MODERN DRESSAGE TRAINING
MODERN DRESSAGE TRAINING
HORSES OVERBENDING
www.sustainabledressage.net/rollkur/index.php
On Rollkur . .
..
. .
.Deep'n'Round and Methods of Overbending in Modern Dressage
Training
The Pros and Cons. Or
Just Cons, Basically...
Warimg up Low, Deep and
Round
Deep
This is a collection of
articles discussing the necessity and validity of the theory of
riding dressage horses deep, round and overbent for training
purposes. It deals with what it actually is, what it's supposed to
do, and the apparent downsides to the method. I have not attempted
to be "objective" about the subject, and it is rather evident from
the texts that this is not a method I use myself. Contrary to
many's beliefs, however, I have tried all the different techniques,
except one, deep and extremely bent to the side, nose to boot in
medium gaits. This is where I feel my limit is for trying odd and
potentially harmful things out an another living being. I will just
have to live with not knowing how that particular exercise
feels.
Science...
Nor have I tried to
write a scientific paper on the subject. I have references to
quotes and a bibliography. I have support from some prominent
people in the dressage world, but and most of the conclusions are
ones that I have reached myself by experimentation and observation,
asked vets and trainers, and not to mention done some rational
thinking.
Classical?
The main discussion in
these articles is on biomechanics and biodynamics of the horse.
There are many other issues to discuss, one being whether this is
"classical" or not. The problem with that is that the word
classical is not really defined and has been used and misused so
much that no-one knows what it stands for, anymore. Most adherers
stick to what "The Masters of Old" said was right. But what
masters? Does one adhere to Xenophon, De la Gueriniere or The first
FEI comittee that wrote the first rules for competition in 1920?
Sadly, those fine and thought-through first rules of competition
are being changed bit by bit to fit better into the modern sport,
and how it actually look in the arena, rather than changing the
training and riding to fit the rules.
A Sign of the
Times
Times and ideals change,
and in sports medicine nowadays therapists are more concerned with
stretching than they used to be. And that has done sports a lot of
good, no doubt about that. Also society has changed from
authoritarian "Never behind the vertical!" to a more scientific
"Behind the vertical makes the horse..." We now look for the reason
the masters hollered.
Before dressage became a
sport it was a duty (the army) or and art (noblemen). In the army,
soldiers could learn to ride or die trying. Artwise, the noblemen
took pride in practising the art as closely to their ideals as
possible. And since you have only yourself too fool, they sought
and tried to be better all their riding lives.
In the modern sports
world there is no such self-regulatory system. We have outside
evaluation, rules and judges for competitions, and for winning you
work on impressing the judges to judge you favourably and hopefully
according to the rules. But horses and riders are all different,
and judges, too. Rules written in words cannot be superimposed on a
living form of art. So scores depends on how a judge interprets the
rules, how he perceives the horse, and on the flavour of the
month...
The rules of the FEI
represent the same ideal as both German and French army cavalry
schools abided by, and probably the same as the noblemen of old
held as theirs. Alarmingly, they have started to change the rules
quite a bit lately. Why would that be necessary? Horses have hardly
changed. They still have four legs, and derive from carriage horses
and thoroughbreds. What has changed, is the selection of people
attempting to become dressage riders and
competitors.
Perfect Scores and
Perfect Riding
As in any sport, we want
to start young and rise to the top early to be able to stay there
longer. To take time to learn every discipline of horsemanship, and
to try to find teachers, both horses and humans, skillful enough to
be able to teach rhythm, relaxation, suppleness, balance, contact,
straightness, collection, and throughness in it's ultimate form
seems obsolete. Inherent gaits, control, tricks and precision is
what is rewarded in competition rather than the quality of the
criteria of the training scale. If 12-15 steps of piaffe is
demanded at X, a so-so execution of 15 consecutive shuffles at X is
rewarded higher than a fluid, elevated piaffe of 10 steps 3 meters
after X. And in a test, rightfully so! There's a description to
ride by. If all and sundry rode the movements anywhere they wanted,
all could do great, well prepared piaffes, right? So what happens
in the freestyle to music..?
The precision and
succession of tricks of modern dressage tests are somewhat above
the ability of a 22 year old who rides and studies for a degree and
still wants to compete at GP. So we devise training methods that
give us precise control of the horse down to the millimetre, and we
sacrifice balance and correctness in the process. Since perfection
is not the goal - perfect scores are.
Theresa
Copyright ©
2001-2005 Theresa
Sandin
*.*.*.*.*
DUTCH
Subject: DIFFERENT
METHOD
http://www.escoladafantasia.eu/
NELLY ABBENES MET PONY
DOEDEL IN COURBETTE
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WATCH AND ENJOY link youtube:
Sorberbio
High School Dressage Bridleless
