INTRODUCING THE BIO-MECHANICS OF EQUINE MOVEMENT
A series of articles on the bio-mechanics of equine movements and how it influences the training of the horse - by Lynne Varley BHSAI and member of TTT.
Article One
The horse as a quadruped has a totally different type of movement and balance to ourselves. We have to remain in perfect balance in order to both move and stand still.
There are no such restrictions on the horse's balance. He can happily exist out of balance with his weight unevenly distributed over his four legs. This important difference between man and horse has its roots in evolution.
Man being a biped is finely balanced and propels himself by a leverage method with his feet, not a particularly rapid means of movement.
The horse being a prey animal has to move rapidly over long distances, and has the added disadvantage that it is a herbivore, therefore is sustained by grass, not a high energy food.
As the horse developed from the little tapir like creature to the bigger stronger animal we know today, its feeding habits have not changed drastically to accommodate its increased size.
Most of the year the wild horse lives on the edge of starvation, the times of plenty in the northern hemisphere are spring and a brief flush of grass with the autumn rains, the rest of the time the horse has to travel huge distances to get enough to eat.
Therefore he has developed an ingenious method of saving vital energy needed for defensive flight. Quite simply he utilizes his imbalance to fall forward onto his forehand. By this type of movement comparatively little energy is used to travel the distances the horse needs to cover to find food, and he can keep in reserve bursts of energy needed to flee from danger or fight if necessary.
The horse has no collar bone, so his skeleton is in two separate parts, and his muscular system is closely allied to this. The postural muscles clothe the top part of the horses body, and the locomotor muscles are associated with the legs.
Postural muscles take energy to activate and are kept in reserve for ¡® flight or fight¡¯. Mostly the horse uses his locomotor muscles for every day use.
When the horse was domesticated many centuries ago and used for war, it was noticed that the horse's natural means of propulsion made it difficult to control especially when the added weight of the rider unbalanced it still further.
The ancient Greeks were probably the first to seriously consider a way to improve the horse's balance under saddle. Xenaphon wrote about how to improve the horse's balance to make it more controllable during battle, which was the beginning of the many theories still continuing today on how to effectively shift weight from the horse's forehand to its hindlegs.
The horse as a quadruped has a totally different type of movement and balance to ourselves. We have to remain in perfect balance in order to both move and stand still.
There are no such restrictions on the horse's balance. He can happily exist out of balance with his weight unevenly distributed over his four legs. This important difference between man and horse has its roots in evolution.
Man being a biped is finely balanced and propels himself by a leverage method with his feet, not a particularly rapid means of movement.
The horse being a prey animal has to move rapidly over long distances, and has the added disadvantage that it is a herbivore, therefore is sustained by grass, not a high energy food.
As the horse developed from the little tapir like creature to the bigger stronger animal we know today, its feeding habits have not changed drastically to accommodate its increased size.
Most of the year the wild horse lives on the edge of starvation, the times of plenty in the northern hemisphere are spring and a brief flush of grass with the autumn rains, the rest of the time the horse has to travel huge distances to get enough to eat.
Therefore he has developed an ingenious method of saving vital energy needed for defensive flight. Quite simply he utilizes his imbalance to fall forward onto his forehand. By this type of movement comparatively little energy is used to travel the distances the horse needs to cover to find food, and he can keep in reserve bursts of energy needed to flee from danger or fight if necessary.
The horse has no collar bone, so his skeleton is in two separate parts, and his muscular system is closely allied to this. The postural muscles clothe the top part of the horses body, and the locomotor muscles are associated with the legs.
Postural muscles take energy to activate and are kept in reserve for ¡® flight or fight¡¯. Mostly the horse uses his locomotor muscles for every day use.
When the horse was domesticated many centuries ago and used for war, it was noticed that the horse's natural means of propulsion made it difficult to control especially when the added weight of the rider unbalanced it still further.
The ancient Greeks were probably the first to seriously consider a way to improve the horse's balance under saddle. Xenaphon wrote about how to improve the horse's balance to make it more controllable during battle, which was the beginning of the many theories still continuing today on how to effectively shift weight from the horse's forehand to its hindlegs.
Article Two
When training the horse for whatever discipline we require we have certain parameters to consider.
Perhaps the most important issue is exactly how the horse moves and how its movement is going to affect its training.
In the previous article I explained how the horse's movement has developed because of the way the horse has lived over many centuries, therefore any training methods have to be applied using our understanding of his inherent characteristic movement.
There are no short cuts to this gymnastic development, depending on the horse's individual conformation, the training can be relatively easy or it can be difficult and time consuming.
The horse has to learn to carry the weight of the rider, and perform various gymnastic feats while doing so. Perhaps if we could imagine carrying a toddler on our shoulders for an hour or so it would give us some idea of the difficulties the horse faces.
One of the added difficulties is where we sit on the horses back. We sit towards the front where the horse also carries his heavy neck and head plus rib cage and vital organs, therefore we increase the weight over his forehand causing further imbalance.
This accentuates the natural crookedness of the horse, making it much more difficult to control his forward urge, for both horse and rider. The horse tumbles forward with the added weight of the rider and nothing we put in his mouth to control him will help, only add tension.
During the past centuries when the horse was used extensively for war and as an every day mode of transport, the riding masters of that time developed exercises to correct this crookedness; namely the shoulder in and the shoulderfore. There are other lateral movements which can also help in the straightening of the horse, but the shoulder in/fore are the corner stone of training.
The object of training is to re-align the horse's shoulders with his hind quarters.
As a result of the weight of the rider, the horse travels forward with his left shoulder out and his right hind carrying no weight. He falls right through the right shoulder on which most of his weight is distributed. This crookedness is the same on both reins, even though it might feel different to the rider.
Some horses are more affected by the weight of the rider than others and this is what determines the progress of the training.
Rarely the crookedness is reversed, about the same ratio as right handed people to left.
One of the most important conformational characteristics of the riding horse is the structure of the hind leg and how it is used.
There has been a great deal of research on the affect of the hind leg action, so much importance is attached to it that the German stallions are scored during the 100 day testing on the hind leg action.
During the limb flight of the hind leg the horse draws up the hock as it commences the movement, it then draws the leg forward before placing it toe down on the ground.The important phase of the movement is how long for and how high the horse draws the hock up before it begins to draw it forward, because it is at this phase the hind leg does not carry any weight.
Given that we are trying to take weight back onto the hind quarters during training you can begin to see the importance of a good hind leg step that minimises the moment of the non- supporting phase.
As the hind leg is drawn up, the hock should also remain as much under the body as possible, the more it is drawn out behind the horse the longer the hind leg is non-supporting. Also another affect of a hock been drawn up excessively is to make the pelvis of the horse rock from side to side with each hind leg step which makes the movements of the horse more difficult for the rider to sit on.
There many theories about training the horse, but one which ignores the natural movements of the horse and tries to rush the process of straightening by force is doomed to failure.
When training the horse for whatever discipline we require we have certain parameters to consider.
Perhaps the most important issue is exactly how the horse moves and how its movement is going to affect its training.
In the previous article I explained how the horse's movement has developed because of the way the horse has lived over many centuries, therefore any training methods have to be applied using our understanding of his inherent characteristic movement.
There are no short cuts to this gymnastic development, depending on the horse's individual conformation, the training can be relatively easy or it can be difficult and time consuming.
The horse has to learn to carry the weight of the rider, and perform various gymnastic feats while doing so. Perhaps if we could imagine carrying a toddler on our shoulders for an hour or so it would give us some idea of the difficulties the horse faces.
One of the added difficulties is where we sit on the horses back. We sit towards the front where the horse also carries his heavy neck and head plus rib cage and vital organs, therefore we increase the weight over his forehand causing further imbalance.
This accentuates the natural crookedness of the horse, making it much more difficult to control his forward urge, for both horse and rider. The horse tumbles forward with the added weight of the rider and nothing we put in his mouth to control him will help, only add tension.
During the past centuries when the horse was used extensively for war and as an every day mode of transport, the riding masters of that time developed exercises to correct this crookedness; namely the shoulder in and the shoulderfore. There are other lateral movements which can also help in the straightening of the horse, but the shoulder in/fore are the corner stone of training.
The object of training is to re-align the horse's shoulders with his hind quarters.
As a result of the weight of the rider, the horse travels forward with his left shoulder out and his right hind carrying no weight. He falls right through the right shoulder on which most of his weight is distributed. This crookedness is the same on both reins, even though it might feel different to the rider.
Some horses are more affected by the weight of the rider than others and this is what determines the progress of the training.
Rarely the crookedness is reversed, about the same ratio as right handed people to left.
One of the most important conformational characteristics of the riding horse is the structure of the hind leg and how it is used.
There has been a great deal of research on the affect of the hind leg action, so much importance is attached to it that the German stallions are scored during the 100 day testing on the hind leg action.
During the limb flight of the hind leg the horse draws up the hock as it commences the movement, it then draws the leg forward before placing it toe down on the ground.The important phase of the movement is how long for and how high the horse draws the hock up before it begins to draw it forward, because it is at this phase the hind leg does not carry any weight.
Given that we are trying to take weight back onto the hind quarters during training you can begin to see the importance of a good hind leg step that minimises the moment of the non- supporting phase.
As the hind leg is drawn up, the hock should also remain as much under the body as possible, the more it is drawn out behind the horse the longer the hind leg is non-supporting. Also another affect of a hock been drawn up excessively is to make the pelvis of the horse rock from side to side with each hind leg step which makes the movements of the horse more difficult for the rider to sit on.
There many theories about training the horse, but one which ignores the natural movements of the horse and tries to rush the process of straightening by force is doomed to failure.
Article Three As I referred to in the previous article, during the training process of the horse [which may be of long duration] we have to constantly keep in mind the horse's natural movement and adjust our training methods to suit each individual without altering the correct established theories.
Often we are seduced by trainers offering quick solutions to problems, but I don't believe there are such short cuts. Unfortunately they frequently lead to further problems. It is very difficult in the lifetime of a person to see and solve the many training problems that arise. Consequently I follow a proven route that has been in existence for hundreds of years and feel confident that most of the myriad of questions the horse will ask during the training process will have a logical solution.
Riding and training the horse are inextricably linked, whenever you ride or handle your horse you are training it whether you intend to or not.
The horse learns differently to us, he cannot decide to ignore bad advice as we can. He just absorbs information on a continuing basis through repetition especially in the same place. You may have noticed if the horse is frightened by something in one place he may be reluctant to approach that spot again, although the source of the fear is no longer there. Difficult for us to understand, but we have to try to train the horse by looking at training from the horses point of view not our own.
My trainer always said "be careful what you reward".
The process of training should be based on the reward principle. The rider/trainer gives an aid, waits for a reply, if the reply is correct he ceases the aid which is the reward. This is an on going process all the time we are communicating with the horse. The difficulty is, when and what to reward, and this is where a lot of the training methods fall down and why riding is essentially a coached sport.
The rider however accomplished needs eyes on the ground, as it is very easy to be misled by the horse who is instinctively training the rider. All the time we are riding the horse he is subtly instructing us, probably instinctively to begin with, and then as the horse learns our effectiveness as a trainer with more intent.
For example, if the rider out of lack of understanding never teaches the horse to accept the contact of the leg from the early backing stages and then decides to use it, the horse will either completely ignore the leg aid or react violently and run away from it. If this inconsistency continues through the horse/ rider relationship for any length of time we can be left with a horse that will not allow the rider to use the leg, and will threaten any one that does, for instance by kicking out or slowing down in an intimidating manner.
How many times have I been told "my horse never needs the leg".
All riding horses should be taught to accept the three points of contact.
The Leg - clinging round the barrel of the horse as if you are trying to feel the horse breathing. Never too far forward.
The Seat - is a complex means of communication, with no down ward pressure on the back of the horse and never leaning to either side. The seat can adversely affect the horse's balance by rocking about or swaying from side to side and is probably responsible for most of the training problems. I was always told to imagine I was in a lift or on a feather cushion that I couldn't dent. We have to follow the up and down movement of the horse without losing contact with the saddle.
This is where core stability of the rider is essential so that the rider can allow the horse to move freely with out losing balance and moving unintentionally.
The Hand - this is a communication with the mouth of the horse and can be extremely destructive, especially if the rider is not well balanced. The contact with the mouth should come directly from the shoulder of the rider the arm being an extension of the rein. In this way the seat and rein contacts complement one another. The reins always act as a pair and parallel to one another never in opposition. In opposition the reins have the affect of twisting the horse's neck causing discomfort and tension.
When riding, the reins have a subtle connexion with the horse which allows forward movement by following the neck movements of the horse, which are obvious in walk and canter not so obvious in trot. At no time should the rein come loose and baggy, because then when the rider has to take hold of the rein it is a much more severe action which at best can surprise the horse and at worst cause pain and bruising in the mouth. The release of the rein is a reward for a correct response to the half halt, and intermittent rein contact is frequently the cause of resistance in the mouth and a restless unsteady head.
During the training process we endeavour to explain our demands upon the horse as clearly as possible using the tried and trusted reward system, which works because like all creatures the horse doesn't like to be uncomfortable. We try to avoid making the horse uncomfortable by understanding the process of his movement and avoid tension by our understanding of his instinctive learning process.
The horse is a fantastically forgiving animal which by and large puts up with our blunderings and mistakes and frequently spends most of his ridden life uncomfortable and uncomprehending. We do owe it to him to try to improve our ability to train him as much as possible.
Often we are seduced by trainers offering quick solutions to problems, but I don't believe there are such short cuts. Unfortunately they frequently lead to further problems. It is very difficult in the lifetime of a person to see and solve the many training problems that arise. Consequently I follow a proven route that has been in existence for hundreds of years and feel confident that most of the myriad of questions the horse will ask during the training process will have a logical solution.
Riding and training the horse are inextricably linked, whenever you ride or handle your horse you are training it whether you intend to or not.
The horse learns differently to us, he cannot decide to ignore bad advice as we can. He just absorbs information on a continuing basis through repetition especially in the same place. You may have noticed if the horse is frightened by something in one place he may be reluctant to approach that spot again, although the source of the fear is no longer there. Difficult for us to understand, but we have to try to train the horse by looking at training from the horses point of view not our own.
My trainer always said "be careful what you reward".
The process of training should be based on the reward principle. The rider/trainer gives an aid, waits for a reply, if the reply is correct he ceases the aid which is the reward. This is an on going process all the time we are communicating with the horse. The difficulty is, when and what to reward, and this is where a lot of the training methods fall down and why riding is essentially a coached sport.
The rider however accomplished needs eyes on the ground, as it is very easy to be misled by the horse who is instinctively training the rider. All the time we are riding the horse he is subtly instructing us, probably instinctively to begin with, and then as the horse learns our effectiveness as a trainer with more intent.
For example, if the rider out of lack of understanding never teaches the horse to accept the contact of the leg from the early backing stages and then decides to use it, the horse will either completely ignore the leg aid or react violently and run away from it. If this inconsistency continues through the horse/ rider relationship for any length of time we can be left with a horse that will not allow the rider to use the leg, and will threaten any one that does, for instance by kicking out or slowing down in an intimidating manner.
How many times have I been told "my horse never needs the leg".
All riding horses should be taught to accept the three points of contact.
The Leg - clinging round the barrel of the horse as if you are trying to feel the horse breathing. Never too far forward.
The Seat - is a complex means of communication, with no down ward pressure on the back of the horse and never leaning to either side. The seat can adversely affect the horse's balance by rocking about or swaying from side to side and is probably responsible for most of the training problems. I was always told to imagine I was in a lift or on a feather cushion that I couldn't dent. We have to follow the up and down movement of the horse without losing contact with the saddle.
This is where core stability of the rider is essential so that the rider can allow the horse to move freely with out losing balance and moving unintentionally.
The Hand - this is a communication with the mouth of the horse and can be extremely destructive, especially if the rider is not well balanced. The contact with the mouth should come directly from the shoulder of the rider the arm being an extension of the rein. In this way the seat and rein contacts complement one another. The reins always act as a pair and parallel to one another never in opposition. In opposition the reins have the affect of twisting the horse's neck causing discomfort and tension.
When riding, the reins have a subtle connexion with the horse which allows forward movement by following the neck movements of the horse, which are obvious in walk and canter not so obvious in trot. At no time should the rein come loose and baggy, because then when the rider has to take hold of the rein it is a much more severe action which at best can surprise the horse and at worst cause pain and bruising in the mouth. The release of the rein is a reward for a correct response to the half halt, and intermittent rein contact is frequently the cause of resistance in the mouth and a restless unsteady head.
During the training process we endeavour to explain our demands upon the horse as clearly as possible using the tried and trusted reward system, which works because like all creatures the horse doesn't like to be uncomfortable. We try to avoid making the horse uncomfortable by understanding the process of his movement and avoid tension by our understanding of his instinctive learning process.
The horse is a fantastically forgiving animal which by and large puts up with our blunderings and mistakes and frequently spends most of his ridden life uncomfortable and uncomprehending. We do owe it to him to try to improve our ability to train him as much as possible.
Article Four
As we progress further into the process of training the horse it becomes more evident that the key element for success is the rider's ability to follow the horse's movement without hindering it.
The more independent the rider's seat is, the easier it is for the rider to give clear aids that the horse does not find confusing. If we cannot prevent ourselves from moving uncontrollably we are in effect giving many inadvertent aids which the horse can feel but can make no sense of so he tends to ignore them.
This is often what is happening when the rider thinks the horse is being disobedient.
By and large the horse will try to answer correctly if he understands the question. So we are back again at the rider's ability to sit in balance with the horse and be able to deliver the aids at the right time in the right way.
To help in the development of the horse the great schools of equitation such as Warendorf in Germany and the Spanish Riding School of Vienna use tried and trusted formulas which have been developed over centuries - The Scales of Training.
Unfortunately the translation into English is hard because the German words have a much more complex meaning. I have tried below to explain them as well as I can.
We can place these scales into phases:
1st phase:
Rhythm - allowing the horse to move forward without hurrying, each step of equal duration in a regular beat.
Relaxation - finding the position of the horse's body that encourages the horse to lose any tension, usually with a lowered head and more horizontal profile.
Contact -encouraging the horse to reach forward into the rider's following hand without leaning.
The first three elements of the first phase are so interdependent it is difficult to put them in order. We cannot have relaxation without rhythm and cannot have correct contact without relaxation and rhythm. If problems develop in the training we always have to go back to these basics and re-establish them.
The rider/trainer's problem here is to identify the correct rhythm and correct posture for relaxation, and that continual problem, the rider's independent seat, so that he/she can give the steady following contact for the horse to step into.
The correct posture is specific to each horse depending on its conformation, however in general providing the horse has no drastic tendency to fall onto its forehand, a lowered head and neck with preferably a vertical face will encourage relaxation. There are some controversial discussions about working horses in a deep profile, and some schools of thought are worried about the problem of the horse falling on to the shoulder. At the international forum in Holland there was some severe criticism for over bending the horse excessively. But in general it was felt that the young horse should not work in an uphill frame and should be encouraged to reach for the bit with a stretched and lowered neck enabling the hind quarters to be brought further under the body and the back to swing. This should not however continue indefinitely and is entirely dependent on the strength and conformation of each individual.
2nd phase:
Impulsion - not to be confused with speed, the horse should cover the ground with longer not quicker steps, reaching further under its body with the hindlegs and so gradually taking weight from the front legs as they reach towards the point of gravity which is around the girth area.
Straightness - the hindlegs should track into or in front of the prints of the forelegs on each side of the horse whether it is on a circle or straight line and is directly related with flexion as the horse cannot move correctly on a circle without flexion. The flexion of the horse occurs at the gullet from the atlas bone which is followed by the first cervical vertebrae, not further down the neck as is often seen.
Only when the horse can be ridden straight can the contact of the rein go through the body of the horse and affect the hind leg which leads us to collection.
3rd phase:
Collection - this is the ability of the horse to take the impulsion created from the forward movements into a shorter higher step. It should at no time be in a different rhythm from the working or medium paces but should show more cadence.
Cadence is a word to describe the increased suspension of the step, but it is possible to have suspension without cadence.
Some horses have a natural suspension especially in trot, but cadence is a result of correct training and will be shown only when the horse is working on softly articulating joints.
The Scales of Training underpin the training of the horse from backing to Grand Prix and provide us with a reference should we run into difficulties along the way.
As we progress further into the process of training the horse it becomes more evident that the key element for success is the rider's ability to follow the horse's movement without hindering it.
The more independent the rider's seat is, the easier it is for the rider to give clear aids that the horse does not find confusing. If we cannot prevent ourselves from moving uncontrollably we are in effect giving many inadvertent aids which the horse can feel but can make no sense of so he tends to ignore them.
This is often what is happening when the rider thinks the horse is being disobedient.
By and large the horse will try to answer correctly if he understands the question. So we are back again at the rider's ability to sit in balance with the horse and be able to deliver the aids at the right time in the right way.
To help in the development of the horse the great schools of equitation such as Warendorf in Germany and the Spanish Riding School of Vienna use tried and trusted formulas which have been developed over centuries - The Scales of Training.
Unfortunately the translation into English is hard because the German words have a much more complex meaning. I have tried below to explain them as well as I can.
We can place these scales into phases:
1st phase:
Rhythm - allowing the horse to move forward without hurrying, each step of equal duration in a regular beat.
Relaxation - finding the position of the horse's body that encourages the horse to lose any tension, usually with a lowered head and more horizontal profile.
Contact -encouraging the horse to reach forward into the rider's following hand without leaning.
The first three elements of the first phase are so interdependent it is difficult to put them in order. We cannot have relaxation without rhythm and cannot have correct contact without relaxation and rhythm. If problems develop in the training we always have to go back to these basics and re-establish them.
The rider/trainer's problem here is to identify the correct rhythm and correct posture for relaxation, and that continual problem, the rider's independent seat, so that he/she can give the steady following contact for the horse to step into.
The correct posture is specific to each horse depending on its conformation, however in general providing the horse has no drastic tendency to fall onto its forehand, a lowered head and neck with preferably a vertical face will encourage relaxation. There are some controversial discussions about working horses in a deep profile, and some schools of thought are worried about the problem of the horse falling on to the shoulder. At the international forum in Holland there was some severe criticism for over bending the horse excessively. But in general it was felt that the young horse should not work in an uphill frame and should be encouraged to reach for the bit with a stretched and lowered neck enabling the hind quarters to be brought further under the body and the back to swing. This should not however continue indefinitely and is entirely dependent on the strength and conformation of each individual.
2nd phase:
Impulsion - not to be confused with speed, the horse should cover the ground with longer not quicker steps, reaching further under its body with the hindlegs and so gradually taking weight from the front legs as they reach towards the point of gravity which is around the girth area.
Straightness - the hindlegs should track into or in front of the prints of the forelegs on each side of the horse whether it is on a circle or straight line and is directly related with flexion as the horse cannot move correctly on a circle without flexion. The flexion of the horse occurs at the gullet from the atlas bone which is followed by the first cervical vertebrae, not further down the neck as is often seen.
Only when the horse can be ridden straight can the contact of the rein go through the body of the horse and affect the hind leg which leads us to collection.
3rd phase:
Collection - this is the ability of the horse to take the impulsion created from the forward movements into a shorter higher step. It should at no time be in a different rhythm from the working or medium paces but should show more cadence.
Cadence is a word to describe the increased suspension of the step, but it is possible to have suspension without cadence.
Some horses have a natural suspension especially in trot, but cadence is a result of correct training and will be shown only when the horse is working on softly articulating joints.
The Scales of Training underpin the training of the horse from backing to Grand Prix and provide us with a reference should we run into difficulties along the way.
Article Five (last in series)
Over the series of training articles I have tried to explain a basic frame work from which a rider/trainer can plan a training system for their horse.
It must be remembered that each horse is an individual and the training must be applied to that individual keeping in mind that horses strengths and weaknesses.
What may be correct for one horse could be detrimental to another.
Whereas one horse may be required to work in a deep rounded profile for a long period of time to build up strength in the lumbar area of it’s back[ often a weakness in some horses, especially thoroughbreds] for another horse this would be inappropriate.
An individual who has a strong short back may only need short periods of work in a deep profile.
I use the word inappropriate because often during training it is the timing of different aids and processes that is vital to success. If a horse for instance is brought uphill too soon it can cause long term damage to it’s back. But it is not incorrect to ride a horse uphill indeed that is where the training should be heading. It is the timing that is crucial.
All through the process of the training which can take up to two thirds of the horses life time the rider/trainer is faced with these decisions. There is a very fine line between correct training and incorrect.
It is why this complex subject requires time skill and patience.
In one riders lifetime it is almost impossible to have all the answers therefore it is essential to have the help of a trainer.
Unfortunately finding one is not as easy as all that.
There is a belief especially in the UK that competition success equals teaching ability.
This very often erroneous, many talented competition riders do not make good teachers as they find riding so easy themselves they cannot understand the difficulties others experience.
A good instructor should have deep theoretical knowledge plus an ability to explain the theories and sufficient practical riding experience to demonstrate those theories correctly.
In Great Britain we are short of a good riding academy which produces these instructors. Too often the emphasis is on stable management, safety and old fashioned training methods used in our riding schools. Our BHSAI instructors are turned loose on society insufficiently trained to help with the training problems they are likely to meet.
When I was training I asked for some help in understanding the term ‘ on the bit’ or ‘working in an outline’ which was constantly barked at us during our training sessions. No one could explain the meaning or the way to achieve this mysterious description. This equestrian centre was run by a member of our Olympic squad. I was told to’ hold the rein and kick forward’, or’ fiddle with the rein’.
I set out to find a training system that had answers to my questions and a structured approach to training.
It took me to continental training where there is much more understanding of the basics and much more attention is paid to the correct position of the rider. They probably aren’t as interested in immaculate stables and intricate stable management routines but their riding schools such as Warendorf and the Spanish Riding School produce educated and talented instructors.
Fortunately our young team riders are getting help from these foreign trainers and judging by our improved standing in the Dressage world it is paying dividends.
Hopefully this improved training will filter down to grass route level eventually and especially into the training of our instructors.
Over the series of training articles I have tried to explain a basic frame work from which a rider/trainer can plan a training system for their horse.
It must be remembered that each horse is an individual and the training must be applied to that individual keeping in mind that horses strengths and weaknesses.
What may be correct for one horse could be detrimental to another.
Whereas one horse may be required to work in a deep rounded profile for a long period of time to build up strength in the lumbar area of it’s back[ often a weakness in some horses, especially thoroughbreds] for another horse this would be inappropriate.
An individual who has a strong short back may only need short periods of work in a deep profile.
I use the word inappropriate because often during training it is the timing of different aids and processes that is vital to success. If a horse for instance is brought uphill too soon it can cause long term damage to it’s back. But it is not incorrect to ride a horse uphill indeed that is where the training should be heading. It is the timing that is crucial.
All through the process of the training which can take up to two thirds of the horses life time the rider/trainer is faced with these decisions. There is a very fine line between correct training and incorrect.
It is why this complex subject requires time skill and patience.
In one riders lifetime it is almost impossible to have all the answers therefore it is essential to have the help of a trainer.
Unfortunately finding one is not as easy as all that.
There is a belief especially in the UK that competition success equals teaching ability.
This very often erroneous, many talented competition riders do not make good teachers as they find riding so easy themselves they cannot understand the difficulties others experience.
A good instructor should have deep theoretical knowledge plus an ability to explain the theories and sufficient practical riding experience to demonstrate those theories correctly.
In Great Britain we are short of a good riding academy which produces these instructors. Too often the emphasis is on stable management, safety and old fashioned training methods used in our riding schools. Our BHSAI instructors are turned loose on society insufficiently trained to help with the training problems they are likely to meet.
When I was training I asked for some help in understanding the term ‘ on the bit’ or ‘working in an outline’ which was constantly barked at us during our training sessions. No one could explain the meaning or the way to achieve this mysterious description. This equestrian centre was run by a member of our Olympic squad. I was told to’ hold the rein and kick forward’, or’ fiddle with the rein’.
I set out to find a training system that had answers to my questions and a structured approach to training.
It took me to continental training where there is much more understanding of the basics and much more attention is paid to the correct position of the rider. They probably aren’t as interested in immaculate stables and intricate stable management routines but their riding schools such as Warendorf and the Spanish Riding School produce educated and talented instructors.
Fortunately our young team riders are getting help from these foreign trainers and judging by our improved standing in the Dressage world it is paying dividends.
Hopefully this improved training will filter down to grass route level eventually and especially into the training of our instructors.