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Post by Michelle Clarke on Dec 3, 2007 22:23:38 GMT -5
In case you are fortunate enough to be ignorant of this wonderful training practice...  This is when you lunge or ride your dressage horse and crank his chin into his chest. The reasoning I am not quite sure of, but it has been approved by the FEI to be an acceptable training practice.  Hyperflexion of the neck does NOT equal collection or roundness or any positive attitude from ones horse. period. |
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Post by fantasykiger on Dec 4, 2007 13:02:25 GMT -5
Not only that ..a horse can not see properly.
The odd thing is Fantasy does this on her own when frustrated on a loose rein brings her chin to her chest and I have to try and get her to bring her head up. It is the last thing I would ask a horse to do.
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Post by nrly on Dec 4, 2007 16:02:13 GMT -5
looks dangerous for both rider and horse. Why would a person want this... Flexing them side to side is good but this looks awful.
nola
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Dec 4, 2007 23:12:09 GMT -5
Who knows?! I don't see the benefit, even after reading their arguments. The only time we ever have a horse so overbent vertically like that is one that evades the bit by getting behind the verticle. We take up the reins until a firm contact is reached, but then when they push forward, we let the rein out. That fixes them pretty quick!
Flexing laterally (side to side) is good when it is not done to the point of overbending like some clinicians do. Being involved in chiropractic and osteopathy for horses, there is only so much bend a horse has and they can do without doing damage to the vertabrae and soft tissue structure.
After you go past the shoulder, the lumbar jams (behind the ribcage) and causes more problems. We don't bend past the point of the shoulder unless we have a horse that evades by taking their head way around, then it is basically the same thing as when they do it vertically.
There is only so much space between the jaw and the first vertabrae at the poll. A good bend allows the head to stay straight while bending, meaning the side of the face is on the same plane instead of the poll locking and the nose just coming around while the head is twisted.
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Post by kigerfan on Dec 27, 2007 11:28:56 GMT -5
Anyone wondering about the comfort of this, try bringing your own chin to your neck and you have a lot less travel to get there! It not only messes with your vision, it obstructs free breathing. Kinda silly I think to do things to your horse that is obviously detrimental to his/her abilities and health
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