2. Calle’s maneuverability at the gallop
At a trainers’ clinic in the desert foot-hills of Aguanga, CA, 2007, Leslie had us galloping quite a bit, to get a feel for the horse’s natural capacity for collection. Calle’s maneuvers were fast and sure-footed – a crisp, lightening-speed rollback from a standstill, directly to a balanced gallop downhill on loose, rocky footing into a full speed hair-pin around a rock, and uphill across washed-out gullies. Her sureness, and full commitment to our job together were palpable and absolute.
(Left) Karen and Calle crest the hill after crossing washed-out gullies on the way up. Photo by Holly Clanahan
Calle carried her weight over her hips, with her shoulders free and completely maneuverable. She led into each new direction with an elevated rib-cage and inside shoulder light and available. Calle therefore accelerated out of a turn with optimal ease, for the asking. There was an unusual freedom in her flow from poll to tail and through her joints as she placed each foot with razor-sharp precision and sureness. And… at no time was there a need for me to apply pressure on a rein or from my lower leg during these maneuvers – ‘pressure and release’ was replaced by ‘feel and release’. In the absence of confining pressure to maneuver her body around or brace against, there was no source of tightness in Calle, just a lively malleability.
It was a pretty smooth ride.
Calle was showing me the feel of Leslie’s foundation: the feel of release.