So there’s been lots of controversy talk on the horse forums lately about Dutch rider Edward Gal and his tremendous mount Totalias with of course so many complaints about the Dutch system of movement. To each his own I say but I can’t express how excited I am about training first hand with Anky and studying this system like it was my Master’s Degree because quite frankly, to me it is my Master’s Degree in riding.
What I’ve been working on learning physically (after years of being told “rock them back” with the reins while driving with the legs) from this system is the very elementary concept of the brakes and the gas, the whoa and the go, and never using them together. That the mystical half halt should moreso be a fantasy term and that you work the brakes and gas so well together that your half halt (if you must use that term) comes from there.
If with all this training and working on myself I’m able to get this kind of sit with my mare then I can’t wait to see what professional world class lessons can help us achieve together. This is a great mare, no doubt. When I bought her she was honestly, completely confirmed in walk, trot, canter with excellent leg yields and a decent shoulder-in. We started all over from the ground up with the Dutch style (as best as I could of course) and well… just look at the push in those soon to be elongated and plumped up muscles of her hind end!
