Jade and Marco Nov 36

Jade and 7 yr old Friesian gelding, Marco. He is 17 hh, she is 5ft 1"! Marco has been with Jade's family since a foal, and Jade has owned him since 3 yrs old. Despite Jade having lovely hands, Marco had been overbending badly and she was unsure how to stop him. I am now training them in classical equitation. Jade says in the previous few tests she did two years ago, he works really well in the warmup but shuts down in the test. He is normally extremely off the leg and responsive as he was in the warm up last night- best medium trot I have ever seen him do.

But in the test, the firmer going in the indoor school really seemed to dampen the natural spring he has in his stride, and whether this also affected his forwardness I dont know, or whether it was just him shutting down again. But Jade said she really felt he was behind the leg, and I must confess it did look as though she was having to work harder than usual.

Judge commented that it was a lovely test to watch, just needed more impulsion. But I am wondering did the judge mean more forward, as in faster, which we have worked this last month to slow him down, to prevent him curling back of his own volition- or did she just recognise that he wasnt as off the leg as he could be? She was a BD list 6 judge, I wish we had time to talk to her afterwards, but it was nearly 9pm by then and Jade was third from last to go!

Slowing him down has allowed him to develop far more 'engine' behind and has got him so much more up off his shoulders. To push him more forwards again will just put him back on his forehand. He is never normally lacking in impulsion, quite the contrary! But do the lower level judges confuse impulsion with speed? (Btw she won!)

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Friesian dressage test
• Heather Moffett
• Enlightened Equitation
• Classical riding