Winning was too pathetically easy. I was able to hold Maria down for the full count of 10 – okay, so we’re at 189 and still counting as Maria tries to figure out the answer to my question. There’s just no challenge in this. 
He obviously doesn’t have to sniff around for it; she’s clearly shoving it up his nose. 
And last one.
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by suzy:
Don’t agree. A horse is a horse first and foremost and don’t ever forget it. It doesn’t matter what level of training they reach, there are still going to be frightening things that happen that the horse will react to instinctively. Yes, you can minimize a spook, but you can’t always get rid of it altogether.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I agree with the above statement. A horse is a horse; no matter how well schooled or how much mileage a horse has, a spook or startle is going to happen. If rider is paying close attention to horse the subleties of spooks can be felt before they come to fruition. And rider can react accordingly. Spooking, startling and other horse reactions to various environmental stimuli can be minimized, but we still get down to the same road: A horse is a horse; we as riders must know how to deal with their various and assundry reactions.
Okay, my weekend agenda:
Sharpen claws to razor point
Tune-up bus
Cut bus brakelines
Get a heavier frying pan
I do think I’ll be ready come Monday. Muhahahaha. And maybe rileyt will be back to join in the fray by then.
Meow.
I’ve been in contact with Avk again(Ayn van Kassel, my dog groomer)and she’s really annoyed about all this…so what were we saying …if only we could ride that well and so on…and umm stop being unfair to DQs, it’s boring!! oh and stop whining, I think that was it…that should get you started back on the right track again…Toodles! 
can we at least have the little green dry heaver? I sure am glad this thread is back on track.
author of in one arena is sharon biggs.
you may not like some of what you read - it’s a bit of a dose of reality. the advice on buying a horse especially.
there is no such thing as a shoulder in on 4 tracks because of more angle. if there are four tracks on the ground because of more angle (unlike shoulder fore where there are 4 tracks on ground because of less angle), it is leg yielding.
as reiner says in one video, ‘‘it is not shoulders in, it is lek yieldink already’’.
so all you geniuses, how many tracks with haunches in. don’t say 3.
You’ll never run into someone [you know] when you’re in the ‘fetish’ section if you go shopping on-line. 
If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough.
coppelia, thank you for steering…
You are absolutely correct in focusing back on the exposure to dressage. We do need it seen by “the masses” before we can expect the interest to follow.
Bravo to Spruce for opening that door and with someone of International acclaim. I suppose they could have opted for someone of lesser acclaim. But from what I gather the Southern’s don’t do anything half way. 
“The older I get, the better I used to be, but who the heck cares!”
But if you have a lick of sense, you will duck, run for cover, and change your identity.
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> I’ve seen barrel racers with softer hands and quieter legs.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Huh? While I’m sure there are exceptions, I’ve always thought that in barrel racing it was a prerequisite to try to fly with your legs, all the while hissing & yeeeeeehawing at your pony while flicking the reins at his head? Hmmm. And, have you seen some of the western bits out there? No doubt your hands can be quiet with them… move the reins more than the required 1/2 inch and your horse has had the top of his mouth ripped to shreds. Nice.
Personally, I keep getting excited every time I see there’s been a new post or two on this thread. Especially when it’s inflamitory or just plain stupid (in my opinion that is )… it’s always fun to see what comes next!
About HH Demystified…It’s 2 tapes , so fairly pricey if you are buying , considering the narrow focus. I think it could have been covered on one tape or less. Also, I think she wants you to hold the HH for about 3 hours or something(haha or was it 3 minutes> )
someone once told me the world was tilted, but then again, he thought the universe revolved around him.
Come to think of it, he may have told me I was wide behind. Ad-Duck-Tion, that’s what we need. Ad-duck-tion.
Is Ankly von Gruesome teaching her horses to bow, or is the horse just so accustomed to traveling like this he can no longer go in any other position. And why, oh why did Dressage Extensions choose this extremely strange photograph for their cover?
Thoe thorry this thread came back to life. Now I have to think of thomething clever to thay!
First let me say Welcome Sugarlump!
I really wanted to head in the direction of how events like this can help us market dressage.
Little did I know…
I am a little naive, I believe.
Hhmm. I’m not sure if what I do is “deep” or “long and low”. I hope you don’t mind me going on a bit about this and what I try. I would like some feedback. It feels right but another viewpoint is always interesting. My mare, when I got her, used to go with an almost horizontal nose and a shuffling trot. My aim has been to lengthen the neck and obtain a proper communication with her mouth instead of the dead feel that used to be there. We have come a long way, but still have very far to go! At last we have a proper trot!
My mare stretches to the bit, lowered head/neck, my hands are still, just a little vibration/feel in the reins (always within the contact)and a light connection with her mouth. My legs feel as if they are wrapped under her and she is lifting her belly. They wrap under, I think, because she is lifting her belly, and not vice versa. I confess that I have my hands lightly next to her neck to give a “datum point” so as to avoid inadvertantly pulling back, but yet not yielding too much if she asks for a little more rein (if I don’t want to give her any at this stage). There is no force or rigidity in the contact. Her back gets broader and lifts. I haven’t noticed what her neck looks like…I’ll observe next time. Her poll is probably about wither height (I’ll look next time).
I don’t need to pull or see-saw into this way of going. I ask by small (fractions of millimetre) movements of whichever rein “works” at that time, with supporting legs.
I did need to show her how to do it (and learn myself from my excellent instructor) initially by working on a circle and taking/giving on the inside rein within the (light) contact and elastically, so she stretched into the outside rein on the “give” whilst keeping the inside contact. Of course, legs are required also, inside to outside. When I got this stretch I would keep my hands still, legs on softly, until she lifted her head, and then I’d ask again. We were eventually able to go with a long neck, stretching down, with a light contact fairly even on both reins and keep this through a change of rein whilst maintaining balance. I find it hard work myself and it requires a lot of concentration!!
Once we could do this, I found I could get the stretching to the bit within a shorter frame, but still long enough to lengthen her neck. I now find that she comes into a higher frame when I take up the reins, without me asking, and without shortening the neck and my contact/feel has improved immensely.
My instructor is wonderful. I was at a loss as to how to proceed when I first got my mare, but now we are on our way. Please don’t tell me what I’m doing is wrong! well, only if it is… 
I think I may throw-up.
Alright, you guys can stop now. I am about to pee my pants. :eek
