Comment

Comment by Jackie Cochran on January 31, 2012 at 9:52am

Yes, it would be very interesting to read or hear what she said.

As I said before it looked like she was exploring the horse, not competing in a dressage show class.  Yes, a rider can make everything look just fine with 5 pounds of contact on each rein with the horse's nose cranked shut, with the horse's face behind the vertical, then everything looks just fine for the whole ride.  On the other hand when you are asking the horse where he is and what he can do it is not going to look like a competition performance. 

I would not let most dressage riders I've seen on video up on a horse I trained.  I would not hesitate to put Sylvia Loch on though, based on this video.  She obviously knows how to let a horse explain himself, which isn't always pretty.

Comment by Barbara F. on January 31, 2012 at 9:11am

What did she say about mistakes and the horse's physical ailments? The information will put the ride into a better context.

Comment by wildehex on January 30, 2012 at 9:55pm

First, was this vid even done with permission?  From the erratic hold and low angle and lack of zoom I would say not.  In any case....There is a difference between lightness and loose reins. Free yes?  Unconstrained? A little quick?  Open yes? Collected? Erratically. What about there being more on the curb than snaffle? What about where the outside leg is? There are virtually no demi arrets, the reins got longer in trot and were the cause of the unsteadiness that lead to the breaks, they were not playing the horse was off the aids. And what about the passed?  Nice idea, but correctly ridden? The tempo increases in the extensions? Yes, it is attempting traditional movements and lines, but then what? HP is trot, ok, in canter it was leg yield.  If a rider is going to do 4:1 the rein hand has to be held over the wither, thumb up.  The whip has to be sustained upright (unless changing direction).  I love how she writes, but she does not have the talent of Lord L. (who was her mentor and a very educated rider RIP).

Comment by Jackie Cochran on January 30, 2012 at 1:37pm

When watching the video I get the impression that she is asking the horse either/or "what can you do" or "are you physically able to do this?"  Then it looked like she was trying to get the horse to elevate his forehand.  When she got what she wanted she then let him rest.  It looked like the horse occasionally was trying to do the "dressage kick" one of the possible first steps to airs above the ground.

Sort of what I do the first time I'm on a horse ("what can you do?) but on a much, much higher level than I can ride.

Comment by E. Allan Buck on January 30, 2012 at 12:30pm

I will not bother to post what Sylvia stated regarding the ride but she references making mistakes and the physical aliment of the horse.

I posted this to see if folks could understand lightness.

The 'breaks' you reference are the stallion playing and SL allowing it.

And Wildehex please post a video of you riding in lightness.

Comment by Barbara F. on January 30, 2012 at 12:14pm

Who is her husband? Just curious!

Comment by wildehex on January 30, 2012 at 12:06pm

She writes well, she doesn't ride with the same alacrity in the saddle as her husband. Some of the walk work traditional, but the 4:1 problematic.  The rest went downhill. IF it were free/unconstrained there would not be attempts to hollow/break gait.