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/.

© 2015

 

Watching a Dressage Master at Work, Seminar #1

(This blog was originally posted on October 27, 2014)

 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 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 the dressage 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, and 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 (for judging in a competition) is 10x2.

When a horse can do a pirouette with a loose rein, you know you’re riding with your 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 MotivationInstitute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2015