Confused????????

[kick_On]

How does anyone cope with this:
Just had two posh dressage lesson of two different very good instructors,
BUT
Got conflicting advice on how to improve my meduim trots??

It's left me very confused on saturday, both have same idea of bouncing hock before asking, but one wants for me to keep horse long and low (but not running onto forehand) and other one, uphill????????????

I'm sure both are right but which one first???? or is one more educated that the other???????

One positive feedback from both is they defo said Elem is very close and one thought I was there already

. Defo there in canter work but need to crack meduim trot before we go anywhere?????

 

[kerilli]

ask them to explain, and tell them what the other said, and that you're confused. a good instructor is always happy to explain, in detail, why s/he says to do something at a certain time.
fwiw, i went to a well-known instructor, was told to do something that was the opposite of what i'd been told before, and, when i asked for an explanation, she got annoyed and snapped "are you here to learn or to ask questions?!"
i never went back to her, btw.
i now have an amazingly patient instructor who happily answers all my questions, in great detail.

 

[CSYMolly]

The long and low version is more prelim/novice and the uphill working elem towards medium and aiming for extended trot. Well that is what I have gathered from where I am in my training at the moment!

 

[kick_On]

Second instructor explained her reasons and i asked her too get on board and she duley did and rode him beautifully.
And with first instructor i was videoed and he did explain his reasons, and the only difference i could see was, on first lesson my horse was starting to flick toes, but did have hop and skip in hocks - (almost breaking into canter at this point remove pressure and ask again) and second one, no flicking of toes but no hop nor skip???????

so i supposed 2nd is more correct????????

BUT is it nesscary to have a toes flicking in meduim? (i know hocks need to be more active cos that's powerhouse)

 

[kerilli]

without seeing what you mean, it's very hard to say. toe flick isn't what medium/extended is about at all, tbh... it's about a bigger, more powerful, ground-covering stride.
the lift is what you are looking for... the hop and skip is what they do when they're struggling a bit with the engagement.
what about working him semi-long and low to get him working over his back, then when he's working properly from behind, increase the engagement and ask for a slightly higher neck position, and then go forward to medium for a few strides. shoulder-in to medium is also good.

 

[Halfstep]

Toe flicking is actually incorrect. It is usually a result of tension in the horses' back or topline. The foot should land where it is pointing and not flick up.

 

[Judie]

QR:

Hi trouble! Toe flicking and hop skiping, are they technical terms

The medium trot should be about your boy taking more weight behind then using the power to lift his shoulders allowing the forelegs the room for the bigger uplifted reach in his stride, any hop skiping is showing tension or restriction from the front end.

You may have been given different advise as you may have been going differenlty on each occassion, for example the lesson where you were asked to go long and low, you may have been trying to pick the front end up literally so he was getting you to ride long and low to stop you doing that, the other lesson you may not have been doing that and your boy may have been working better from behind that day, so it is really difficult to judge each of them when they were seeing you on different days.

Have you got a video we can watch?

 

[FREESTYLER]

OMHO, basic as it is!!!!! Long and low is just that...LONG.. stretching etc... which is great...... BUT when asking for more engagement the frame shortens as such and more weight behind but more lift from shoulders and ground coverage due to power behind and stretch from shoulders which gives elevation... I think of it as a coil that is shortened up and springy then let out a little to give power but front end must not dip down....... but hey........that is only what I have been taught and mechanically how I can explain.... sure someone else will tell you better!!

 

[kick_On]

video will be winging it way over...................

As you can tell got knickers in knot but reading folk replies, I've now got good idea what, what and where i should be going....

But thx, i do thx folks for responses cos it's has clears things up for me, uphill is defo way forward and leave my long and low for my start of warm up