[drivingpairs] Emil 8's - sorry long - but important :-)

I was away a few days, so am sorry to come back to this only now. Yes, I 
think there has been some very good information given.  I too switch my horses 
from side to side so that they do not become one-sided and develope both sides 
of 
their body. I switch them almost every time I drive. But yes, they do have 
their "better" side and naturally I use them that way when going to an event.  
I 
also agree with the post which said, to put them with their stiffer side to 
the pole, meaning when you have a horse that bends better to the left, he 
should go on the left side, and the one that bends better to the right, should 
go 
on the right side - at the show !  At home quite often the other way around to 
get that stiff side worked more. But at the show, obviously each time the 
inside horse has to bend more as he makes a smaller turn, so let's use his 
better 
side at the inside of the turn and his stiffer side on the outside. So if you 
have the fortune that both have different sides as their better side, then 
great! If both have the same side as better side, well, then not so great, then 
I 
still use the stiffer of the two on that side to where he can bend better.
A general word here for making them bend better, which I think I have posted 
before, but doesn't matter, as we probably have new people on by now: I find 
that teaching horses to bend goes better in a pair than as singles, as with the 
pair the carriage helps!  In all the turns drive that INSIDE horse forward, 
with the whip on the inside (of the turn) and forget that outside horse, even 
if he lags a bit behind. When the inside horse pulls, that will make the pole 
wanting to go to the outside (if you don't understand this, just pull on your 
carriage yourself on just one side in front and you'll see how the pole will go 
away from you), making the turn bigger, giving the carriage the urge to move 
"out" of the circle. Great, because then you can counter that by taking up a 
bit more inside rein, and voila, you get that neck of the inside horse bent to 
the inside!   And since most pairs have the tendency automatically to carry 
their heads a bit towards the pole, never mind that outside horse, he carries 
his head already into the turn by himself. That's how you get your bending!  
And 
besides, that inside whip with which you drive your inside horse forward, at 
the same time also  encourages that inside horse to bend around that inside 
whip if applied at his side where the rider's leg would be. Or, if you apply it 
a bit further back, no problem either, as there it encourages that inside hind 
leg to step underneath the body. Both good for the bending.

So then, the best excercise for this for a pair is large figure eights! 40 
meters diameter, first at the walk, then at the trot. (Emil 8's for those of 
you 
who remember him, except he did it with 20 meter circles, which is great too, 
but only once they can bend and are more advanced already, so we better start 
with 40 meter circles). One circle to the right, making the right horse do 
the work  - and giving the left horse time off - just drive your right horse in 
that circle, and then followed by the next circle to the left, now making the 
left horse do the work, just drive him, and give the right horse time off!  So 
we alternate between left and right circles, and left and right horse having 
to work and having time off. Great for them, great for the bending, and as 
automatic side effect: They learn how to lengthen and shorten stride by 
themselves, as each time the outside horse has to lengthen and the inside horse 
has to 
shorten stride. And when they learn that, voila, all the spectators are happy 
to see another pair going so often in stride with each other! Horses are like 
humans, they want to be in stride if they can. You and me would want to be in 
stride if we take a long walk together at the beach or in the woods and carry 
on a conversation.  It walks and talks nicer when one is in stride. Same with 
the horses, they want it. So the Emil 8's teach them how they can adjust their 
strides, and then they apply that.

You can drive Emil 8's for an hour  or longer if you like. It's good for 
them! But make sure, you drive that inside horse and get some bending. If you 
can't get bending at the trot, then do it just at the walk until you get it 
there. 
Then keep everything relaxed and then start doing nice and easy trot, and it 
WILL come there as well! As long as you keep them relaxed and drive that 
inside horse. Try it, you'll like it and it works! Trust me and do it! 
Good luck
Hardy 


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