Dressage Tips - From the Experts
Shannon Dueck Articles:
OK, we all get told at some time that our horses are not Forward enough. I certainly did when I went to train with Wolfram Wittig in Germany last summer! I told him that my lovely mare was much more forward than a few months previously, and he asked me (only slightly joking) “were you doing it in slow motion before?” So, off we went for a gallop! [Read entire article...]
Recently I wrote about what we mean by the term Forward or In Front of the Leg. It doesn’t matter if you are walking on a long rein at the beginning of your ride or training canter pirouettes towards the end of the ride, if you are mindful of keeping your horse easily in front of the leg at all times every part of your ride will be easier. I am now going to detail how I go about improving this quality. [Read entire article...]
This article features a subject that seems to come up again and again in lessons that I teach - how to obtain the correct feel in the rein aids. It’s very common to see students struggle with finding the correct balance of suppleness and strength in their own arms and hands, let alone in their horse’s connection with the bit. So I thought maybe I could say a few words that might help out. [Read entire article...]
There is often discord between so called aficionados of Natural Horsemanship (NH from now on) and those who love to ride dressage and love these big warmbloods. I think this is an unfortunate state of affairs, and in my opinion many people in all equestrian disciplines can learn a ton from the top trainers of NH. I am talking about John Lyons, Pat Parelli, Monty Roberts and Ray Hunt, just to name a few of the really good ones. [Read entire article...]
First of the all the rider must be beautifully balanced in order to positively effect the horse in all things. This means that an effective rider does not balance by holding onto the reins or by gripping with his or her legs. A rider that is balanced can use the leg, seat and rein aids in the clearest and lightest way, which gives the horse the chance to react in the quickest and most correct way. Probably the fastest and easiest way to work on your balance is to take lunge lessons on a safe horse. [Read entire article...]
For this article I am getting off my dressage training soapbox and getting onto a different topic - that of management to help keep our horses sound and performing well. In particular suspensory ligament injuries are rampant in the dressage, and it’s not usually because we work our horses terribly long or terribly hard. In some instances soft tissue injuries are just plain bad luck, but in many cases we can make our luck better with some good management of our dressage horses. [Read entire article...]
I have often been asked this question, my opinion is both “Yes” and “No”. Full disclosure here: I do have training videos on one of the popular websites, so that must mean I think they can be useful. Here are some of my reasons for saying “Yes”:
What is the difference? Drilling a movement has negative connotations, because much of the time riders and trainers are repeating a poorly executed movement over and over again. I know you have all heard the saying that perfect practice makes for perfect performance. The same is true for poor practice, it does lead to poor performance.
Great dressage riders and trainers may have different training philosophies and different strategies when it comes to their horses, but all of them have one thing in common, and that is a high degree of personal physical fitness. An effective rider has a great deal of core strength in particular, that strength which holds us in balance over the horse. I always think of the rider’s seat as going from mid thigh to up to the rib cage, and this area of...
I have been asked to expound on my experience this summer training with Carl Hester in Great Britain. If you are unfamiliar with Carl, he just got over 80% in the GP at the CDI5* in Hickstead with the lovely stallion Uthopia - and deserved it. His student Charlotte got over 77% with Valegro at the same show. These are remarkable scores that reflect the quality of training here.
Last month I gave an overview of my time in England at Carl Hester’s gorgeous yard, and this month I thought I could impart more specific tidbits about horse care that I learned over in the Old Country. Yes, they do speak the same language over there, but even the King’s English can be very different than our American version. Just check out a menu and it becomes quite clear: Bubbles and Squeak??? Bangers and Mash??? Huh?
I am not in the business of buying or selling horses, but I do have some good and bad experiences to draw on when I am advising people about spending their money and losing their hearts to a beautiful new dance partner. Dressage horses can be relatively cheap or horrendously expensive, but the majority of the time the amount of money spent is about the maximum that the buyer can afford, so every new horse has the same relative value to it’s new owner. Each new horse has hopes and dreams attached, and it’s a wonderful experience if these can be realized. Unfortunately sometimes horses change hands and the new partnership is far from ideal, resulting in dashed hopes and dreams and a lighter wallet.
I remember well my first attempts to ride collection when I was a teenager. I was moving up to the Medium level of dressage with one of my event horses (Medium is what Canada used to call 3rd and 4th Level) The level required collected trot and collected canter. So what did I do? I slowed down and made my horse take little steps. It’s easier to sit, that’s for sure! But there was no power, no engine, no swing, and try as I might my flying changes would not happen. Sure, there was something resembling shoulder in and half pass, but I thought the judges just didn’t like Thoroughbreds when they gave me 5’s and 6’s.
I run a smallish training facility down here in sunny Florida. Because it’s a small private facility, all my clients are in training with me, but some are in full training and others are in partial training. I think everyone who wants to participate seriously in the sport of dressage needs to be in some kind of training program, but what is appropriate for you and your horse? How do you make the choice?
The first thing you must realize is that you are training your horse every time you get on - or for that matter, every time you work around him (or her). It’s really not fair to a horse to have the rules change from ride to ride, but I see that happening all the time. If you trust your trainer to do the right job, you must try to emulate the trainer every time you are working with your horse. You can say “well I don’t ride as well as Herr _____” but that really doesn’t matter as much as you think. What matters is that you try to say the same things to your horse as your trainer says, and reward the same behavior your trainer rewards.
I love writing these articles, but coming up with a topic is hard for me. I asked around last week at the horse show for topics, and someone suggested lungeing. (longeing, lungeing - you say tomatoe…..) I had just finished teaching a lesson where a very talented mare was being silly, and the rider was lungeing the mare rather ineffectively in an attempt to calm her. So, instead of teaching a riding lesson I used part of my time to assist with the lungeing, and it really helped the ride be positive. In light of that, I thought is might be an entirely appropriate topic.
Stacy Brown, PT Articles:
Using the “core” is a concept that has gotten a lot of attention, not only in the world of rehabilitation, but also in the world of performance sports. Equestrian sports, particularly Dressage, join Yoga, Pilates, Dance, Martial Arts, and Gymnastics, to name a few, that recognize how activation of the core muscles can improve performance and prevent injury.
The rider is a 48 year old female, amateur dressage rider who presented with a complaint of left low back and sacro-iliac joint (SIJ) pain, which was longstanding, and that had recently become severe enough to limit her riding time. Riding exacerbated her left “sciatica” pain (left hip to lateral calf) from 3/10 at rest, to 8/10 with certain leg aids and positions. Especially painful, were lateral movements to the right, and downward transitions from canter to trot, on the right lead more than the left. It had become so consistently painful to...
Are you becoming out of breath while you ride? Most equestrian pursuits are considered moderate static sport. Not aerobic. There are performance sports, such as polo, that might be classified differently. But in most cases, we should be able to ride without getting short of breath. And as any trainers will tell you, breathing is important. Correct and regular breathing while riding at each of the gaits, and a deep breath before transitions, communicates intention to the horse, allows energy to ...
Optimal rider head posture in most equestrian sport, particularly in dressage, centers the ear over the shoulder when viewed from the side. This is correct alignment whether on or off the horse. From the front, the head should not tilt either left or right, and when turning, the chin should remain level so the eyes are in the same plane that the horse travels. Looking where you want your horse to go, directs his movement as much as any other aid that is used, so eye position is crucial...
Once the rider learns to activate the core, what more can the rider consider when trying to improve equestrian performance? In previous columns we have identified that the muscles of the core exist to stabilize the shape of the spine, creating a stable center from which to operate the extremities. What we have not yet discussed, is the fact that the shape of the spine needs to change at times. For example the shape of the spine must change to accommodate the forces which move the surface that, (in the case of riders) we are sitting upon...
You probably don’t remember the first time you were told to keep your heels down in the stirrups. It is an accepted fact that when the heel is down, the foot in a safer position, to prevent slipping forward and through the stirrup. We can all envision what injury might result from that. But in dressage, the heels down position, is valued for another reason. It’s true that it represents a more elegant posture, in keeping with the dignity of the sport. But what is the biomechanical significance of keeping the heels down? Why is it so difficult to achieve? What factors can be evaluated and addressed to make the rider more successful?
Humans and horses are goal oriented. Because we are passionate and driven, we will “sacrifice structure for function”, and in order to do this, at times will ignore the warning signs that our bodies give us. On a temporary basis this can be good. Tuning out these signals may help us complete a crucial task, begin an exercise program after injury or long periods of inactivity or even save our lives, by allowing speed or strength that we wouldn’t ordinarily believe ourselves capable.
A properly performed half halt in the trot or canter gait, gives the horse an opportunity to rebalance himself, and can be a signal that the rider will soon make another request. Properly performed half halts can be almost imperceptible and are important in both training and performance. High level performance literally depends upon them. But they are difficult to learn and timing is key.
The thoracic spine of the rider does not always get the attention it deserves. Most people think that if they are not slumping, the thoracic spine is in good position. And of course, as we have seen with the rest of the human body, this has to be an over simplification. And it is particularly complicated in its contribution to biomechanically correct riding.
Carole Grant Articles:
At a recent Shop Talk, Carol Grant gave a great presentation on Buying and Selling dressage horses. Her talk was a huge hit with the crowd in attendance. Read on for a recap of her best tips!
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