Jane Savoie: Part 2

The second discussion was meant as a supplementation of Part 1, to answer a lot of queries Savoie had been unable to address in Part 1.

The +1/-1 poll suppling exercise (+#/-# referring to the degree of bend in the horse's poll and neck) is a 'valium' exercise that helps relax the horse (loosen/supple the body + the mind/body connection = relaxes the mind). The horse should lengthen and stretch down.

With a 'block'/stiffness - check your position first and foremost, then check your aids, that they are consistent and correct.
- With an increase in speed a block/stiffness may return therefore re-supple at that speed
- With increased collection a block/stiffness may return
1 - check suppleness in the poll
2 - do collection exercises (ie, shoulder-in) or transitions skipping a gait (ie, walk-canter-walk)
3 - re-check suppleness in the poll

Check out schlesse - 9 tips of saddle fit

When you take up contact, open your elbows like a hinge, lower your hands over the horse's withers - have elastic elbows.

How many times might you have to apply connecting aids?
- layer your connecting aids like coats of paint to maintain connection (maintenance)
- apply very light aids ie, maybe every 5 strides
- anticipate when the horse might leave the connection and remind - maintenance - as opposed to letting him make the mistake and correcting. Instead, layer connecting aids one on top of the other.

Horses with high head carriage (etc):
If he can eat grass, he can go long & low
1 - precede connecting aids with suppling (ie, +7 or +1 exercises)
2 - maintain elastic elbows - don't lock your elbows while giving the connecting aids

A rider's banging legs are usually a symptom of tight hips not absorbing the motion of the horse - the motion of the horse comes out via banging legs, a bobbing head/hands, bobbing ankles, etc. Instead, have a ready leg - always have contact with the horse's barrel, legs draped like a wet towel but never squeezing constantly.

Do not generally do much work on contact with a young horse - especially at the walk, the easiest gait to ruin.

Teaching a horse to be on the bit - exercise #1:
Gives the horse and rider the idea of roundness based on a breakdown of the components of the connecting aids (1 - driving aids, 2 - bending aids, 3 - rein of opposition). This exercise is not for the baby horse not yet on contact.
1 - walk on a 20m circle (eventually this may be progressed to trot/canter and by decreasing circle size ie, to 12m)
2 - pick a point on the circle where you lightly close both legs and think about accelerating onto a smaller circle inside that circle
3 - at the tangent point where you leave the 20m circle, press with both legs and turn onto a 6m circle
4 - blend back onto the 20m circle
How the exercise works -
The acceleration is the driving aid (add hind leg), by virtue of the small circle you get the bending aid (inside rein), and by virtue of the circle being small you get the rein of opposition (outside rein defines circle size).
Therefore close both legs as you turn onto the 6m circle, close your outer hand in a fist, and squeeze and release with the inside rein... soften as you blend back onto the 20m circle. These all constitute your connecting aids!
Teaching a horse to be on the bit - exercise #2:
For the horse confused by legs v. hand.
1 - Ask for lengthening +++ with legs
2 - Ask for lengthening and add outside hand - use the lengthening to push the horse through the closed hand - keep lengthening +++
the key - watch the outside of the horse's neck for even a 1/2'' of lengthening of the neck or even
a 1/2'' lowering of the neck. That is our signal your horse has stepped through your closed
outside hand = release and reward (keep your inside hand flexing the horse).
Therefore:
1 - exercise #1 - little circle with big circle
2 - exercise #2 - lengthening, lengthening through the outside hand
3 - finished product - connecting aids

As it pertains to a horse in L&L - there is 'good dirt-sucking'... and there is 'bad dirt sucking':
Bad - long low neck with hinds trailing out the back door
Good - the hinds are driving under the horse and the horse is L&L upfront
The horse has no option but to fall on the forehand if you have not closed your legs and ridden the hind legs underneath when going from L&L to a short frame.

Savoie's trigger words:
1 - Referring to the back end -
Surge from behind (you should almost get whiplash) - rear-wheel-drive. Every set of connecting aids has the feeling of 'medium' gait.
2 - Pertaining to the front end -
When the hind leg is driven forward it meets my closed outside hand (closed in a fist)
Send the hind legs forward and when the horse arrives at my hand I close it in a fist

The rider's hands can be light on the rein but their fingers must be (softly) closed else (1) you'll lose rein and (2) your wrist will be stiff.
- your reins will always get longer after lengthening/extension/2nd gear because the horse's neck lengthens with more forward
- curl your fingers softly around the rein

If the rider's heel is jammed down too low (ie, it should be only slightly lower than the toe to engage the calf), the ankle will be too stiff and cannot act as a shock absorber.

For the horse who is spooky:
1 - supple the horse (ie, +1/+7 suppling exercises, where the habit of relaxation has already been established)
2 - do the +1/+7 exercises far from the spooky object, then not quite parallel to the spooky object bend the horse's neck to +10 so the horse cannot see the spooky object (neck bent to inside). Once adjacent to the spooky object, soften the inside rein (prevents claustrophobia). Do this gradually.
3 - Gradually get closer to the object and increase gait

Jane Savoie: Part 1

Recently - a few months ago - I listened to 2 1-hour talks featuring Jane Savoie. I took a lot of notes and wanted to share those notes (my own add-ins in purple) here for others so voila Part 1 today and next Friday, Part 2.

The topic of Part 1 is - 4 Mistakes Riders Make

#1 Resistance
When a horse resists one mistake a rider will often make is to back off, which rewards the behaviour, or the rider will get aggressive and bully the horse, which creates an unhappy horse.
In training, resistance is inevitable when we ask the horse to move out of its comfort zone - do not be afraid.
Keeping in mind the mantra "when the horse says no you either asked the question wrong or asked the wrong question", when you experience resistance as a rider:
1 - check yourself (your aids, position, etc)
2 - break the exercise down into baby steps
ie, leg yields - initially ask for the yield off the wall, teach all the components of the leg yield
(release to pressure, sidepass...), etc

#2 Quality
Exercises, maneuvers, etc are not an end unto themselves - focus on the big picture (what those maneuvers produce) and on quality
Suppleness - the ability of the horse to smoothly change balance front to back (ie, lengthenings) and side to side (ie, serpentine).
The primary goal is to create an athletic horse and to 'give back' to the horse's movement under the weight of a rider.

#3a Forward - Responsibility
It is your horse's job to maintain gait and the activity.
Take your legs away then correct if your horse slows - do not micro-manage or nag!

#3b Reactiveness to Aids
Give feather-light aids - do not adjust the aid to suit the horse. A horse can feel a fly land on its skin. I don't care what breed of horse you have or what temperament he is or even how small your legs are. He feels your aids.
Correct if you get a sluggish or nil response.
Do a retest after the correction (crucial!) - the response/reactivity must be black and white ie, 100 percent forward (not 99.9 percent).

#4 Connection - it's simple
You will experience trouble when you have not taught the horse the AID to put him on the bit.
Follow the training scale - the horse must be supple through the body and at the poll to connect.
The connecting aids - control the surge from behind (ie, lengthening)
1 - apply your calves (lengthening) - you should feel the surge
2 - catch that energy by closing your outside rein in a fist
The connecting aids should last only 3 seconds -
3 - soft squeezes on the inside rein to keep the neck straight - squeeze and release (like a
sponge or a baby bird in your hand)


There was quite an extensive Q&A session afterward so I will share that also:

Q&A
Q: Horse bearing down on the bit?
A: A horse bearing down on the bit is being lazy and is not exhibiting self-carriage.
1 - get him quicker behind with quick transitions (this strengthens his engine, his hind)
2 - ease tension in the reins so he learns to carry himself (at first say 2 strides is okay

Q: What is the rubber band exercise?
A: The rubber band exercise is one Savoie uses whereby the horse goes forward and back - do this on a circle at first.
ie, close your legs - 6 strides of forward trot (driven off your leg aids)
tighten your abs - 6 strides of med trot (from your seat)
rinse, lather, repeat
This exercise is essentially transitioning within a gait - ie, the trot - to develop the horse's engine and to develop self-carriage. It develops longitudinal suppleness.

Q: Elastic elbows
A: Part of having an inviting, elastic contact - have elbows that allow for movement (ie, an elastic elbow)... THEN the horse may connect.
How to have open elbows - when posting at the trot, imagine pushing the horse's mane down, or pushing clothes down a washboard.
ie, with the western horse on a looped rein, the same degree of loop is kept the same

Q: Draw reins
A: Draw reins are a quick fix - they are a substitute for good riding. Riders use gadgets when they run out of tools. In draw reins the horse will break at the 3rd and 4th vertebrae as the horse learns to 'save' himself. As a result, he rolls under the bit. The solution to a horse rolling under the bit (evading contact, breaking at the 3rd and 4th, being BTV) is to put the bit in front of the horse. You can do this by lifting the hands up and forward to the same degree, maintaining contact (ie, lift your hands 2'' up and 2'' forward). The horse can therefore step up into the bridle rather than be rolled over the bit. Maintain contact with the horse's mouth during this exercise - think of it as 'lifting the bed sheets up then allowing them to float down' - lift your hands up and forward then allow them to 'float' down.

Q: Counter Canter
A: When riding the counter canter, pretend the opposite canter is correct/true canter and pretend the wall is not there. Riders often overbend the horse's neck to the inside in CC: the opposite shoulder then pops out and the horse is crooked and on the forehand. Think about riding CC while in counter flexion - flex at the poll away from the lead the horse is on. This slides the shoulders over so the shoulders are between the reins. Then ask for true flexion (toward the lead the horse is on) and expect the shoulders to remain straight and between the reins.

Q: Flying Changes
A: Prerequisites:
1 - balanced counter canter
2 - collection - at 2nd level (SI, HI, simple changes), where you have modest collection, about
50/50 weight balanced on the forehand vs. the hind
3 - clean, clear simple changes - walk-canter-walk (no dribbly walk steps in between)
Then you can think about flying changes

At training level about 60/40 weight is balanced on the forehand v. hind
At 1st it is about 55/45
At 2nd it is about 50/50

Q: Canter aids - depart
A: Inside rein - 'turn of key' (thumb up and forward) motion at wrist for poll flexion to the inside
Outside rein - closes in a fist - 2nd level dressage
Inside leg - pushes at the girth for forward
Outside leg - behind the girth to drive outside hind
Weight slightly on inside seatbone - push that hip toward the horse's ear

Q: Basic aid to slow
A: Brief squeeze and release on outside rein. If the horse ignores your cue, exaggerate the correction ie, bring the horse to a halt, then pick up the w/t/c again and retest - accept only 100 percent.

Q: Suppling the poll
A: A dead giveaway of tension in the poll is the horse tilting its head, which indicates a 'lock' in the poll - the horse's ears need to be level.
To supple the poll:
1 - 'turn the key' (twist your wrist so your thumb is on top and forward), support with the
opposite rein so the horse is not bending through the neck and is instead flexed at the poll
2 - test - see if the horse holds the flexion when you put some loop in the rein
This is +1 only - the horse should barely turn his head at the poll and the crest should flip. Go back and forth with flexions right-left-right-left-right-left
(Check previous blogs on suppleness exercises and YouTube Jane Savoie poll flexion for more)
When the horse's body does not track straight in this exercise, suppling is not going through his body 100 percent - the use of the rein is ricocheting through his body negatively. Correct with leg.

Bitless riding

The proof is in the pudding - it is not about the equipment (original article):

The Tunne Hevonen Dressage Challenge with bitless dressage competition exhibition held on Saturday 3 March 2012 at the second ever Helsinki Horse Fair in Finland was a huge success. The fair was attended by around 42,000 visitors and the exhibition was Saturday's main attracttion. The idea was to show that good riding is not based on equipment, but on good horse riding skills and good horsemanship.

Close to three thousand spectators attended the bitless competition class which was judged by Tiina Karkkolainen and Inkeri Kostiainen. International and national level riders took part in the show competition.

The winner was Julia Alfthan-Kilpeläinen and her 17-year old Swedish warmblood gelding Chirocco (by Chirlon x Castello). Maria-Kristina Virta and her 20-year old Finnish warmblood gelding Conquistador S (by Matador) were second.

Janne Bergh and her halfblood mare Show Me Colour N and Taina Rajala with her Finnish bred stallion Kiahan Renard tied for third place. Katariina Albrecht and her black Finnish mare Silkki Musta were fourth and Heidi Sinda with her Finnish bred gelding Hessin Jeviiri slotted in fifth.

To Bit or Not to Bit

All riders shared the same view on bitless riding. If a horse is tense, it will be tense with a bit too. Many of them commented that if they had had more time to practice, they would have reached the same results with the bitless bridle as with a bit.

Julia Alfthan-Kilpelainen on Chirocco

Julia Alfthan-Kilpeläinen rode twice with the LG-bridle before the competition and she thought that with practice, collecting would come faster and easier. “I wanted to challenge myself and my old familiar horse to the new situation and it went exactly as I wanted it to. Bits in themselves are not the main aid between the horse and the rider, all the other aids are. I had so much fun,” said Dressage Challenge winner Julia Alfthan-Kilpeläinen, adding that, "I would do it again, of course."

Maria-Kristiina Virta who came in second place told us that she had so much fun and enjoyed the fact that her experienced horse wanted to perform. Third placed Janne Bergh had a young, inexperienced horse, which as she said, would have been just as tense with a bit in her mouth. "However, I had fun," she stated.

Taina Rajala also said she enjoyed the competition and praised the atmosphere. "It was really fun to perfom for such a big audience. My horse was really happy and wasn’t tense at all. With more training I think I could get a better feel and I would ride at the same level as with a bit. A good competition with a good atmosphere!

Janna Bergh on Show Me Colour

Finnhorse riders Katariina Albrecht and Heidi Sinda also said that it was great to ride in front of a big audience. Katariina stated that riding with a bitless bridle is a question of training and she feels that you can achieve the same results without a bit as with one. She is ready to do it again, anytime. Heidi Sinda had a young horse too and she said that she was surprised that her horse moved with better back movement and used his hindquarters much better with the LG-bridle. “Great event, big audience and good arrangements, Heidi Sinda concluded.


This is not to negate the positive effects of certain pieces of equipment over others of course - when we do use equipment what we use matters, but it lends credit to the theory that horses may be ridden bitless - and in my opinion even bridleless - with the same results. The correct use of and the type of equipment we use matters however it can also be done without equipment.

The rein back

The rein back, same as with any maneuver or exercise, is very beneficial to riders in disciplines other than dressage though it is a required dressage maneuver. As always however, it is not about the actual maneuver or exercise in itself but rather about the way(s) that exercise can benefit the horse's training in general. The rein back is a helpful exercise that helps to engage the horse's hindquarters and can help further develop responsiveness to the aids and thus control.

Anna says it best!



The cues:
1 - imperceptibly lighten your seat so as to encourage the horse to move backward by freeing his back
2 - close your hands to inhibit forward movement
3 - gently apply leg slightly behind the girth

The hands guide the horse's 'forward' movement in a backward manner solely by closing and the rider's legs generate the actual 'forward' momentum and the steps. You can close your hand around each rein with the stepping of the corresponding hind foot. Your legs however should remain steady and consistent in their pressure.

Having a helper on the ground might definitely aid in teaching the rein back however this is not possible for all riders. Be very patient with your horse and quiet in your aids when teaching this maneuver so as not to create tension and resistance in your horse.

Nosebands

There has been some heated discussion regarding nosebands recently. Eurodressage in partiuclar has published some very good articles:

ISES Suggest to Empower FEI Stewards to Control Tightness of Noseband

Part 1: The History of the Noseband

From the article:
"One of Germany’s most popular riding manuals, Wilhelm Müseler’s “Reitlehre”, first published in the 1930s and still in print, explains that nosebands are there to hold the bit straight and quiet and to prevent that the horse opens its mouth and thereby avoids the impact of the reins."

This still holds true for the use of the noseband nowadays, for the most part. Certain nosebands can aid in giving stability to the bit (ie, flash or drop) but the noseband is most often used to prevent a horse from opening its mouth to evade the bit, to the extreme of strapping a horse's mouth shut completely. Can that stability of the bit not be achieved by other means? For example, using a bit that is naturally more stable by virtue of its design (ie, eggbutt, full-cheek, Baucher), and by allowing the horse the opportunity to pick up the bit of its own accord? Is it really necessary to restrict the horse's ability to evade the bit? Can this instead be approached by other means?

Part 2: The Purpose of the Noseband

From the article:
"A correctly fitted noseband not only helps to show the youngster the right acceptance of the bit, but also prevents that it establishes unpleasant reactions like gaping, crossing the jaws or even putting the tongue over the bit which can happen no matter how good the rider’s hands are."

So what about the youngster started in western disciplines, where a noseband is not used? When these youngsters are started correctly they also show the right acceptance of the bit and do not exhibit unpleasant reactions - despite the absence of a noseband. Personally I start all youngsters (regardless of discipline) in a plain rope hackamore:

In such a manner the horse understands expectations and to release to pressure to the rider's hands and the reins before the bit is ever in his mouth. Introduction to the bit later is usually uneventful and in fact the youngster usually even stops chomping at the bit and accepts the bit quietly within the first ride. On the other hand, I cannot argue with the benefits of setting the young horse up for introduction to the bit successfully by establishing boundaries (ie, limiting the horse's ability to evade the bit) as proposed in the article. Makes sense - assuming the noseband is used in moderation, to establish limitations without actually strapping the mouth shut. Still, is this really necessary?

From the article:
"There are FEI disciplines such as reining and endurance in which we mostly see horses without nosebands, but then these are riding styles which do not need a constant bit contact and are mainly ridden with loose reins not effecting the jaw. Dressage is about having a constant, though light contact with the horse’s mouth and for this we have to impact it. Does this automatically mean a choice between gaping or a firmly closed noseband?"

I think this proposes a valid point, but only to an extent. The validity in the argument is that it is true a reining horse is not in contact with the rider's hands in the same way a dressage horse is. However the 'to an extent' part comes into play because even a reining horse or a good bridle horse is on the bit in the same way a dressage horse is. The dressage horse should be just as light as the bridle horse or reining horse and the horse initiates this contact, not the rider. As such, I believe the answer to the question posed is: no.

"Amongst dressage riders outside the competition ring we can see youngsters and advanced horses alike ridden up to high level without a noseband, for example through the followers of the French Philippe Karl, a fairly controversial figure in dressage."

I found Karl's student Corinne Daepp's statements in the article very intriguing. I am not sure whether or not I agree on her premise however the results speak for themselves regardless, in that she and many other proficient and professional riders are able to develop horses in a manner where a noseband is not necessary. I find this interesting and can agree with it based on my own experiences:

"Badly trained horses with tongue problems or which are heavy in the hand improve if I take the noseband off their bridle. Some horses do open their mouths if I remove it, but it stops as soon as they become light on the bit."

From the article:
"Ruth Klimke...: “Uta Gräf and her stallion show that a highly trained horse does not need a noseband or a bit. My daughter Ingrid rides Abraxxas (her Olympic champion in three-day-eventing) over small jumps and in tempi changes only with a neck ring.”
German Martin Plewa, an international eventing rider in the 1970s, the German national eventing coach for many years and today the chief of the German Riding and Driving School in Münster, also expressed in a seminar some years ago that a highly trained horse should be able to do without any noseband. Former chief rider of the Cadre Noir and FEI judge Colonel Christian Carde, like the Henriquets a representative of the French approach, is in unison with Klimke and Plewa’s and told Eurodressage: “If a rider has good hands there will be no gaping of a well trained horse, so a noseband is dispensable.”"

"In principle it should be. However not all horses reach this level of lightness, not even the most highly trained one. Furthermore not all riders, not even at Olympic level, have that ideal contact with the bit, nor have those soft and feeling hands which are required to get such a contact."
(bolded done by me)

In my opinion, then these riders should not be winning at the Olympic and Grand Prix level. Allowing these riders to force their horses' mouths shut in lieu of correct classical training and correct riding is NOT acceptable, in my opinion. If these riders at the Olympic and Grand Prix levels do not have this ideal contact with the bit (whereby contact is an essential step of the training scale as a result of the overall process of training) and do not have the soft and feeling hands required for such contact, how are they winning? Incorrect contact whereby tension is present does reflect in the horse's movements:

"When the chewing musculature is braced for whatever reason the neck and the back of the horse become fixed and automatically the hind legs are affected as well."

So how is a horse being ridden at the uppermost levels with his jaw cranked shut still winning if his movements are incorrect, if his neck and back are fixed and his hind legs are thusly affected??


Continue to follow Eurodressage for more articles concerning the use of nosebands. Part 3 of their series concerning nosebands is to concern top riders and trainers and their choice in nosebands.

Next time you adjust your noseband on your horse consider why and how you use it and ensure you are using it for the right reasons and that your noseband is not potentially actually inhibiting your ability to train your horse.


Happy riding!
(and to be clear, no, I am not anti-noseband... just anti-incorrect-use-of-the-noseband-or-any-other-equipment-for-that-matter)

PS. Twice-weekly posts are scheduled to be published over the next few weeks :-D

Collection

Your horse was not designed to carry the weight of a rider, so it is absolutely crucial to therefore teach your horse to move in an efficient fashion to ensure long-term soundness and health, even if you never take that collection to its highest levels or have intentions of competing at the FEI level. So, how is it developed at its foundation, in the beginning stages??

This question is asked over and over again - people asking as they bring a new or old or re-habbed or young horse (back) into work, so I felt a post further addressing and elaborating this oft seemingly intangible subject, was in order. I myself am still learning and evolving so I will address what I can and continue to add as my knowledge increases.

So where do you start?

Keeping in mind the training scale, your first goal with a horse commencing dressage work or flatwork is - relaxation. This starts with developing the horse in an emotional sense - developing him to be calmer (ie, relaxed), braver (ie, more confident), and smarter (ie, less reactive). When the horse is developed in an emotional sense, it reflects in his body. With a mentally relaxed horse, you have a physically relaxed horse (barring physical pain of course!). With this, rhythm in gait is established and developed, as is suppleness. At this point, the horse starts reaching for contact, impulsion is developed, and with that straightness occurs. The last step is refining what the horse is offering - refining and further developing that collection. Asking the horse to engage and lift its shoulders, to load the hind end and increasingly work from behind.

In respect to relaxation - the foundation of the training scale, take a look at the following article:

Let Your Nervous Horse Realize It's Tired

Expanding upon this, it is important to incorporate relaxation into your session with any horse, whether naturally prone to nervousness or not. Don't underestimate the importance of rest breaks and neck rubs! All too often (and I am probably the worst offender!), we riders get into 'work mode' and forget the importance of the simplest of things. Incorporate as many rest breaks into your session with your horse, as possible - it is just another tool, another (crucial) task. The more encouragement toward relaxation you incorporate, the further relaxed your horse can become throughout the session. Each session will feed into the next and with time, you create a habit of relaxation.

Keep in mind throughout this it may be necessary to balance trust vs. respect, draw vs. drive, and go vs. woah, to name a few qualities. Each horse will have certain tendencies toward these qualities, based on their innate personality (or, horsenality). The laid back, confident, 'lazy' horse will require a person to earn more respect (which will transfer to respect toward your aids), more draw (ie, desire of the horse to want to be with you), and more forward. The spooky, fearful horse will require the rider to earn more trust (in them and also in their ability to lead that horse), to ensure an appropriate balance of draw and drive (ie, neither an insecure horse who bolts over top of you for security nor a horse unwilling to follow your lead and have sufficient draw), and to ensure sufficient 'woah'. All these qualities can easily and simply be balanced out via exercises and patterns that engage and teach the horse. Each horse will have certain tendencies based on certain traits and characteristics, so it is vital to understand your horse and thus how to tailor your program to your horse, so as to have the ability to progress the horse through the training scale (you need a 'balanced' horse ready for work, to start!).

The very first step in developing collection in the horse, as it pertains to the physical aspect, is to develop 'pushing power'. Pushing power eludes to the development of the hindquarters. Without correct development of the hind leg, it cannot be expected of the horse to later load its haunches. Sufficient strength must first be developed in the hind leg so as to generate sufficient power - the horse's engine. As strength is developed, power may be generated - this power, this energy, is then permitted to flow over a loose back, and into the hand of the rider, where it may be recycled via a 'circle of aids'. This circle of aids is comprised of the hand and seat and leg, which merely guide throughout. Pushing power can be developed via hills, groundpoles, lateral work, spiraling circles, small jumps, transitions, changes in pace within gaits, etc. Start with very large, loopy circular exercises - 20m circles at most (smallest) to start. This can all be done on very little to no contact (ie, on a loose rein); the exercises themselves prevent the horse from plowing around on the forehand - they naturally require some level of engagement when the horse is ridden correctly, yet they do not ask of the horse a higher level of collection and engagement than the horse is capable. Developing pushing power can take months to up to a year or more.

It is important to note that all levels of the training scale are initiated by the horse and not the rider. The rider - and the rider's aids - are merely (softly) guiding. The rider can no more force contact than they can relaxation or rhythm. This means the rider sets the horse up - with certain parameters - via patterns and exercises, to naturally progress through the training scale on their own. My two favourite exercise books to recommend are: Progressive Schooling Exercises for Dressage & Jumping by Islay Auty, and 101 Dressage Exercises for Horse & Rider. The rider may then use their aids to guide, then refine, what their horse offers.

The next step is to develop 'carrying power'. This requires the horse to further develop its topline (including its neck, which is very crucial to self-carriage!) and abdominal muscles, among others. Carrying power and self-carriage is further developed with natural progression of the above such exercises and ultimately involves encouraging the horse to gradually and progressively lift its shoulders and load its haunches. This is where the well-timed half-halt (soft closing of the hands - ie, squeezing of a sponge) may be used! The shoulders lift and become freer, the poll lifts with the progression of balance and strength, and the haunches increasingly load as weight is shifted from the forehand to the hind.

If your goal is (re)conditioning your horse and developing at least a moderate level of collection, start with developing your horse's pushing power. From there - and even during this process - it is important to seek the correct instruction so as to continuously guide and encourage your horse into offering energy and correct movement you can then refine and further develop. Everything should be a natural, harmonious progression and if you are experiencing resistance in your horse, you should consider you might be asking the wrong question(s) or asking the question(s) wrong.

Reining vs. Dressage

All too often you meet individuals who can't seem to understand the importance of a foundation and that such a foundation can only benefit in so many aspects, regardless of your discipline. Reining and dressage are very inter-related and personally I feel they are very much the same - at least, when done correctly, though the rider in each utilizes a different "style". Both disciplines should be about teaching the horse to use its body effectively and efficiently, in such a manner that benefits the horse himself physically and also allows him to carry a rider in such a way that is not harmful to his body. Mental collection translates to physical collection and vice versa, which is another important benefit within dressage or reining, that will allow specialization in another discipline down the road. Even if the horse and rider always remain within the Reining or Dressage disciplines, doing as such and specializing and building on that foundation will only have positive benefits by developing both horse and partnership between horse and rider.

Essentially, there is a reason cavalry horses were taught dressage. It initiated physical and mental discipline in the horse and strengthened the partnership between horse and rider. Such was absolutely crucial on the battlefield, where a single mistake could mean life or death. Dressage and Reining, or basically creating a strong foundation from which to build off of, enables the horse and rider to then move forward into their chosen discipline, with greater success. Foundation before specialization. A horse and rider require a strong base, a strong foundation, of discipline, physical and emotional fitness, and general development, so as to specialize. Furthering that dressage or reining base later, or specializing into say jumping, or cattle penning, or whatever may be, horse and rider are then prepared - both mentally/emotionally and physically. They are set up for success and are in the best spot possible. Skipping that foundation however, allows for holes and gaps in the horse's training and development and also in the partnership between horse and rider. Horse and rider might still be successful, however their journey will be more difficult and they have the chance to be MORE successful with a strong foundation. I cannot stress enough the importance of a strong foundation! That said, such a foundation must be accomplished in a correct manner.

Dressage and Reining are definitely two foundational disciplines that are VERY similar! Check out the video below as a decent example of such ;)

Dressage research

Ok ok I'll even it up a bit from all the dressage as of late - promise! In the mean time, I found the following study interesting:

Horses suffer from work stress, researchers find
by Neil Clarkson

What discipline is most likely to drive your horse to distraction?

French research indicates that dressage and high-school work create higher levels of stress in horses than the likes of jumping, eventing and vaulting.

The scientists from the University of Rennes 1 said it was well known that stress at work could cause negative efforts in people, such as anxiety and depression. Could the daily work to which many horses were exposed result in similar effects?

The findings, published in the open-access journal PLoS ONE, indicated that horses, like people, faced stresses in their daily life involving troublesome human bosses, difficult interpersonal relationships, undue negative reinforcement and poor rewards.

Such negative experiences linked to training could lead horses to switch off, becoming unresponsive and apathetic - the equine equivalent of work-related burnout in people.

The researchers - Martine Hausberger, Emmanuel Gautier, Véronique Biquand, Christophe Lunel, and Patrick Jego - set about studying 76 French Saddlebred horses stabled at the Ecole Nationale d'Equitation in Sanur.

The horses, aged six to 15, were all geldings and housed in the same conditions, spending 23 hours a day in their stables. They received the same diet. The only difference was in the kind of discipline they performed each day for an hour.

The scientists monitored the horses in their stables for behaviours called stereotypies - abnormal repetitive behaviours which serve no useful function. These include repetitive mouth movement, head tossing or nodding, windsucking, cribbing and weaving.

They found that the type of work performed by the horses each day had a significant influence on the prevalence and types of undesirable traits shown.

"To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of potential effects of work stressors on the emergence of abnormal behaviours in an animal species.

"It raises an important line of thought on the chronic impact of the work situation on the daily life of individual [horses]."

The researchers found that 65 of the 76 subjects performed some type of stereotype.

The horses were categorized as doing one of three kinds of work:

• Jumping/eventing/advanced-riding-school.
• Dressage/high-school.
• Vaulting.

"Vaulting horses appeared to be the least prone to stereotypies and performed relatively 'mild types' such as tongue play, whereas dressage/high-school horses presented the highest incidence of stereotypies ... several of these horses performed two or more types of stereotypies.

"They also performed the 'more serious' stereotypies - cribbing, windsucking, head shaking."

Why should horses get stressed? Horses, like people, are often asked to work on a daily basis, involving "interpersonal" interactions not only with other working horses but also, and mostly, with a "boss" who is the human who manages or rides it, the authors noted. "Work sessions are based on training, using more often negative reinforcement or punishment than positive reinforcement. "Physical and emotional constraints depend also on the type of work performed. Negative consequences of some practices, leading to physical and behavioural resistances, open conflicts and tensions during the work sessions have been described for some time. "Conflicting signals given by the rider (urge forward with the legs and keep restraining through the mouth/bit) may lead the horse to frustration and neurosis. "Finally, horses are asked to suppress emotional reactions from their early stages of work on, as such reactions may be contrary to the performance expected (dressage competition) or considered dangerous for the rider (such as bucking). "Few studies, however, question the possible durable effects of such work stressors - interpersonal conflicts, suppressed emotions, physical constraints - on the daily life of horses outside the work sessions." Negative experiences linked to training could lead to chronic states where horses "switch off", becoming unresponsive and apathetic - states described in humans in cases of work-related burnout. Abnormal repetitive behaviours in horses are thought to be a way for animals to cope with an unfavourable stress-inducing environment.

The authors pondered why dressage appeared to cause the most stress.

"Dressage and high school both expect horses to restrain from expressing emotions and put a strong physical constraint on the movements," they noted.

"Moreover, cases where orders can be conflictual are more frequent here as the restricted gaits are often obtained by refraining movement through the reins and bit while pushing forward the horse through the legs.

"Therefore both physical and interactional stress can explain the high prevalence and types of stereotypes observed in these horses.

"Jumping, eventing or instruction horses were trained more to take long strides while moving forward in a less ritualised posture. These horses performed more repetitive licking or biting of environmental structures."

These, they said, are often considered to be early stages of stereotypy.

"Whether these horses would develop more serious stereotypies with time appears unlikely as they remained under these conditions for at least one year and often more. Maybe they were reacting mainly to the general unsuitable conditions (social separation ...) they were housed in.

"Finally, vaulting horses appeared the least prone to perform stereotypies and these were restricted mainly to tongue play. Vaulting horses had been chosen for their quiet temperament and spent their work time turning in circles, with voice orders.

"Interpersonal conflicts with the human are rather limited as they are just required to keep regular and slow paces, while accepting humans to make movements on their backs. Their originally quieter temperament may also make them more resistant to possible work stressors as observed in humans."

The authors pointed to earlier research suggesting that head shaking may be a last effect of strong bit action, resulting from damage to the trigeminal nerve, as riders work to keep their horse's head down.

This would explain why headshaking and nodding were performed more often by dressage horses as for most of their working time they have to keep their necks flexed in restrained gaits, they said.

"Although some work stressors involved here may be specific to equine work, others are clearly shared with other species, including humans: emotions suppression, interpersonal conflict, physical demands, lack of reward and negative future expectancy that are associated with depression in humans.

"The present study opens clearly new and further lines of thought about, on one hand, the causation of abnormal repetitive behaviours, on another hand the effects of work stressors not only on well known expressions of psychological disorders such as depression or burn out but also on the possible emergence of abnormal behaviour.

"The very controlled restricted locomotion allowed in dressage and especially high-school horses associated with rapid transitions may explain an increase of reactivity, especially when bit pressure and spurs induce additional aversive stimulations.

"The higher emotional responses of dressage horses in emotional tests provide further support for this hypothesis. Collected gaits may also be physically very demanding and these difficulties may frustrate the horse, but also its rider who can transmit additional nervousness."

The authors noted that other factors can be involved in development of stereotypies, including roughage availability, diet, social deprivation, lack of exercise and genetic susceptibilities. The length of time spent in stalls may also have an influence.

However, the results clearly showed that the discipline being performed by the horse influenced the degree to which they showed undesirable traits.

"We showed that, for a variety of reasons (physical, emotional ...) the limited time spent with humans might affect the remaining daily life of the horses.

"This may well be true for other situations such as handling, feeding, transporting animals. These results also raise the question of how different types of repetitive movements may develop.

"While some may be explained by lasting effects of physical constraints, others may emerge through chronic stress."

Of the 76 horses, 10 undertook eventing, 19 were show jumpers, seven worked in an advanced riding school, 17 performed dressage, 16 were high school and seven were used in vaulting.

So my initial thought was this: the study is incomplete because one major factor in this study, and that is how the riders who rode and trained these test horses. By the sounds of it, the dressage horses were not ridden in a truly classical form and thus I wonder if they had been ridden in a classical sense, would the results of the research done differ? What about how they were trained or handled previously?

Okay, so what if you were able to eliminate all of the following stressors:

- the troublesome human boss and difficult interpersonal relationships

- undue negative reinforcement, punishment, and insufficient rewards

- the expectation the horse is not to express emotion or interact with its rider

- a ritualised or forced pose

- strong bit action

So what if a horse and rider worked in such a (natural, classical) way where undue negative reinforcement, punishment, and insufficient rewards were non-existent? Where the horse was encouraged to express emotion and interact with its rider (coincidentally, I find when you allow the horse to interact and express emotion, they are not doing so in a negative way that affects dressage test scores) and the horse/rider relationship were harmonious? What about if the horse's 'frame' were derived naturally and classically and not forced, if the rider's hands were light and guiding as opposed to forceful? If spurs were used for refinement, to extend the rider's heel, rather than to push the horse forward into hard hands? Would the test results be different? In my opinion the answer would be yes.

Jump refusals

This video was passed around the interwebz community awhile ago now, but I still wanted to comment on it myself:



Michael Morrissey on Crelido, USEF WEG Selection Trials #2.

Here is some additional info on the case.

13 times, he hit that horse. I fully understand what he was doing, though I honestly do feel that his attempts at pushing the horse over the water jump a second time - ensuring the horse did not refuse twice, was fueled by frustration and anger. They were not simply a result of 'nerves' and I do not think that one can say 'he did not know what he was doing' (as some of his supporters have claimed). If he lost his temper so bad that he had no idea what he was doing, we've got problems. We all have days or times when we are frustrated with a horse, but that is the time to get off, or to quietly finish what you are doing - with the restraint not to punish the horse for your own emotions. Self-control and self-discipline is paramount and I would expect someone competing in the Grand Prix ring to be the absolute epitome of self-control and discipline. They have to be - they have spent years getting to where they are at so they've had plenty of time to develop themselves as horsemen and riders, and they are in the public eye.

Personally, I do not believe in punishing a horse, barring only some (minor) circumstances. That doesn't mean there are not boundaries and that I do not establish respect (which goes both ways!) between a horse and I, but I do not usually punish specific behaviours - I find it either creates a resentful horse or a scared one, at either extreme ends of the spectrum. Even if it does not incite 'extreme' behaviours in the horse, you at least see the results of punishment in moderation in the horse who is slightly jumpy, or in the horse who isn't quite giving its best. At the GP level, you see the results often - the horse who jumps after a refusal because it thinks it is about to be punished (which it likely is at home!), or in the horse who is bucking or generally fighting its rider. How can a horse concentrate on the jumps if it is busy fighting its rider or if it is worried about its rider's response to something it might do? He cannot possibly give his very best effort.

Punishing a horse after a refusal or runout is definitely a no-no in my books. If it is done judiciously in certain circumstances - fine. The reason I say no to punishment though specifically in regards to jumps? The horse is a prey animal and as such, it has got to have a lot of confidence both in itself and in its rider (in its rider's ability to keep it alive) before it is going to place itself in a situation it thinks could potentially go awry for it. This includes jumps - anything a horse has to go over, under, in between, or through represents a potential 'cave' or 'trap'. To go over a jump, a horse is exposing its belly, and to go between those standards, he has to essentially go through what could become a 'squeeze' that could potentially (in his mind) trap him. As such, he's got to fully trust his rider and have confidence in himself. If he is particularly worried about a certain jump and lacks confidence, or senses something wrong in the ride, or does not have the greatest partnership with his rider - a refusal is going to happen. A horse might be obstinate about a jump, but they are still refusing for reasons relating to their natural instincts - you cannot blame a horse for fear. So, instead, I have always just worked on the root of the problem, whether it be respect, or trust/confidence, or a combination of both. You build the horse's confidence in general, you build the horse's confidence over jumps specifically, and you build up the horse's confidence in your ability to lead. If it IS a respect issue whereby the horse is simply saying 'NO!', the answer is simple: earn the horse's respect.

When I first purchased my Thoroughbred, getting him to go over jumps on the ground was a trial and he was always very reactive about it. I hadn't jumped him either on the ground or under-saddle for months and last week I put him over some barrels (about 2') both on the ground and under-saddle. On the ground, he floated over them beautifully without any hesitation and completely relaxed and calm. Under-saddle, to my surprise, was the same! It was not that we had worked on jumping specifically, but we had worked at developing our partnership, and him in general, and the result was a confident horse and horse/rider team that was calmly jumping.

I think that Morrissey might have simply made a mistake and his methods at home are not necessarily abusive, however it takes a certain mindset to hit a horse that many times, regardless of how you typically work with a horse. You have to regard your horse in a certain manner to feel it is okay to hit him 13 times. This may have simply been a 'bad moment' for Morrissey, but a) it is never ok to have such a 'bad moment' and b) he set a fantastic example for all other riders out there. An example that said: it is okay to hit your horse to get it over a jump. This is NOT okay.

On that note, whip overuse is not restricted to the jumper ring. Just as a short aside, I attended, as a spectator, a schooling show at Amberlea Meadows a few weeks ago. We'll put aside the fact that 95 percent of the riders were see-sawing and forcing their horses into a 'frame' (croup-high, tense necks, behind the vertical - all inclusive) and take particular note of use of whip that was obviously occurring at home. A good 95 percent of the riders we saw that day had very choppy walk-to-canter departs. The horse would frantically 'hop' into a canter. It took me a couple of riders to figure out what was going on, why these horses were reacting and moving in such a way. They are using whips at home. The friend who lives locally and who had accompanied me confirmed my initial thought - "oh yea, they use whips all the time at home". She was referring to the dressage riders at her barn. Rather than getting a clean and smooth walk-canter depart that was natural and flowing, these riders were smacking their horses into the canter, to ensure there were no trot steps between. You guys do realise a correct walk-canter depart can be taught, with no trot steps, without the use of a whip?? It boggles my mind why someone would reach for the whip. It's no wonder the horses are tense and stiff beyond belief. At a hunter show at Rocky Mountain Show Jumping (John Anderson's Farm), I watched a girl pop her mare hard on the nose with her whip for - yup, whinnying. Calling out to another horse. Her parents and trainer stood next to her and continued their conversation with her as if nothing had happened. They were lucky it was just one pop and thus what is considered 'the norm', else I would have been in that ring within seconds. A non-horsey friend was with me and was baffled - "they can do that?" he asked, turning to me. I hadn't even said anything or expressed shock yet. "Yea, that's what happens," was my reply. Because it is. All my life I've grown up with that type of behaviour. To the horse world, it's just punishing a horse for 'bad behaviour'. To the outside world, it's 'hitting a horse on the nose because it whinnied to its herdmates' (who represent to it, its survival). Personally, and this might sound 'harsh' to some, but I do not see too much of a difference between Morrissey's behaviour and that of the dressage riders or the little hunter youth who smacked her mare on the nose, beyond the extreme and obvious, of course. You're operating from a certain mindset to pop a horse for what you deem as 'bad behaviour' - typically, anyways. It's a mindset that, in general, lacks respect for the horse and its dignity. Not okay.

How to create a frame

I see this question a lot: how do I get my horse to round it's back, lower its head, and work from behind? Actually, a great deal of the time people forget to ask the latter ("and work from behind"), not realising that it is not about the head but rather about the hind - that the head will follow the hind naturally and that the head really does not have to be 'played' with.

To start off, I highly recommend the following for your own further research into collection - how it is achieved, why it is achieved, and the involved biomechanics of the horse:

Sustainable Dressage - this blog contains a wealth of information I have yet to fully tap into thanks to the absolute overwhelming multitude of information presented!

Tug of War: Classical Versus "Modern" Dressage by Dr. Gerd Heuschmann - it is extremely enlightening and reveals a great deal of knowledge of collection via understanding the biomechanics of the horse. This is a vital part of any horseman's library.

Progressive School Exercises for Dressage & Jumping by Islay Auty BA, FBHS - this is just another of those simple books that contains a great deal of progressive exercises, but it is encompassed of exactly the types of exercises and patters that I use and recommend when teaching the horse collection.

In my opinion, I believe the comprehension of 'correct' collection (developing one's eye), the biomechanics of the horse, and how to achieve 'natural' collection are of the utmost importance to any rider/trainer/horse owner, regardless of the discipline. Regardless of discipline, it pays to teach our horses to use themselves efficiently. Firstly, such benefits a horse in relation to their soundness. Horses are not made to carry the weight of a rider and teaching them to carry themselves in an efficient and correct manner ensures they may carry the weight of a rider with little or no detriment to them physically. Second, teaching a horse to use itself in a correct and efficient manner better enables them to succeed in their chosen discipline. The cow horse, cutter, or reiner, benefit from collection in that they are balanced. With their weight shifted off of their front and onto the haunches, they may better be able to - with a freer front end - thrust forward into a gallop and slide into a stop or change direction rapidly. The jumper with its weight shifted onto its hind will have better propulsion over jumps, better scope, and better form.

The method(s) many riders are taught neglects taking into account the whole horse, the bigger picture, and instead focuses on individual physical aspects. Particularly, riders will almost obsessively focus on the head and on teaching it to drop, often via use of a martingale or draw reins or by bumping or see-sawing on the horse's mouth. There are many variations to this but ultimately a false frame is created whereby the horse is not fully engaged from behind. In lieu of the aforementioned, the rider needs to focus on the HAUNCHES. As the haunches are developed and the horse increasingly engages, the back rounds and lifts, the front end lightens, the horse raises its neck from its base, and the head drops into place according to the horse's level of training and strength.

The focus in developing true and correct collection in the horse should be on encouraging the horse to carry himself efficiently, by his own means - classically. This means patterns and exercises where the hands are light and guiding and the legs are quiet, that essentially 'enlighten' the horse as to what to do, but do not directly tell or force the horse into a particular frame. In this fashion, they only 'frame-up' as per their current training level and strength and their frame is one that includes relaxation. Furthermore, their frame is 'correct' and efficient. In such a way, the horse will simply 'come together' naturally, with guidance and refinement from the rider: the horse will start tracking up and loading bent hocks, tipping his pelvis. He will commence lifting his back, and his head will come down and he will reach forward to actively seek the bit. The rider's seat should be balanced and independent with no pushing so hard that the rider is leaned way back (as is often seen) and there should be no pulling back or holding of the horse's mouth. The hand closes as appropriate, and opens as appropriate, without moving. In such a way, the energy may be channeled and recycled through the horse - without actually creating or damming the flow through aids; the flow is already established by the horse and is simply guided through their body.

This is also where the Dressage Training Scale is vital, regardless of your discipline. Dressage is a foundation and regardless of your discipline, a strong foundation is a strong foundation - dressage offers that possibility for a strong foundation that will enable success in any direction later. The Training Scale is as follows:
1. Rhythm
2. Suppleness
3. Contact
4. Impulsion
5. Straightness
6. Collection
It is a progressive 'ladder' that is designed to be applied in that specific order, albeit each step will feed into and build off other steps. Place those six building blocks into a pyramid with collection at the top and rhythm at the bottom, you can begin to see how it is progressive and how each 'block' builds upon another. Keep in mind too that to have rhythm and suppleness, one requires relaxation. Thus one of the first goals in developing the horse should be to develop relaxation.

Relaxation is required for rhythm - the tense horse will be constantly increasing and decreasing its rhythm and tempo. To achieve such rhythm and relaxation, the horse must be both mentally and emotionally relaxed, which will then automatically reflect in a physical sense (barring any physical issues).

Once rhythm is established, we also find suppleness - the looseness and flexibility of the horse. Suppleness is comprised of both lateral and longitudinal components: lateral being sideways and bend along a circle (such as in the ribs), and longitudinal being along the horse's length from jaw to tail.

With suppleness achieved, the horse begins to seek contact. Where before the horse is expected to accept contact (ie, not evade the rider's hands), the horse who increasingly engages from behind and is relaxed and supple will start to actually seek the bit and chew it from the rider's hands with further progression of the training scale. This also requires a very forward thinking horse, hence the importance of developing and encouraging forward in the horse from the very start.

With contact we can begin to refine what we have and establish further impulsion, where the horse steps under himself further (engages) and sends power through the hind end to the rider's hand and to his front end (which lifts). Impulsion appears as a forward moving horse who is loose and supple; the hocks are engaged and bent (loaded) as well as far-reaching beneath the horse's barrel. This is achieved through willingness on the horse's part and not through constant nagging on the part of the rider. Impulsion should be thought of as THRUST. With thrust, the horse will increasingly seek the rider's hand - contact.

With the requirements of 1-4, straightness is mostly achieved naturally and ultimately is when the hind hoof steps in the line of the fore hoof (in collection though the hind may step slightly to the inside, but not to the outside, which would indicate the horse is traveling with its hindquarters in on the circle = crookedness). Straightness is achieved when the horse is supple and conditioned equally laterally (both sides are equally loose and strong).

With all preceding five building blocks established, we naturally achieve our golden goal of collection - it is not made or forced, but rather is the ultimate and simple result of the building blocks of the pyramid. The horse reaches further under but by engaging the hocks actually takes shorter steps and compresses its frame. The pelvis tilts and the croup drops, and the forehand lightens so that the horse appears to be traveling 'uphill'. Since collection is not made, the rider should ultimately be able to, on a fully and 'correctly' collected horse, be able to drop all communication with the horse (legs and hands), and the horse still finish the movement. This test is the result of the horse initiating collection and carrying itself; the rider is not creating the collection nor are they carrying the horse themselves. In such a manner, the rider may then further encourage and guide the horse to the highest level of collection.


The following exercises and patterns may be used in the context of the training scale to help develop the horse toward collection:

Rhythm
To achieve rhythm we first of all want the horse forward-moving, relaxed, and loose in its movements. This is partially achieved through the rider maintaining rhythm themselves (ride to music, to a metronome, or simply relax your body and ensure you create an example of rhythm the horse can then follow), in their riding. This means that at the trot, the rider posts in a rhythmic manner and allows the horse to move forward; if you have trouble keeping out of the horse's mouth, ride on the buckle - if you do not feel safe riding on the buckle, you've got work to do! Initially, you can have an instructor/equine-savvy bystander also longe you and your horse if you have trouble riding your horse on a loose rein; as such the individual on the ground can have control yet you can allow your horse the opportunity to relax and develop rhythm. In my experiences rhythm is often best achieved working along straight lines as opposed to circles, yet circles tend to relax the horse because horses move in circular patterns when stressed (check out Temple Grandin's work); this is where figure-8's along the long side of the entire arena can help because they include both long straight lines and some circular lines (plus, it is a specific, distinct pattern, which is also comforting to the horse according to its instincts). Rhythm is established through mental and emotional relaxation in the horse, which will result in physical relaxation and thus rhythm. I develop mental and emotional relaxation in the horse on the ground first, developing respect and trust, and teaching the horse to be calmer, braver, smarter in general. Under-saddle, patterns and exercises in general are calming to the horse, as are patterns and exercises that are circular in nature (as previously mentioned). Relaxation and thus rhythm are established through a general mindset and method on part of the rider, which might require a professional to help. Above all, it is established with soft, light aids, and patience and good leadership on part of the rider. The rider must remember to have very elastic elbows and a following hand.

Suppleness
This is obviously develope-able only when relaxation and rhythm are achieved. The next step then is to develop suppleness Travers, shoulder-in, side-pass, half-pass, leg yield, bends along a straight line (ie. come down the long centre-line and have your horse bend without leaving said line, using the least possible amount of leg and especially hands), circles, figure-8's, serpentines, spiraling in and out on a circle at the w/t/c - all great exercises to encourage and increase bi-lateral suppleness. The exercises should be done with light riding and should be refined to the point of little interference and guidance by the rider, where the horse is soft, accepting, and supple. The exercise book I mentioned at the start of this blog has some fabulous exercises to create suppleness, and an instructor usually has a number of exercises and patterns up their sleeve! Jane Savoie has a plus/minus poll-suppling exercise I will iterate at a later date: I highly suggest reading her books and purchasing some of her educational material and using the suppling exercises she describes.

Contact
The horse must be soft and supple and accepting of contact - meaning they are responsive to the rider's hands and are light, soft, and relaxed. With development and progression through the training scale, the horse will start to seek contact - he will push into your hands with a soft mouth and chew the reins into a lengthened frame if you allow him the lengthened rein. It is not up to the rider to establish 'on the bit', but rather the horse, when they are ready; if the rider progressively schools through the Training Scale, they will find the horse will not only grow to accept contact, but it will also actively pick up the bit in its mouth.

Impulsion
The primary exercise I use to develop forward and to start to introduce impulsion is the point-to-point exercise; I find it works brilliant with horses who are inclined to shorten and elevate rather than lengthen and move forward, as well as for those horses who would normally be classified as 'lazy'. This exercise was taught to me by Jonathan Field, who is a fantastic horseman. Another method of specifically developing a desire in the horse to move forward is to just move the horse out long and forward - drop contact and allow the horse to move forward in an extended trot (slight push with your legs, but [important!] do not nag the horse, or by posting higher in the trot) and/or gallop. You may also use jumps or hacking out to encourage forward. Giving a horse a job to do whereby he is naturally inclined to be forward can be greatly beneficial. Establish that forward thinking. To be clear, forward is different from impulsion, but one requires forward so as to develop impulsion. Forward is the horse moving out forward willingly and freely, in front of the rider's leg. The horse should stride out with momentum and energy. Impulsion requires the horse to THRUST from behind. To land with a bent hock and push forward with its haunches engaged as opposed to strung out behind him. A specific exercise that may be used to develop impulsion is one I learned from Mette Rosencrantz while watching her conduct a clinic last year: start out on a 20m circle, set up with 4 pairs of cones dispersed evenly along the circle. Start out by trotting half the circle and walking the other half the circle, sharpening the transitions, then progress the exercise to trotting through one set of cones (the horse has to go through the pairs of cones, no going around them!), and walking through the next, and so forth. Lastly, Rosencrantz had the riders trot the 20m circle, slowing through each second set of cones, then, once rider and horse had a good grasp of that, slowing through each set of cones. The horse was already forward-moving and the rider did not pull back to achieve downward transitions and a slowing in pace. They simply relaxed into their seat, tensed their abs, and closed their hands. When asking for an upwards transition or to increase the pace, they were asked not to use leg but to open their hands and to pick up their energy. The rider should not have to use leg because the horse should already be forward thinking. With the latter part of the exercise, the horse was asked to slow to a near-walk, without actually walking, then to pick up an upbeat trot. In such a way, the horse was naturally balanced onto its hindquarters and would gather and compress itself, without losing forward momentum. Once the exercise was completed successfully on the 20m circle, it was then completed on a 10m circle, which you will find much more difficult! The key in developing thrust from behind is developing strength in the haunches (ground poles, jumps, hills, trot work all especially target this) and transitions transitions transitions.

Straightness
Is achieved through achievement and development of the prior building blocks of the training scale and can also be further refined through exercises such as the shoulder-in. An instructor can provide one with additional exercises to work on that will further develop straightness in the horse and to be a person's eyes on the ground (particularly as you develop the feel for when your horse is straight versus crooked)!

Collection
The goal and ultimate result of achieving the first 5 components of the Dressage Training Scale. Once the prior components, and thus collection, is/are achieved, all that is left is to refine and further shape what you have, to continue along a continuum of increased collection.

Mexican dancing horses

After reading Cathy's blog I blame Dancing With the Stars for this, I just had to comment. I don't bother commenting on the actual blog (in the comments section, that is) though, as I usually have too much to say in one limited comment box, and then your comments are lost in the multitude of others anyways. So to start, a few example videos of Mexican dancing horses:







Obviously I do not approve of the method displayed in the videos above - tying a horse to pillars and whipping it to do a sort of piaffe is not in the horse's best interests. It is a very false piaffe due to the manner in which the horse is taught. You can see by the horse's body language in each of the above videos that they are very anxious and fearful as a result of this method of training: the feet are fast, many of the horses resort to rearing and bucking, ears and general facial expressions are of that of worried horses, tails are held tensely, and most are ready to explode. It is a method that is abusive and is done out of force and fear; a happy, relaxed, supple horse it does not create.


The original videos have since been deleted, but Cathy's comment pertaining to the very similar video she posted on her blog:
All so that a human can get on him in a … WTF! shanked bit and do this.

As far as that particular horse being ridden in a curb bit, while it is impossible to tell exactly what type of bit is inside his mouth, the rider does maintain a nice loop in the rein and has seemingly soft hands (in the short video clip provided, at least). Curb bits do have their use, as advanced bits - for refinement. They allow a rider to communicate more subtly with the horse. In experienced hands, a curb bit is used as a tool for more intimate communication and thus advanced maneuvers stemming from that advanced communication...not as a source of increased control. Cathy's snide comment in regards to this horse being ridden in a curb bit does not really have all that much merit here based on the available evidence. On the other hand, I doubt a 2yo has had sufficient work on it thus far to warrant it being ridden in a curb bit yet. Still - the actual use of the curb bit itself does not constitute abuse or force in itself - in the videos shown at least.

Then Cathy goes on to say the following:
Now, I know someone will pop up and announce that you can train a horse for this kind of “dancing” without abuse. OK. Can you post a video of that? All I ever see is someone whipping on a horse in cross-ties, and that’s not training.

Well Cathy, I am sure you are perfectly capable yourself of opening your eyes and thus being privy to seeing riders out there who are training their horses to piaffe (and other complicated dressage maneuvers) without abuse.

I found this video interesting (posted in the comments section of Cathy's blog):
Horse Dance 3
It is described in the comments section as a Pakistani horse, however I cannot confirm that, as I do not read/speak Arabic (or whatever the language posted and spoken in the background is!). This, to me, appears to be a good example of someone training a horse to dance sans abuse. The horses are wearing boots to protect their fronts from their hinds possibly hitting, their body language is relaxed and calm (note how they relax immediately after a "dance", even cocking a hind leg), and though they appear to anticipate here and there, they do not appear to be fearful or worried. On the one hand, I am not sure what all those ropes are doing, however they do appear to be loose at times so I am assuming they are simply a communication aid. My only other concern is that the horses are clearly over-flexed...however they are permitted breaks and it does not seem they are kept dancing for extended periods of time (note how they switch out horses). I like how the handlers are constantly rubbing the horses reassuringly, petting them in their spare time, and even spongeing water down their faces - they obviously care!

Another video featured in the comments section was that of Blue Hors Matine. This video has to have been sent around the web at least a hundred times and while I do find it impressive, I still dislike the constant wringing tail. To me, that does not appear to be a horse who is happy and having fun - the wringing (not simply swinging rhythmically) tail indicates to me tension in the back... which also is a 'tell' that the movements performed are falsely and incorrectly executed.

Last but not least (as far as video clips go), I wanted to feature the following:



The Akhal Teke stallion Absent performing a piaffe.

Last response/comment I wanted to make. Posted in the comments section of FHOTD was the question as to whether or not these horses (who are taught to prance) can be taught to move out without the prancing, and how hard is it. In my opinion, the answer is yes (albeit depending on the level of damage done psychologically). We have one OTTB who does a similar sort of dance when he is tense whereby he elevates his motion and shortens his stride similarly to these mexican horses in the above videos. The answer has been slow, patient work. He is so used to being held back from forward movement, that he has learned as a habit to simply elevate his forward momentum as the result of a tense back, as opposed to stretching forward over his back. Since he knows he cannot burst forward (thanks to his track training), even when I have him on a loose rein, he shortens his hind steps and directs all his impulsion upward. At first, this was all he did. Now, however, his "cat-like" trotting is becoming more and more sparse as relaxation and suppleness replaces tension. The key is to teach your horse he can relax and move forward. Whatever is occurring in the mind reflects in the body, so if you teach a horse to have a calm mind, to think rather than react and try to flee, it will reflect as a relaxed back and body. Develop your horse to be calmer, braver, smarter - balance out his emotions. Then, further develop his body with circles, serpentines - all sorts of patterns that encourage him to be supple, relaxed, and loose. Then start using patterns that encourage him to track up, and others that encourage him to extend. It does take a lot of time and patience to re-train a horse who has been taught to move and/or think incorrectly, so be prepared to take the time it takes. It will be worth it!

Heavy horses

The “heavy” horse is the horse you’re under the impression will never be nimble enough to turn on a dime (I know I have, and clients of mine have been!), or who is constantly leaning on your hands (aaah, we love our OTTB’s, but they can love to lean!). How do you lighten such a horse up?

If you’re under the (typically, false) impression your horse cannot pick up that shoulder and give you a clean, light turn on the haunches – you might want to re-think the situation. It usually is not that the horse can’t physically do it (unless it's a skeletal/muscle issue), it is often that he won’t do it – either (1) due to lack of respect for his rider, (2) due to tension, or (3) because he has never been taught to be light.

1 - If it is a lack of respect that is the issue, the job is yours to earn your horse’s respect – play games on the ground that get your horse moving his feet more than yours: moving his front end around, moving his hind end around, backing up. Use assertive body language and increasing phases of “ask” until you get the response you desire. The Parelli 7 games are one great way to earn respect, roundpenning with plenty of changes in direction can be another. You can also earn respect under-saddle by working on impulsion through transitions, etc.

2 - If the issue is tension in the horse – circles circles circles – work on all sorts of patterns that include bends and circles. Keep your own body relaxed and free of tension. Earn your horse’s trust (not only in you, but in your leadership) and be consistent and fair. Challenge your horse and work on some wet saddle blankets! Use exercises that encourage relaxation and suppleness (Jane Savoie has some fabulous exercises that address such) so your horse does not 'lock up'.

3 - Teach your horse to release to pressure by asking him, first on the ground, to release to various points of pressure you apply on his body. Ask in increasing phases (hair, skin, muscle, bone) and release the instant your horse responds. Have long phases to start, and shorten the phases as your horse understands your request and thus as you ask more of him. Keep yourself light and always allow him the chance to be light!

For the horse who is leaning on your hands – quit giving him something to lean on! It’s as simple as that! A leaning horse is the result of a vicious circle - horse pulls, so your hands brace and harden, horse leans further, your hands toughen up even further...and so it continues. It's a two-way street. If you take away the contact, your horse no longer has anything to lean on. The first thing we did for my mom’s OTTB when we first got him off the track, was to remove all bit contact under-saddle and ride him on a looped rein. It was a little hilarious, because he felt like a fish out of water, floundering about as he tried to figure out what he was now supposed to do. No one was directing his every (leaning) step!! He had to take responsibility for himself, think for himself, and be light – there was no longer anything to lean on! He was a little confused at first, but quickly figured it out. Once he had a solid foundation, we then took it back up to the next level – contact. This is not to be confused with asking the horse to pick up the bit, which comes as a result of progression along the dressage training scale; picking up contact on the horse who is ready for it consists solely of picking up the slack in the reins to the point where you can subtly feel his mouth at the end of your reins - that's it. At that point you start developing the horse to where he eventually picks up the bit of his own accord, as a result of the exercises and patterns you're asking him to perform (using bend and inside leg to outside rein). For the less enthusiastic or established leaner, you can do two things when he goes to lean: close your legs and close your hands. Your legs should gently but abruptly bump him, effectively driving his hind under him a little more and causing him to pick up his front end. Simultaneously, close your hands abruptly as he reaches down to lean, allowing him to "hit the end of the rein". Lateral work and poles on the ground - exercises that require increased engagement, will also prevent your horse from leaning.

Please make sure to not confuse a horse reaching down and stretching over his back with a horse who is leaning - a horse who is leaning is putting a lot of weight in your hands, you will feel your arms and shoulders being dragged downward. The horse who is stretching over his back should be doing so while remaining engaged (at least mostly) and should be light in your hand. If you're not sure what your horse is doing or why, consult a professional.



Many times I feel horses are thrown into contact work without sufficient basics. A horse should be light on a loose rein first, should be responsible for himself (ie, maintain gait, self-carriage to a limited extent, and balance), and should know how to think for himself, first. He should be very responsive to weight shifts, to leg aids, and should be soft, supple, and relaxed. There should be no resistance on a loose rein and there should also be no dependance on that rein for control; it should be an intimate means of communication! Only then should the slack be taken up in the reins and the horse progressed up the training scale. At that point, the rider is solely taking up slack in the reins - not pulling on the horse's mouth or trying to initiate contact by the horse or what.

Another tip for the leaner is: impulsion. Transitions as well as changes in pace within a gait (such as a trot) work to get the horse working more off its hind end. A horse on his hind end is, obviously, not on the forehand and in a position to lean. A little squeeze when your horse goes down to lean forces him to step under himself better for a moment or two, which causes the poll to come up. In dressage, you work to the point where eventually the poll is the highest point in the collected horse - obviously he is not leaning on your hands by that point! You don't have to be a dressage rider to achieve the same lightness and level of collection, but you can do the same or similar exercises. Really effective can be to squeeze and bump gently with your hands simultaneously, as previously mentioned. Don't nag at your horse, but only correct him when he actually makes a mistake. On the note of exercises, I have found the book: Progressive School Exercises for Dressage and Jumping, by Islay Auty, to be extremely beneficial - I use it on a constant basis, whether working my western horses or my dressage and jumping prospects. A specific exercise you can do is to set up 4 pairs of cones, one pair at each "corner" of a 20m circle (creating a "+" or "x"). Space each pair of cones 3-4 feet apart, along the circumference of the 20m circle, with the goal of riding between each pair. Start by riding the circle at a walk, then progress to a trot, then finally a canter - don't progress to the next gait until the former is well-established. Ensure your horse is bent, supple, relaxed, and balanced going around the circle. As you ride between the pair of cones, slow the horse (if you're working on contact, don't pull back, just close your hands and relax your seat). As you leave the pair of cones, open your hands and allow the horse to move out again (you should just have to open your hands, if not, give a light squeeze - if impulsion is a problem, play some Point-2-Point or other such simple exercise). The goal is to teach the horse to sit back on his hindquarters and work off his hind end - by slowing he sits back in the first place, by asking for impulsion afterwards he works off that hind end. With the western horse, your hand and seat cues are essentially the same, even if you are working off a loose rein (if your horse has trouble "hearing" you, use heavier reins or shorten up the rein length).

Keep in mind also that the horse who is leaning is likely doing so due to lack of strength and balance. He is using his rider as a 'fifth leg' so as to balance, as opposed to using his hind end. The ultimate object is to work the horse in such a way where he has to increasingly engage (ie, lateral work, poles, hills) so he develops strength and the habit of carrying himself in a more uphill manner. Horses with a downhill build (ie, top of butt higher than top of wither) or with a low-set neck (ie, below the point of shoulder) will have a stronger tendency to lean and will have more difficulty rocking back onto their haunches - be patient! Such a horse will have limits to his ability to move in a more uphill manner. Horses, just as people, can also be lazy, which means they are not driving from behind and engaging as they should be. Same principles as previously mentioned all apply.

Last but not least, our horses are a reflection of us, so a tense body or hard hands = a hard mouth and/or a heavy horse. Keep your body and hands soft!! There is many a time I have had to consciously remind myself to lighten up my hands or legs – instantly the horse I am riding would lighten up as well. Tension in your own body can also reflect as tension in the horse too. Often, too, we just have to give our horses the chance to be light with leg aids - they sometimes surprise us! Always be as light as possible but as effective as necessary - make your corrections to be effective but always return to being light. On a related note, be sure to maintain correct position, as a leaning rider will also create a leaning horse who is on his forehand.

Don’t think your horse can be light and responsive in his mouth, or that he is physically capable of being light in his body? Think again - he can feel a fly landing on a single hair. It's about the horse's mind and responsiveness to your aids, not about whether or not he can feel you. He feels you - your job is to teach him he can be light.