The
Raw Material
Before
a horse carries a rider for the first time, before his first longeing,
before you ever put a saddle or any piece of tack on him, you have an
animal with no suppleness, no ability to offer contact, no swinging
impulsion, no straightness, and certainly no collection. But you have an
animal with pure, natural rhythm. Although the 2-year-old horse cannot
possibly offer any of the top five elements of the training scale, he can
offer correct rhythm in all three gaits without anyone’s interference.
Unless
hindered by lameness or soreness, nearly all unbroken horses will walk,
trot, and canter in a natural rhythm. Our job as trainers is to preserve
this rhythm while building upon it layers of education. That’s it! All we
have to do is preserve rhythm! Rhythm is the very essence of training; if
we were to lose it, our horses simply would not progress.
Correct vs. Incorrect
Rhythm
When we talk about rhythm, we only address it as either correct or
incorrect—pure versus impure. Unlike impulsion, for instance, we cannot
say “need more rhythm”. But we can criticize by saying “canter shows
incorrect four-beat rhythm”. In other words, rhythm is either black or
white … there is no gray area.
Sometimes a horse is too tense to maintain, say, the walk, and breaks it
frequently with short trot steps. In that case, we may say that the horse
is showing irregular rhythm.
The
walk has a four-beat rhythm. A very lazy walk will still have four beats,
but a too fast or tense walk runs the risk of becoming two-beat, which is
also known as a ‘pacing walk’. Correct walk rhythm is when the horse takes
diagonal-tripedal steps, i.e. left fore forward, right hind forward. A
pacing walk is when the horse takes lateral steps, i.e. left fore forward,
left hind forward. If you show a pacing walk in a dressage test, you will
not only lose points on the walk score, but also on the collective marks.
The
trot has a two-beat rhythm. The right fore and left hind swing forward
simultaneously, followed by the left fore and right hind. Sometimes when
the horse is anticipating the canter, he may hop in the trot, reaching
farther forward with one foreleg, and short-stepping on the other. This
may also occur if the rider is too restrictive with the reins, causing
what is known as ‘rein lameness’. Of course, a horse may also hop in the
trot if he is physically lame. Any unevenness or short-stepping is
considered a rhythm fault.
The
Canter has a three-beat rhythm. In a left lead canter, the sequence is as
follows: right hind, left hind and right fore together, then left fore.
That creates the three beats. Incorrect rhythm is when the horse is too
slow or too lazy in the canter; instead of the natural three beats, he
goes in four beats. A restrictive hand could also have the same
consequence.
Preserving Rhythm
Quite
often, if no physical causes are present, rhythm faults are attributed to
bad riding or training. It is not very hard to break a horse away from his
natural rhythm. All you would have to do is pull the horse’s neck in with
a tight rein and an unyielding contact. The results will be almost
instantaneous.
But
since we want to protect the rhythm nature has gifted us with, we allow
the horse freedom of movement. This is paramount at the beginning of his
education. Young horses should be ridden at least 90 percent of the time
in a relaxed frame, using the length of their neck for balance. Such a
frame allows the horse to step forward freely, maintaining correct rhythm,
and also teaches him to stretch over his back and swing. Additionally, the
stretch and swing helps develop back muscles, which are necessary for
carrying the rider.
The
relaxed frame can be anywhere from long and low to just right on the bit
(with the poll being the highest point). At all times, the rider should
not have the feeling that she is supporting the horse’s front end in her
hands, neither should she end up with sore fingers due to excessively
short reins. Riding freely forward with a gently guiding contact is the
way to go when teaching a young horse balance and self-carriage under a
rider.
If the
horse is hopping at the trot and you are positive he is sound, let him
stretch a little and open out his trot. Usually, a little relaxation and
suppling would solve the problem. To correct a four-beat canter, send the
horse forward, and allow the energy to flow through with your hands. It
may help to adopt a forward jumping seat for a moment. Never attempt to
collect the canter by pulling back on the reins, as that kills the energy
and consequently results in a four-beat canter. After all, collection is
about building up energy, not letting it go.
At the
walk, a yielding contact is most important. Follow the horse’s neck
movement with your hands—never block it! If the walk is pacing, relax in
your seat and sit deep, and let the reins out a little. When the horse’s
senses your relaxation, he will relax a little himself, and will likely
walk naturally.
Further Reading:
The Elements of Dressage: A Guide to Training the
Young Horse by K.A. von Ziegner
The Simplicity of Dressage by Johann
Hinnemann and Coby van Baalen
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