From: patty@alpha.larc.nasa.gov (Patty Howell)
Subject: Re: half pass vs leg yield (was flying changes)
Organization: NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA  USA
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 13:52:33 GMT

>
>I got this from "Basic Dressage Handbook" by, uhhh, shoot, I can't
>remember his name. Lundquist, that's it. And, yes, certainly I am
>NOT a purist, so I may have described it incorrectly in terms of
>dressage. I ride hunters and jumpers, and so the 'dressage' I do is
>adapted to fit what I need. It's not done as an end in itself.
>Another thing is that often enough when I'm trying to describe
>something I could show you with hand motions or body language what I
>mean, but in Aschii art I am a complete failure. I think, though, in
>the future I will say "move your horse like this" rather than use
>any terms because if I'm wrong then it screws everything up.
>
>My understanding of a half-pass was this:
>
>|
>|
>|\
>|\   ^
>|\   |  horse moving along rail with body straight
>|\
>|
>|
>|
>
>Correct me, please, I don't like to make fox paws to an
>international audience.....
>
>=gwyn
>
>ps: another thing is -- I'm certainly describing what you would do
>in an exaggerated way, in order to make it very clear. Like, you
>have to ride a green horse V-E-R-Y C-L-E-A-R-L-Y. On a made horse
>like she was describing, she wouldn't have to have an exaggerated
>bend like that.

================

 B. Lundquist was the coach of the olympic dressage team (in the late
 70's / early '80's timeframe) and a very nice person, too. I had the
 priveledge of meeting him and participating in a clinic he gave during
 that time. I have the same book (although the title sure doesn't ring
 a bell, but I don't *think* he wrote more than one book???? Blue cover
 with a head shot of a grey horse? I long ago gave up trying to remember
 most books by their title...there are too many books with titles too 
 close to each other.  I like to go by author, instead)
 
 The point about the haunches leading in a half pass is that to go sideways,
 they really don't have to engage their backend and *cross* the back legs.
 They can manage to get the movement and still be on their forehand (I think,
 let me think about this one a little while...as a matter of fact, it
 may tend to *put* them on their forehand...I'll have to try it, I think).
 Anyone else out there have a thought on this?

 What you have described above is called a haunches-in movement. Except
 that I wouldn't use the term "with body straight." He is bent into the
 direction of movement slightly (head at wall, haunches on inside track)
 as apposed to a shoulder-in, where he is bent away from the direction
 of movement (forehand brought to inside track, hauches on rail)
 Clear as mud? I hate having to draw ascii art, too.
 
 The Duke of Newcastle (1700's?) introduced leg yielding to a horse on a 
 circle and de la Guerinere (sp? 1800's) introduced leg yielding
 on the lunge, before the horse was ridden. It is interesting to note
 that de la Guerinere wrote that he did not like Newcastle's exercise
 because it tended to put a horse on his forehand. (Newcastle wrote that
 it *initially* tended to put a horse on his forehand, but that in time
 the horse learned to do the movement in good self balance). Apparently,
 de la Guerinere never realized that he was doing the same movement on
 the lunge. (And that's your history lesson for today...) 

 The point is that it is easy to misinterpret the written word...
 I must have re-read two or three of my favorite books on horsemanship
 more times than I care to admit. I always get something new out of them.

 patty@alpha.larc.nasa.gov

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