We can all strive to achieve perfection in every movement, but the truth is horses are like people and they have both strengths and weaknesses. While it may be easy for one horse to produce a perfect flying change sequence, for example, it may be very difficult for the same horse to perform a technically correct and expressive half-pass.
What may be easy for one horse, may be difficult for another and training a horse comes down to not only rewarding what is good, but rewarding the attempt, the effort, the feeling we get that even though the horse didn't do the movement perfectly. Reward the fact that he really tried to do the best he could.
We all wish that our horse could half-pass like Valegro and piaffe like Rubi, but the reality is our horses are more fallible than we realise and often we fall in love with them, faults and all. Thus, as riders we need to learn what is hard for our horse and what he does well, so we can know when and what requires him to put in that bit more effort.
This concept of horse training becomes even more important as the exercises get more difficult and in the piaffe, for example, the rider must know the horse so well that they can tell the minute he is stepping out of his comfort zone and going that extra mile.
The importance of "the effort concept" really came through for me when watching my trainer Miguel Ralao ride Batialo one day. He is a master trainer and rider, so I was of course impressed with how my horse was going, but surprised when after a less than perfect attempt at a more difficult movement, Miguel dropped the reins and gave the horse a big pat in congratulations. Seeing the confused look on my face Miguel said "that's enough for today!"
What Miguel was trying to convey to my horse was that he appreciates when he does something really well, but what is even more worth celebrating, is when he really puts effort into achieving something that he is not naturally good at. It makes sense in training to stop and reward the horse when he gets the perfect flying change or a stand-out shoulder-in, but what we often forget is to really feel when and how much the horse is trying. This means that even if a half-pass lacks bend or swing, if a horse that typically finds it very difficult to cross over, really puts all of himself into the attempt, we must in that very instant reward him.
This sets out very clear in his mind that if he tries we are happy, knowing that at this point if we reward and let him think, we can ask that bit more the next time. He will know that if he tries that bit more, his rider will know and appreciate his effort!
Determining when your horse is showing effort, depends of course on how well you know your horse. Not only in terms of being aware of his strengths and weaknesses, but also being aware of when he seems as though he is trying, but is actually using a different technique to avoid the difficult aspect.
For instance, one may think that their horse has suddenly got much more confident and willing to put effort into the half-pass and the movement that used to take them diagonally across the entire length of the arena, they can now complete in half the space. Beware, often we forget about all the other elements inherent in the movement and the "effort" may just be the horse's ease over having discovered he can fall into the inside shoulder, lose the bend, and simple step laterally across with a big grin on his face.
A knowledgeable trainer knows how to feel when the horse is pushing himself that bit further and what a rider must then apply is to reward what we are offered today, not what we expect tomorrow? This sends the clear message that if all the elements are correct and I can feel that my horse is putting himself into work mode for me. That tiny bit of extra enthusiasm than the day before, I will take that effort and only raise it when he knows that I know he is trying.
"Ask for much, be content with little and reward often," said Nuno Oliveira wisely.
by Sarah Warne for Eurodressage
Photo © Rui Pedro Godinho
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