On Mar 26, 2008, at 8:09 PM, Nancy Sturm wrote: > Judy writes: >>> >>> Collection is not present in the easy gaits. Collection has an >>> upward >>> vector, and the easy gaits have an earth-bound vector... opposite, >>> and >>> that's what makes them "easy" gaits :-). If we collect them, >>> they'll be >>> trotting! > > And then Lynn writes: >> > Neither horse (nor any of my horses) offered the trot under saddle > -- and > in the show ring the surest way to get a > poorly gaited horse to pasitrote (and get the gate <g>) is to let it > get > strung out and ventroflexed. > > > It could be something about how my single horse is conformed, but he is > always ventroflexed when doing an intermediate gait. He does round up > at > the trot and canter. I had the idea that his ventroflexed position > was a > function of the gait. Have I got it wrong - again?
At least with Peruvians, what is highly desirable when gaiting -- ie., enough reach with the back legs such it is stepping under the saddle area and is capping or, even better, overstepping by up to 12 inches the front hoof prints, really doesn't happen if the horse is ventroflexed, any more than a human can stride out with pronounced lumbar lordosis. Sec. 1. Advance and Overstep Advance refers to a long fluid stride which easily covers ground. Overstep denotes the reach of the hind legs which should reach well under the horse with very little hock action either up or sideways. The preferred reach of the hind legs is between "capping" and 12" of overstep. Understepping will be penalized Advance should not be accomplished at the expense of elegance and/or leg action. Lynn Kinsky, Santa Ynez, CA http://www.silcom.com/~lkinsky/
