Spanish Walk or Piaffe First?

I've never trained either (half steps and baby piaffe but not close to
finished') but my little welshman does spanish walk naturally in the field when freshly turned out with new company, and also in inhand showing classes :p He's too lazy to rear, I think he thinks that's what he's doing, one legged rears. Whilst the back end keeps walking.
 
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tristar said:
which all goes to show that spanish walk should be part of a dressage test as horses do it naturally.
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Why? Horses do lots of things naturally that are not included in a dressage competition. In Atla Escuela competition in Spain and other countries Spanish Walk (paso espagnol) is a requirement in every test above the most basic level.
 
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ycbm said:
I've seen most of my horses piaffe a few steps loose in the field. I've never seen one Spanish walk or anything even remotely like it.

I've never taught it. I got part way with one horse (who was a natural at piaffe) but I thought it put a horrible strain on the back.
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Here you go! Not a classical Spanish walk but something like it.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=UUu4QGVwA-IyPvNHiNvf_T-g&v=0iuoW1m6QRY
(Hopefully this is right video, my internet won’t play it properly)
 
I heard reports that last week, my horse was practicing her high school movements while out on a hack with the friend who rides for me when I'm out of town. One would think at 24 years old, she would have given up her Spanish Riding School ambitions. This is clearly not the case.
 
No dressage rider here, but our old Arab stallion could Spanish Walk with the best of them if he'd been away from his herd for a while...like an hour's ride. He'd bounce back over to them, throwing each foreleg in the air and squealing. He kept it up for 20 years so it seemed pretty natural! He'd really extend his top line and reach forward with his whole body.

I also had a connemara mare who could piaffe outside the doors of the indoor school when she was the next horse to jump, and also reasonably well in warm up rings. It was an excellent diagonal movement, full of collection and attempts at stopping it would be met with a levade. She was very good at shortening and could bounce almost on the spot in canter if you were wrong to a fence. She was naturally very balanced, kept her weight on her back end and found anything involving going sideways or collecting a piece of cake.

Different things come natural to different horses I guess.
 
The Old Appy used to Spanish Walk whenever the mood took her :) One of the best times, or at least the most amusing was when I declined to let her get her head down to rub her mouth on her leg, she simply picked each leg up in turn and wiped her mouth :D She also did it in the field if the mood took her. The Current Older Appy has a talent for collection like no other, on one memorable occaision her companion took off at a spanking trot (somewhat out of control) in reaction to two colts running the wall of their field next to the road, cue the COA doing a hand canter down the road behind her :D She's also pretty good at airs above the ground in the field, "star jumps" being a favourite :)
 
Cortez this seems an appropriate place to ask, spanish trot? it seems a bit more niche/ I dont seem to see anyone doing it much, is that a test requirement>
 
ester said:
Cortez this seems an appropriate place to ask, spanish trot? it seems a bit more niche/ I dont seem to see anyone doing it much, is that a test requirement>
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Spanish trot "could" be interpreted as passage, but I have seen the old, extended-leg Spanish trot performed only twice: once in Portugal by an absolute Master of Alta Escuela (who also cantered on three legs, and backwards - there's tricks for ya!), and once in France, likewise by a very venerable classicist. Not a requirement in any test but it would certainly garner much excitement (and scores) if performed well.
 
Thanks there doesn't seem to many examples of it about and I certainly didn't know it existed until quite recently, Is it harder to train/keep the forwards movement in trot?
 
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