Finding That Resistance | The Horse Guru - Michael Gascon

[@jordanwhite5470]

So, do you feel that Gaited horses can be relaxed with their head up (approx. 117 min.s) ?

[@jordanwhite5470]

Best ever video with a Lot of advice that I needed to hear ! To think that I almost passed it by bc it was too long . . . . . . Glad I didn't !

[@JoyceCherrier]

Listening to your teaching and watching you both demonstrate is super helpful! The hour and a half flew by! Thanks for this!

[@gethorsehelp]

Thank you!!!! 💙

[@victoriamorriscf8386]

I love what I'm seeing and hearing. I like your work. Im gonna ask though, you might want to consider thinking about Dressage a bit differently. So on the outside you will see an upper level horse have his head high. And in today's competition, there is a lot of incorrect riding, TENSE and hot horses, but this is NOT correct Dressage at all. Dressage at its core should be relaxed. Dressage should be the ABSENCE of tension. The majority of the work in the discipline is actually very long and low movement. All the work should begin and end with long and low movement. That's where rhe balance, strength, softness and obedience is built. The goal within the collected movements should be to maintain the back lift and engagement that we had in long and low work, but then ask the horse to elevate the forehand, and raise the poll while soft in the jaw. Unfortunately, 99% of the so called "Dressage" at all levels these days is faulty. It should be called "tense, spooky, hot, lame trick riding." It's more reminiscent of saddle seat with a lot more fancy movements. Dressage SHOULD be more like reining. Long, low, adjustable, soft, relaxed, responsive, and working in a way that is healthy and safe for the horse's body and soundness. I mention this because it's such a common misconception. The discipline of Dressage has become so widely misrepresented that its unrecognizable and it deeply saddens those of us who still believe in the massive benefits and use of correct Dressage. The horses at the top are lame, scared, unhappy, being jabbed and pulled and have their mouths strapped shut. They're victims of a sport rather than willing participants in a dance. So and time I come across language that indicates someone might not have healthy or correct knowledge of what Dressage is meant to be, I attempt to help clear the air a little bit. I hope I have helped a little. Love your work, keep it up. I'll be applying some of the things I saw here to my horse. I already do most of the work very similarly, but i like some of the subtle differences and the results you're getting.

[@gethorsehelp]

Hey Victoria! Thank you so much for reaching out and please don’t take the commentary as a hit to everything you’re referring too, this comment was directed at the 99% of our experience with dressage today that you’re referring to in addition to our experience at the Spanish School of Equestrian Arts. Just like with any discipline, you will have the trainers that have found a way to communicate and train in a way that doesn’t fit into the breed standard. Consider it the same with the trick riding reference in your comment, my wife is a professional trick rider and none of her horses are spooky, hot, or tense. They love their job and do it free running with no contact or control of their face, which is what makes training an amazing trick riding horse difficult as they must love the sport since they have the option to stop and not do it at my point :)

[@pattirockgarden4423]

Very western thinking.

[@jordanwhite5470]

It works. Don't knock it.

[@mariaweber2850]

Thank you so much!

[@gethorsehelp]

Thanks for watching!