Everyone says, "the horse lets you know how much time to take with training; when to introduce different movements, when to ask for more collection, when to advance up the levels to Grand Prix." So, I went out and to the amusement of both my horse and my groom, asked Batialo "How are things going for you mate? and when do you think I can ask for that bit more?"
As you can imagine his response was rather unclear and I thought that perhaps unless you are a top rider and have more than one, or even more than 5 horses in work, it may be hard to pick up on or identify the signs that tell you the horse is ready to progress. Each young horse is different, yes, but if you haven't already trained a number of horses to GP level, there are certain signs, triggers and some helpful guidelines, that may make the "horse talk" a little more comprehensible.
"Don't play the master all the time. The difficulty is to feel to what extent one has to intervene," said my dressage hero Nuno Oliveira.
Of course if you ask for a half pass and your horse bucks you off, that is less subtle, but if you ask for more collection and your horse backs off the contact, loses rhythm, goes wide behind, or strong in front, even if it is only slightly, it may be time to back off and wait for another moment to try again.
Having started on Batialo as a 4 year old, my first rides on him felt like he was flying, full of useful enthusiasm. However, every time I let him fly just that little bit too much, he felt like a frog sweeping through a windpipe and suddenly became all uncoordinated, legs just everywhere! I realised that until he could maintain that power, I had to go slow, not just meaning take my time, but actually slow him right down so he could find his natural balance and, above all, establish the rhythm that would later enable his back to swing.
A young horse doesn't come out of the paddock swinging. They learn to do this when you have set up all the right parameters for them to safely achieve it. So, for many months, I crept around the arena, not holding him, but just not letting him become his exuberant self, until he had both the strength and mentality to handle it. Gradually, he started to get moments, in which he would kick into swing mode and for three or four strides he was floating, controlling power, and using it to lift and push; all the way from tail to top.
After these four strides, I would lean forward and gently ease the reins out into a forward stretch, careful not to drop him, but allow enough with my seat and my hands to make him very aware of how pleased I was with the four strides. Everyday the four strides became more strides and it wasn't until I could maintain the swing on all four sides of the arena, that I began to test his strength on small circles.
Of course I'm not saying that you shouldn't be doing small circles from early on, but 10 metres circles with balance, rhythm, and the correct bend, are very hard to establish correctly and only when you are confident the horse has the strength should you perfect the 10 metre circle. When you can use small circles, changing the bend, and moving into small serpentines, you can gradually ask for lateral movement.
Again don't go full pelt into a half pass, but begin with shoulder-fore and then shoulder-in, not moving onto the next one until you can do the former, without changing the rhythm or shortening the stride. Be aware though, that lateral movement is like human gymnastics and if you do your first push up on Monday and then do 100 for the next week, you will be rather sore and a little, well, angry.
It is common that when a horse begins lateral movement that after about two or three weeks you may feel some muscle soreness and will perhaps need to back off for a period and then get back to it. Again, feel your horse's body underneath you, does he feel like you do when you have missed your physio appointments for three months?
Alternatively a horse may become distracted, trying to tell you he isn't ready, they don't do this just to agitate us. By using the chair or the dog as an excuse, they are saying something to you. It is that the horse is just trying to get out of it, or if he is genuinely saying it's too much? Again, be smart, back off for a few days and if he settles ask again and monitor his reaction. But don't push and stress the horse, try to calm him as you ask the new exercise again and relax the minute he accepts even the slightest progression.
"When a horse gets nervous during a new exercise, one has to calm him down during the exercise. Otherwise he will get nervous every time we ask something more or something new from him," said Oliveira.
Escape routes for horses are found everywhere, from the shoulder to the quarters, to the rein, to the behind. When asking for the next level, be careful that you aren't losing a part of the horse somewhere else. When I ask for more collection in the trot, do his legs go out behind? Does he lean into the contact? Does he stiffen? When i do a small circle does he fall onto my inside leg, or tilt his head to the side? Until you can say no to each, then don't ask for more. Escape routes are equine excuses and once you forgive them once, they will forever have that excuse at the ready!
Finally, if you feel your horse is lazy, more often that not it is you! Experts would argue that if your training is correct and you ride well enough and you have trained many horses you will know if your horse is lazy or if it you who is not on your game. But how does the average rider know? Usually a horse will act particularly lazy if you are overusing the aids, or not giving clear enough aids.
However, remember that a horse is an animal and just as he would prefer to be picking grass, he also gets tired mentally and physically and you must consider that perhaps the weather is warming up, or you have been pushing him over several days. Remember to listen to the horse, adjust to his needs, be sure to ask him what you want him to do, but reward him when he does it.
"Make it a habit to praise when the horse yields," Oliveira stated.
by Sarah Warne for Eurodressage
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