Lesson pictures

[glenatron]

As suggested, a couple of pictures from our lesson with Julian yesterday, more details about the lesson in the post linked above:


sleepsy_mouse riding, he just arches his neck and moves in that beautiful way the whole time. It's gorgeous to watch.

It's me! Pictures taken in that school tend to be a little blurry as it's not terribly bright, but this one has quite a nice sense of movement to it.

Comments

[tempusxfugit.livejournal.com]

Not nearly as amusing as the pictures preceeding these. But you're right, the neck is beautiful. That takes a lot of careful training, be it with a spade bit or otherwise.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

It would in a lot of horses, I'm not sure about this guy ( apparently he only really works in a snaffle, he doesn't like complicated things and i doubt he's had much in the way of complex bitting ) but it's also part of the way Andalusian horses carry themselves. One reason that the real classical schools tend to favour the Iberian types is that they tend to arch and collect easily by nature and conformation.

[tempusxfugit.livejournal.com]

Whoever was involved did a beautiful job. He doesn't seem bothered by the position at all, either.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

Why would he be? It's just his natural way of going and in terms of biomechanics it's the most efficient way for a horse to carry a rider, using the muscles of their back and the whole of that elastic ring that goes around their body lengthwise.

Julian, our teacher, is a small step of remove from the Spanish Riding School ( his mentors include Charles Harris and Nuno Oliveira ) and I have to say he has the nicest school horses I've ever ridden. It was the first time this guy had even taught a lunge lesson and he was an absolute star.

[tempusxfugit.livejournal.com]

When you're training a horse to carry his head better (or at least my two), once you release for them, they stretch their neck out and relax a lot more. But they are completely different breeds.

I wish I could have an oppertunity to learn under the Spanish Riding School. I don't know what I would give.

[foalstory.livejournal.com]

yup, the spanish baroque breeds (Ands and Lusitanos in my experience) are *very* different in their neck muscles and what is natural and not natural for them. Stretching and lengthing the neck is ALWAYS tricky, where as most TB green broke horses can show you how it's done in a few lessons :)

at least the french style of training these horses goes for lightness and *self* carriage, meaning that if you release, the hrose is still carrying themselves. it takes a bit to teach them to stretch down and into contact for things like the stretchy circles for a dressage test.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

Much as they rag on each other constantly I think that most of the classical european schools have more common ground than difference between them...

[ownedbyhorses.livejournal.com]

There are many different ways to Rome... seems to me also that some horses respond to one method perhaps better then the other. Case in point the horse breeds in discussion are easier to collect (as you noted) vs. perhaps a longer backed horse such as a TB or even QH.

Have you read Paul Belasik' Riding towards the Light? He ruminants on the "schools" and what he thinks of it after apprenticing under Nuno Oliveria.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

I haven't, no. Another one for the list then...

[foalstory.livejournal.com]

well, as someone who's been intensively taught by BOTH 'schools', I can definitely agree with that. I started with a American-German/centered riding type of instructor, then went FULL German style, and now totally the other way with a very French/Portguese Baroque style. Granted, it works best with the Lusitano stallions in the barn, but Denali is doing AMAZINGLY well and only with this have we achieved a degree of lightness and self carriage that no earlier style could get us to.

However, my jumping instructor (who is British btw, so BHSA licensed or whatever it is you have over there) and has evented over there for years (there's a hysterical/sad story involving her, her dead horse and the Queen in Windsor Park). Any how, her dressage style IS different and I'm left in between the two.

But? it's not as difficult as a meld as expected. The biggest was getting Trudy (jumping trainer) to *not* say things like "I know this is different from what Kirsten (dressage) has been teaching/telling you to do...",since honestly more often than not they were BOTH saying the SAME things to me no matter what style/saddle/etc I was riding :)

[anabug.livejournal.com]

My horse has lovely head carriage in a snaffle.

[http://users.livejournal.com/blitzen_/]

GORGEOUS pony. what's his name? so awesome that you are getting lunge lessons - iwould love some time to just focus on my position and what i'm doing... argh!

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

His name was something beginning with C, but I can't remember what exactly. Like "Charron" or something.

[evil-c.livejournal.com]

Ooh, pretty pony!

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

Isn't he though?

[penella22.livejournal.com]

I loove Andalusians too and for awhile I was a groom at a stable that had a few. Drool. Your lesson horse does seem to have an amazing presence and quiet heart. I love their natural carriage and how they are so well-built for dressage, just like the Lippizaners. I love square horses like that, and while Sage is not a dressage candidate at all at this point, I do love how square her is that way. :-)

Lovely photos.

[penella22.livejournal.com]

oh, and your seat looks amazing! nice job.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

:D

Thank you very much.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

He was exactly as you describe- very charismatic indeed, loved having a few people to watch him work, but absolutely sweet natured. A really lovely horse.