This is such an interesting ride in so many ways... there is a lot of movement, and I really appreciate how the filming shows the rider up close without the horse sometimes because the amount of movement in the rider seems so much More than when with the horse. I also was really drawn to watching the rider's hands. They are giving, forward moving hands, but it seems as if there is almost too much movement, especially in the trot where there is something about the hands/quality of the contact that I want to be steadier. Thoughts on this? What am I seeing here?
Agreed, there's a lot going on here. Some things I see...
Rider - "backwards" following of hands during much of the ride, incredibly stiff through spine - lots of holding in neck and joints. Also quite a bit of driving/pushing with seat, and near constant leg/spur aids during much of the ride. She even stays that way during the extended walk - very "held". Obviously a bit of a strong rider.
Horse - Very interesting horse - obviously incredibly talented, but lots to sort through. He has that very lofty passage-y trot, but has a tough time transitioning out of that. He's quite uneven behind (sometimes in front, too) - generally a bit erratic in rhythm, but my guess is that corresponds to the riders aids/tension. Nearly crosses LH over RH most of the time. Looks like he pops his hind end up and tenses his back before transitions he's nervous about (see prep for one time tempis, tension in two time tempis at 5:19, canter pirouettes). My impression is that his natural movement is impeded at times by anticipation and the rider's tension - he has an extraordinary ability to go from a sort of popped up hind end (like he's going to trip over his front feet...pause it throughout the ride and you'll see what I mean) to uphill, super lofty movement. Perhaps not fully connected through core. Side to side movement also makes me wonder if he's holding in his hip joints. There are moments that are really extraordinary, but he enters in and out of them depending on the rider's execution and the exercise. Hmmmm...good one.
I posted this video for a couple of reasons. First, I was struck by how stable the horse's neck and head carriage is throughout the ride. The horse's ears are so with the rider too. The horse has a lot of movement and I think the rider does an excellent job of keeping it all together. I don't think the rider is backwards with her hands, rather managing a lot of horse. She is a strong rider but not against the movement. The horse is very clear about what is expected of him. I see a lot of sympathetic communication. The balance is very stable in the front end exemplified by the steady neck and head carriage. The hind legs of the horse could step under a little more but he is extremely active.
This is Rose's sire.......(Raf and Ru's grandsire)!
So I've now watched this a few more times... I still stand by my opinion that her hands are forward and giving for the most part. However, I see a few moments where it looks like she is holding the horse too much, and the horse in turn has jerky, uneven tempo in those movements. One of the first half passes seems this way to me. I think she does a good job overall with the tons of movement, but sometimes she gets stiff in the arms and holds a bit. She is very strong, and when she gets a little too strong, it negatively affects the horse's fluidity of movement. But I don't think this characterizes her whole ride. Perhaps this is part of what Tess is seeing?
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This is such an interesting ride in so many ways... there is a lot of movement, and I really appreciate how the filming shows the rider up close without the horse sometimes because the amount of movement in the rider seems so much More than when with the horse. I also was really drawn to watching the rider's hands. They are giving, forward moving hands, but it seems as if there is almost too much movement, especially in the trot where there is something about the hands/quality of the contact that I want to be steadier. Thoughts on this? What am I seeing here?
Tess, I wanted to wait for your comment before I made mine.......so make one then I will tell you why I posted this clip.
Agreed, there's a lot going on here. Some things I see...
Rider - "backwards" following of hands during much of the ride, incredibly stiff through spine - lots of holding in neck and joints. Also quite a bit of driving/pushing with seat, and near constant leg/spur aids during much of the ride. She even stays that way during the extended walk - very "held". Obviously a bit of a strong rider.
Horse - Very interesting horse - obviously incredibly talented, but lots to sort through. He has that very lofty passage-y trot, but has a tough time transitioning out of that. He's quite uneven behind (sometimes in front, too) - generally a bit erratic in rhythm, but my guess is that corresponds to the riders aids/tension. Nearly crosses LH over RH most of the time. Looks like he pops his hind end up and tenses his back before transitions he's nervous about (see prep for one time tempis, tension in two time tempis at 5:19, canter pirouettes). My impression is that his natural movement is impeded at times by anticipation and the rider's tension - he has an extraordinary ability to go from a sort of popped up hind end (like he's going to trip over his front feet...pause it throughout the ride and you'll see what I mean) to uphill, super lofty movement. Perhaps not fully connected through core. Side to side movement also makes me wonder if he's holding in his hip joints. There are moments that are really extraordinary, but he enters in and out of them depending on the rider's execution and the exercise. Hmmmm...good one.
I posted this video for a couple of reasons. First, I was struck by how stable the horse's neck and head carriage is throughout the ride. The horse's ears are so with the rider too. The horse has a lot of movement and I think the rider does an excellent job of keeping it all together. I don't think the rider is backwards with her hands, rather managing a lot of horse. She is a strong rider but not against the movement. The horse is very clear about what is expected of him. I see a lot of sympathetic communication. The balance is very stable in the front end exemplified by the steady neck and head carriage. The hind legs of the horse could step under a little more but he is extremely active.
This is Rose's sire.......(Raf and Ru's grandsire)!
So I've now watched this a few more times... I still stand by my opinion that her hands are forward and giving for the most part. However, I see a few moments where it looks like she is holding the horse too much, and the horse in turn has jerky, uneven tempo in those movements. One of the first half passes seems this way to me. I think she does a good job overall with the tons of movement, but sometimes she gets stiff in the arms and holds a bit. She is very strong, and when she gets a little too strong, it negatively affects the horse's fluidity of movement. But I don't think this characterizes her whole ride. Perhaps this is part of what Tess is seeing?
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