May 13, 2009
On Uphill Balance….the great chasm between First and Second level.
A student of mine requested that I write about this subject to help her understand what exactly is the definition of “uphill” and why it was so important. Especially at Second Level…….
Well, let’s start with “What Is Uphill?”
I’ve worked with a few (or more) dressage judges, and to be honest my conclusion is that each has his or her own definition of what is uphill. Most are looking at the horse’s natural carriage. Some are able to recognize a horse’s ability, despite its construction, to lift its forehand. Horses, like humans, each have a very individual construction of their body.
The trend in breeding dressage horses has always been, as long as it has been it’s own individual sport, towards breeding horses that are well coupled (not too long or short in frame) with a well set neck, meaning that the neck comes fairly high out of the shoulder, and the croup somewhat lower than the wither. This particular build in a horse gives it an advantage in using its body in a manner that allows it to lower the haunches to engage, and while the neck is naturally in a more upright position, assists in elevating the shoulder. If you can take that description and make a picture out of it, most likely you would see ‘uphill’.
While that creates a very natural “uphill balance” in a horse, we can’t deny that a horse without the perfect conformation can still move in an uphill manner. Granted, it may not be your yellow cake with chocolate frosting (That is my culinary example of perfection. Please feel free to insert your own analogy), but it can be accomplished. The key is in the horse’s ability to engage (tilt his pelvis more forward and underneath himself so that the hind leg is more able to step under and bear more weight) and lift the shoulder, there fore elevating his frame (if the shoulder comes up, the neck will too).
What is NOT uphill…..
A horse that is traveling on the forehand with a low set frame and is not engaged. How can you tell if a horse is engaging the hindquarters and to what degree? Watch how far his hind leg comes out behind him relative to how far the hind leg steps underneath. Engagement usually prohibits the hind leg from coming out too far.
A horse that is traveling with his neck set high and no engagement of the hindquarters. This horse will also display a pronounced hollowness of the back.
Why is this important at Second Level?
The transitions and movements at Second Level require a greater degree of collection than of those at First Level , meaning that it is essential that the horse engage the hindquarters and lift the shoulders in order to perform the movements. As an example, performing the collected trot to halt transition, without it appearing as if the rider had just slammed on the breaks, requires, well….collection. Collection translates to uphill.
That pretty much sums it up. So if you will please excuse me for my tardiness this month, I will be continuing the discussion on Second Level in a couple of weeks.
Until then, Happy Riding!
JW