Training the dressage horse

Press, 22 October 1986, Page 49

Training the dressage horse

By

JENNIFER STOBART

Training a horse for dressage can be like training a gymnast or a skater.

The aim is to produce patterns of beautiful movement and brilliant paces. It should look effortless, but it actually takes tremendous co-ordi-nation and timing. There has to be a carefully planned system of training which will develop the horse’s muscles to their maximum potential, so as to polish their natural way of moving. The skill of a dressage trainer lies in knowing not only what the horse needs to produce in the way of circles, pirouettes, flying changes, and so on, and how to lead up through the various levels of movement to the most difficult ones, but also in knowing what exercises and combinations of movements will supple and strengthen that horse best.

Being literally on top of his horse, the trainer cannot actually watch what is going on — he has to feel the results with his seat bones.

Balance is the key factor in training. A horse’s natural balance when free allows him to perform splendidly in the wild. Flying changes, pirouettes, even the piaffe and passage (the elevated trots on the spot or parading forward when a stallion is showing off), come easily then. This has to be produced

on invisible command by a rider, whose weight has turned the free-as-air playboy into a restricted tramper with- a heavy pack on his back. The- trainer has to constantly work at maintaining his own position on the horse’s back, so as to be the least possible disturbance, while absorbing considerable movement from that back, and at the same time give the horse all the ' gymnastic exercises he-needs to build up his muscles and still keep him happy and co-opera-tive. Woe betide the rider who collapses at the waist or lets his head droop forward, so losing his own stability’, and tipping unncessary weight forward, when he needs to help the horse to be light in front! A work session should begin gently, with the horse stretching, nothing forced, but using all the muscles of his “top line” — his back from ears to tail, to start the power flowing through from the hind-quarters. Gradually, with decreasing sizes of circles, he is made supple on each side of his body as well.

No horse is quite equal on both sides, so a clever trainer must know how to position and improve the idle side. Lazy muscles are content to stay short, so the trainer’s job is to make them work, bend and stretch, otherwise a horse will always be “hollow” and short on one side, and unable to do beautiful straight work.

Changes of pace must be as smooth as the classiest gear change. In competitions these are called transitions and have to happen at precise marks, not “when you are ready,” but exactly ’’now." Some horses with big strides are at their best in extended paces — the extended trot is one of the showiest, when they seem to float across the arena, but the extended walk carries more marks in a test as it is harder to preserve as the work gets more advanced. Horses with short strong backs find the collected work easier — the short, light, springy strides of collected trot which they use for half-passes and the smallest circles. Some find flying changes (changing legs at canter in the air without a pause or break of stride) relatively easy, while others get a mental block about them and if asked before they are really ready in their work, will rush through the movements and never settle to doing them smoothly. Flying changes are asked for in many places in the drssage arena; the lower levels of tests only asking for one by itself. At international level they are done in series; changing legs every four strides, done five times, then five of every third stride, and so on, until finally at the Grand Prix, the Olympic Test, a horse is required to do 15 onetime changes across a di-

agonal of the arena, and the strides must be straight and long and without any hitch. In the Prix St Georges Test (the designated test for the Australasian Zone of the Haig Competition), there are other difficult movements, too, apart from the four-time and three-time flying changes: transitions from canter to halt, collected trot into extended walk, rein-back to canter, among others. The most demanding of balance and strength is the demi-pirouette in canter. Here the horse turns the smallest possible half-circle in canter with his hind legs keeping as close to his starting point as he can. He must not rush round, or switch legs behind, or lose his balance in any way, and the rider has to keep his balance on top and make it look effortless.

Other difficult movements are the half-pass in trot and canter, when the horse travels diagonally across the arena, curved, or bent, in the direction he is going, legs crossing in a scissor effect, without losing the rhythm of the pace and the evenness of the strides. Such efforts require great power and suppleness and willingness on the part of the horse, and one which has been well trained will enjoy his work and show it in his carriage and expression. Concentration is a quality that is developed with years of competitive experience, since the rider

has to memorise tne whole test, which may, as in the Prix St Georges, last over seven minutes and be 27 movements long. It is to be hoped the horse will concentrate too, and not be distracted by noises or moving objects outside his arena. A spectator carrying an umbrella, or a noisy dog, can create sad lapses.

A horse which is willing and co-operative and responds with energy to its rider’s requests is a delight to ride and will make all the years of training well worth while.