Question:
Does Neck Height/Elevation make a difference to the way calibration is carried out and the way Vert works? For example, when in descente d’encolure?
Answer:
The horse’s skull is a rigid object, so the entire skull moves as one piece and the bridle moves with the skull. If Vert were attached directly to the skull, then neck position during the calibration wouldn’t matter.
However, Vert is attached to the headpiece of the bridle. Generally, the headpiece follows the movements of the horse’s skull; but throughout the range of neck positions, the headpiece may move slightly relative to the horse’s poll, especially when using a wide headpiece.
The difference in position is no more than a few degrees but, since Vert is a precision tool, the calibration should be as accurate as possible.
Therefore, it is recommended that Vert be calibrated with the position of the neck and height of the poll similar to those during riding and, if necessary, store multiple calibrations.