for example the shoulder-in and travers. A lot of emphasis was put on the horse’s well-being during exercises, whether they are collecting or flexible, because only then the exercise actually pays off.
Tölt and balance Next it was time for Bergur Jónsson to ride into the hall in Gráfeldur frá Syðri-Gegnishólum which is four years old. The goal was to demonstrate how you can teach a horse to tölt without making the tölt into some kind of punishment by forcing it to do it. Julio talked about how the horse had to enjoy itself on tölt and little by little gain balance. Naturally, Gráfeldur was still imbalanced in tölt. On the other hand it was very soft and his topline relaxed and in moments behind the vertical line. Julio and Dr. Susanne Braun veterinarian explained the difference between rollkur and when horses are soft in their topline and with their heads vertical or right behind the vertical line. In rollkur horses are forced below the vertical line by hand and at the same time pressure is put
on them to walk underneath them with their hind legs and in this situation their topline is tense. It was necessary for this discussion to take part and explain to equestrians that there is a significant difference between the two. It was meaningful for all equestrians to realize that in certain stages of training it is normal for horses to be imbalanced in some gaits and having more weight in their front legs. Out in nature horses carry more weight in their front part. This is why trainers put so much effort into training horses to put the weight in their back part in order to increase their health and durability as riding horses. This kind of demonstration could and should be done more often. Showing horses which are in different stages of training improves the minds of riders by showing us that there are a lot of obstacles to overcome in order to fully train a horse. Horse training can be compared to a child taking its first steps in musical school, first a basic understanding has to be built before the child can eventually play Johann Sebastian Bach‘s symphonies seamlessly.
The amazing group of staff, riders and volunteers. Photo: Bjarney Anna 58
