H
ere comes a bwick through your waskily, windowed world, you western whippersnappers and whipsnorters. The dressage world (pulling my library glasses down my nose) calls it, “reaching forward into the contact.” And truth be told it has many benefits for increasing suppleness in the horse and developing gait fluidity, but the western world, up until now, hasn’t had a word for it. I may as well be Marvin Martian teaching this concept as far as a working western horse is concerned. “We gotta go rope that young heifer…” But there's a brilliance behind what the old masters taught us as a major principle in horsemanship, and it does apply to the everyday working horse—making it far better at working, and staying comfortable and sound. This is also a blanket concept for all riders who ride fearful horses because, well...what kind of position does a spooked, scared, or stiffed riding horse remain in? Rigid and braced backward, right? Cue Elmer Fudd to shoot straight and he’s all scwewy.
“Hewwo! Acme Pest Contwol? Weww I have a pest I want contwolled.”
Jeff and Giselle working on their dance moves
told it has many benefits for increasing suppleness in the
horse and developing gait fluidity, but the western world, up
until now, hasn’t had a word for it. I may as well be Marvin
Martian teaching this concept as far as a working western
horse is concerned. “We gotta go rope that young heifer…”
But there's a brilliance behind what the old masters taught
us as a major principle in horsemanship, and it does apply
to the everyday working horse, making it far better at
working, and staying comfortable and sound. This is also a
blanket concept for all riders who ride fearful horses
because, well, what kind of position does a spooked, scared,
or stiffed riding horse remain in? Rigid and braced backward,
right? Cue Elmer Fudd to shoot straight and he’s all scwewy.
Uh hem...read on.
Consider any hard-working, broke horse in motion, they have
a posture. That horse is looking forward, completely engaged
and “present” in the moment. Now observe a balky horse,
say one that won’t load on a trailer. His head is up, he’s pulling
back and his body posture is l e a n i n g backward. Glean
an insight now when that balky, red-necked, cranky-pants
finally decides to load. Notice his frame. He suddenly brings
his head and neck forward (a decision-making posture) to
get into the trailer. One never happens without the other.
Hopefully you’ve had that experience and not the one where
you rode your horse home. Consider a trail ride and that mud
puddle that’s six-feet deep and has you stuck. Notice your
friend’s horse that splashes through it while looking at it
(engaged forward), and thundering down the trail passed
you.
Developing a Forward Position, teaching the horse to stretch
forward and reach downward, leads the mind. Then,
developing a forward step of the hind foot (great riding
horses carry themselves with a strong length of stride
behind) brings the horse anywhere we need it to go. It starts
with the nose, head, and poll first, bringing them below the
withers—and bringing the back half of the horse into motion from behind (That’s practical dressage, people). Some horses are naturally a click away from this, but most have to be taught.
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