Watching a Dressage Master at Work, Seminar #2

(This blog was originally posted on October 26, 2014)

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 2010 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 dressage 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 behind carries 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-bones are straight

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/.

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