Post by Sarah on May 3, 2007 10:55:57 GMT -3
I found this article online and thought it was quite nice, so here's to generating some excitment for the upcoming show season!
What a Hunter Equitation Round Should Look Like
The basis for your horse going well is your classical position: heels down; base of support centered and with the motion; legs correct; upper body in balance, neither jumping ahead nor falling back. Whatever your conformation, you can accomplish that. And when you do, you'll help your horse go well, whatever his purchase price and breeding.
Missy Clark: What an Equitation Round Should Have
Here's what judges are looking for in an equitation class.
Here's what I'm looking for, and what judges are asking for, in an equitation class.
The horse is moving forward from behind, pushing off well, hind legs coming well under him with each stride. He's happy. He's light off the inside aids. Going into a corner, he isn't locked on the inside rein or falling into his rider's inside leg. He's relaxed, bent a little around that inside leg and rein through the turn, not overbent; his rider feels lightness through her inside lateral aids through the turn.
Approaching a jump, the premise is the same. The horse is moving at a pace that's forward and balanced. He's carrying the rider; she's not having to push or pull; and both have a relaxed expression. She places him at a reasonable distance, preferably with minimal aids so you don't see the placement happening. (Invisible aids are a prime factor for good equitation.) The rider's position is classical, yet her own; each person has her own style, and I'd hate to take that away.
In the air, the rider releases the horse's mouth and follows the motion. On landing, she's still truly centered and balanced so her position stays secure and solid - an effortless kind of effort. Horse and rider move as one, so seamlessly that you almost don't notice.
The pace is smooth from beginning to end, even during adjustments. For a forward line, the rider begins to ready her horse's pace before they get there so she doesn't have to make a big change between fences. For a collected line, she starts pulling him together a little earlier to accommodate the shorter distance.
When good equitation is not happening successfully, the signs are crystal clear. On the flat, the horse is not forward; he's maybe a little fussy; he's heavy on the inside rein or cutting in through a turn. Over jumps, he's inverted, with no "break" - no round arc - over the top of the fence, and his expression is unhappy.
Sure, there are many equitation horses whose style is to "step" over the jump: They're flat in the air, they don't crack their backs, and they don't move their riders around a lot. But even with them, I want to see some roundness: some stretching forward and down a little before the jumping effort itself.
The basis for your horse going well is your classical position: heels down; base of support centered and with the motion; legs correct; upper body in balance, neither jumping ahead nor falling back. Whatever your conformation, you can accomplish that. And when you do, you'll help your horse go well, whatever his purchase price and breeding.
Source: lizditz.typepad.com/i_speak_of_dreams/2004/11/what_a_hunter_e.html
What a Hunter Equitation Round Should Look Like
The basis for your horse going well is your classical position: heels down; base of support centered and with the motion; legs correct; upper body in balance, neither jumping ahead nor falling back. Whatever your conformation, you can accomplish that. And when you do, you'll help your horse go well, whatever his purchase price and breeding.
Missy Clark: What an Equitation Round Should Have
Here's what judges are looking for in an equitation class.
Here's what I'm looking for, and what judges are asking for, in an equitation class.
The horse is moving forward from behind, pushing off well, hind legs coming well under him with each stride. He's happy. He's light off the inside aids. Going into a corner, he isn't locked on the inside rein or falling into his rider's inside leg. He's relaxed, bent a little around that inside leg and rein through the turn, not overbent; his rider feels lightness through her inside lateral aids through the turn.
Approaching a jump, the premise is the same. The horse is moving at a pace that's forward and balanced. He's carrying the rider; she's not having to push or pull; and both have a relaxed expression. She places him at a reasonable distance, preferably with minimal aids so you don't see the placement happening. (Invisible aids are a prime factor for good equitation.) The rider's position is classical, yet her own; each person has her own style, and I'd hate to take that away.
In the air, the rider releases the horse's mouth and follows the motion. On landing, she's still truly centered and balanced so her position stays secure and solid - an effortless kind of effort. Horse and rider move as one, so seamlessly that you almost don't notice.
The pace is smooth from beginning to end, even during adjustments. For a forward line, the rider begins to ready her horse's pace before they get there so she doesn't have to make a big change between fences. For a collected line, she starts pulling him together a little earlier to accommodate the shorter distance.
When good equitation is not happening successfully, the signs are crystal clear. On the flat, the horse is not forward; he's maybe a little fussy; he's heavy on the inside rein or cutting in through a turn. Over jumps, he's inverted, with no "break" - no round arc - over the top of the fence, and his expression is unhappy.
Sure, there are many equitation horses whose style is to "step" over the jump: They're flat in the air, they don't crack their backs, and they don't move their riders around a lot. But even with them, I want to see some roundness: some stretching forward and down a little before the jumping effort itself.
The basis for your horse going well is your classical position: heels down; base of support centered and with the motion; legs correct; upper body in balance, neither jumping ahead nor falling back. Whatever your conformation, you can accomplish that. And when you do, you'll help your horse go well, whatever his purchase price and breeding.
Source: lizditz.typepad.com/i_speak_of_dreams/2004/11/what_a_hunter_e.html
