[drivingpairs] Achenbach rein handling
- From: Hzlax@xxxxxxx
- To: drivingpairs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2006 17:10:45 EST
> "Purists might say you have to follow the
> proscribed techniques, but realize that someone at some point just decided
> on what he thought worked best at that time. Mightnot be your solution.
Usually I agree with Dave's advice, and I do with anything else in his good
post a couple of days ago, except the above statement. I think it's not just
what someone at some point just decided, but it's rather what was developed
over a long period of time and since then has been put forward as one of the
proven good method and is recognized as that by more countries, study books and
teachers than any other method. It is really the same as in most other areas of
live. There are usually proven and professional methods of doing things, and
there are all kind of homegrown do it yourself styles, and every one of us, who
started anything by his own methods might have certain sucess with it, but
when he wants to become really good, and takes lessons with a good teacher,
more
often then not the teacher will have to re-educate him to get him into the
proven method. I think that's probably true in most sports. If you started
(insert:playing golf, tennis, piano, swimming, riding etc) by yourself as an
amateur and then one day you want to get really good and you take some lessons
from
a good teacher, chances are, he'll re-direct you and tell you that you have to
use your hands and body in a different way, which will be more effective and
"better" in the long run.
Having said that, yes, I do agree "might not be your solution" because
perhaps you don't want to go through that trouble and perhaps you are
comfortable
enough to stay at the level at which you are, or improve within your method.
Let
me also be clear here, I have no value statement attached to it, as most of
us do this to have FUN and to be SAFE, and for that, most of the homegrown
amateur solutions work ok too, as also in our other areas of live described
above.
Most of us are happy with our own way to play golf, tennis, piano, etc, and
nobody should take that fun away!
As most of you know, I believe in the Achenbach method, but in all fairness
will also point out that there are very successful top level drivers, incl.
World Champions who do not drive Achenbach. On the marathon and in cones,
nobody
on the top level drives Achenbach anymore, but everybody drives two handed
there, and while years ago there were still discussions about it, by now there
is really nobody in the top of the sport arguing that one could be successful
on the marathon and in cones with Achenbach. The two handed method is just
quicker. In dressage it's different. While some years back almost all top level
drivers still drove Achenbach in dressage, that picture is changing and more
and
more are driving two handed in dressage now too, and often very successfully.
The advantage of driving two handed is that it is much quicker, thus good for
marathon and cones. The disadvantage is for teams and tandems that since
turns are driven with taking loops, the moment the hand reaches forward to take
a
loop, the contact on the reins in that hand is lost. For quick turns in
hazards and cones that is not such a big deal, when the horses are trained well
enough that a instant of loss of contact is not throwing them off. It's also
not
such a big deal with a tandem, as one can often drive tandem turns even without
taking loops. With pairs and singles of course we don't need to take loops,
so none of this applies, BUT with pairs and singles the contact is lost when
one needs to use the whip. Very good drivers can use the whip sometimes just
out of the wrist without losing the contact, but for the most part, even when
the contact is not lost, the can horse gets disturbed in the mouth when using
the whip out of the wrist, when the whip hand still has a rein in it as well.
I believe beginners do well in starting out with learning Achenbach as the
basis of proper rein handling. For singles and pairs as it enables them to use
the whip properly without disturbing the horse in the mouth, and also since it
does set them up properly for one day going to tandems and teams, where
starting with Achenbach will teach them the basis as well. It will enable them
to
take loops without losing the contact, will enable them to use the whip, and
will usually also be more horse friendly as less disturbing in their mouth. And
when you can drive Achenbach, then you also can go to two handed driving much
better as you understand what's happening there and it is not difficult then to
learn two handed. But if you started two handed, then going to Achenbach
usually is much more difficult.
Hardy
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