The blog I wrote about head sets brought up some interesting comments.
There seems to be some confusion about head set and collection. Head set comes naturally when a horse is collected. Just putting the horses head down does not mean he is collected. You have been told in everything you read and all the clinics you have ever gone to that you need to master collection. And yet I don’t believe that most riders actually understand collection. At shows I see lots of jerking and big bits to get the head down on a horse when all that is necessary is to compress your horse. Think of collection as shortening your horse. Kind of like putting his head against a wall and then pushing his hind quarters towards that same wall. Unlike an accordion he cannot just fold in the middle but he has to arch his back, pick up his belly, and lower his head. What you have to learn is how to push him forward into his bit while you are ridding him to arch his back, pick up his belly, and lower his head. If you do that then you will not have to worry about head set because it is what naturally happens when collection is achieved.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Good commentary and I also love the blog on headsets. You are so right. I watch the Wide World of Horses on RFDTV on Sunday mornings at 07:30 est. This past Sunday was a rundown on the NRBC finalists and I hate to call out a horse but while I was watching the show Hollywoodtinseltown made a run and I hated seeing him almost drag his nose on the ground the entire run. I have never seen a horse do this naturally and do believe that headset on that horse is man-made. It was painful to watch. I like to see a horse do a run with his poll about level with, or slightly below the withers. It should be obvious to a judge by the way a horse is made and how he carries his head whether it is natural or not and the horse should not be penalized for it.
ReplyDeleteI wish there were more people like you who say enough is enough. It takes so long for organizations like the NRHA and AQHA to change things that are obvious from the beginning.
ReplyDeleteWe need to put bugs in the right people's ears. I just wonder if it is possible to convince the people who judge these events to judge a horse based on the maneuvers only and not by the headset. We all know this is the way it is supposed to be and I am sure it does happen at times but definitely not across the board. The NRHA, AQHA, and APHA need to come out and commit to supporting the horses.
ReplyDelete