By Cody & Tiffany Deering

Collection with feel is a subject that has some baffled as to how to obtain it. To truly know how to obtain collection, we must first have a definition of what collection is. To me as I understand it, collection is simply being in a state of readiness. A collected horse and rider are able to go from one move to another without hesitation, with just a thought or suggestion. Imagine always being prepared to adjust to any situation at a moment's notice.

Consider for a moment a young foal who is full of life and brimming over with natural collection. Watch how he runs, stops, rears up and leaps forward, then does a flying lead change across the pen, heading straight for his mother. The energetic colt then does a canter-pirouette just before he does a tight circle around her, finishing off with a well-needed drink from mom.

The foal is able to execute these maneuvers because his weight is distributed onto his hindquarters, freeing up his shoulders. So, this "state of readiness" is completely dependent on the horse's ability to shift his weight onto his rear. Growing up, the foal learns some lessons along the way that contradict with this natural ability to shift weight effectively. Unfortunately, the humans in the horse's life are most often to blame.

For instance, throughout a horse's life people might crowd him, positioning themselves in such a way that teaches him to transfer his weight to the front. The horse learns by 1) following example, and 2) instinctive self-preservation. Mimicking the human's behavior, the horse begins to lose his sense of personal space, disrespectfully crowding others in the same way he has been crowded. Also, he becomes protective of the part of his body where this invasion of privacy takes place. This defensive stance is typically seen as a dropped shoulder, because more often than not people are always standing right there in front of it.