Dressage Today - May issue

[targetsmom]

Remember the lovely article in Dressage Today in February about miniatures doing driven dressage ("Thumbs Up to Driven Dressage")? Well I wrote a letter to the editor about that article and it was just published in the May issue. I am not having any luck getting it up online though - it should be online at www.dressagetoday.com.

 

[dreaminmini]

I went to look at your letter but I cannot find it on the site? I am fully willing to say I can be totally blind and it may have been in front of my face. That is just me right now! LOL Can you put up a direct link to your letter?

 

[targetsmom]

Here is the letter (with slight editing by Dressage Today):

Dressage Minis are Good for Many

Like the author of "Thumbs Up to Driven Dressage" (Feb '11) , I too downsized to miniature horses after years of riding. My "aha" moment came when I realized that the wonderful feeling you get when your dressage horse is on the bit and fully engaged can be felt when driving a 32" miniature! Princess and I entered our first American Driving Society event in 2009 and have never looked back. I also work her in-hand where she is doing leg yields and shoulder in. I hope to work her up to passage and piaffe someday.

When looking through the rest of the February issue, I realized that many of the articles could apply to driven or in-hand dressage. For example, I compared a photo of Princess on a 20 meter trot circle with Photo #1 in the "Teacher's Notebook". Her legs form two identical triangles, the right front hoof is about twice as high off the ground as the left hind, she is uphill from her dock to her withers, her poll is the highest point, and her nostril is ahead of the eyeball with her face perpendicular to the ground. The author, Charles de Kunffy, concludes that the horse in the photo with these attributes shows signs of ideal engagement behind. For those who want to learn more about the wonderful world of miniatures, more information is available from the major registries at www.amha.org and www.shetlandmini.com. The very best miniature horses these days are proportioned and move like their full size counterparts. Many of my dressage-riding friends wish Princess was 16 hands instead of 8, but I just smile knowing how much less she costs in upkeep compared with their full size horses!

 

[jegray21]

I am glad they are putting it in there! My dressage neighbors will be calling me to tell me there is a letter about minis and driving dressage in Dressage today.

We have a big farm to our left and one to our right and they are always laughing at me while I long line and drive my minis! One of them finally took Ace seriously when she watched his Piaffe! "Wow I wish he was bigger" she said.

I had the opportunity to ride with Charles de Kunffy and I learned to long line in Germany where they use it all the time. Here a lot of trainers forget what a useful tool it is! I had the same "aha" moment when I was working with my 34" mini in the half-pass and piaffe in the long lines. Now to just figure out the flying lead change in the long line...

 

[targetsmom]

Jegray21 - I think YOU should send in something to Dressage Today! Some pics or video of your mini doing Piaffe. Submit to the "Clinic" column. Or anyone else who has something of that nature to share. Let's get some publicity showing what minis can DO. If enough of us submit photos and videos of "dressage with minis" maybe it will get someone's attention.

 

[jegray21]

I will keep working him then, he is still a little tight in the neck... I was trying to get a decent third level test out of him in the long lines. I am telling you it is helping his gaits so much so maybe his extended trot will be more than just front legs

I just do not know how to get the flying changes trained in them. I always trained under saddle first. there is an appy that that does it I will find the video! Are we allowed to link to u tube?

 

[targetsmom]

If you mean Lancelot, there have been links posted before, so I think YouTube is OK. He is magnificent!

 

[dreaminmini]

Great letter and glad to see that they are recognizing the minis more and staring to realize what they are capable of.

Jegray: Would love to see pics or better some video of your guy and you long lining. I have always found it very interesting but haven't been able to practice it much.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I am glad they are putting it in there! My dressage neighbors will be calling me to tell me there is a letter about minis and driving dressage in Dressage today.

We have a big farm to our left and one to our right and they are always laughing at me while I long line and drive my minis! One of them finally took Ace seriously when she watched his Piaffe! "Wow I wish he was bigger" she said.
I had the opportunity to ride with Charles de Kunffy and I learned to long line in Germany where they use it all the time. Here a lot of trainers forget what a useful tool it is! I had the same "aha" moment when I was working with my 34" mini in the half-pass and piaffe in the long lines. Now to just figure out the flying lead change in the long line...

And you're writing to ME for advice?? Jeez!

I read books by Charles de Kunffy and DREAM of teaching my horses that sort of stuff!

Although amusingly enough I can get flying changes in cart because I did them ridden, whereas I have no idea how to teach piaffe because I've only read about it. You need to get the horse consistent on his leads on the rail using strong rein cues to indicate sidedness, then start doing simple lead changes on figure eights and eventually flying changes using the same cues when he's already in canter. They figure it out!

I will keep working him then, he is still a little tight in the neck... I was trying to get a decent third level test out of him in the long lines. I am telling you it is helping his gaits so much so maybe his extended trot will be more than just front legs

Who was it who in another thread was pointing out it takes them a certain amount of time to build strength? You're asking him for a lot in a short time. Let him develop! His hind end, like my horse's, is a little short if I recall and it's going to take him time to build enough strength to coil that hip and keep it coiled. It took Kody at least two years once I really started training him with professional help.

Leia

 

[jegray21]

Who was it who in another thread was pointing out it takes them a certain amount of time to build strength? You're asking him for a lot in a short time. Let him develop! His hind end, like my horse's, is a little short if I recall and it's going to take him time to build enough strength to coil that hip and keep it coiled. It took Kody at least two years once I really started training him with professional help.

Leia

Very good point. I should have gone into more details...I am only asking him for the concept, so bring him in not a super collected classically correct show quality piaffe, just touching the concept, get a step or two take him out of it. and never every day. We used to work the young horses on piaffe in hand to teach them to tilt the hips and prep them for the training later. As long as he does not do this every day or for long periods on time is should not hurt him, He is five and has been long lining for two years : )schooling shoulder in and leg yields and a bit of half pass. Hope that helps. Sorry guilty of not explaining for sure!

 

[jegray21]

I should add that this is definitely a discussion that goes on with the ridden dressage. No one seems to agree. I was trained grand prix dressage training in Germany they do start stuff like this in hand earlier than the Spanish back ground. I found it depends on the horses conformation and hind end build. Ace is built so that his hips drop easily, not hard for him, He is five and has been working in the long lines for several years. My mare 3 years old now does not do anything like this and won't for a long time. She is stiff in the hips and does not offer it naturally so it will take her longer to even attempt it. Hope that clarifies things. : ) Please do not try schooling upper level work with your minis after a few days of long lining! You can stress the joints and tear mussels.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

As long as he does not do this every day or for long periods on time is should not hurt him, He is five and has been long lining for two years : )schooling shoulder in and leg yields and a bit of half pass. Hope that helps. Sorry guilty of not explaining for sure!

Oh no, I wasn't concerned that you were hurrying him or that you'd injure him. What I meant was simply that you might be expecting a bit much from him in hoping that he'll have the power to track up well under himself in the cart at this point. He may tilt those hips easily but he doesn't appear to have a very long femur/deep stifle and so it takes more strength for him to do that than he may currently have. Long-lining is wonderful, but once you add the weight of the cart and driver it's a whole different ballgame and from what I recall you haven't had him in the cart for very long. He's got to build strength again for this new double-load!

Leia

 

[jegray21]

Oh no, I wasn't concerned that you were hurrying him or that you'd injure him. What I meant was simply that you might be expecting a bit much from him in hoping that he'll have the power to track up well under himself in the cart at this point. He may tilt those hips easily but he doesn't appear to have a very long femur/deep stifle and so it takes more strength for him to do that than he may currently have. Long-lining is wonderful, but once you add the weight of the cart and driver it's a whole different ballgame and from what I recall you haven't had him in the cart for very long. He's got to build strength again for this new double-load!

Leia

Agreed! Yea he has a hard time keeping his hind end any where near under him in the cart. I just started riding bicycles with a bike group here in Alpharetta and boy going up those hills I thought because I was fit and could run riding should be easier, but it is different mussel groups. It helped me relate to my minis in the cart! It takes a long time to get strong to ride up the hills! When I start to think he can do more I remember the bike and the hills

When I was riding them I could feel them tire out but it's hard sitting in the cart! He has not been longer than a year poor guy has to put up with my learning curve!