On Fri, Mar 14, 2008 at 06:32:05AM -0400, Karen Thomas wrote: > >>>> stjarni at least likes to stretch his neck down for trotting, and > loosening the reins while you ask gives him permission and freedom to do so. > > Lorraine's horses sound like they are very strongly diagonal, so trot is > easiest for them. Since Stjarni is strongly lateral, then what works for > Stjarni is unlikely to work well for Scooter and Dagur - where you are > trying to ask Stjarni to get more diagonal, Lorraine would like to get her > horses LESS diagonal. .
i disagree that stjarni is strongly lateral -- he trots more than paces at liberty. i suspect his laterality under saddle was due to earlier training -- he was owned by two first-horse-owners before i bought him, and i suspect they both preferred his lateral gaits (which are softer on the behind) than his huge trot (which i adore, but then i don't mind riding in half-seat or posting). however, my point was not about how to make a horse more lateral or diagonal; i have not ridden enough different iceys to have any ideas about that. the point i was trying to make was that having two very distinct sets of cues were likelier to get your horse to understand that you were asking for a distinct gait with each. the selected quote that you chose to reply to had asked why i picked the particular sets of cues that i did, and i responded in context which you removed. --vicka
