Extended walk- please could someone explain what the judges are looking for?

[langside]

i have a grasp of what it is but someone could explain i'd be grateful

(its only one movement so not totally bothered if i fudge it up but walk is normally our strong point)

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

simply.......free walk on a long rein on a contact!

so biggest longest slinkiest walk your horse can do, stretching neck out but not down, keeping a light contact, not loopy reins.

 

[langside]

thankyou prince33sp4rkle your a *

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

no probs xxx

 

[AutumnRose]

prince33sp4rkle - you continue to be my HHO dressage guru!!! I have recently started working on this so really useful thanks.

 

[blue2262]

So pleased to read that explanation, my daughter had to do it earlier this year and we agreed on free walk on a contact!
Good luck!

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

glad to be of use!!!! *wondersifshecanmakeadressagegurutiaratofitonGPA*??????

 

[AutumnRose]

Ha! I'll make you one if your tips for E50 work I

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

right! will hold you to that.............it had better be pink..............and sparkley!!!!!

 

[AutumnRose]

I've got to get over 60% yet.....

 

[Santa_Claus]

ermm but free walk on a long rein should be on a contact as well!!!!

agree with second bit though horse should be in a longer slightly lower frame than in the medium walk with a bigger stride and overtrack whilst maintaining the contact.

 

[oldvic]

Neck should go forward and down but with the poll no lower than the withers. Big strides with good overtrack but not hurried - think of pushing the neck away from you rather than pushing the steps otherwise they tend to hurry and shorten or break.

 

[MegaBeast]

simply.......free walk on a long rein on a contact!

That's precisely what I read earlier in the "Scales of Training Workbook" by Clare Lilly that I was reading earlier... excellent book by the way, aimed at both dressage and jumping

 

[langside]

thanks for the further replies PS's reply is along the lines that i thought so pretty happy with that like i said any points gained from this movement will be a bonus as its a new movement

and here is a temp until AR gets to do it

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

watch any class, at any level, and the FWLR thats gets the best marks shows a horse with its nose in the dirt and a *slight* loop in the rein, therefore to my mind the horse is not to a contact in the true sense of the word or feeling. the horse mustnt be hiding behind the contact but try and tell someone to ride FWLR in to a contact and it all goes tits up as the nose becomes restricted and BTV. so although the horse is drawing forward, the idea of it being in to a proper contact is a bit misleading .

i agree with the principle, but in reality its been tweaked slightly.

ext walk by comparison needs to show definate swing *in to* the contact so a very different feel.

ETA -LOVE the tiara!!!! now, must email BD and ask if its competiton legal lol!!!!!

 

[wench]

mine tries to eat the grass in the arena when its time for free walk on a long rein, naughty boy!

 

[Santa_Claus]

maybe thats why my FWLR never gets the mark it deserves as I actually maintain a contact throughout. I was virtually chastised when on ponies by instructor (list 1 judge) if there was even a hint of slackness in my reins!!

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

what are judges comments ref your FWLR???

 

[Santa_Claus]

normally there isn't one! (very helpful i know!) but then I haven't actually done BD with Fleur or any BD full stop for about 5 years, so it could well be down to the fact most judges are not listed!

The two BD judges who have judged me at BE this year though have marked my walk fairly with a 6 saying too cautious (when I didn't allow her too stretch too much as was riding a very very fine line to stop her jogging) and an 8 when she was lovely and relaxed (no comment)

The non BD judge gave us a 6 saying should seek down & forward (hmmm nose was at roughly knee level and forward and felt good) but then he also thought she bucked (she didn't) and was hideously tense (she wasn't) so I'm tending to ignore that entire test sheet

I'm not going to change how I ride the movement now though, I was taught to maintain the contact as the horse should march forward into the rein and for the nose although to be forward and low should not be traipsing on the floor as you then lose the roundness through the back.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

entirely up to you (im a competitor through and through and will show the judges what they want to see as long as its not to the detriment of the horse), but my boy is very clever and very quick behind and i find the more i can let go in FWLR and the lower i can get the nose, the clearer the rhythm and the less likely i am to get piaffe when picking him up to medium walk!!!!!! so if you have an issue with jogging, maybe try it at home and see.

 

[Santa_Claus]

the jogging is only an issue in particular circumstances which is to more do with surroundings/environment majority of time its not an issue (test above was due to flies/midges causing her to headshake mainly!). She a quirky madam though, through and through, and although I like to be competitive, at the moment I am choosing safe and sensible tests (which still normally leave us happily top 10 dressage so must be showing judges most of what they want ) rather than pushing for more and risking explosions as we have two more phases afterwards. If I was riding BD I would probably take a few more risks ;-)

 

[oldvic]

A lot of event horses are quite tricky going from free walk to medium walk and finding the balance between allowing the horse freedom but keeping enough connection to be able to pick them up with your leg is key to keeping them forward in the transition. A light contact should be maintained anyway and horses vary in how they cope best.

 

[SirenaXVI]

ermm but free walk on a long rein should be on a contact as well!!!!

agree with second bit though horse should be in a longer slightly lower frame than in the medium walk with a bigger stride and overtrack whilst maintaining the contact.

I totally agree, the free walk is on a long rein not a loose rein and there should be no slack in the rein, the horse has to stretch into the contact otherwise you defeat the whole object of the movement which is to show that the horse stretches correctly over his/her back. A horse that is working correctly will automatically want to stretch down which is why it merits double marks. It is a movement that is often seen performed incorrectly on a loose rein.

I normally get a 7 or an 8 for free walk.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

"I normally get a 7 or an 8 for free walk"

me too, and even a 9 when it took his nose so far down i was left grasping the buckle end!

 

[Festive_Felicitations]

Fascinating discussion - I'm doing a DR test tomorrow that involves FWLR I will (well always really) maitain some contact as that is what you see the top riders doing, but what do you want to bet will score more marks? ....

Will watch the tests and report back!

 

[Halfstep]

But the OP asked about the "Extended walk" not the FWLR! They are ridden differently. The FWLR is defined in the BD rule book as follows: The horse is allowed complete freedom to lower and stretch out his head and neck while the rider maintains a light contact through the rein. The horse covers as much ground as possible, without haste and without losing the regularity of his steps, the hind feet touching the ground clearly in front of the foot prints of the forefeet.

The extended walk is defined as follows:
The horse covers as much ground as possible, without haste and without losing the regularity of his steps, the hind feet touching the ground clearly in front of the footprints of the fore-feet. The rider allows the horse to stretch out his head and neck without, however, losing contact with the mouth.

So similar but subtly different. The contact in the Extended walk is more definite and the horse doesn't lower his head and neck, but does stretch his frame.

Sorry for getting technical, I'm a bit of a geek that way!