Behind the Bit

---

Totilas: Twinkle-toes or or tarted-up? (Gaits Part 2) Posted: 19 Feb 2010 01:58 PM PST I once had a professor of architecture tell me that you should never use Las Vegas or New York City as examples. I'm pretty sure he meant that both cities are unique and incomparable -- freaks, really, at least in terms of city planning and architecture. I think when you're talking about dressage, Totilas is in the same class. His movement is so outrageous! It does make you wonder where it all came from. For awhile I pondered whether artificial training methods -- like weighted shoes -- might have been used in his training. When I posted this question, half jokingly, on COTH, one member gave the response that put the question to rest in my mind... Just for grins, can you promise us that weighted shoes will assure that a horse could have movement such as that which we see in Totilas? :-) Training methods There have been suggestions that training methods have made his gaits impure, that he is "all-show" with a flashy front end. In an Equisearch forum posting, Dressage Today editor Patty Laskow offers a perspective on Totilas that rings true with me... Here is the latest video with commentary of Totilias ridden by Edward Gal. It shows how breeding is producing these amazing athletes. This is really a new mark in excellence. It used to be that horses who had so much knee action often dragged their hind legs and you had to be careful not to be too impressed with the front end. But this horse is beautifully proportioned to support all his work with his hind end. Watch how he steps under his body with them and at the same time get amazing lift with his shoulders. Enjoy the video and commentary. I've read that his sire Gribaldi in his early years (sadly I can't find a video) had similar movement, and Totilas' mom/mare line was pretty special too. We should acknowledge the possibility that Totilas' breeder just hit the jackpot of crosses. He is uphill, his shoulder is long and sloped, he is compactly built -- the movement reflects his conformation/breeding. This is not to say I like the LDR/Rollkur/Hyperflexion training approach. As someone who scoffs at the whole heated debate, I was surprised at the dismay I felt watching the young Totilas ridden in an overflexed frame. It doesn't look like good training. My own humble opinion is that Totilas is what he is irrespective of, or in spite of, LDR training. Horses are amazingly tolerant and resilient. I suspect they become what they are meant to become with only a little help, or hindrance, from us. Still it's fun to wonder what Totilas would be like if he were trained by Ulla Salzgeber, or Imke Bartels, or Steffan Peters.

You are subscribed to email updates from Behind the Bit To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610