...Please Help!!!!!!

Question

Okay well I know that collection is taught at the trot and canter because there is a phase of suspension in the gait but its NOT innitally taught in the walk because there is no suspension in that gait...but why is suspension necessicary to TEACH it?...like how does it fit in the equation if u know wat i mean.

Answer 1

I don't think it does fit in the equation.  I never heard that (though I grant I haven't heard everything!  lol).  I usually teach collection in the trot because at the walk the horse is more likely to think he's to stop, and I don't want to mess up his stop.  At the trot, it's easier to adjust his speed, and I think that's the first step in achieving collection.  

Suspension is of more use in extending the trot, in my opinion, because that's when you cue the horse for more oomph in his stride, to get him to lengthen.  

Unless you're riding a horse that just lazes along, and won't get his hind end under himj?  Then cuing during the moments of suspension will engage his hind end more and bring him rounder and more into the bit.  Maybe that's where it fits into the equation!

Live and learn, live and learn. :)  Both of us.

Answer 2

the walk is a flatfooted, four beat gait, so there is never a point where all four feet are off the ground. therefore, there is no time in the gait for the horse to gather his hocks underneath himself for a more powerful and engaged stride. in order for a horse to be collected, they must have their weight balanced over their hocks, and for that to happen, they need to be able to get more than one hock under them at one time, and for that to happen, they need to be trotting or cantering. they cant shift their weight over their hocks at the walk.

i answered your other question, which was exactly the same as this one, and i think i explained it rather well, so if i were you i would go back and read it again.

i'm copy/pasting my other answer on here, just because i have some extra time to kill. plus it might provide a more in depth answer...

with the suspension in the gait, it gives the horse time to bring his hocks far underneath himself, and use more length and pull from behind. it enables him to round his back, engage his hindquarters, and throw his foreleg farther out. in the canter especially, you'll see that a well trained horse, when asked to collect, will actually rock his weight back onto his hocks, round his back, and hinge off his hocks in a way that makes a smooth ride. when a horse collects, you can think of it as smushing an oval into a circle, and rocking it back and forth. this simulates a collected and suspended canter. however, you can have suspension without collection, like in the extended gaits desired for in hunter horses. when a hunter horse does this, they still shift their weight back, but open their shoulder up in front, to let their forelegs swing out from underneath them with precision. a collected horse knows exactly where his hoof will hit next, and is always aware of where his legs are. i hope this helps, and that i didnt confuse you too much with the judging terms... =]

Answer 3

Re-type this question so it isn't so confusing...

Answer 4

You have recieved excellent answers already - just adding my 2 cents.

If someone is telling you they can't teach your horse to collect at the walk first - it may have something to do with his conformation / strength along his topline. A properly collected WALK takes a ton of muscle - this can be built up while learning collection at the "easier" (for the horse) gaits.

Answer 5

Well I partly understand your question. Well in my opinion there is no need for "suspension" to teach it. All of my horses learned though lots of riding, more riding, and more riding!