>>>> Aha, Janice. Just as I thought. Hunter can rack on a loose rein with a very relaxed body (actually two relaxed bodies - his & mine). but I don't think he can rack with a rounded topline.
That's a good point that you made, Nancy - that a horse can be relaxed but still ventroflexed. I've probably asked you this before, but do you have Lee Ziegler's book, Easy-Gaited Horses? She points out that in order to rack, the horse has to have what she calls "essential tension" at the base of the neck/withers. It's an interesting point to think about - that a horse can have tension in a part of the body, but not necessarily all over. Lee was so good at isolating some of phenomenon like these. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
