“If the speed diminishes without a rider’s request, the impulsion is lost. If the speed increases without a rider’s request, the balance is lost.”
strides needed for collection. (In piaffe, speed and stride length are near zero.) This is the reason why passage should never be taught
to a horse who has not yet agreed to give both his full engagement in forward movement and sufficient ampli- tude in lateral steps. Any trot that looks like passage, obtained before the horse has established all his basics, will be used by him as a way to resist forwardness and lateral mobility. The development of the “expressive- ness of the gaits” in four-, five- and six-year-olds leads to resistant horses with uneven diagonals. When the true passage is finally asked for, we often see irregular steps with restricted gestures (the front legs go up but the knee does not open forward to “finish the stride” and the hind legs go upward behind the vertical without truly advanc- ing under the body). These passages are obtained by back- ward actions of the hand, not by forward driving of the horse’s energy in a balance good enough to create a desir- able degree of lightness.
Goals for Toti For a horse like Toti with a lot of strength and a natural suspension that makes him very pretty to look at when he shows off at liberty, the most important priority is increas- ing his hind leg activity and achieving (a reasonable) quickness of tempo. Balance is never an issue for him, but we must make sure that he does not use his natural suspension to avoid going forward. Increased activity is what makes him easy to sit, while excessive suspension is what makes him harder to sit. At this point, riding him in an elevated head position and pushing him forward gets his hind legs under him, flexed and pushing forward rather than upward. In any given session, as long as his activity achieved by this technique does not flag, he can be allowed to relax and lower his head, round his back and have an easier time as soon as possible. The art of training horses consists in knowing which position is most favorable to the training, while always making sure it does not hurt the horse in the immediate. It must be beneficial in the long term, emotionally as well as biomechanically. This takes much practice. When look- ing for help with your horses, choose wisely and seek the advice of an experienced trainer who has produced many sound horses in the discipline of your choice.
Warmbloods Today 53
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