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  Discussion on Improving the walk
Author Message
Member:
kstud

Posted on Sunday, Jul 5, 2009 - 5:27 pm:

Hi All and Hi CherylA,
I have been doing pretty well in dressage recently but I am having a problem with walk. My horse has a huge walk on grass but when competing he literally crawls. If you ask for more forward he will trot, if you ask for a collected or extended walk he walks on 3 tracks. He has none of these problems at home and is not nervous or difficult but inclined to be lazy. How do I teach him to march in a test? are there any particular exercises that would be useful to improve his walk? Thanks
Member:
leslie1

Posted on Sunday, Jul 5, 2009 - 11:18 pm:

Hi
If anyone gets a chance (and wants to see a real nice walk)
https://www.dressagetrainingonline.com/
Is the 2nd horse about 1/2 way thru the video ( the video will automatically start). Such a free flowing nice walk.
L
Member:
dres

Posted on Sunday, Jul 5, 2009 - 11:44 pm:

Leslie, great walk but look at the poor rider her lower back must me a swivel !!

The walk is very fragile, when looking for a horse you look for a good natural walk and canter , you can improve the trot thru good riding .. If you work to hard on the walk you can make it lateral / choppy or giggy .. The walk is worked on the least becus it can be ruined so easily ..
From what you say above , it sounds like you don't want to improve the walk but get the horse infront of your leg?
When you ask with your seat and leg and there is no response then follow up with the whip.. do this several times your horse should then react to the leg aides.. .. If you horse leaps into the trot , well good there was a change , but now make it clear that a walk is all that is asked for , maybe a lighter ask is all that is needed now..

Good luck... Dressage in my humble opinion is WORK..

On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with spots..
Member:
rg77

Posted on Monday, Jul 6, 2009 - 10:29 am:

Hi Catherine, It sounds like you have a communication issue with your horse that I find quite commonly. As Ann mentioned, first you can get your horse respecting the leg aids and moving off your leg willingly by reinforcing it with the whip at home.
The problem as I see it, lies in not differentiating your leg aids to mean either walk or trot. Just like you differentiate your leg aids in the canter, so your horse clearly knows which lead you are requesting no matter how 'loud' your aid might be....he must be taught to distinguish between your request for 'more forward at the walk' and 'trot'. Otherwise when he is being lazy at the walk and you have to assertively ask for more forward....he is left to guess whether you mean walk or trot.

If you notice your saddle and your hips going side to side a bit in the walk as a result of his rib cage rotation, you can time your leg aids to correspond with this rotation so that when his ribs go out to the right (and your seat slightly to the left)..that is when your left leg can squeeze or bump him....and vice versa.
So now you have an alternating leg aid that can get as loud or as soft as it needs to be and that is uniquely different from him feeling you put both legs on at once. So you can use lots of repetitions to teach him that any time you use your leg in an alternating way, no matter how hard you might use them....it ALWAYS means walk.
So ultimately when you ask him to go more forward...he is not confused about How to go forward.
Hope that helps
Member:
canderso

Posted on Monday, Jul 6, 2009 - 5:22 pm:

Ah Catherine....now that is SOME understatement saying you and Kiff are 'doing pretty well'! (HA friends, Catherine and Kiff have been KICKING BUTT this year at what is roughly 2nd level in North America)

So answer #1: transitions transitions transitions!!

Answer #2: if he goes on 3 tracks then he is avoiding work; I assume Kiff is swinging his haunches in?

Ann - need your opinion here - my instinct is to say do a verrrry slight shoulder fore. (That will engage his brain, encourage more straightness AND doing this will make it too much work for him to also swing his haunches in.) By straightening the horse he will maintain his impulsion without sacrificing the quality of his walk (or putting it at risk). What do you think?
Member:
dres

Posted on Monday, Jul 6, 2009 - 7:04 pm:

First position is what Jane Savoy calls it .. a smaller / less angle shoulder fore to straighten a horse..
I have a mare that I ride in first position all the time to keep her straight , go figure..

On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with spots..
Member:
kstud

Posted on Monday, Jul 6, 2009 - 8:15 pm:

Hi all and my very flattering pal Cheryl. I think you have a good point Riyad, whilst I have been using the alternating leg for the walk aid I have to admit that I have been very indisciplined with it and only use it while schooling but am inclined to let him dawdle while hacking so I must be more consistent.
The three tracks thing has only started happening with extended walk and could be because he is expecting leg yield on the diagonal? so maybe is a bit confused. In general though this walk thing is bugging me, because honestly he only does it in competition, even simple changes are torture now, he floats like a butterfly from canter to walk and his upward transitions are light and active BUT the 4 or 5 steps or walk in between would make you swear that his legs were chained to the ground which confuses me because if he were not in front of the leg it should show in a poor upward transition? Not the case though? I agree with Cheryl here, lots more transitions needed but any other tips gratefully received. I know he has a good walk but how do I get him to show it? His canter is fantastic by the way and no problems there, thanks again Catherine
Member:
canter

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 7, 2009 - 7:14 am:

Catherine, I think sometimes that once we go down to a walk, the horses mentally think it's a break and tune out a bit. My mare has a great walk, but after a downward transition in to it, she may take a few nice steps and then loses all energy. She doesn't get crooked or anything like that, but simply walks as if I was sending her to the electric chair. She's very forward in the trot and canter.

So, even when warming up with my feet out of the stirrups and/or on a loose rein, I insist she march forward. If we are on a break, I still make sure that she is walking forward with energy, even if it takes a thump with my legs or a tap of the whip. In short, as long as I'm in the saddle, she needs to march on as if someone put a dish of carrots and apples for her on the other side of the arena. This way, it becomes a habit for her to walk with energy.
Member:
canderso

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 7, 2009 - 7:31 am:

That is what I was thinking Ann, but I didn't want to use the terminology.

The "Ladies of Spiritwood" (grin) agree shoulder fore to fix 3 track problems. They also suggest caveletti (Joanna apparently agrees with your hopefully new clinician: "Caveletti fixes all problems in the walk"...)
Member:
npo33901

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 7, 2009 - 11:29 am:

May I recommend two books ? Take it or leave it .......

Tug of war classical versus "modern" dressage . By Dr. Gerd Heuschmann .

Twisted truth of modern dressage. By Philippe Karl . ( you can find him on Google ) .
Member:
kstud

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 7, 2009 - 5:56 pm:

At what pace does one do the cavaletti work and at what distance and height are they? Thanks for the recommendation for the books but really only looking for some exercises to help or advice like that from Fran C which is spot on, apologies but not ready to rethink my whole rationale as to why I am doing dressage!
Member:
npo33901

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 8, 2009 - 2:59 am:

Catherine, you don't have to apologise .
About cavaletti - excellent booklet by Reiner Klimke . CAVALLETTI.
The distance is 1.30 - 1.50 Meters . Depending on the stride of the horse. For introduction, Start in walk - with three , then 4 poles / cavalletti . Trot is the most used pace . The horse should land his feet in the middle between the poles . The height may be increasked gradualy .
Member:
canderso

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 8, 2009 - 7:49 am:

Klimke's book is the one... I will see if Joanna has a copy...
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