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| Photo by Sara Fogan |
On March 8,
2014 and March 9, 2014, I audited a dressage symposium at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank,
California. Charlotte Dujardin,
the British individual
gold medalist in dressage at the 2012 Olympic Games and 2016 Olympic Games and reigning world champion in the sport, was the
featured clinician. She and her former trainer, International Grand Prix
champion Judy
Harvey, shared their expertise with six accomplished equestrians and their
equally impressive horses to work through specific training issues. Following
are more tips and training insights about what to look for in a young
horse/competitive dressage prospect that Ms. Dujardin shared during these
clinics, which you might find helpful too.
·
There is a saying that practice makes perfect,
but the truth is that perfect practice makes perfect performance. Bad
habits form very easily, so it is important to do and teach your horse to do
the movement right in the first place. Moral of the story: “Nine times out of
10, riders who do bad transitions at home will do bad transitions in a
competition. Always practice doing good transitions,” Ms. Dujardin
cautioned. “Do good transitions as if your life depended on it.”
·
The Olympic champion emphasized the importance
of using clear and natural aids when teaching transitions. “Lose the whip! The
horse must know to go off the leg,” she said. “Soften your hands. You’ve got to
let go and then press to get the other gears.”
·
A common error/reaction when asking for a bigger
stride or an up transition is to inadvertently shut down this process. “When
you ask a horse to go [forward], let him go!” the Olympian encouraged. Whether
you are doing up or down transitions, the horse must always be waiting for the
rider’s instructions what to do next.
·
If you hold the reins too tightly you are likely
to make your horse tight and nervous, Ms. Dujardin said. “You should be able to
relax your hands and the horse should be able to continue the movement without
you holding her in,” You hold the horse with your seat and legs, not the reins, she said. Riders must
also be careful not to shorten the neck too much when rounding the horse, she
added. “He needs his neck for balance.”
·
Keep your horse interested in his training by including
hacks (trail rides) and a day completely off in a pasture. “It is very important for the horse to have
time off/switch-off periods.” For example, the Grand Prix horses that Charlotte
Dujardin trains typically go on 20-minute trail rides before spending 15 to 20
minutes warming up, followed by a schooling session. While older horses work
for 40-45 minutes schooling session, the training
repertoire for younger horses is considerably shorter: they work for a
maximum of 30 minutes with plenty of walk breaks, she said.
·
No matter what level you are training, always reward
your horse for doing good work during his training. The reward for good
collection work is a long rein so he can stretch his neck. “Be sure to reward
the horse when he does something right or you will get a sour/unwilling horse,”
she warned.
·
If your horse is spooky, don’t make an issue
about what is setting him off, Ms. Dujardin advised. Instead, “Ignore it and
use leg-yielding into the object
rather than away. If you beat the horse up for spooking at something, you give
him more reason to avoid it.” Continue to practice riding a line toward the
object that is acceptable to the horse so he can get used to what scared him
before until it is no longer an issue. “Over time, you build a bond with the
horse and give him confidence to deal with whatever until eventually he will
walk through fire for you. You know you have a real connection with your horse
when you feel him relax under you when he was scared of something.”
·
The horse needs to be in front of your leg to
maintain suspension in the gait. “Rhythm and balance makes good movement,” she
said.
·
“Don’t punish a good horse by making him
practice one movement over and over.”
·
Think of the walk as a movement. It has a
double co-efficient, after all! “It is equally important to work on the walk as
any other gait. It is not a chance to goof off,” Ms. Dujardin said.
I will share
more of her horse-training and riding suggestions in future blogs.
Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in
Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation
Institute in 2005. For more
information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an
appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.
© 2016
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