Further Confusion Of Cadence In Gaits

Good Cadence: Diagonal pair of legs moving in rhythm, at the same rate.  Mostly. 

The nature of cadence is applied to music, dance, marching, voice, poetry, and cranksets.  In almost all definitions there are common elements: flow, rhythm, sequence, beat, rate.  Synonyms of cadence are tempo and rhythm.  So, when I was asked to define what I was referring to as cadence in my last post, I decided more work on the subject was necessary.  Ergo, it is my solemn duty to further confuse the subject completely.

I spoke to a retired judge who directed me to the USDF Glossary of Judging Terms 2011.  She warned me that often a judge will incorrectly use the terms cadence, tempo and rhythm in evaluating a test.  So, here is the Law According to USDF:

CADENCE

The marked accentuation of the rhythm and (musical) beat that is a result of a steady and suitable tempo harmonizing with a springy impulsion.

RHYTHM

The recurring characteristic sequence and timing of footfalls and phases of a given gait. For purposes of dressage, the only correct rhythms are those of the pure walk, trot, and canter, and rein back and piaffe (not those of amble, pace, rack, etc). In music, the repeated pattern or grouping of musical beats.

(Note 1: “Rhythm” is sometimes used mistakenly to mean “tempo” [rate of repetition of the rhythm]. This usage is not consistent with the correct English definition of “rhythm” [per Webster], nor with its normal usage in music.

Note 2: In English, there is no one term that covers both the rhythm [as defined above] and the tempo, as does the term “Takt” in German. This has caused

confusion because “Takt” has commonly been translated as Rhythm. For purposes of the Training Pyramid, the German term “Takt” is translated as “Rhythm” and is used as shorthand for both the rhythm itself [as defined above] and the suitable rate of repetition of the rhythm [tempo]. See Foreign Terms and Pyramid of Training sections.)

TEMPO

Rate of repetition of the rhythm, the strides, or of the emphasized musical beats—beats per minute, as may be measured by a metronome (in walk and trot, the

footfalls of both forelegs are typically counted [two beats per stride], and in canter the footfall of the leading foreleg is typically counted[one beat per stride]).

(Note: Often confused with Rhythm, Cadence, and MPM/stride length.)

PHEW!  I'm so glad we've got that cleared up! To break it down, I came up with the following definitions:

Cadence is the measure of movement.  Rhythm is the pattern of movement.  Tempo is the rate of movement.  Therefore, cadence = rhythm + tempo.  [I made math.  Someone please tell Ms. Beck, my old algebra teacher, she will be astonished.]  Now, I'll put that into a practical application [oops, someone call a medic, Ms. Beck has now fainted.]  At the trot, the horse moves the diagonal pair of legs in unison [rhythm].  Duh, everybody knows that, welllllllll...sometimes the horse is a little out of tune/step and picks up one of the diagonal pair of feet before the other and sets it down before the other [tempo]. This breaks the USDF Law of Sequence and Timing of Footfalls, producing a trot that is uneven or irregular, which the USDF defines for us:

UNEVEN

An irregularity in walk or trot in which the front or hind pair of legs does not move symmetrically, the right leg making a different length of step than the left leg.

Uneven trot-hind legs taking a shorter stride than the front legs and in the cornfield where I live it also means that the horse is moving its front legs [above] slower than its hind legs as evidenced by the near hind striking the ground before the off fore which would be a tempo as well as a rhythm issue therefore the fault of incorrect cadence.  But I could be wrong...

IRREGULAR

Impure, unlevel, or uneven. Can be momentary or pervasive, and may or may not be due to unsoundness. Should not be used to mean unsteadiness of tempo.

Momentarily Irregular?  Off hind put up before near fore/ near hind put down before off fore.  This looks like a two beat gait, but the diagonal pair are not creating it.

So uneven is irregular and irregular is uneven, very clear.  If the diagonal pair is moving unevenly or irregularly, as the case may be, the trot ceases to be a two beat gait of 1,2,1,2 and becomes 1&2&1&2&, which leads us from algebra to music and beat vs tempo.  "BUT," I hear you say, "The beat is the tempo!"  Nope, sorry to say, not.  [Mr. Menning, my high school band teacher has also fainted at the thought of me trying to speak intelligently about music].  Back to the USDF:

BEAT

A footfall within a gait. A hoof, or pair of hooves virtually simultaneously, striking the ground.

Virtually simultaneously?  Seriously?  Wellllll, let's put it this way.  A horse performing a correct two beat working trot can increase or decrease the rate at which it moves it's diagonal pair of legs without deviating from a correct two beat working trot.  The tempo [rate] has altered, but the rhythm [pattern] has not.  As to a horse that is trotting uneven or irregular in a working trot the tempo and rhythm are both altered.  I think.

Still confused?  OK, lets talk German. [I didn't study German in school, so I am uniquely unqualified to speak on this subject, too.]   Takt is defined as rhythm and tempo, although usually used in shorthand as simply rhythm.  ["Isn't that Cadence?" I hear you ask.  Maybe.  I think so.  But then again.  Maybe not.]  The horse picking up and/or setting down a foot of the diagonal pair virtually unsimultaneously is exhibiting irregular beat.  Or is that uneven tempo?  Oh, bloody helk, lets call it impure takt, that sounds much more interesting.

[Big, heavy sigh]  After all that, I still say, "That horse's cadence is off."  Guess that is why I'm a blogger and not a dressage judge.  That is accidental sagacity for today.  I know... You Are Most Welcome.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Reinsmanship In Photos: Cadence and Extension

I've been spending a lot of time recently focused on cadence and reinsmanship.  Never did I expect it would be so hard to find a horse with superlative cadence.  This led me to many, many pictures of false extension as well.  I get really quite upset by these photos of top trainers in international competitions with world class horses exhibiting incorrect cadence and extension in the horses and poor posture and support in the whip.

"Isn't anyone else concerned with this?!?" I plead.  Maybe I'm wrong.  Or just nit picking.  Then along comes a barely 21 year old girl driving her lovely pony in the Welsh countryside.  And my hope is restored.

Meet Emily Ham and Jack [Crossfield Glory], a Section C Welsh stud. I know Ms. Ham and Jack only through the wonders of the internet, so it seems fair that I make full disclosure that I am operating on two possible theories of truth.  The first being that Ms. Ham has studied very astutely in her brief career on the box seat to be the best whip she can possibly be and that the Crossfield Stud has spent years developing a breeding program that has produced more than one superfly pony.  The other theory is that both Ms. Ham and Jack are freaks of nature, bestowed, by the Gods, with talent and ability found in less than 3% of the population, to thwart the rest of us.  Make your own assumptions...

Reinsmanship: Cadence And Extension by Emily Ham and Crossfield Glory

The only thing wrong with this photo is the lack of sunshine. [ Unless you live or have lived on the British Isles, and if so, you find nothing wrong because the more desirable 'not raining' is in effect.]  Pony: superlative frame, round, soft, cadence near enough perfect, hind end engagement beautiful.  Whip: posture impeccable, contact as soft as a breeze from heaven.  Ms. Ham is employing the altogether more effective style of one handed driving.  I'm old school and am glad this young woman is, too. One handed driving means more consistent contact for the horse, less over-steer and interference from the whip.

Ah...the sun!  Here Jack displays wonderful cadence in rhythm and length of stride, despite being a tad short of working trot.  I am going to guess that Ms. Ham is asking for a little less forward and a little more engagement.  But what is important to note is how she is doing that.  Her hands are not buried in her lap, her elbows aren't behind her tipped forward shoulder blades.  She is rocking back on her seat bones and lifting her hands.  The effect of this is to check the speed, lift the pony off the forehand and engage the hind quarters for more impulsion.  This is what I mean when I say the transition must be made from back to front.  If Ms. Ham lengthened the reins, Jack's forehand would extend and not his hind quarters.

Here is another remarkable example of back to front driving: Bend To The Left.  Jack is stepping into the bend with his near hind leg.  You can see his bend as his near hip has come closer to his near shoulder [also reflected in the wheels of the carriage: near wheels closer, off wheels farther apart.  Even the carriage is bending. So. Exciting.]  Wait, there's more!  He also has perfect support from his whip.  Ms. Ham's shoulders indicate the path of the bend: her left shoulder points to the center of the circle, her outside shoulder follows the circumference of the arc.  Sublime.  If I have ever told you to "use your shoulders", "bend the horse by turning the corner with him" This. Is. What. I. Mean.  Thank you, Ms. Ham.

This is extension.  Notice the symmetry of hind quarters: Jack's and Ms. Ham's- they are both rocked back on their bums.  This is a perfect photo to show how the horse's movement is mirrored in the whip. If Ms. Ham was tipped forward, off her seat bones, Jack's movement would be all front end and he would loose hind end engagement. [I know, I do it all the time with my horses, it is a battle I must fight to correct.]   Luckily for Jack, he has Ms. Ham and we have a standard of perfection: correct movement from behind creating breath taking movement on the front.  Balanced extension. [The red ribbons are first place in the UK.]

When I complimented Ms. Ham on her driving, she answered by saying she was lucky to have such an amazing pony.  Grace and humility.  Freak of Nature?  I think: Not. There is nothing not to love about this gifted young woman and her pony.  This is the standard we should all endeavor to achieve.

Lastly, thank you to Ann Ham for the photos, and for her continued belief and support of her daughter and Jack's career as an example to us all.

Kind Regards,
Michelle Blackler
Serendipity
www.hossbiz.com
Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Get Yer Back Up

Here is an excellent 2 minute video on developing roundness through the top line of the horse.  Succinct and easy to understand, this should be considered essential in the training curriculum of every horse- ridden or driven, regardless of the discipline.

Thanks to the Bay Area Equestrian Network and Will Faerber for this amuse bouche!



For more information on Will Faerber's training techniques: www.art2ride.com

Kind Regards,
Michelle Blackler
Serendipity
www.hossbiz.com
Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Conditioning and Training the Whip: Body Awareness and Driving Part Two: Hands

What a pretty picture?  After reading Article One on Posture and Article Two on Hands, it will be apparent where improvement can be made.  [Lovely] Photo by Robert Mischka

The exploration of body awareness provides the whip with a different dimension for improving the relationship with the driving horse.  As we discovered in part one, the effects of tension and poor posture are translated directly down the reins to the horse.  Improving posture not only alleviates discomfort for the whip and the horse, but redistributes muscle control where it is most effective- in maintaining proper alignment.  Correcting posture is the first step to opening communication with the horse.  The second step is refining the communication with the use of the hands.

[Missed Article One, find it here: http://hossbiz.blogspot.com/2009/09/definitions-of-carriage.html ]

The idea of ‘good hands’ is familiar to all equestrians.  It means that the equestrian uses subtle shifts in pressure of the hands holding the reins to cue the horse of his or her intentions in direction and speed.

Still, our hands can be only as good as the arms, shoulders and trunk that support them.  It is an integrated system.  Take, for instance the movement of raising your arms to use the keyboard or mouse on your computer, something many of us do all day long.  However, if this movement is poorly coordinated, tremendous strain is placed on the neck, shoulders and back, consequently interfering with the proper functioning of the hands.

Similarly, placing too much importance on the role of hands for driving, can and strain other areas of the body, and interfere with effective use of hands for communication with the horse.  Consider the following exercise, based on the Feldenkrais Method of Awareness Through Movement, to aid in body awareness for driving and everyday activities.

Sit in a chair, with your back away from the backrest, both feet on the floor, hands in your lap.  Raise your hands to assume the position you use for driving or working at the computer.  Lower your hands.  Think about how your hands feel.  Are they light or heavy?  Raise and lower your hands several times, taking notice of how the movement feels.  Inhale deeply, raise your ribcage, as you learned in the posture exercise, as you raise your hands.  Exhale and lower them.  Repeat and note the feeling of raising the hands.  As you raise your hands, draw your attention to your shoulders lift your hands using your shoulders and arms.  How do your hands feel now?  Lighter? 

This exercise is one of the most illustrative uses of body awareness for whips that I have found.  How many times have you even considered how you hold your hands?  Or how your hands hold the reins?  When I redirect my student’s attention from using just their hands and arms for transitions, they are awed at the transformation of their horses from being heavy on the bit or sluggish through a turn to the very epitome of lightness and willingness.

Half Halts

The most overused and often abused term in riding or driving must be the use of half halts.  Using the hands only in cueing the horse for transitions can result in confusing the horse and becoming a counterproductive use of an aid.  Consider employing a different set of signals for a downward transition involving body awareness.  Instead of pulling on the reins or rein with the hands, signal the half halt with a release of breath while squeezing the shoulder blades together and releasing the tension when the horse has complied with the downward transition.  If you use a verbal aid for the transition, add it during your exhalation. 

Turning the Horse

The use of the hands for turning the horse is also often misinterpreted.  Using one element of the integrated system leads to poor functioning of the total system.  Consider turning the horse to the right using the right hand.  The natural response of a tense body will be to rock forward or tip the pelvis and drop the right shoulder in front of the hip to accommodate the arm movement backwards.  Hence your posture is compromised as is your stable position in the carriage.  If you were a horse, you would be criticized for being heavy on the forehand!

Try the following exercise to encourage body awareness and integration for turning the horse and carriage.  Sit on a chair, away from the backrest, both feet on the floor, hands in front of you, simulating driving.  Turn to the right and then turn back to center.  Think about how your body feels as you turn to the right and turn back to center.  Is there any stiffness in the turn through your shoulders, neck, back or arms?  Turn to the right and turn back to center.  Inhale deeply as you turn to the right, exhale as you turn back to center.  How did your breath affect the turn?  Inhale and begin the turn with your eyes, exhale and turn back to center.  Inhale, turn your eyes, head, neck and bring your left shoulder and left knee slightly forward, exhale and turn back to center.  Notice how as your left shoulder comes forward, you right shoulder and hence your hand naturally move back.

Transfer this natural engagement of your own body to your driving and feel the ease and comfort it brings to your turns.  When you are mindful that your whole body should be employed in the turn and the hands are not the only half halt tools to the horse, your performance as a team will solidify. 

You ask your horse for collection, flexion and impulsion at the same time, why shouldn’t you return the favor? 

One Step Further

When you notice a particularly good transition or turn, take inventory of how you were able to accomplish the maneuver.  What did you do differently?  How did you use your hands?  How did you engage your torso?  Was your posture more balanced, weight distributed more evenly?   Once you begin to identify the correct use of your body, the processes you involve in driving will become as natural and involuntary as breathing.

Learning to drive with minimal effort and maximum freedom of movement by maximizing body awareness will transform not only how you drive, but will add to your enjoyment of it and many of your day to day activities.  It makes sense; a more responsive whip will turn out a more responsive horse.  A more responsive horse greatly improves the satisfaction of driving.  Beware, Moshe Feldenkrais told us, it just might alter your life forever…for the better.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Sleigh Bells Ring: Columbus Sleigh Rally

A Beautiful Sight: Martha Stover of Here Be Dragons Welsh Ponies of Incomparable Wonderfulness, Mattawan, MI gives us a preview of what's in store for the Columbus Sleigh Rally

Columbus, Wisconsin will host a Sleigh Rally on February 11, 2012 beginning at noon with a Currier & Ives class, cones course and cross country course.  Fireman's Park is the locale which also hosts Columbus Horse & Carriage Festival over Father's Day weekend.

What is deliciously exciting to me is that the cross country course will run both at the park and on the Golf Course.  I have always wanted golf courses to be multi-use, it is such a shame to waste all that open grass and landscaping on just golfers.  Golf carts are mulit-use: carriage drivers use them, too, why not the fairways as well?  My hat is off [I am full of puns this morning] to the organizing committee for introducing this excellent dual purpose idea to the golfing fraternity.

Columbus always puts on a good show for exhibitors and the Sleigh Rally should prove no exception.  It is an ADS sanctioned event with the colorful Mary Ruth Marks officiating.  Entry fees are $45 for ADS members, $65 for non members.  There will be plenty of cold weather warming comfort food: chili, pies, hot cocoa available through the Columbus Equestrian Club.  Need to know more?  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Columbus-Wisconsin-Sleigh-Rally-Weekend/227415907585?sk=info

Other activities include a Model Horse Show, live music, photo ops for kiddies in a mini sleigh with a Very Small Equine, bob sled rides for the public, cookie decorating contest, and more.  The event is sponsored in part by the Wisconsin Horse Council Equine Foundation, whose HQ is in Columbus and some of the proceeds will go to the Wisconsin Equine Hay Bank Program which assists private individuals facing financial difficulties to feed their horses.  Need to know more? http://www.wshcef.org/

Columbus is a rocking little town and everyone should visit it.  It is full of wonderful people trying to keep Small Town USA viable.  Notable Columbutonians [yep, I made that up] Todd and Cheryl Fry have made a big impression on Main Street, not only with their business Frey Carriage Co, but also with groovy renovations of a number of properties.

Visit Hydro Street Brewing company, located in Frey Carriage's former showroom, for a Bitter Woman with some Loaded Pots.  Seriously, where else can you get that?  Need to know more?  http://hydrostreetbrew.com/our-menu/

No sleigh, you say?  No problem.  Todd Frey can fix you right up in style.  Frey Carriage Co currently has, among others, a  Kimball Bros [Boston] Portland Cutter, Two Park Bob Sleighs one by Kimball Bros [Boston], the other by Edward McGraw [NY],  an a-dor-a-ble Hooded Cutter, and a Frey Portland Cutter for sale.  Need to know more?  http://www.colonialcarriage.com/category.cfm?id=4&start=1

Kimball Bros [Boston] Portland Cutter:  buy this!

[Whatever you do, though, Do Not buy the Albany Cutter.  That is all I'm saying: Don't do it.]

Albany Cutter:
Do Not Buy

No snow?  Still no problem: just bring the carriage instead.  Carriage all packed away for the winter?  You guessed it: no problem there either!  Stop in at Frey Carriage Co and get yourself a new one: order a Frey Sprint Cart for a spring delivery.  The Frey Carriage Co's Dos A Dos will look lovely put to your horse, you know it will.  Or how about a new old one: nothing says Arriving In Style like a Skeleton Boot Victoria.  No coachman?  Removable seat turns this beauty into a George IV.  [That C P Kimball  & Co Tandem Gig?  Forget it.  Walk away.  Or I will never speak to you again.  OK?]  Need to know more?  http://www.colonialcarriage.com/category.cfm?id=3&title=Antique%20Carriages

JB Brewster Skeleton Boot Victoria: with bloodlines like that, you  barely need a horse.  Buy This!

What did I tell you? Walk away. Do not buy.  Nuff said.

Go to Columbus, WI on February 11, drive your horse on the GOLF COURSE, have a Bitter Woman and Loaded Pots at Hydro Street and buy a vehicle from Freys.  [Just not the Albany Cutter or the Tandem gig, or you'll have to deal with a Bitter Blogger.]  I will be here in spirit, [just to make sure] with bells on, wishing you a marvelous rally hosted by even more marvelous folk, in an equally marvelous town.

Kind Regards,
Michelle Blackler
Serendipity
www.hossbiz.com
Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

New Page in Brewster & Co History

The old Brewster warehouse on Broome Street in New York City has been bought by real estate developers who have transitioned the building into luxury residences.  The history of the building is a large part of the marketing plan and many clever references have been included.


The website says:


"When Cole Porter sang about a ‘Brewster body’ he meant the beautiful carriages – the best in the country – built at the old Brewster Carriage House at 374 Broome St. 

An antique landmark, the Brewster Carriage House bore witness to the birth of Little Italy and stands at the intersection of three of New York’s oldest and most dynamic neighborhoods. 

Now, the painstaking restoration of this historical landmark honors its long lineage as a home of fine American craftsmanship. In the preservation of many beautiful original details, we endeavor to pay homage to those great craftsmen and to 160 years of New York heritage. Beautifully-constructed elements of luxurious modern living elegantly complement the building’s original historic features. Superior amenities, low maintenance charges and superlative eco-friendly attributes make this a unique opportunity to live luxuriously inside a genuine piece of American history."


The website is a little challenging to navigate, but we ARE carriage drivers, it is quite interesting as a piece of nostalgia for carriage driving enthusiasts:


http://www.thebrewstercarriagehouse.com/

There is also a facebook page with excellent historical photos of top hatted Brewster employees posing with a park drag, an interior shot of a brougham, and some lovely illustrations of carriages and the workshops at Broome Street:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brewster-Carriage-House/229667007051315

or search for Brewster Carriage House.


It is nice to see the historical value of this property appreciated by developers.


Kind Regards,
Michelle Blackler
Serendipity
www.hossbiz.com
Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

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