Collection: Circuit of Control
When people begin learning about horses, the tendency for their instructors is to stress equitation and not teach enough about the horse. Consequently, there are many misconceptions. One of them revolves around the subject of collection.
To the casual observer, a horse moving at a normal pace with a nice headset looks collected. Collection, however, is concerned with much more. In fact, at its peak, the horse’s entire body is in a highly tuned and efficient state of readiness. Collection is brought about by the chain reaction that begins with the hind legs striding underneath the horse’s body. The nature of collection can best be understood by watching an unmounted horse cavorting about in the pasture.
Unmounted horses in moments of excitement shift their weight to the rear so that changing direction is easier. As the hind legs stride further underneath them, the croup and buttock muscles exert powerful tugs backwards and downwards upon the muscles and frame of the back. As the spinal column is pulled to the rear, the chest and neck are lifted thereby taking some of the weight off the forehand and transferring it via the back to the hindquarters.
The same is true of the mounted horse with only a few exceptions. When ridden, the chain reaction begins with pressure from the rider’s legs which in turn causes the more powerful engagement of the hindquarters, etc.
The back is, of course, pulled to the rear as it was in the unmounted horse. In the mounted horse, however, the back is also stretched toward the front since the head set causes the neck muscles to stretch forward and upward. Once the head is set, there is a circuit of absolute control from the rider’s leg to the horse’s hindquarters, through its back and up the neck to the poll and into the rider’s hands. Likewise, any pressure applied by the hands affects the poll, travels down the neck, back, and hindquarters to the horse’s rear hooves.
If the circuit of absolute control is broken at any point, none of the horse’s parts will function to their peak and although it is not entirely necessary that they be ridden in this way, you can be sure that anyone who seems to get the most out of their horses rides them in this way.
Most often, a break in the circuit of control either begins or shows up by an active and sagging back, so care must be taken to keep the back from getting sore. Many horses, not properly conditioned, become tender and too tired to carry the added weight of a rider so before mounted training begins, the horse should be lounged for several weeks until their muscles are in tone. Afterwards, mounted time should be limited to fifteen minutes until the horse is ready for more work. This goes for mature horses that have been lain off for the winter as well as for the young ones.
When the untrained horse is ridden for the first time, its reaction is to fight against the added weight by a cramped arched back. After the horse has calmed down and grown tired, the back begins to sag and the load is carried almost totally by the spinal column with little cooperation from the dorsal (back) muscles. These muscles are not intended, nor able, to carry the added weight, so the more success there is in relieving them, the better they can aid in impulsion and the transmission of locomotion.
In the beginning of mounted training, the rider should help the horse’s back as much as possible by sitting directly over its center of gravity. The neck should be allowed to stretch as far forward as is comfortable for the horse since its cervical muscles, being attached to the backbone, help support the back.
The further training progresses, the less need there will be for their active cooperation since they grow stronger with time and training. The neck can then be allowed to take the more desirable upward position, but should never be cramped backward because it will create a dip in the back just behind the withers, thereby getting it out of position and not allowing it to function. This will also cause the hind legs to take choppy strides since it is hard for them to stride underneath when the back is uncomfortably pressed downward.
Since the back has no base of support, it does not support its own weight and cannot be expected to carry extra weight of a rider and still function as naturally and beautifully as that of an unmounted horse. However, a certain degree of muscle tolerance can be built up when the horse is retaught to collect under its new conditions. Once the horse can carry the rider comfortably, the journey toward collection can begin. Of course, collection will be relative to the stage of training and especially to the individual horse. What is collection for some will only be ordinary posture for others – some will be pleasure horses, some park, and, unfortunately, some will fall in-between. Although this remains true, the beauty of movement of any horse will be improved when its back and other parts are restored to their natural function.