I wanna know more?

Question

What is two-tracking and side-passing? Also what is involved in dressage? I want to know more about different types of riding. I do trail rides with my family and stuff like that, but I want to know more about other disciplines. If you can give me any information, it would be great fully appreciated! Oh and if you say a type of riding, could you please give a brief definition, please and thanks!

Answer 1

Have a read of these

http://forum.equisearch.com/forums/p/391...

http://horses.about.com/od/horsetraining...

Answer 2

We call side-passing, half-passing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLTOmF-vn...

Answer 3

I really like CeCe's answer for two tracking and side pass. Dressage is amazing what may seem simple can take years to perfect. Here are a few frames, movements and terms that you may hear associated with dressage.

Collection: (a lengthening of the top line) creates a deeper step with the hind legs and a lighter front end. Any movement that the horse is truly collected through has a continuous movement of energy there is no energy lost.

Flexion: (a lengthening of one side of a horse through a turn or on a circle) creates balance and cemetery.  

Implosion: (energy) will give more jump or a moment of suspension to a movement.

Half Pass, Side Pass, Two Track, thank you CeCe ;)

Counter Canter: (cantering on the wrong lead) helps the horse balance and aids in flexion.

Extended Trot/Canter: a lengthening of the gate (an extended canter will look like a collected hand gallop)

Pirouette: mostly done at the walk and canter all 4 legs are moving while the horses front end moves around the hind legs. The hind legs stay in as tiny of a circle as possible ideally no larger than a dinner plate.

Tempy Changes: (lead changes) can be done on several counts mostly seen on 1 2 and 3 counts. 1 tempy changes make it look as though the horse is skipping.

Cadence: Tempo

Piaffe: Trotting nearly in place, there must be perfect cadence in this movement as well as impulsion.

Passage: looks like the Piaffe only with more forward motion. It isn't like the extended trot where the forward comes from an extension but more from and elevation in the knee and hock.

Moment of Suspension: (hang time)appears as that split second of float.

I think that covers a few things from dressage as we know it today. Dressage was initially created so men in battle could maneuver there horses in a manner that would aid in battle. If you get itch to see the old stuff look up Airs Above the Ground. It is pretty spectacular. Now days we see a much tamer version, when you watch a horse and rider truly grasp the concept of Dressage the movements should be fluid and effortless in appearance. The aids should be soft and almost invisible, like a dance between best friends or soul mates. I hope this helps you. If this doesn't seem like something you want to get into, here are some other equine sports to check out.

Hunter Jumper: Jumping smaller fences, while working on form and fluidity.

Jumpers: Jumping lager fences for time.

Cross Country: Jumping obstacles that do not come down through a field or pasture for time.

Three Day: A day of each Dressage, Jumping, and Cross Country! (I tip my hat to the Three Day People)

Endurance: A timed trail ride that lasts for miles usually no less than 25 miles and sometimes ans long as 200.

Reining: A pattern class for western riders that consists of walk, lope, sliding stop, side pass, roll backs, and backing, and spins.

Trail Class: A number of obstacles that you may come across on the trail set up in a show ring.

Western Pleasure: A muted very slow version of all three gates sometimes set up as a pattern, with stops, backs and pivots.

Barrel Racing or Gymkhana: Timed games.

There are a million more that I can think of but this is getting long. I really hope you can find a sport that you fall in love with. The good new is that if you have a good horse they will be able to help you try a lot of these enough to see if you like them. GOOD LUCK!

Answer 4

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Answer 5

thumbs up to good answers here, and for wanting to learn...a star for the question too!!!!

Answer 6

When your horse is riden in a straight line if you look from the front you will see 'two legs' i.e. the hind legs are covered by the front legs. This is then termed as a horse following two tracks and is going straight.

When a horse does a dressage movement 'shoulder in' his front legs move over, so from the front you see one front leg, the other front leg (and one back leg hidden behind it) then the other back leg. So the shoulders have moved in. Now you see the horse performing on three tracks.

Side passing - normally refered to as halfpass is when the horses inside legs cross over in front of the outside legs at any given pace so the horse moves slightly forward and sideways.

In dressage the rider trains to horse to carry himself in 'good form' on the bit and rides the horse forward from the seat and leg. The horse is asked to accept the bit very lightly and the rider teaches the horse to change pace using his legs and seat so hardly uses the rein aid.

The horse is trained to be submissive and light, flexible through bending on circles and have lateral flexibility by using his legs to step across one another.

During the training the horses hindquarters become very strong, as do his back and neck muscles. He learns to lower his hindquarters, step further underneath himself with his hind hooves. This frees up the front legs to do magnificent extention or collection (like skipping).

Thats a very brief explination. Happy riding, ps most dressage riders also trail ride at times. :)