Collection
The idea of collection is very simple. It is the ability of the horse to shift his weight from his fore legs to his hind legs.
Inside leg to outside rein
So this is a very common thing that you would hear in just about every dressage lesson. But what does this really mean and what is going on for the horse when you are trying to use inside leg to outside rein?
Most of the time when you hear this the horse is on a circle. So when you use your inside leg to stimulate your horse to move more under himself, centrifugal force on the circle as the horse then pushes more forward also pushes some of his weight and balance into your outside rein. It is at this moment that you should half halt gently your outside rein to help the horse shift his balance back onto his inside shoulder so that the inside hind leg is carrying more of the weight. This then keeps the horse on the circle line instead of falling out like a spiral.
So when you hear inside leg to outside rein what you want to feel is the horse’s balance moving into your outside rein after you put on your inside leg. You should then be able to use your outside rein to shift the balance back to the inside shoulder making the inside hind leg of the horse carry more weight.
Dressage Definitions
Recently I have had many people that didn’t really understand some of the basic dressage terms that are used during lessons. So I am going to start posting a few each week to help clarify the ideas and the feel that you should be getting from the horse.
Manolo Clinic Canceled
The Manolo Mendez clinic has been postponed/canceled. As I get more updates on possible new dates for a clinic with him I will post them.
Tug of War
Tug of War: Classical Versus Modern Dressage: Why Classical Training Works and How Incorrect Riding Negatively Affects Horses’ Health, Written by Dr. Gerd Heuschmann.
The name of this book really says it all, it is a wonderful read. It gives a very good overview of the bio-mechanics of the horse and how riding affects the horse overall. I highly recommend that everyone read this book.
Explanations of the functional anatomy of the horse, including detailed diagrams of muscles and ligaments used to develop the horse according to classical principles. Heuschmann explains in detail which muscles and ligaments are used when the horse is in different positions/elevations of the head and neck and thus which are detrimental to development of the horse and should be avoided.
Happy Reading!
Manolo Mendez Clinic
JULY 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th, 2011
Manolo is an In-Hand & Classical Dressage | Piaffe, Passage, Pirouette Specialist.
Manolo Mendez was a founding member and the first Head Rider of the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Jerez, Spain. Today, he teaches dressage riders around the world and trains horses from training to Grand Prix using gentle, empathetic training methods. Manolo works in the saddle and in-hand to develop horses that are healthy, calm and confident, supple, straight and expressive. For more information, visit: manolomendezdressage.com
Lesson: $150 In-Hand: $200
Auditing: $25 for 1 Day • $45/2 Days • $60/3 Days • $75/4 Days if registered or $25 per Day at the door
We supply limited seating and we ask you bring a chair and lunch. Lessons are 45 minutes and are for all riders, training through Grand Prix. A mix of rides will be presented so there’s something for everyone!
To reserve your spot, please contact: Alexandra Robinson (719) 351-9721 or e-mail therobinsons4@msn.com
Clinic location: Wilson Ranch, 17555 Bar X Rd, Colorado Springs, Co 80908
Correct use of the Leg Aids
It is important to understand the use and timing of the leg aids so that you can most effectively use them to achieve the desired result of the hind legs stepping further under the horse’s body.
Lets go over the timing of the aid. You want to give the aid when the hind leg is off the ground and swinging forward in the stride. What does that feel like? Well when the hind leg steps forward on lets say the left side in the walk you will feel under your left leg the ribs swinging away, it is at this moment that you should give the aid to get the horse to step under just a little bit more. At this moment you are effectively getting a muscle contraction along the horse’s abdominal muscles which will pull the hind leg further under the body by default. With correct timing your getting a greater effect for less effort.
So when should we use the leg aid to ask the horse to step further under? And which leg should we be using? A rider should always use the inside leg to ask the horse to step more under. In addition to getting the horse to step further under their bodies the leg aid also asks for bend. So its important that the outside leg is only in a supportive role or you could inadvertently ask your horse for counter bend.
Balance in the Beginning
Balance is very important for a horse. As a prey animal, they are very aware of their balance. When it becomes greatly disturbed they can become nervous and upset.
When we start training a horse on the lunge, we can observe several things about their ability to balance. We can easily judge the overall balance by observing two things: how much they counter bend on the circle, and how much their neck moves up or down.
As the horse goes around the circle, we can determine how much balance they have laterally by how much they counter bend on the circle. We must be careful about using training aids that force the horse into a position that doesn’t allow it to adopt a position that is balanced for its individual stage of training.
The more their necks move vertically indicates that they are having a hard time balancing and shifting their weight. The neck works as a lever and balancing mechanism. When the horse has free use of the neck, they can easily re-balance themselves simply by lifting or lowering their neck. The slower the horse goes, the easier it should be for it to balance. The horse should have its best balance in the walk.
Conversely, in the beginning, the canter is the hardest gait for the horse. We can clearly see this with a young horse on the lunge. That is when the horse will have the most counter bend to enable it to counteract the centrifugal forces of the circle. It is important for us to understand how the horse is reacting naturally to the forces acting upon it so that we can help the horse to become stronger without more stress to the animal.
So, how do we know when the horse is getting stronger in their balance? His neck carriage will steady and his spine will start to conform to the arc of the lunge circle. It is important that the horse be able to balance well on his own before we add the weight of the rider.
Clinics with Ralf Schmitzer in May 2011
We had three great clinics in Sep 2010 once again in the new format of three days for each clinic. This allowed us to accommodate more riders and gave some new people the chance to experience Ralf’s teaching style and learn about his philosophy.
The next clinics are in May 2011. There will be three clinics of 3 days each. Here are the dates:
Apr 29-May 1 at Diamond Jet Equestrian, Elizabeth
May 3-May 5 at Whispering Winds, Monument
May 7-May 9 at Whispering Winds, Monument
There is an option to sign-up and secure your spot right now.
Send $50 (non-refundable made out to Simone Windeler) to
Simone Windeler
19525 Twisted Pine Dr
Colorado Springs, CO 80908
If you are riding in the clinic we will apply the $50 to your clinic fee. The clinic fee will be $345 (an upward adjustment for the exchange rate Dollar-Euro might occur).
Welcome!
This Blog will be covering aspects of Classical Baroque Dressage and the concepts of balance and lightness. I am hoping to be able to update this once a week with posts. I hope you enjoy this blog as a reference and clarification tool for your own training.