My idol Nuno Oliviera often quotes Faverot de Kerbrech, “ask for much, be content with little, and reward often.” I was watching a lesson one day and I saw a horse come onto the long side and give his rider, very willingly, a few steps of very balanced and relaxed piaffe. I thought that was really great. So the rider came around and asked some more piaffe, and then some more, and then half an hour later when the horse had his eye balls popping out of his head.
The beginning of some very nice piaffe had turned into a stressed out prance, the rider stopped. Horse in a white lather of foam from head to toe. I wondered what the horse had learnt during that half hour, because if I were him I would never want to piaffe again. The horse was just learning the steps of piaffe, and the lesson that he was taught was “well if you give me what I want, I’ll exploit it until I feel like stopping."
Recently I was having some issues with the contact and I went back to the snaffle bridle to try and work out what was happening. I went out to ride one day and after 15 minutes I brought Batialo back to the stable, where I was asked “is that it?” Batialo after 15 minutes had given me exactly what I was after, I had set out to establish a working stretch with an elastic contact on both reins, feeling that my horse was pushing through from his hind legs over his back and into an open stretch.
It was a time when I felt that practicing the movements for upcoming competitions had somehow interfered with the very basic and fundamental elements of training, and so my focus was on getting that back before moving on again. There was no point in then saying "Ok great, got that sorted, now let's do some half pass," because that was not my goal for that time. I needed to consolidate in Batialo’s mind also that that was what I wanted.
For a period that was all I did, to make sure this was back on track, before I began again with the training of movements and even lateral work. Of course every horse and every rider are different, but one fundamental rule should remain: reward the horse when you get what you wanted, and not what you think you might get after you already got what you wanted. This of course requires discipline and planning.
Before you begin each lesson, decide on a goal for the day. Of course it doesn’t always go to plan and you might get out onto the arena, where there is a scary free chair. Most of the time might be spent trying to get your horse used to the chair. But even then, you can say "ok, the chair is today's test." I will plan to achieve the result that my horse becomes calm and used to the chair, or at least that I can ride him past it and maintain the rhythm and line of the circle. When you get that, reward your horse, that way he will know what you wanted from him.
Don’t decide from one day to the next to perfect something, decide to make it better than it was before. Same with yourself. If you have an annoying left hand, don’t decide you will be frustrated with yourself everyday until it’s perfect, decide that each time you feel, or your trainer tells you that it was a bit more relaxed, be happy, and try for more relaxation next time.
If you have never done a half pass and your horse moves off your leg and makes an effort at a sideways diagonal, congratulate him and try for more angle and bend the next time.
Dressage, is a long and winding road, not a fool proof scientific checklist of movements to be carried out at certain times. Feel your horse, feel his response, ask if he gave you even a little bit more than last time. And if he did, reward him!
by Sarah Warne - Photo © Rui Pedro Godinho