From: deblev@nimoy.ipac.caltech.edu (Debbie Levine)
Subject: Re: A Basic Glossary
Organization: California Institute of Technology
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 16:15:58 GMT

In article <1992Sep1.072210.12497@organpipe.uug.arizona.edu> tracy@scoraz.resp-sci.arizona.edu (Tracy Scheinkman) writes:
>	Dressage is a French word which means training, it is a type of 
>training which is designed to make the horse very light and very responsive
>to subtle cues from legs, seat, and hands, and to get the horse to carry
>more of its weight on the rear instead of on the forehand which is what it
>naturally does.  This enables the horse to perform some maneuvers, such as
>the piaffe (trot in place), which it cannot do otherwise...  

I just wanted to add, can't do otherwise WITH A RIDER.  All of the
dressage movements ARE natural movements performed at liberty.  Because
a disprortionate amount of the rider's weight goes onto the forehand,
the horse must be trained to carry himself differently in order to 
restore the natural balance and maneuverability of the horse.

>>What is a warmblood?
>	A warmblood is a horse of mixed ancestry in whom are combined
>(hopefully) the best of both hot (Arabian or Thoroughbred) and cold (draft
>horse) blood.  There are many warmblood registries, they usually require
>that a horse pass a test or keur and be of certain ancestry to be 
>registered.

Again, just to clarify:  There are now many distinct warmblood breeds,
including Trahkener, Holstein, Hanoverian...  They tend to be larger,
heavier and somewhat more phlegmatic than Thoroughbreds, but also
more powerful and with more natural balance.  Many are truly spectacular
movers, meaning that their gaits are very pure and rhythmic and their
stride is fairly long.
  
>...  The Saddlebred has in the 
>past only been shown with the tail 'set'...

This is only true in "breed" shows.  Saddlebreds are becoming fairly
popular in dressage, where they are shown in a natural state, and some
have been successful hunters, jumpers and eventers.  The extreme 
nature of the Saddlebred show scene has created a lot of prejudice
against this breed.

>>What is jumpseat?  
>	I believe this is what people commonly call forward seat or huntseat
>style of riding.  In it the rider leans a little forward, in what is
>termed 2-point position, while at the same time maintaining their center
>of gravity over the horse's center of gravity.  When the horse jumps the
>rider comes slightly up out of the saddle and sits again after the jump,
>the whole time maintaining the center of gravity over the horse's.

Hunt seat, as opposed to the "balanced seat" or "classical seat" used
in dressage uses shorter stirrups and a forward inclination to the
upper body at both trot and canter (though this seems to be changing).
A hunt seat rider is usually "lighter" in the saddle and you may see
the seat rocking in and out of the saddle at canter, though the
crotch stays in contact.  By contrast, a dressage rider sits
"deep" and keeps his/her seat fully in contact at canter and his
upper body vertical most of the time.  The jumping or two-point
position is when the rider's seat is completely out of the
saddle and is often used when jumping so that the rider will automatically
follow the motion of the horse over the jump without making any
postion changes--the horse's thrust automatically closes the rider's
hip angle over the fence.  Note, however, than cross-country and
jumper riders often sit deep and drive to the base of the fence
rather than being in "jumping position.
 
>>Can anyone reccommend some good books to answer all this stuff?
>	There are many good books about all of these subjects but not
>one to answer all questions.  I recommend going to the library and
>picking out a bunch of different books on these subjects.  The good
>books out number the bad so just read everything you can get your
>hands on.

I strongly second this suggestion!  Then come back and ask the net
questions!

Good luck,
Debbie
deblev@ipac.caltech.edu
Newsgroups: rec.equestrian