Watching a Dressage Master at Work, Part 3

Photo by Sara Fogan

On the final day of his 2010 clinic, Olympian Jan Ebeling demonstrated why dressage riders

must master all of the elements on the Training Scale to achieve collection.

 

                In 2010, I had an opportunity to watch several dressage clinics that were conducted by one of my favorite competitors, Olympian Jan Ebeling. The workshop was held during the Equine Affaire in Pomona, California, during which time he worked with several riders and their horses to fine-tune their communication and technique with their equine partners. There is no better way to understand how the Training Scale “looks” than by watching a dressage master ride advanced movements such as the piaffe, passage, canter pirouette and single tempi changes. These are some highlights of what I learned and observed during the third (and final) dressage clinic he conducted during that weekend.

 

Seminar #3, February 6, 2010 

Theme of clinic: Structuring your dressage training sessions.

Dressage is a team sport: horse+rider+trainer.

Everyone can do dressage. It’s good training for everyone! Dressage improves the horse’s natural abilities by gymnasticizing its body.

Sandrina: Jan Eberling’s horse for the demo. Oldenberg mare with a lot of TB.

It takes 8-10 years to create a Grand Prix horse. Not every horse can do it.

“Principles of Dressage” guidelines for the professional trainer.

We are often our own best critic. Get video of key moments of your ride to analyze, evaluate the ride.

Goals we must achieve when training dressage: Rhythm. Relaxation. Contact. Impulsion. Straightness. Collection. You can’t have collection without establishing every other element, first.

Typically start out on the horse’s easier/better side to make it easier/more enjoyable for the horse.

Purity of the gaits is very important in dressage. Trot: a diagonal two-beat.

Change tempo of pushing poweràcarrying power. Combination of legs and hands puts the horse in frame.

Legs, seat and hands make the horse respond in a particular way. Get the horse to step actively under her legs.

In dressage, we want the horse to become more even.

When the horse gets scared, it’s important to earn their trust, to trust and listen to the aids. If the horse doesn’t trust you and spooks or something, if you punish the horse for geing scared, it will spook worse.

Shoulder-in and leg-yield helps the horse maneuver.

Balance, no resistance=good canter transition. Even a Grand Prix horse has to work on these things.

Practice sending the horse forward and bring him back.

“Leg” refers to knee on down (lower leg)

You must do the basics and know how to speak “the basics” to your horse so they understand.

In order to get good (become a good rider) it takes a lot of input.

Legs forward, hands restricting, seat assist forward drive.

In a test, the poll must be at the highest point.

Gradually work your way to the fancy transitions.

If you see that the horse is relaxed and wants to go forward, that’s good!

Profession in training, exposure to see where we are with the horse.

After movements of collection, always go forward again right away.

How pretty you sit, effectiveness of you aids, elasticity of horse and desire of horse to go forward …(?)

Backing up is an obedience exercise.

Make horse more compact and release. It should take very little aid (?)

Straight trotàput both legs on. Keep contact on outside rein so the horse turns.

One tempis: it’s like the horse is “skipping.” Keep horse straight, balanced. To train, go back to the basics, work on relieving stiffness.

Whwen horse is on a long rein, you want it to have energy. For a very eager horse, repeat stop-go.

Rhythm of the walk is easily destroyed if you mess with the hands a lot.

Get into the horse’s head to understand how it thinks/get into the horse’s psyche.

Separation of hind feet is a common mistake in canter pirouette. If frame isn’t right, the horse is too weak, back is tight, too much hand.in the canter pirouette, there’s not much to repair if it starts to go wrong.

Training is about compromise and confrontation.

JE keeps horse in a fairly round frame.

Always use positive reinforcement. Someone needs to explain what to do.

You always want to keep the horse happy: “I don’t want a slave. I want a buddy.” (Jan Ebeling)

 

 

 

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/.

Watching a Dressage Master at Work, Part 2

Photo by Sara Fogan

During the second clinic, Olympic equestrian Jan Ebeling explained how to

build and increase strength in a dressage horse.

 

                In 2010, I had an opportunity to watch several dressage clinics that were conducted by one of my favorite competitors, Olympian Jan Ebeling. The workshop was held during the Equine Affaire in Pomona, California, during which time he worked with several riders and their horses to fine-tune their communication and technique with their equine partners. In addition to teaching the participants and auditors how to execute a movement, he also demonstrated how to achieve each of the elements on the Training Scale while riding his Grand Prix Oldenburg/Thoroughbred mare, Sandrina. Here are some highlights of what I learned and observed during the second of three clinics he conducted during that weekend.

 

Seminar #2, February 5, 2010

 

Reflex, push at the girth produces tendency to go forward. Behind the girth prevents the haunches from falling out of pushing sideways in another direction.

Position of the rider is very important! Flex the wrist and squeeze the reins with finger like a wet sponge. Outside leg supports the haunches, inner leg sends direction forward.

Backing off is as important as pushing forward. Remember your half halts. Driving and restricting=half-halt. End in a release.

Low cross-poles, trot poles, good for gymnasticizing the horse.

Voice has a soothing effect on the horse, but don’t use voice aids in a test!

School the horse in both directions to keep him equally pliable. Start schooling the horse on his easier direction to get him looser.

Bend should always be equal. Use light pressure: “Less is more.”

Know your horse re: what type of warm-up works best.

Praising is VERY important!

People are very fast to notice/punish a mistake. We need to notice and reward efforts!

You want energy, praise horse when he bursts forward. It’s better to have natural energy than to have to use spurs.

Use as little hand as necessary to propel the horse.

Half-pass is designed to help force the horse to loosen up and bend at the hips.

Leg intensity must match on both sides of the horse’s body

The more active you can make him, the easier the transition will be.

To push forward, activate the inside leg at the girth to go forward. The outside leg goes back to support the forward motion. Come back to the outside leg.

Simple walk-canter transitions are good to make the horse listen to you.

How you combine the various aids you use, determines the outcome of the movement. Make sure the horse understands the nuances of the language you are speaking to him.

When you have problems doing a technique, “pick it apart” in elements to fix it.

Make sure the horse understands cues for walk-canter and trot-canter, right away. Inner leg, outer leg, weight, what we do with our hands.

Use driving aids to push the horse back. Get active behindàcarries weight in the hind.

Piaffe-diagonal-equal two beats. Save areas as forward trot.

Strength takes a long time to build in dressage horses.

Aids are very simple to give if you know how to give them.

More engagement/less engagement is achieved through half-halts; you need to ride a lot of transitions.

Goal is to have a relaxed, steady rhythm (trot)

Push horse forward into the contact and then release (less than 0.5 seconds.)

Always end movement in relief; get out of the horse’s face.

If horse has problem with his tongue, there’s a submission problem: Horse isn’t accepting the bit. Make sure the tack is correct to communicate with him.

You always want to keep the training interesting for the horse.

Make sure the horse uses muscle on top of his neck, stays in frame.

Full seat-bonesàstraight

Everything in dressage is very minute. These kinds of adjustments can be difficult to make.

Part of riding is understanding how horses “talk” to us.

Principles of riding…. Sometimes you have to be tough, not rough.

 

 

 

 

 

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/.

Watching a Dressage Master at Work, Part 1

Photo by Sara Fogan

Olympian Jan Ebeling taught several dressage clinics during
the 2010 Equine Affaire in Pomona, California.

 

                In 2010, I had an opportunity to watch several dressage clinics that were conducted by one of my favorite competitors, Olympian Jan Ebeling. The workshop was held during the Equine Affaire in Pomona, California, during which time he worked with several riders and their horses to fine-tune their communication and technique with their equine partners. In addition to teaching the participants and auditors how to execute a movement, he also demonstrated how to achieve each of the elements on the Training Scale while riding his Grand Prix Oldenburg/Thoroughbred mare, Sandrina. Here are some highlights of what I learned and observed during these clinics.

 

Seminar #1, February 5, 2010

Building on a training scale, how to improve horse in using the training scale. Blue-print used in training is in chronological order: balance, rhythm, relaxation, develop contact, accept connection to the hand. Steady reins. Always give the impression that the horse has to want to go forward.

Rhythm, relaxation, contact, suspension, balance, collection. Carrying more weight behind is as important as neck frame. Poll should always be the highest point.

Spend 10-15 minutes warming up to avoid injury. Allow the horse to stretch forward and downward.

Forward is good, natural thing for a horse. Use forward energy to make the horse use its body correctly. Never punish the horse for that; use and try to control forward impulsion. Try to NOT yank the horse, back it up. Let him go forward.

Look for relaxation. Gradually bend the horse in rhythm. Find the tempo for the horse to give a steady contact/connection.

Rhythm, relaxation, contact. Alternate big and small transitions. Work on these goals every day.

Listen to your horse to feel what it’s ready to do. Training scale gives you a guideline as to what it’s comfortable with/ready to do.

Impulsion: when the horse gets more advanced. Then straightness: push hind into the front.

Piaffe, passage and canter pirouette uses the highest level of collection.

You must always follow the basic exercises. Rhythm is the basic element.

Ride the quality of the gait.

Quality of the canter is rhythm and how much jump/elevation into the air he has.

The walk should have a clear, four-beat gait.

Forward and sideways=half-pass. Lateral bend in the body, looks in the direction he’s tracking. Steady bend, frame and rhythm.

How to determine the correct tempo? The horse will determine it. Too fast, and the back won’t swing. Slow down if necessary.

Both sides should be even.

Allow top-line to lower to get back to relax mentally and physically. Search forward for the bit.

Time: don’t ever get pressed for time. Hurrying it never helps.

The highest level has three or four flying changes in the tempi.

If the horse makes a mistake or gets distressed, make the horse just repeat the exercise.

Ground cover is very important in the canter, to get more “jump”/elevation in the gait.

Pirouette: larger with haunches-in for suppleness and submission. A larger pirouette helps the horse to gain confidence, relaxation, rhythm.

Impulsion, straightness, collection: we always want the horse to carry.

Medium and collected canter position is always the same.

We always want it to look like we’re doing nothing when we ride dressage.

Eyes up, hands down.

Look at the process of developing the horse in dressage.

When the horse slows down, the hind feet get more animated (?) even if slower…. Light connection, head elevated.

“Quiet hands, keep horse in frame, or the judges will kill you.” (JE)

Rhythm, relaxation, contact.

Develop the extended trot gradually.

It takes discipline to stick with the training scale.

Pirouette canter is the highest degree of collection. Pick up reins, length of walk shorter.

Use the training scale to see if there’s balance in the horse. If you missed something, go back!

The essence of training is compensation. Get through to the horse to keep mental attitude positive. Rhythm doesn’t change.

Even when collected, think of energy!

Pirouette coefficient is 10x2.

When a horse can do a pirouette with a loose rein, you know you’re riding with you’re seat.

Medium canter keeps the horse just in front of the vertical. In tempi, keep the rhythm even. Ground coverage!

Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. Just don’t keep making the mistakes. Let the horse show you where he needs more work.

Horses need their breaks when they get tired. They can’t stay relaxed, keep rhythm and do the work when they’re tired.

Take your time!

Develop collection for passage by doing extensions.

When a horse is willing, you can see how well-trained he is. Nothing is forced, everything looks easy.

Not every horse is a huge mover; they can still be well-trained and happy.

Understand how progress in training happens: Rhythm. Relaxation. Contact… then, Impulsion. Straightness. Collection.

Some horses get claustrophobic in piaffe. The trainer has to realize where the horse works best.

 

 

 

 

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/.

© 2014

Weight Loss and Hypnotherapy

Photo courtesy of Microsoft

(This blog was originally posted on January 2, 2014)

 

 

Whenever I work with a hypnotherapy client to help the person lose weight, the first thing I do is to establish the motivation for losing the weight. Is there a health reason such as diabetes control? Does the person want to improve his or her physical fitness or just take off a few pounds after indulging during the holidays? Sometimes friends or relatives in the person’s social circle put on pressure to drop the pounds. Or, a client may use excess weight as a “shield” to protect against emotional rejection or even a subconscious fear of returning to a previous lower weight where an emotional trauma may have occurred, said John G. Kappas, Ph.D., founder of Hypnosis Motivation Institute.

“If you are not personally motivated to achieve the weight-loss goal, the weight-loss program is unlikely to be successful,” Dr. Kappas explained. 

Once the client identifies what is motivating him or her to lose weight, I help the person to resolve any previous issues or resistance to losing weight* and develop a strong, positive self-image about being at the desired weight and feeling comfortable with being physically attractive. When appropriate, I also refer the client to be examined by a physician for guidance about an appropriate exercise and nutritional regimen, which I will reinforce during the hypnotherapy sessions. All hypnotic suggestions would incorporate the client’s feeling motivated to feel physically, emotionally, mentally healthy and happier every day and to project positive feelings and ideas of successfully losing weight in a healthy way.

*California law allows access by California residents to complementary and alternative health care practitioners who are not providing services that require medical training and credentials. The purpose of a program of hypnotherapy is for vocational and avocational self-improvement (Business and Professions Code 2908) and as an alternative or complementary treatment to healing arts services licensed by the state. A hypnotherapist is not a licensed physician or psychologist, and hypnotherapy services are not licensed by the state of California. Services are non-diagnostic and do not include the practice of medicine, neither should they be considered a substitute for licensed medical or psychological services or procedures.

 

 

 

 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®, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

Our Thoughts Create Our Reality

Photo courtesy of Microsoft

“Our thoughts create our reality - where we put our focus is the

direction we tend to go.”– Peter McWilliams

 

                You have probably heard the expression, Be careful what you wish for. You might have just had a random thought or made an observation about a situation going on in your environment and then, bam! Without even particularly “wishing” for something, the thing you have just been considering manifests into a real-life experience. Suddenly, you are the unintentionally intentional recipient of a particular life lesson.

It is almost spooky how that happens. There you are, having a seemingly random thought about the frequency of car crashes that happen close to home, and then you get in a fender-bender of your own two blocks away from your house. Or, you see a stranger on the street who reminds you of a friend or relative you haven’t heard from or seen in a long time. Lo and behold, you receive a post-card or e-mail or even get a phone call from that person. And how many equestrians reading this blog have been warned that when you look at the ground while you are riding, you are selecting the spot where you will fall off your horse?

                Hypnotherapist and Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D., believed that everyone follows a subconscious mental script that we create very early in our lives. Every minute of every day, our thoughts and behaviors are constantly being influenced by the ones we already store and follow in our subconscious mind. Furthermore, he stated, we will behave and even think in ways that are consistent with it even when the script does not facilitate achievement of our conscious personal goals or may even be detrimental to them.

                When someone seeks hypnotherapy to help get out of a rut or “unstuck” from a perceived pattern of negative circumstances, I help the person reframe his or her negative thoughts/beliefs/expectations in a more positive or optimistic perspective. I also work with the client to increase self-confidence, which in turn increases the person’s belief in his or her ability to control and even transform a potential negative outcome to a positive one. Ultimately, the willingness and ability to transform (control) an initial negative response by looking for and enacting positive solutions to that challenge are keys to creating a more favorable outcome.

 

 

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/.

Client Cooperation

(This blog was originally posted on March 6, 2014)

Photo courtesy of Fotolia

Whether you want to change a behavior to improve your health or you simply want to learn how to relax, hypnosis is an effective, natural and drug-free tool that facilitates behavior change by accessing the subconscious mind. However, you must want to change your behavior in order for hypnotherapy to work.

As I explained in my December 27, 2013 blog, “suggestibility” is how we communicate and learn. Even though you can be suggestible to many people, you are most suggestible to yourself. Therefore, I incorporate the specific words/expressions you used to describe your emotions and motivations/desire to effect the desired change when I craft your hypnotic script (suggestions). This means that you will be hypnotizing yourself.

Many people wonder if hypnosis will really work—and how it can work—on someone who has a razor-sharp mind and such a strong will (i.e., a stubborn streak) like theirs. Even though it is natural to subconsciously resist the process of becoming hypnotized at first, these initial doubts may even help to deepen your relaxation and comfort once you enter the hypnotic trance. However, you will not successfully change your behavior if you do not want to make this change.

 

 

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/.

© 2014

 

What You Can (and Cannot) Expect From Hypnotherapy

 

                I would like to clarify a couple of things about hypnosis and my role as a certified hypnotherapist. First, as I explain on my website, hypnosis is a natural, drug-free and highly effective therapeutic modality that has been used for centuries to help people change mental scripts for unwanted beliefs or behaviors that no longer work for them. Whether you want to lose weight, quit smoking, increase your self-confidence, overcome a fear or phobia, or achieve just about any vocational and avocational self-improvement goals, hypnosis can help you get it done.

                My goal is to help each and every one of my hypnotherapy clients to achieve his or her vocational and avocational self-improvement goals. I participate in continuing-education courses throughout the year to fine-tune my therapeutic skills and learn new techniques that I can apply in my practice. Between sessions with my clients, I make myself available to answer any questions or discuss an issue that may have come up during the week via a follow-up phone call, e-mail correspondence or both. I provide a recording of the hypnosis component of their therapy for them to listen to during the week and even give them “homework” assignments to help reinforce the new behavior until their next hypnotherapy session. These assignments may include breathing/relaxation exercises to practice, maintaining their Mental Bank program by writing in their Mental Bank ledger each night before bed, reading specific articles or watching online videos about related hypnotherapeutic techniques that are available via the Hypnosis Motivation Institute online video library.

                I work with my clients to achieve their stated goals; when they have accomplished what they set out to do, we typically part ways until they want to work on something new. I generally do not need to explore unrelated issues or discuss experiences that occurred long ago in my clients’ lives unless they state or believe that event pertains to their presenting issue or affects how they currently lead their lives. Having said that, hypnotherapy is not an overnight miracle “cure” for anything and everything that ails or distresses you. By the time most people come in for hypnotherapy, many months or even years have passed since the unwanted belief or behavior was created. Meanwhile, their subconscious mental script has had plenty of time to nurture and reinforce that unwanted habit. Although hypnotherapy is also generally a shorter-term therapy than many traditional psychotherapeutic modalities, it will likely take more than one hypnosis session to change and/or permanently remove that behavior.

Finally, California law allows me to provide hypnotherapy as a complementary or alternative treatment to help my clients to achieve vocational and avocational self-improvement goals (Business and Professions Code 2908). For example, I am certified to help people manage pain and individuals who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder to deal with a myriad of physical and emotional symptoms. However, I may only do so with a referral from a licensed medical doctor or mental-health professional; I must receive a referral from both of these health-care providers to work with a client who has PTSD. I ethically and legally cannot and will not address some issues (e.g., age regression therapy to identify possible past abuse) or diagnose medical or mental-health symptoms. If I feel that your issues are or become beyond my scope of expertise as a hypnotherapist, I will refer you to a licensed medical doctor or psychologist for further evaluation and/or treatment.

 

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/.

© 2014