will continue to prove invaluable as the Committee strives to fulfill the objectives of the High Performance Committee. In addition to her work on the
High Performance Committee, Smith has volunteered as a member of Dressage Canada High Perfor- mance Criteria Sub Committee, as
well as the Dressage Canada Coaching Committee and Dressage Canada Board. In 2010, Smith was inducted into the Brockville Sports Hall of Fame and was the assistant Chef d’Equipe to the Dressage Team for the 2010 World Equestri- an Games. She acted as Chef for the
2011 Pan Am Games in Guadala- jara, Mexico and the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England. Dres- sage Canada congratulates Smith on the election result and recog- nizes her dedication and passion for the sport. “Together with the strong
membership of the present High Performance Committee, I look forward to supporting the vision and goals outlined in High Perfor- mance priorities, and developing the sport to achieve excellence on the International stage. Fantastic fundraising initiatives are already underway which will help greatly to carry out all the wishes High Performance has. Thanks to every- one for your continued support in the development of Canadian Dres- sage,” said Smith. We wish to thank nominees
Tony Eames and Elizabeth Steacie for their candidature in this
Gina Smith year’selection.
About Dressage Canada Dressage Canada, as a committee of Equine Canada, is the national governing body for dressage in Canada. Dressage Canada’s objec- tive is to foster the growth of dres- sage and the pursuit of excellence in the sport at the local, national and international levels. Dressage Canada provides support and guid- ance to both amateur and profes- sional through the following pro- grams: coaching education and programs, officials’ education and programs, rules and qualifying cri- teria, sport development, and pub- lications and awards. For more information about Dressage Cana- da, please visit the Dressage sec- tion of the Equine Canada site or connect with us on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/dressagecanada or
Facebook
http://tinyurl.com/lp8cnd. at
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