Stride And Personal Experience
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7za5GH86Jik&feature=related
Watch Dominic Terry's hands/rein/bit work. Keep eyes glued on Rachel's reins and mouth all the way around the track,. Repeat this same view with the other horse. What impressions in terms of what these riders do/fail to do in terms of stride?
Fairly obviously the superior rider is Terry. Better balance, better flow, better seat and certainly very superior control of a bobbing weaving spit fire of a horse. Watching the other rider, who, unlike Terry makes zero effort to get the correct lead down the stretch although his horse finally gets the right lead on her own--if the horses for these riders were switched I'd think the other rider on Rachel would keep control instead of lose it. However his control of Rachel likely would be less smooth and a wild but educated guess based on personal experience viewing these types, Rachel likely would be on the wrong lead much of the way around the track with this other rider. This is what one sees in terms of rider selection for our horse.
In terms of rein work several subtle differences between riders. While neck positioning of the hold (of the reins) on the neck is similar Terry has the superior rein to mouth contact, Terry keeps the reins appropriately snug whereas the other rider's reins contain slight slack.
Does anything show as to what these riders may be doing to get the stride differences that show in the vid? Or, is there anything that fails to show--e.g. what the riders may be doing with their fingers and hands on the reins--that affect stride--is the Jock braggadocio that "it's all in my hands" or "I have soft hands" does this make any difference at near max speed?
My view is that certainly nothing shows that these riders are doing that affects stride other than that, as good riding requires, they each try to avoid interfering with the horse's natural stride by sitting chilly over the center of gravity with slight body motion in rhythm with propulsion of the horse. There's nothing that shows in terms of rein motion or hand motion for either rider that would indicate Iver's "rounding on the bit" or any other method that would improve or accelerate the strides.
Of course what does show is Terry for much of the breeze has Rachel under restraint. Early after the work begins Terry's main rein work is to just keep her going straight. Query whether with these "other" functions, that any "rounding on the bit" or other rein/bit work to get stride efficiency is even possible? My thinking is that at near max speed in terms of improving the stride (again, technically and conformationally is this even possible--I'd posted there's only one max speed stride for the horse instead of several with some more efficient than others) there's little being done by the jocks in a positive sense although in a negative avoidance sense certainly they're avoiding getting in the way of the stride.
2011 is my 12th year getting on horses and with certain horses I've done a fair amount of riding on track though never on 4 or 5 per morning. I always to this day mount up with the idea of "stride efficiency" and what I might do to improve it. I have this "ideal" of the horse's max speed stride where the horse is powerfully pushing up and forward propelling its body into max bound style all the way around the track. That's what I'd try to get when I am up if possible.
Never ever have accomplished this or anything close. Not even one single time, although the idea is always in my head. The practical reality when you're up at speed is that you are only trying to hang on, go with the horse's stride remaining yourself unobtrusive as possible to this process. The bit is going back and forth so fast that I'd doubt its even possible to do anything in terms of bit work that would affect stride style (if affecting stride style is possible).
When you're up at speed there's that moment especially after the lead change into the final turn where the horse is picking it up and striding as nicely as it does and as rider I go with this and sometimes delude myself into thinking my "technique" is helping the horse get this stride when in fact what occurs is that the horse commences this on its own and myself the rider is just trying to stay in tune with the stride as is.
My personal conclusion on stride efficiency at speed based on personal experience, observation of the Rachel and BC 2010 vid, and also thinking through horse conformation and how this affects and limits stride--there's very little the rider does except to ride correctly and ideally. A few final thoughts on stride next post and then the mythical horse continues its journey around the race track.
Watch Dominic Terry's hands/rein/bit work. Keep eyes glued on Rachel's reins and mouth all the way around the track,. Repeat this same view with the other horse. What impressions in terms of what these riders do/fail to do in terms of stride?
Fairly obviously the superior rider is Terry. Better balance, better flow, better seat and certainly very superior control of a bobbing weaving spit fire of a horse. Watching the other rider, who, unlike Terry makes zero effort to get the correct lead down the stretch although his horse finally gets the right lead on her own--if the horses for these riders were switched I'd think the other rider on Rachel would keep control instead of lose it. However his control of Rachel likely would be less smooth and a wild but educated guess based on personal experience viewing these types, Rachel likely would be on the wrong lead much of the way around the track with this other rider. This is what one sees in terms of rider selection for our horse.
In terms of rein work several subtle differences between riders. While neck positioning of the hold (of the reins) on the neck is similar Terry has the superior rein to mouth contact, Terry keeps the reins appropriately snug whereas the other rider's reins contain slight slack.
Does anything show as to what these riders may be doing to get the stride differences that show in the vid? Or, is there anything that fails to show--e.g. what the riders may be doing with their fingers and hands on the reins--that affect stride--is the Jock braggadocio that "it's all in my hands" or "I have soft hands" does this make any difference at near max speed?
My view is that certainly nothing shows that these riders are doing that affects stride other than that, as good riding requires, they each try to avoid interfering with the horse's natural stride by sitting chilly over the center of gravity with slight body motion in rhythm with propulsion of the horse. There's nothing that shows in terms of rein motion or hand motion for either rider that would indicate Iver's "rounding on the bit" or any other method that would improve or accelerate the strides.
Of course what does show is Terry for much of the breeze has Rachel under restraint. Early after the work begins Terry's main rein work is to just keep her going straight. Query whether with these "other" functions, that any "rounding on the bit" or other rein/bit work to get stride efficiency is even possible? My thinking is that at near max speed in terms of improving the stride (again, technically and conformationally is this even possible--I'd posted there's only one max speed stride for the horse instead of several with some more efficient than others) there's little being done by the jocks in a positive sense although in a negative avoidance sense certainly they're avoiding getting in the way of the stride.
2011 is my 12th year getting on horses and with certain horses I've done a fair amount of riding on track though never on 4 or 5 per morning. I always to this day mount up with the idea of "stride efficiency" and what I might do to improve it. I have this "ideal" of the horse's max speed stride where the horse is powerfully pushing up and forward propelling its body into max bound style all the way around the track. That's what I'd try to get when I am up if possible.
Never ever have accomplished this or anything close. Not even one single time, although the idea is always in my head. The practical reality when you're up at speed is that you are only trying to hang on, go with the horse's stride remaining yourself unobtrusive as possible to this process. The bit is going back and forth so fast that I'd doubt its even possible to do anything in terms of bit work that would affect stride style (if affecting stride style is possible).
When you're up at speed there's that moment especially after the lead change into the final turn where the horse is picking it up and striding as nicely as it does and as rider I go with this and sometimes delude myself into thinking my "technique" is helping the horse get this stride when in fact what occurs is that the horse commences this on its own and myself the rider is just trying to stay in tune with the stride as is.
My personal conclusion on stride efficiency at speed based on personal experience, observation of the Rachel and BC 2010 vid, and also thinking through horse conformation and how this affects and limits stride--there's very little the rider does except to ride correctly and ideally. A few final thoughts on stride next post and then the mythical horse continues its journey around the race track.
posted by rather rapid at
12:50 PM
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