My Dressage Training Regimen

Photo by Rick Hustead

“A fit horse needs a fit rider.”

When my trainer said that to me this summer her words had the effect of a medieval knight of yore dropping the gauntlet to encourage me to step up my dressage training. My gelding, Galahad, has been in full training with her for five years and their hard work really shows. He is much more muscular and flexible than the horse I first sat on in August of 2011. There is more suspension in his trot and canter strides, and when he gets in frame his movement is, well, it feels like flying (to me). So, to be able to comfortably sit those gaits I needed to do some work, too.

My trainer is a former professional ballet dancer, so the first thing she did was develop a more intensive warm-up regimen for me to do before each ride. In addition to Pilates roll-ups and a sequence of hip-opening exercises ballet stretches like demi- and grand pliés, she incorporated a series of side lunges and sprints up and down her (very long and moderately steep) driveway.

Meanwhile, I continue to take at least five yoga classes each week, including classes devoted to deep stretches and restorative/therapeutic yoga for greater flexibility, and Vinyasa flow sessions to practice smooth transitions between various positions. As I explained in my blog titled Me, Dressage and Yoga, these classes are a perfect complement for my riding because the positions emphasize balance, increase strength and teach independent movement of specific areas of the body.

I am also paying close attention to my diet (nutrition) and quantity and quality of sleep, especially before I ride. As I have mentioned in many of my blogs, fluctuations in blood-sugar levels can increase anxiety and frustration levels as well as potential moodiness. To prevent these effects, I make sure to eat a light meal with some form of protein about an hour before I ride. I also avoid caffeine, which can cause a similar response. The last thing I want is the negative physiological effects of a sudden drop or spike in my blood-sugar level to trigger anxiety in me and that spirals into to a fight/flight reaction in Galahad.

The final component of this physical-fitness program entails a lot of training on the lunge-line—bareback, without a bridle or reins and my hands resting on top of my head (helmet)—to work on my balance, improve my seat and perfect my aids (leg and seat). My trainer often likens Galahad to a fine German sports-car in that he has a very powerful engine in the back (his hindquarters) and he has a manual transmission. In other words, my gelding is not a kick-and-go horse; he is very sensitive to every aid, including inhalation and exhalation of breath. So, if I take my legs off him or shift my balance even slightly he will do something I didn’t (intentionally) ask for.

I still have a lot more work to do until I get to ride with a saddle again, but that is actually fine with me. There is something so freeing about this training, and I can feel what Galahad is doing and thinking about doing so much better than when there is a big leather saddle between us. It is also great for bolstering my confidence knowing that I can ask my horse to move forward, backward, halt and transition between gaits completely “hands-free.” Finally, these past few months I have learned how to trust myself to ride my horse with such subtle aids. More important, I realized that I can and do trust him when we work together. Every ride, I am re-writing and creating a new subconscious mental script about riding and, specifically, riding this (my) horse.

There is truly no greater feeling than this, and all the training I do on and off Galahad is helping me increase my strength and improve my skills as a dressage rider.

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