 |
Adele Berger is demonstrating a beautifully sloping shoulder and how an ideal horse’s body should be segmented in “thirds”.
Photo by Judy Van Put |
| |
by Judy Van Put
Recently I attended an excellent and very informative clinic with the catchy name of “Fix A Horse” that focused on how to adjust your horse’s training according to his conformation and suitability. The clinic was given by trainer Adele Berger and held at the Bridle Hill Farm in Jeffersonville, NY, and was actually a fundraiser for the upcoming/future Sullivan County Horse Council. Bridle Hill owners Dan and Elinor Young were the consummate hosts. Also on hand was NYS Horse Council Mid Hudson Regional Director Shannon Budnik, organizer for the fledgling group, who gave out information on the New York State Horse Council and signed up new enrollees.
Training specialist Adele Berger handed out copies of informational sheets on horse conformation, complete with diagrams and explanations of horse anatomy from head to foot, as well as a diagram of horses’ foot flight patterns. She then brought out several of Bridle Hill Farm’s riding stock, and gave a critique and running commentary on each horse’s conformation and how it affects its mobility and suitability for various disciplines. She mentioned that the farm purchases horses for their attitude — “brains first” and as a riding and training facility, a good attitude was a must. The group was able to see a number of different breeds as well as styles of horses.
Attendees were shown how to examine their own horses — how the length of the back, between the withers and hip, should be the same length as the horse’s shoulder area — the part of his body that is forward of the back — as well as the length of the rump area. Ideally, a horse should be one-third shoulder, one-third back, and one-third hip. She brought out Desi, a Morgan mare, who is a dressage horse and has the classic conformation.
The class learned how the shape of the “S” curve of the spinal column is in direct relation to the shape of the neck. An ideal neck has a shallow lower curve and it situated high on the shoulder. The upper curve is arched nicely and the horse has a nice clean throatlatch area with a graceful poll. A horse that does not have a deep S curve will appear straight-necked; and a horse with a thick “ewe” neck and a short upper curve will appear hammer-headed — neither condition being ideal for a good riding or dressage horse.
Adele remarked that it was “easy to control” Desi, and showed the class how if you put your palm between her eyes, there was a lot of room for “a lot of brain!” That comment stuck with a lot of the attendees, who for sure would go home and measure the width between the eyes of their own horses!
Norman, a three-year-old Appendex/Quarter Horse, had been a race horse, in fact was just four months off the track. His front feet were flat, which some in the racing industry believed would make a horse “scamper out of the gate.” Norman had a short neck and a nice shoulder; but being only three years of age, has another two years of growth. Interestingly, because of the fact that he is still growing, it was easy to see how his rump was higher than his withers — he stood 17 hands at the rump, and 16.3 hands at the withers. Adele said she has been working on teaching him where to put his feet and working on his self-carriage. Norman was also noticeably pigeon-toed, which she explained was not as bad as bring toed-out, and demonstrated how the path of his feet and legs were plenty wide from hitting each other, as is not the case with a horse that splays out and can cause a concussion of its legs or feet.
The class learned that the angle of the horse’s hock joint is directly related to the strength and soundness of the hind leg. Adele pointed out how the most desirable position was for the point of the hock to lie directly below the point of the buttocks, with the back of the cannon bone in a straight line down to the ground when the horses is standing squarely. For example, a horse whose hocks are bent under is considered “sickle-hocked” and will have a weaker conformation. Other undesirable conditions are a post-legged horse with not enough bend to the hocks and one that is ‘camped out’ or standing with the hind legs farther out than the line from the point of the buttocks.
Another interesting revelation was how to tell if your horse is right or left “handed.” Attendees found out that as with humans, many horses will tend to favor (and use) one side over the other. You may find that your horse is more comfortable taking one lead over the other, or has an easier time turning to one side more smoothly. An indication of right or left handedness is if one of your horse’s hind legs (stifle and toe) turns out slightly more than the other. The horse will prefer to push off harder with that hind leg when cantering. A horse that is “right handed,” for example, will prefer to canter on the left lead, as he pushed off harder with his right hind leg in order to lead with his left.
After close inspection of the horses, the class was invited to take a short refreshment break and move out to the outdoor round arena where Adele rode a few of the horses to show how conformation will play into how a horse moves. She first worked with Tashi, to show how she’s trying to soften her jaw, and let her walk out any tension. She used the horse’s body to spiral in at the trot, and then spiral back out so that in stepping under, she was learning to carry herself without being crowded. The horse relaxed and settled, and it was evident how she was then able to soften her jaw and tuck her head a bit more.
While working Pony Boy, Adele was teaching him to relax, taking his energy and focusing it on riding in a circle. She talked about horses fussing at the bit and said if you notice that a horse is fussy in his mouth, it would be a good time to check his teeth. She uses a Waterford bit for her horse with good results. She worked to teach him to move to the outside rein and to spiral in and out to get some more flexion in his poll. She kept his attention with little bumps of her leg and half-halts, and confirmed that once he concentrated fully on her, his transitions were very good.
She ended the session by reminding the group that every time you ride your horse, you are training it, and she stressed reinforcing good behavior, and ending a lesson on a good note, even if it’s sooner than you had expected. The group came away enthusiastic and appreciative for all they had learned |
