27/09/2012
In training for dressage, one of the most damaging things we can do to a horse - especially a young horse - is demand an outline. A beautiful outline is something that will, if the training is correct, develop naturally over a period of years. To insist on it before the horse is ready can and does lead to premature breakdown in body, mind and spirit.
A short neck destroys balance.
Horses have evolved to carry most of their weight on the forehand for most of the time, and freedom of the neck and head is a crucial factor in being able to balance this weight. A green horse has natural balance, but all that is changed when we expect him to carry a rider as well. Now he must find a new balance. This alone may take many months, depending on the horse, his conformation, temperament and natural ability.
Training a horse to perform the higher movements with grace and beauty is not possible without conserving the horse's natural balance. For flying changes, pirouette, half pass, or any other advanced movement, the horse must have superior balance. A short contact used to create a short neck and to force poll flexion will interfere with this balance. Manolo Mendez
