Get Framed!
The goal of good horsemanship is to engage your horse’s hind legs to create energy, and welcome it with your hands. This develops a connection from his hind end to his front end, helping him to move forward in self carriage and soft feel. Do not forget that hips and legs drive the horse forward while the hands simply channel this force through gentle rein aids.
The three frames of the Cowboy Dressage horse are the short frame (transition frame), medium frame (working frame) and long frame (free frame). With each shortening of the frame from the lengthened frame, the center of gravity shifts farther back toward the hindquarters. The rider’s hands would mirror the horse’s head and neck position and the rider’s seat would rock backward slightly as the center of gravity is shifted toward the hindquarters.
As a horse moves up through the levels, his frame or the shape of his topline and body changes. The horse become stronger mentally and physically. Then, he can increase the degree of his hind-end engagement, by shortening his body and lifting his shoulders and withers up. His head and neck come up, leaving his poll as the highest point of the frame and creating a very light, and soft front end.
The three frames of the Cowboy Dressage horse are the short frame (transition frame), medium frame (working frame) and long frame (free frame). With each shortening of the frame from the lengthened frame, the center of gravity shifts farther back toward the hindquarters. The rider’s hands would mirror the horse’s head and neck position and the rider’s seat would rock backward slightly as the center of gravity is shifted toward the hindquarters.
LONG FRAME – LOW neck, LOW hands, LONGER stride.
(free frame).
MEDIUM FRAME – LOWER neck, Lower hands, MEDIUM stride.
(working frame).
SHORT FRAME – HIGH neck, HIGH hands, SHORT stride. (transition frame).
The key is the correct rein length and having the horse’s hind legs strong enough for his level to maintain a natural frame, not one that’s fixed or forced.
The ultimate goal of Cowboy Dressage is to have the horse in self-carriage. That means that the horse maintains his own frame and rhythm to some degree without the riders creating every single stride with their aids. For this to happen, the riders must first be passive with their aids and allow the horse to move on his own. “To cease the aids does not mean to leave the horse on its own but to keep the contact while doing as little as possible.”
My goal was always that I could do nothing for five strides. Took me five years, I was pretty happy.
