Increasing your horse’s collection improves balance for any discipline. In this article, I will just talk about what collection IS. Watch for the next article where we will talk about HOW to ask for collection.
Whether you’re a dressage rider, jumper rider or trail rider, improving your horses balance and collection will make your ride more comfortable, efficient and fun!
There are three criteria you want to consider when deciding if your horse is collected.
- He is shorter from poll to tail.
- He shifts the center of gravity back and becomes more engaged over the hind legs.
- He is more up-hill. The top of the croup is lower than his withers. The withers are lower than the poll.
All three of these criteria need to happen together for your horse to be collected. One or two are not enough and do not make collection!
There are also various degrees of being collected. Second level horses begin to show collection. Grand Prix horses are also collected. They don’t look the same. The DEGREE at which all three criteria are happening is greater.
Shortening the horse
The collected horse is shorter from poll to tail. However, you can shorter a horse by shortening the reins and cranking him in, but when you do this, you’re just riding from front to back. Instead, imagine that you have more horse in front of you and less behind you. Your reins are setting a front door boundary, but you’re SHORTENING the horse by pushing his hind legs closer to his nose. You are NOT making him shorter by pulling his nose closer to his hind feet.
Engagement
When your horse engages, or takes more weight on his hind legs and BENDS his joints, the forehand becomes lighter and freer. You may be interested in this article.
Up-Hill Balance
If you look at the height of the poll, withers and croup- the croup will be the lowest point and the poll will be the highest point. Think about a seesaw. When you lower one end, the other comes up. We want to LOWER the croup and the forehand will lift!
Catch this article about the relationship between collection and engagement.
