bascule

[eeek]

Am a little confused about exactly what a bascule is :ashamed: but somebody said my horse was doing it..

What does it feel like to ride?

What does it look like?

Is this it????????????
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p63/vintagelobell/P8090195.jpg

On that occasion I felt he took off a stride too early and then kind of threw himself over. It didn't feel elegant at all - maybe because I was half a mile behind where I should have been! It didn't feel smooth, as his jump usually does. It was as if he tipped himself forwards so that he could clear it. But in the photo it looks easy!

[Loony]

I've just googled it because I honestly didn't know what it meant either, and it says a horse's bascule is his jumping shape. So a horse with a good bascule would be round, and a horse with a poor bascule would jump flat.

From the picture it doesn't look like he is rounding over the jump, it looks like he has jumped it flat, but its hard to tell since you're already 3 quarters of the way over it :lol:

He probably jumped it awkwardly because he took off too early, like you said you felt it? It would mean he'd have to really push himself over and take a leap, which is why the jump didn't feel smooth and you got left behind.

I'm not quite sure what your friend was talking about though! Hey, maybe wikipedia is wrong for once! :lol:

[black crow]

I remember saying it about Vinny ages ago :lol:

Bascule is basically the shape they make over the fences. All horses can jump, it is just the style. Many get their knees up and head down, but bascule is where you want them to actually 'arc' over the fence, with clearance

Look at any picture of a 3/4 year old warmblood doing the tests, and are loose schooled over big fences [upto 5ft +] and you will see bascule in many of them, where instead of just merrily jumping over a fence, they're taking the shape through their whole body, rather than just legs tucked in and back humped, which is very uncomfortable and is a form of 'cat leaping' Look at quite a few of 'pro' showjumpers horses and you will see the good shape. Bascule is very hard to get over small fences, as you need the horse off the ground to get it. Make sense?

[Loony]

Ahhh so you can't have a poor bascule BC?? The bascule is actually the correct shape over the fence?

[black crow]

Technically they can have poor bascule, although the word bascule means arc, so is more commonly used to describe the 'good' shape

[Loony]

Okay dokey! Thanks for clearing that up :D

[Spockky boy]

Bad picture but umm best I can find atm!

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/spockky945boy/Spock%20pictures/Spock2007/DSC02297.jpg

[Spockky boy]

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/spockky945boy/Spock%20pictures/spock2009/DSCF0104.jpg

[CityLights]

a bascule is just the shape the horse makes over the fence a good bascule has a really low nose a rounded back and a high shoulder, if you look at most not all of the top class show jumpers most will have a bascule, although some dont and jump like stink

[torgrosset]

I was lucky in the Birley had a natural bascule, however typically all my piccies of him showing a lovely bascule are professional pics! He used to really ach over the jumps and his knees would be right up and his nose between them. This is a pic my dad took shoing his nose/knees. It's not brilliant as it's kind of head-on and I've got a few side views which show the bascule better, but you get the idea!

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb67/torgrosset/Color0015.jpg

[flambards]

I've been told Domino has a nice bascule. I admit I'm still not great at seeing it in pictures, but I find I can REALLY feel it when I'm riding. A horse that's jumping with a nice bascule just seems to pop over the fences and nothing seems to be "dragging" if that makes sense? I think it's somewhat like how you can draw an arc from your horse's take-off point to his landing point and how he uses his body in the flight path. But I could be crazy/confused/both.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/gracebh/Domino/100_1596.jpg
Probably the best angle to see it from.

If it is what I think it is.

[IcarusGirl]

Icarus has the most jumping ability out of all of my past horses and ponies. He has a very natural bascule, though he does sometimes get it wrong, like they all do!

Good [Lorraine - i have used these in the past and sent you an email from the photographer saying it is okay to use these pro photos whenever i like]
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f280/IcarusGirl/Picture1624_0001.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f280/IcarusGirl/Web283-1.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f280/IcarusGirl/09052404004_0001.jpg
Bad - see the difference? I tend not to look at the horses neck, but at their back under the saddle. A good bacule shape will have a lifted back. stretched over the jump, making a nice arc. A bad jump might be flat or even bent the other way.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f280/IcarusGirl/Web1891.jpg

[eeek]

Think I geddit now! thanks all.

Is he getting it properly in any of these?
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p63/vintagelobell/P8080159.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p63/vintagelobell/P5200018.jpg

Think he's hollowing his back here...?
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p63/vintagelobell/DCP_0005.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p63/vintagelobell/DCP_0026-2.jpg

[black crow]

Top two are spot on, especially the second one :D

[Loony]

2nd one most definately!

[Welly]

Personally, when they really bascule over a fence I used to find it almost impossible to sit nicely to - always felt I was being catapulted out of the saddle lol! Probably because of my inability to ride in any better style than a monkey in a hammock lol! xx

[beks the artist]

Is Taran doing it here?!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e282/bekstheartist/Taranjumpies032.jpg

[beks the artist]

Personally, when they really bascule over a fence I used to find it almost impossible to sit nicely to - always felt I was being catapulted out of the saddle lol! Probably because of my inability to ride in any better style than a monkey in a hammock lol! xx


:lol:Yes thats is what happens to me when Jumping Taran over 2'9!!! :ashamed: