[drivingpairs] further thoughts on extensions

Ok, some more thoughts on extensions: The entire training process is build up 
like a good house, starting with the foundation and then laying brick upon 
brick. Get some good books and build it up accordingly. For example, the Manual 
of Driven Dressage from the ADS is quite good in explaining the process. And 
it also works along the lines of the ADS dressage tests. If you take a look 
there, you will notice that Extensions only are asked for in ADVANCED  (!!!) 
level tests, whereas Collections are brought in at the Intermediate Level.  But 
everything below has none of it. It starts at Training Level, and there we have 
in the trot work ONLY working trot, nothing else, but in the walk, we have 
Free Walk on the Long Rein as well as Working Walk. So that's where you start. 
Have a working walk, and then work on lengthening the frame at the walk, 
stretching you horse at the walk, make him follow the bit, seek the contact, as 
you 
give your hand, so he starts STRETCHING!!! That's so important, and it includes 
of course many oher things right then and there. The horse must be relaxed, 
otherwise you never get it, and he must accept and be comfortable with the bit, 
the bit must be his friend, and when you give your hand, he must stretch to 
seek the contact, that's how you get him to lengthen. If you and your horse can 
do that well, ok, then you can move up to Prelim. where we then have the 
Lengthened Walk, which is basically almost the same, except there the horse 
should 
now still be stretched out, but ever so slightly be a little more on the 
contact. In practical terms, don't worry much about that sligt difference, I'd 
much rather see also on Prelim still a horse nicely stretched out forward and 
downward in the lengthened walk, then a horse which is not stretching and not 
lengthening. I will not mark anybody down, who still gives me a good Free Walk 
on 
the Long rein, rather than a true "Lengthened Walk", as the differences there 
are hardly noticeable in practical terms, and usually folks use that as an 
excuse, as they and their horse never learned to stretch out enough at the Free 
Walk, they then call the less stretched out version the Lengthened Walk, when 
in fact, it's just less of everything and no true lengthened walk either, as 
that true lengthened walk only comes from before a well stretched out free walk 
on the long rein.  So then, WHEN THAT concept is well understood by driver 
and horse, ok, great, THEN you can transfer the same to your trot work, and 
then, voila, in Prelim the test now asks for Lengthened Trot!  No extension, 
just 
lengthened, that doesn't mean faster, that means longer frame (which moves the 
carriage faster, but the rhythm of the steps should be the same), not 
running, but lengthening! But usually you won't be able to get that correctly 
and 
well, unless you and your horse have mastered the previous steps of the Free 
Walk 
on the long rein, all stretched out nice and long!  So then, AFTER we have 
mastered this lengthened trot, then we can move to Intermediate where 
Collection 
is introduced (but also still having Lengthened Walk and Lengthened Trot in 
the test, no extension), and after we can do that, well, then we can move to 
Advanced and work on Extensions!   
So please, start out at the walk, and let's see your horse stretch out and 
get LONG when you give him the reins :-)

Oh, sorry, forgive me, this is the pairs list, and most that I have talked 
here looks like I'm talking about the single horse, but it's really the same 
with a pair, just multiply by two, and since the question was asked here 
before, 
that's why I thought I answer it here.  Good luck.
Hardy


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