On 4/27/07, Karen Thomas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Extra weight often makes it harder for a gaited horse to go diagonal. I > know you're little, but you still weigh more than Alex - unless she's grown > a lot lately. :) Yes--I do weigh more than Alex. I'm 115--maybe I'm too big for Gat? > Just curious, how many gaited horses does your coach work with? None. >MAYBE it could...but how does he propose to get her on the bit, via rein contact He tells me that if the horse gets on the bit they will round their back -- and his method is rein contact. From what I've read this is not the right way. > Getting a horse on the > bit is not a quick thing to do. No--he says to practice--that with time the horse will do it for longer and longer periods of time, and when they do go on the bit they are 'lighter' and that Gat will probably trot and canter better if she gets on the bit. > I ride him on a loose rein so > he can find his own head position and balance. When I use more rein contact > or lift the reins, he tends to step-pace - and he's not the only one I know > that does that. That's what Gat did for me on the trail rides we went on. > One thing to consider - many (most?) Icelandic's don't have sufficiently > long necks to "get on the bit", or at least with normally expected head > carriage, like say a TB, warmblood or some QH and Arabs are capable of > doing. Gat has a short neck so I really can't imagine her getting on the bit like the other schooling horses, but, how could she get her back up without going into that frame? V
