The head's affect on Paces
When
you look down, you put more weight on the horse's shoulders.
The horse will
shorten and stiffen the pace and the strides become stiffer and not as
free.
When you tip
your head to one side the horse will often show a slight irregularity
which although might escape at the lower levels, can be picked up by the
judges especially in the little irregular skip we see in half pass & a
shorter stride on one side that we see in tempi changes.
In jumping,
tipping the head to one side will make the horse 'open' his front leg on
that side, perhaps clipping the rail on that side.
The head's Affect on
Impulsion
Look down, and
your horse will have less impulsion.
Look down and
to the inside as well, and your horse will definately have less
impulsion as they try to carry your weight on their shoulders instead of
balancing the rider's body evenly between
both back feet.
A horse will
always take lazier, flatter steps when the rider looks down, or looks
down, and kinks the head off to one side.
The Head's Affect
on Submission
When you look
down or lean in your position is out of balance, and you can more easily
be pulled forward, and therefore become less confident.
If a rider
isn't confident to convince a horse to go past a scary flower pot,
their submission marks will be disastrous.
The human
brain will always be less confident when it feels that the body is out
of balance, and more likely to be in danger.
Riders with
the noddy "dressage head nod" will have even worse submission marks as
the horse stiffens and comes above the bit when the rider's hands become
stiff and don't follow the movement.
The Head's Affect on the
Rider Mark
The rules are
very clear:
Article 418
The position
and aids of the rider...The upper part of the body easy, free and
erect...
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Rulebook for Free
The closer the
rider is to that description, naturally the higher the mark, as that is
the Rule Book the Judges must judge from.
More tips to
come...click NEXT:
Copyright © 2005
[Colleen Kelly. Improve Your Riding ABN 76799531257].
