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Discussion on Achieving Collection for WP Lope | |
Author | Message |
Member: Terrilyn |
Posted on Tuesday, Apr 20, 2004 - 2:07 pm: My daughter (15) is training a 3-yo for western pleasure. He is nicely balanced at a trot/jog and is stopping well and backing up well with his hind end underneath him. We're ready to start working on the lope. Though she's being taught by a WP instructor trainer, I don't feel as if the trainer is teaching Lauryn enough about how to exercise her horse to build the correct muscles, and how to build on that to a nice collected lope, etc. I don't want him in unnecessary training aids--I want it done slowly and correctly. If someone has the time, can you please give a rundown of steps/training/exercises to accomplish this? I just don't have the hands-on experience to be able to help her with this. We do have a round pen we can work in. |
Member: pjduback |
Posted on Wednesday, Mar 28, 2007 - 1:14 pm: Slow small circles @ the lope will build his backend as will trotting hills and loping ground poles, if you have access to a cart hitch him and trot trot trot. I always let my horse stretch out and ask for really long strides before going to my western work. One it helps him settle down, Two it works like a warmup time, you never want to discourage forward movement, the motors in the backend have her ride him from that end and the headset will come, when he's physically capable. |
Member: stevens |
Posted on Wednesday, Mar 28, 2007 - 3:11 pm: I'm assuming that you've asked your daughter's instructor already.It takes some real muscle and coordination to do a proper Western Pleasure lope which is essentially self carriage. Many young horses are, IMO, rushed into it and damaged as a result. It seems you're asking about conditioning, i.e. building muscles. I'd recommend being careful about asking for a slow lope on a small circle too early. While I'm not doing the pleasure thing anymore, I try to spend at least 1 day a week on conditioning; big trot for 15-20 minutes, some time to breathe and then canter/gallop for 15-20 minutes. Keep in mind this is on a mature horse that is fit and we do this either down the trail or in a big jump arena with lots of room for him to open up. Once he's fit, your daughter can start asking for short periods of collection. You could also lunge in side reins but again, be careful to take his current fitness level into account. Good Luck! Chris |
Member: mrose |
Posted on Wednesday, Mar 28, 2007 - 6:29 pm: Whatever you do, don't let the trainer push the horse too fast and force it into a collected look by using tie downs, tight, low side reins, etc. Not only is this unfair to the horse and sets him up for injury, it also will make him heavy on the forehand, just the opposite of what you really want. You see this a lot because owners and trainers want to win, and judges are placing the horses with the bent neck and collected look even if they aren't in true collection. This is one of my "pet peeves" and I hate to see it. |
Member: maggienm |
Posted on Wednesday, Mar 28, 2007 - 10:54 pm: Transitions from walk to jog/ jog to lope/ and back down are strength and balance building, as well as helping to keep a horse light in the bridle.Jogging over ground poles also help with strength. If your daughter can work outside hill work is great for building strong muscles. Since the horse is only three keep the circles fairly large at a lope, circles at a jog can be smaller and will still help with the lope as they encourage the back legs to reach under and develope those pushing muscles. |
Member: dtranch |
Posted on Thursday, Mar 29, 2007 - 8:08 am: Ditto all above. I also like the hill work, and incorporate a lot of slow walking on steeper hills as well as backing up milder hills, all designed to build up the rear muscles.Also, as pjduback suggests .. trot, trot, trot. I also encourage incorporating "back up" in your training exercises. DT |