THE BIOMECHANICS OF COLLECTION

What really happens when a horse ‘engages’ Ask ten riders to define collection, and you may hear ten different answers: “The horse carries more weight behind,” “He lifts his shoulders,” “She sits more,” or “It’s self-carriage.” While these phrases capture aspects of the concept, true collection is rooted in biomechanics — and understanding what actually…

BylizzieJune 20, 20250Comments

ASKHQ: BENEFITS OF FROZEN SEMEN

Q: What are the benefits of using frozen semen? A: There are many benefits of using frozen semen when breeding a mare. Cryopreservation (freezing) allows long term sperm storage, which allows the breeder to buy and store semen from a stallion and save it until they have the ‘right’ mare to put it to. The ability…

BylizzieFebruary 12, 20210Comments

Ask HQ Horse Breed Horse Channel Horse Health Horse Training Know How

ASKHQ: GROWING HORSES

Q: People say horses don't stop growing until they're seven years old. If this is true, should we be riding them when they're four? Asked by Sami Francis A: The age that a horse stops growing varies, depending mainly on his breed. Thoroughbreds, for example, tend to mature much faster than larger, heavier Warmbloods, and as such,…

BylizzieJanuary 17, 20200Comments

Ask HQ Horse Breed Horse Channel Horse Health Horse Training Know How

ASKHQ: UPHILL OR DOWNHILL

Q: Is my horse built ‘uphill’ or ‘downhill’? A: Body balance is partly determined by the relative height of the croup and withers of the horse, but also by the positioning of the spine in terms of how high or how low the base of the neck is, and where the neck vertebrae join the thoracic…

BylizzieDecember 10, 20190Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Horse Training

ASKHQ: WHAT IS CONSIDERED TRUE COLLECTION?

Q: What is considered true collection? A: Ultimate collection does not only ask for a great deal of straightness, flexibility and co-ordination but it also asks for tremendous mental concentration and contribution from your horse. Very briefly, in collection your want the horse to shift his weight, to mean that the energy you put in is not…

BylizzieOctober 11, 20190Comments

Horse Channel Horse Training

Collection work

Collection encourages the horse to shift his weight to his hind end [dropcap]W[/dropcap]e all seem to agree that training must first and foremost contribute to the physical development of the horse. Ultimate collection does not only ask a great deal of straightness, flexibility and co-ordination, it also asks tremendous mental concentration and contribution from your horse. What…

BylizzieSeptember 21, 20160Comments

Horse Channel Horse Training

Lengthening and collection

Lengthening and collecting is a useful exercise to practice during schooling sessions because it improves your horse’s level of responsiveness and accuracy, as well as encouraging your horse off the forehand and onto his hind legs. It’s important not to overdo the lengthening and collection in any schooling session because it puts more strain on…

BylizzieJune 17, 20160Comments

Horse Channel Know How

Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Museum

If you love Thoroughbreds, you’ll surely love a trip to the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Museum [dropcap]H[/dropcap]ousing the most comprehensive history of South African horseracing in the country, the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of South Africa (TBA) Museum is a cultural gem that shouldn’t be missed. Situated in Gosforth Park, Germiston, the museum was built in 2009 by…

BylizzieJanuary 21, 20160Comments

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