Potpourri

A forum for discussion of training in dressage
Tsavo
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Potpourri

Postby Tsavo » Sat May 27, 2017 8:27 pm

1. I. Klimke states in a recent DT that she only walks on the hills and only canters on flat good footing. So people doing trot and canter on hills seem to be wildly overdoing it, yes?

2. I. Werth, in a recent article in DT, had Otts and Lucky Strike do a tiny trot because he was too extravagant too quickly or something. There or elsewhere, I can't remember, someone said that doing a tiny trot to warm up targets the muscles and not the joints. I have been doing a tiny trot to warm up with my aged aged horse because he seems to benefit from it. I didn't know why it was helpful but the claim it is easy on the joints and targets the muscles seems reasonable. Does anyone else do small trot to warm up?

3. I used to do in hand work before every single ride to warm my horse up. I now usually do large, over the back, on contact walk all over the property (uneven, hilly, etc.). The walking seems better and he is always in the bridle after this work whereas he might not be after the in hand work though the in hand work is done on a type of contact.

4. I was talking to my trainer about balancing on the one hand being over the back and on the other hand with on the forehand. She said she recently dealt with that topic on a horse of hers in a clinic. I had been putting my horse long and low and constantly lengthening the neck in canter but he occasionally fell on the forehand whereas that was never an issue when he was younger. So I was overdoing the lengthening. I think it is sometimes a fine line with an older horse to have them working over the back without throwing them on the forehand. It's a chicken-egg strength issue in my opinion. The horse has to work low to strengthen the back but the back must be strong enough to avoid dumping on the forward.

5. I recently used Lanacane from Walgreens instead of horse wound remedies on a wound that might have have developed proud flesh. Worked like a charm. I think I am done with horse products for wounds and will only use human stuff.

6. My horse developed a small (3-4 mm) hard lump that I assume is a bug bite remnant. Will it go away?

7. I have been feeding alfalfa cubes as a treat. Any problem with this?

Thanks.

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musical comedy
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Re: Potpourri

Postby musical comedy » Sun May 28, 2017 12:09 am

Tsavo wrote:1. I. Klimke states in a recent DT that she only walks on the hills and only canters on flat good footing. So people doing trot and canter on hills seem to be wildly overdoing it, yes?
Truth be told, I don't know. I only know what I've read and what I have done or will do. I have read by many sources that trotting up hill is not good to do. Cantering ok. I forget the written rules for downhill. I think it is wise to only canter on flat, good footing. Wise to only ride on good footing, imo. Lots of different opinons on footing. I often cringe at people galopping in corn fields and on the beach. Too risky for me. I haven't done hills since I did eventing. Then, I didn't canter downhill even on course. I broke to trot.

2. I. Werth, in a recent article in DT, had Otts and Lucky Strike do a tiny trot because he was too extravagant too quickly or something. There or elsewhere, I can't remember, someone said that doing a tiny trot to warm up targets the muscles and not the joints. I have been doing a tiny trot to warm up with my aged aged horse because he seems to benefit from it. I didn't know why it was helpful but the claim it is easy on the joints and targets the muscles seems reasonable. Does anyone else do small trot to warm up?
Werth's tiny trot is probably my horse's extended trot. :D Yes, I have read other bnt's advocate for starting with tiny trot. I don't recall it if was Gal or Carl. I do warmup in tiny trot. My horse even when young was not one to offer a big trot right from the get go. He doesn't care expend extra energy. Doesn't it make sense to warm up in slow gait? Think about it as a human; those of you that exercise or run. When I used to run, I started out slower and gradually as I warmed up my gait lengthened and got faster.

3. I used to do in hand work before every single ride to warm my horse up. I now usually do large, over the back, on contact walk all over the property (uneven, hilly, etc.). The walking seems better and he is always in the bridle after this work whereas he might not be after the in hand work though the in hand work is done on a type of contact.
Sounds beneficial to me. I just don't have the talent for it and I'm pretty sure my horse would take advantage of that.

4. I was talking to my trainer about balancing on the one hand being over the back and on the other hand with on the forehand. She said she recently dealt with that topic on a horse of hers in a clinic. I had been putting my horse long and low and constantly lengthening the neck in canter but he occasionally fell on the forehand whereas that was never an issue when he was younger. So I was overdoing the lengthening. I think it is sometimes a fine line with an older horse to have them working over the back without throwing them on the forehand. It's a chicken-egg strength issue in my opinion. The horse has to work low to strengthen the back but the back must be strong enough to avoid dumping on the forward.
That's always been a problem for me with my downhill built horse. I made a huge mistake in his early days allowing him to go too low/long. Then when you ask them to come together, they don't like it. Now, with my aged guy, it is a problem. He could greatly benefit from going around low, deep and round, but he is too old, stiff, and out of shape to be able to maintain balance doing that. As a result, I ride him more up right from the start. I try to end my session with a few circles of stretching, but even then he wants to fall on the forehand. Because of his age and time off, I don't insist on anything.

5. I recently used Lanacane from Walgreens instead of horse wound remedies on a wound that might have have developed proud flesh. Worked like a charm. I think I am done with horse products for wounds and will only use human stuff.
I thought that was for itch. Fortunately I haven't had any wounds and I have enough horse stuff to last forever.

6. My horse developed a small (3-4 mm) hard lump that I assume is a bug bite remnant. Will it go away?
:lol: Probably, but it isn't life or soundness threatening so don't sweat it.

7. I have been feeding alfalfa cubes as a treat. Any problem with this?
They should be soaked. Too hard to chew especially for an older horse. I don't like them. I think they are compressed floor sweepings that can have mice and all kinds of other debri in them. Of course, that can happen with grain too.

Tsavo
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Re: Potpourri

Postby Tsavo » Sun May 28, 2017 12:20 am

MC thanks for the feedback and ESPECIALLY so much for the reassurance on the lump!!! :D

Tsavo
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Re: Potpourri

Postby Tsavo » Sun May 28, 2017 1:12 am

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mld02004
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Re: Potpourri

Postby mld02004 » Mon May 29, 2017 12:25 am

regarding klimke's article--I've also read conflicting things about hills, varied terrain etc. iirc there was an article about the benefits of hacking through rough terrain/hills some months back in DT. I don't have a "formal" arena (the horrors) and ride on grass. I have two areas, one is flatter than the other. There is a bit of a hill in my bigger "arena" and I WTC on it as long as it is not slick. I think it comes down to conditioning--what the horse is used to and acclimating slowly. I use hoof boots with studs for traction when needed. I am careful when it is wet. Knocking wood I've never had soundness issues (more than one horse) due to this footing and I'm currently schooling 3rd/4th and successfully showed 2nd. My horse requires zero maintanence and she is 15 (vet just did a soundness check). I've owned her for 5+ years and work 6 days a week in good weather (trailer to indoor in winter).

I think hills are less of an issue than deep sand. Sure, if I had the money I'd put in a proper level ring. But I don't think I'm doing damage with what I have. If anything, I think my horse is stronger from the hills.

Just my two cents.

piedmontfields
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Re: Potpourri

Postby piedmontfields » Mon May 29, 2017 6:45 pm

Tsavo wrote:2. I. Werth, in a recent article in DT, had Otts and Lucky Strike do a tiny trot because he was too extravagant too quickly or something. There or elsewhere, I can't remember, someone said that doing a tiny trot to warm up targets the muscles and not the joints. I have been doing a tiny trot to warm up with my aged aged horse because he seems to benefit from it. I didn't know why it was helpful but the claim it is easy on the joints and targets the muscles seems reasonable. Does anyone else do small trot to warm up?


I have been taught this as doing the "school trot" for the warm-up. My current horse does appreciate this approach in the warm-up. While she does her little trot, she can also work on changing bend and responding to the circle of aids. I think of our warm-up as slowly dialing up the trot to a working trot. She is older (15), short and tight-backed by nature and needs time to loosen up and flow.

I've also seen this approach used with very hot and animated horses, as a route to relaxation through rhythm of the trot (without pushing).

kande50
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Re: Potpourri

Postby kande50 » Mon May 29, 2017 8:15 pm

musical comedy wrote:[ Yes, I have read other bnt's advocate for starting with tiny trot. I don't recall it if was Gal or Carl.


I remember reading that Gal said that he did most of his training in "pony trot" with Totilas, which could have been because he knew that the horse was breaking down and was trying to preserve him, or maybe he does that with all his horses to try to make them last longer?

greenholmeshandy
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Re: Potpourri

Postby greenholmeshandy » Mon May 29, 2017 11:09 pm

Not sure if this will work but this is how some dressage riders ride out of the arena

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 2796234898
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kande50
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Re: Potpourri

Postby kande50 » Tue May 30, 2017 10:01 am

greenholmeshandy wrote:Not sure if this will work but this is how some dressage riders ride out of the arena

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 2796234898


A video of grass? :-)

greenholmeshandy
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Re: Potpourri

Postby greenholmeshandy » Tue May 30, 2017 3:09 pm

its none other than Charlotte de what not and Valegro romping down a field, chased by her dogs with her shouting yippee - just posted it to illustrate that some dressage horses are allowed out of the arena and to have fun even when the horse has experienced some success. They hack all their horses out.
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