The Education of Toti
usually sufficient for a jumper or a stock horse working cattle. This stage of training must not be skipped over. It is the turn we must be able to get anytime we need, even if it has no bend.
The Educated Turn As dressage progresses, we want the horse to respond instantaneously to our demands for turns, yet we also want a balanced turn based on the verticality of the body. If the vertical axis of the horse’s torso follows the plumb line, his weight will be equal on both lateral pairs of legs and he will be able to adjust the length of his strides to perform turns and straight lines. A left turn requires more push of the right hind, more reach of the right front and more flexion of the left lateral pair (and vice versa). This upward adjustment of the stride on the outside of the turn keeps the horse vertical, prevents him from slipping, lets him relax his neck and back and maintains the tempo of the gait as the stride is never shortened (hence never quickened). The trained horse turns like a car with four-wheel drive.
The horse learns to adjust the thrust of each hind leg and the reach of each shoulder individually. When he becomes capable of moving that way, his back will bend and swing by the alternate shortening and lengthening of each side. The horse will take a contact on the outside rein and lighten up on the inside rein (by turning his neck inward). This is what everybody wants, but very few actually get it because most horses still turn by leaning in, hence pulling against the inside rein and dropping the outside one, due to the fact that they still want to bend outward to remain balanced.
Turns Come First, then Bend, then Turn and Bend Together Turns must come first. When we ride a young horse and use the reins, we are expecting to be able to move his feet in the direction we are asking. The lunge line pulling from the center of the circle to diminish its size is the precursor of the “opening rein.” I taught Toti to lead (as I do with any horse from day one) by putting forward/inward pressure on
the line (which at first is met by a natural backward resis- tance of the poll) and tapping on the front leg closest to me at the same time, asking it to come forward. The pres- sure on the head stall (halter/ cavesson/ bridle) is “the prob- lem” I am presenting to Toti. The moving of his front foot in that direction is “the solution” I want him to adopt--going forward to release the pressure. This simple work that we introduce (carefully) to all babies since the moment they are first haltered is a funda- mental part of training. All resistances that we encounter to the actions of our hands or legs are always based on the bracing of the feet on the ground. If we can move the feet, the resistances of the neck, poll and mouth disappear in great part and the entire forehand relaxes.
The Anatomical Basis of Asymmetry We all know the horse is asymmetrical in his posture and movement, but not everybody understands where that comes from and which actions are the most effective to start correcting the problem as soon as possible in the training. Like all mammals, horses
have their internal organs distributed unevenly, which affects the way all of them move. The most important asymme- try regarding locomotion is the location of the spleen, just in front of the left stifle. This organ works as a large sponge for the blood and is at its fullest when the horse is at rest. Just like a horse will not engage himself very well on a full bladder, his left hind leg will tend to travel a little wide in order to avoid compressing the spleen. This left hind leg ends up with the main job of pushing the horse forward in a slightly wide posi- tion and we can often see the hoof on that side being a little high on the inside wall and flared on the outside wall. The shape of the foot reflects the angle at which it pushes off of the ground. This leg tends to perform a limited engagement under the body.
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➊ Cedar works in hand with Toti, initially without the saddle, then later with the saddle, asking him to give to pressure on his side and cross his hind legs. ➋ To help with the desensitizing, lunge work with a feed bag attached to the stirrups on both sides is practiced. ➌ Next, Cedar also ties empty milk jugs with stones to continue to desensitize Toti.
30 September/October 2015 All indoor photos by Phillip Warner and Kim Taylor
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