Schaukel / See Saw

[stangs]

I'm reading a book at the moment on "Advanced Dressage Techniques", and one of the exercises it mentioned among with the usual piaffe/passage/etc was the schaukel, described as four-time forward walk movement, followed by two-time reinback, and repeat without any halts in between. Now this caught my interest as I've never once heard such an exercise mentioned before - and after some Googling, I only found two articles mentioning it. Hence my coming on here.

Has anyone ever ridden the schaukel or watched a professional do it? Does anyone know more about it, and why it seems so uncommon in comparison to other advanced dressage moves? Is it more frequent on the continent or in classical dressage circles?

Enquiring minds would like to know!

 

[Zuzan]

is the walk the "School walk" ? (presmue not as that's a diagonalised two time walk) or is it in a longer frame? "Schaukel" sounds German is it in Steinbrecht?

 

[milliepops]

not school walk no, it's halt, normal rein back, walk forward, rein back again and then proceed. A huge test of throughness.

Yonks ago it was in the GP test. but like other things, has been removed as the focus of the test has changed (and probably also as the FEI have shortened the test over time to fit into olympic schedules etc).

 

[Parrotperson]

a good way down this article https://dressagetoday.com/instruction/walk-queen-gaits-25489 it describes it as a double rein back.

 

[Zuzan]

not school walk no, it's halt, normal rein back, walk forward, rein back again and then proceed. A huge test of throughness.

Yonks ago it was in the GP test. but like other things, has been removed as the focus of the test has changed (and probably also as the FEI have shortened the test over time to fit into olympic schedules etc).

Yes I reminded me of being taught how to initiate walk from the hind limb .. requires the forehand to be very light.

 

[sbloom]

It was a brilliant test for advanced horses, it was removed from tests along with the requirement for the horse's face to be in front of the vertical in the piaffe, for the first time it was allowed to come to the vertical, and probably one or two other things. Somewhat dumbing the sport down imo, but made it more attractive as a spectator sport supposedly.

 

[flying_high]

If you look at Jec Ballou (55 Corrective exercises for horses)'s you tube channel, she demonstrates it.

 

[daffy44]

not school walk no, it's halt, normal rein back, walk forward, rein back again and then proceed. A huge test of throughness.

Yonks ago it was in the GP test. but like other things, has been removed as the focus of the test has changed (and probably also as the FEI have shortened the test over time to fit into olympic schedules etc).

As MP says, it used to be in the GP test ages ago, I think about the same time as a flying change was required over X in medium canter. Its a great exercise and I use it fairly routinely on more advanced horses, helps the horse take the weight back, keeps good balance and throughness and keeps the horse nicely responsive to a soft aid.

 

[stangs]

Somewhat dumbing the sport down imo, but made it more attractive as a spectator sport supposedly.

You would have thought that if people can find commercialised baseball interesting, dressage would be no problem but alas...

Its a great exercise and I use it fairly routinely on more advanced horses, helps the horse take the weight back, keeps good balance and throughness and keeps the horse nicely responsive to a soft aid.

Around what level would a horse be for you to start using this exercise - Medium, Advanced?

 

[daffy44]

Around what level would a horse be for you to start using this exercise - Medium, Advanced?[/QUOTE]

It depends on the horse, I dont have a specific stage in the training when I use the exercise, I just go by feel as to when I think it will benefit the horse, but they do need to reasonably educated and strong first.

 

[bouncing_ball]

Around what level would a horse be for you to start using this exercise - Medium, Advanced?

I’d say you can do it in hand from the ground as a few steps at pretty much any level. Once fluid, straight rein back steps are established. It won’t start off as a smooth exercise but you can build it up.

 

[tristar]

how would it compare to say, good halt and rein back on an extremely light contact, barely contact just enough to correct crookedness so the head is not btv