[drivingpairs] Re: Achenbach rein handling
- From: "Lynn & Elaine" <lynnp@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <drivingpairs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2006 22:58:58 -0600
Jan,
Do you belong to the Oklahoma Harness Horse Association?
The president is attempting to bring Hardy to Claremore this year for
just that purpose.
Lynn from Sedan, KS
-----Original Message-----
From: drivingpairs-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:drivingpairs-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jan Tobey
Sent: Monday, February 13, 2006 10:02 PM
To: drivingpairs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [drivingpairs] Re: Achenbach rein handling
Please excuse my naivete, but is there anyone out there in or close to
Oklahoma that would be willing to show me how the Achenbach handling
basics? I usually drive 4 and have limited experience with tandems, but
have always driven 2-handed as this is how my mentor taught me at the
start. I would like to learn. mars@xxxxxxxxx
THANKS
Jan
Hzlax@xxxxxxx wrote:
> "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 wit h 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 wh o 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 trai ned 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 ba sis 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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