Half
pass, pirouette, piaffe, passage, and all the rest seem like every
aspiring dressage rider’s dream. Even as we trot a 20 meter circle in a
Training (Preliminary) level test, we dream that one day we could
half-pass across the diagonal in passage. But if you have been riding at
Training level for the past five years and feel your dreams are not meant
to be, I ask you to reconsider, because you just might discover the path
to the upper levels through this series. I believe you will discover the
dressage is, after all, quite simple!
Seek Enlightenment
Dressage requires knowledge, tact, intelligence, and patience.
Intelligence and patience are character traits. Tact is acquired through
experience. Knowledge, however, is a never-ending journey. Whether you
just started riding lessons or you are a two-time Olympic champion, you
are always a student. The best trainers are also good students, eagerly
opening their mind to different opinions and approaches (not necessarily
adopting every technique presented, but merely analyzing and understanding
it). Acknowledging that there is always more to learn is the first step
towards improving your skills.
That done, let us take a look how we can broaden our horizons. Lessons
with good trainers are a great way to constantly improve our riding and
our horses, but you can only learn so much in a 45-minute lesson.
Instructors cannot provide much theory during an exercise session because
they focus on practical application, solving problems as they arise, etc.
You will gain a few insights, of course, but certainly not enough to arm
you with the tools to progress to far and beyond. So what should you do?
There’s nothing like reading. Read like your life depends on it. In the
past decade, my library grew from a few hefty paperbacks to over sixty
hardbound volumes, all focused on dressage, training, psychology, natural
horsemanship, and other equine-related subjects. My library is still
growing, assisted by my several magazine subscriptions that are constantly
adding to my wealth of 300+ issues. These are not just decorations on my
shelves; they are a treasure that continues to shape me as a rider and
trainer. Start reading now, and I guarantee you will come across many,
many revelations, regardless of your level.
Acknowledge Your Horse’s Level
Knowing where you stand is vital to progress. Look back and see what you
have achieved with your horse, then look ahead and visualize what you
would like to further achieve. For example, you bought your horse as a
4-year-old two years ago, and now you’re competing First (Novice) level,
but would like to carry on to Second Level and higher. Or you could say,
“I’ve taught my 3-year-old how to lunge and accept contact, and how to
carry a rider and understand the basic aids to walk, trot, and canter.
Now, I want to build on that and move on to the next step.”
It is also important to acknowledge the training obstacles you are facing,
like for your example, your horse loses regularity in trot lengthening, or
goes above the bit in canter departs. Beware, however, that you cannot
consider the inability of your 3-year-old horse to do shoulder-in a
problem or obstacle. Common problems at the beginning of training are:
tension, rushing, stiffness, resisting contact by going above the bit,
loss of balance, falling in and out through shoulders or quarters, running
away from the leg, lack of response to the leg, inability to maintain
canter, nervousness, etc. These and a handful of others are potential
problems you might encounter at the basic level of training. Of course,
you might encounter similar problems at higher levels, such as
irregularity while teaching passage, but if these problems are addressed
and solved in the horse’s early training, it will be always much easier to
avoid or deal with them at any stage. In other words, if the base is
solid, the layers that are built over it will not collapse. Like a great
painting that starts with a base color upon which other layers of colors
are added to create a masterpiece, dressage is the same.
One Layer Upon Another
A good rider or trainer understands how layering works in dressage. Just
as a kindergarten student learns his ABC’s before learning how to spell
and compile sentences, a young or novice horse must learn his basics
before learning lateral work, collection, etc. The keyword here is
‘basics’. So what are those basics? How are they established? When do you
know that you can move on to the next level? Fortunately, due to their
centuries of experience, the Germans have given us a very simple guideline
that we can work by. That guideline is called ‘the Training Scale’.
Training in accordance to the Training Scale takes the mystery and
frustration right out of dressage. It provides an easy reference to where
you are in your training, what you need to work on, and what the next step
would be. That way, you would always be sure that your base is solid, and
you are building your horse’s training one layer upon another. The next
article introduces the elements of the Training Scale and how they are
implemented in the horse’s training.
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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