Johan Hamminga and Jennifer Sekreve, working on the Basics with a 6-y-o mare, by Damon Hill out of a Flemmingh/Amulet mare.
“I like this mare – look at the topline. Look into her eye and head. She is good in the mind, but she is looking everywhere. She is sensitive. She has very big muscle in her hind end but she could be stronger in the loins, behind and under the saddle – so we have to train her a little more horizontal and with real contact, with contact it is possible to develop her top line.
She has very nice movement in front, but we have to develop the saddle position so we work her in a little longer frame and in a lower tempo so she learns to carry and distribute the weight. Not too much forward, forward is very important, like petrol in the car, but it has to be regulated.
See she can work deeper and deeper without pulling on the rein, it is very important to look to the balance, when the balance is good, then we see suspension in the trot.
“Look to the diagonals in trot. I prefer the hind legs to come to the ground, one second before the front leg.The same with the diagonal in canter. If the front leg touches first, then the horse is out of balance.”
And to see the mare’s progress in her training, here she is two years later:
Johan Hamminga is a Dutch judge and producer of horses and riders competing from Young Horse to Grand Prix level.