USDF developed a certification program to provide a training standard for dressage. The three sections for testing are riding, teaching and lunging. Dorie Vlatten Schmitz organized and hosted the third of three workshops March 24-25. USDF Certified Instructor and USEF “R” Dressage Judge Bill McMullin taught the workshop.

The lunging workshop was an eye-opening, educational experience for participants and auditors. Participants learned how to correctly use lunging equipment and practiced high safety standards, as well as lunged to improve a horse’s balance and connection. Then the participants taught a lunge seat lesson to a rider. The participants had to demonstrate the ability to develop, verbalize and execute a lunge seat lesson plan. The horses provided to the participants ranged from very young and inexperienced to older schoolmasters.

Participants were required to wear polished riding boots without spurs, a safety helmet and have a lunge whip in good repair long enough to touch a horse at 15 meters, clean leather side reins with a donut, a cotton lunge line in good repair, a clean leather lunge cavesson or leather buckle to secure the noseband with the bit, and a saddle sit/safety/grab strap. As we learned in all three workshops, a wristwatch was required so we didn’t surpass our allotted time. Only three methods of connecting a horse to the lunge line were permitted, and the methods can be viewed on eTrack in the in-depth studies under lungeing (I spell it lunging, without the e, for the purposes of this article). All participants were required to ask the lunge seat riders if they had any injuries or fears that might limit movement.

Top 5 takeaways from the weekend:

• The goal of lunging a horse is to

1. Improve communication between trainer and horse

2. Improve condition and muscle tone

3. Improve development of the topline

4. Improve balance, resulting in better quality gaits

5. Improve lateral and longitudinal suppleness

• The Assessment Cycle for Lunging the Horse

Observe

Observe the horse, paying close attention to the balance, rhythm, relaxation and connection.

Analyze

Compare what you observed to the ideal characteristics. Compare strengths and weaknesses.

Plan

What techniques and equipment will the trainer need to use? Focus on only a few faults so the plan can instill confidence.

Implement

Carry out the exercises on the lunge line and make adjustments as necessary. Never be afraid to make adjustments!

• Techniques for lunging the horse:

1. Adjusting the stride length

2. Transitions

3. Spiraling in and out on a circle

USDF recommends that the horse change direction every 5-7 minutes using the two approved methods –a half-turn on the forehand or a change though circle. The horse must stand sideways in the halt and wait for the trainer to approach. The trainer must adjust side reins as necessary for better connection. It might need to begin a little longer and then be adjusted shorter later. It was emphasized that the circle size is important. 15 meters is standard for a lunge circle. The participants were warned not to keep the horse on a small circle in the spiral very long. It is physically exhausting and can cause strain.

The trainer must utilize the V aids with the lunge line and whip. Elbows in and pivot off one heel. Most participants needed some tweaking to keep the V with the lunge line and whip organized.

It is also important for the trainer not to keep the horse connected to the side reins when not actually lunging.

• Participant’s learning objectives for the seat lesson:

1. Apply the correct use and fit of appropriate lunging equipment

2. Demonstrate correct and safe technique in lunging the horse and rider

3. Understand the correct rider position with emphasis on the rider’s alignment and balance

4. Assess the rider’s position (we must see the rider in posting and sitting trot for this)

5. Implement a seat lesson, teaching techniques and methodology for the rider

• Assessment Cycle for the Seat Lesson

Observe

Observe the rider in the halt, walk, trot and canter (canter only if appropriate). Take note of the rider’s strengths and weaknesses in his or her alignment and balance.

Analyze

Discover where the rider’s weaknesses are originating and discuss the observations and analysis with the rider

Plan

What exercises will be used to address the areas of weaknesses? Focus on only a few faults so the plan can instill confidence. Adjust the plan as necessary.

Implement

Carry out the exercises determined in the plan phase. Explain the exercises in the walk or halt and provide the rider reasons behind why those exercises were chosen and how it helps the rider. Always remember to check in with the rider to give and receive feedback.

The workshop would not have been possible without the horses and riders who allowed the participants to instruct them. Dorie scheduled a pre-certification workshop in October 2018 so anyone interested in preparing for the USDF Instructor Certification testing should apply. There will be no auditors for the pre-certification workshop.

USDF developed a certification program to provide a training standard for dressage. Dorie Vlatten Schmitz organized and hosted the second of three workshops February 24-25. USDF Certified Instructor Faculty Sarah Geikie was the workshop instructor for the weekend, and USEF S Dressage Judge Dolly Hannon was assisting.

The teaching workshop was an educational experience for participants and auditors. The eight participants learned, even while teaching their assigned lessons, to improve teaching strategies and how to identify and address the root of the training road blocks. The participants also had to demonstrate their abilities to develop and execute a lesson plan.

Top 5 takeaways from the weekend:

• Read the books from the USDF recommended reading list.

The reading list includes: USDF Teaching Manual; “Teaching Safe Horsemanship,” by Jan Dawson, “Teaching Exercises,” by Major Anders Lindgren; “Training with Kyra Kyrklund,” by Kyra Kyrklund, “The Rider’s Seat and Balance Dressage Formula Volume 2” video by Erik Herbermann (and more).

Sarah Geikie made additional references to the book “Inside Your Ride,” by Tonya Johnston. She spoke highly of Denny Emerson and also about Karl Mikolka’s articles as a great reference for the timing of the aids.

• An instructor must evaluate the horse and the rider. Most instructors only do one or the other.

An instructor must check the rider’s core strength and stability, as well as the rider’s alignment. The instructor must place themselves outside the arena at times to see how crooked the rider may be. It was regularly demonstrated at the workshop that correct observations did not occur when the instructor was in the center of the arena or the circle. Check if the rider’s legs are on or off. Is the rider rocking in the canter? If so, is it from locked hips or unstable shoulders? Are the rider’s aids blocking or being used at the right time? Are the aids light, or is the rider “begging”? Are the reins too long? Does the rider look where he or she is going? Developing feel only comes from a rider’s supple, independent seat and when the rider has a positive influence on the horse with correct timing of the aids.

In addition, the instructor needs to be able to help the rider improve the horse’s gaits, and achieve relaxation/suppleness and connection. All elements of the pyramid of training are appropriate to the degree the horse and rider are able.

• Teaching Methodology

Each lesson needs to address the what, why and how. The questions are molded into an assessment cycle that includes observe, analyze, plan and implement with a cycle repeating as necessary.

What? Is the observation assessment. The instructor must observe the horse and rider and access what they see. The instructor should ask questions to determine the rider’s level of knowledge and perspective.

Why? Is the analysis assessment. Compare this with the “What” phase to see if what was observed is ideal. Categorize the areas of strength and weakness.

How? Is the plan assessment. Determine what exercises will address the areas of weakness and what directions you need to give to build on areas of strength. Know what techniques will need to be used. Only focus on a few issues. Don’t try to fix everything at once. The plan needs to instill confidence in the rider and horse.

As the instructor implements the What, Why and How, it’s also important to communicate to the rider and execute the plan. Then the instructor should ask questions to make sure the plan is working.

• The Instructor’s Vocabulary & Tone

Be specific with what is verbalized. Avoid saying “when you are ready.” It is better to say “prepare for a transition at V (or between E&V).” Use the arena letters for verbal direction. An instructor needs to use their voice to help the rider understand how the horse must go. Slow the voice down for a tense horse. Quicken the voice for more activity. Never be monotonous. Don’t say “try.” Do things, don’t try to do things. It is very important to make sure the rider understands what is being asked. Walk breaks are a great time for a check-in. Instructors should not speak so much that the rider doesn’t have time to think.

• Spend more time combining and linking patterns

Sarah and Dolly encouraged every participant to combine and link patterns to help improve the horse and challenge the rider. A few combinations presented were, for example, asked on the same long side, canter, transition to a trot, go in shoulder-fore and then nose-to-wall leg yield. In addition, one was turn on the forehand, trot, lengthen trot on a 20 meter circle and then change direction. Another one suggested was turn on the forehand, walk, halt, and leg yield at the walk. Use the arena, and use the dressage patterns.

This workshop was about demonstrating basic competency to instruct a rider to improve a horse through articulating the lesson plan and recapping the results using correct dressage vocabulary. Sarah communicated to the participants while they were instructing what she felt the core issues were that needed to be addressed, and she offered exercises to support her assessment.

The workshop absolutely would not have been possible without the eight horses and riders who allowed the participants to instruct them. Appreciation cannot be expressed strongly enough.

USDF developed a certification program to provide a training standard for dressage. Dorie Vlatten Schmitz organized and hosted the first of three workshops January 27-28. USDF Certified Instructor Faculty Sarah Martin was the workshop instructor for the weekend.

The Basic Riding workshop was an educational and growth-oriented experience for participants and auditors. Each day began with a short lecture and discussion. Then the group moved to the covered arena where each of the eight participants had to demonstrate their abilities to conduct a tack safety check, verbally access a horse, show their basic competency to improve the horse through riding, and finally verbalize the results of the riding using correct dressage terminology.

Top 5 takeaways from the weekend:

1. Work toward Conscious Competence.

There are four stages of competency:

Unconscious Incompetence (you don’t know that you don’t know)

Conscious Incompetence (you realize that you don’t know)

Conscious Competence (you know and are aware)

Unconscious Competence (you know but no longer think about it)

2. Always ask yourself the WWH.

What’s going on, and why?

What am I going to do about it?

How will I address it?

3. Keep things simple and basic. Don’t overcomplicate. Rely on your common sense.

This theme threaded the weekend. When asked to explain dressage terminology or provide an analysis, the participants were encouraged not to get lost in the language or speak with excessive detail. Participants were encouraged to be direct and succinct. Despite generalizations, participants were asked not to think of everything said or discussed as a rule. Every ride, every horse, and every situation requires common sense.

During the weekend, participants garnered some great information and reminders. For example, riders are already starting the training before walking off (after mounting) through the body language of horse and rider. During the warm-up, be sure to spend enough time at the walk and circles. Participants were encouraged to do some gentle turn on the forehand before picking up the trot. The reins can be longer for first trot and first canter. Move the dressage test patterns around. Use the quarterline or nose-to-wall leg yields.

Keep student communication simple and real. Don’t get so caught up in analogies that you as the trainer don’t teach the correct dressage terminology or what it means. Just because you know what you mean, it doesn’t mean the student knows.

If the horse can do the work, do it! Remember that a horse needs energy in order to have something to connect to. If there is a connection issue, ask if it’s a lack of hind legs or if the rider is overriding the front end.

Discussing the training pyramid at training level, think of collection in terms of level balance—being off the forehand and having a tendency towards self-carriage. Understand counter-flexion and how it can be a fake fix. Never overdo an exercise that is not working. Watch for muscle fatigue. It’s not reasonable to ask a horse to perform correctly when we drilled that muscle group the day before.

There is a difference between being a good rider and a good trainer.

4. Know the zones! Comfort zone * Stretch zone * Panic zone

Most riders and trainers spend too much time in the horse’s comfort zone. It’s important to ask the horse to stretch beyond that area but not take the horse to the panic zone. One way to get to the stretch zone is by evaluating the hind legs: can I move sideways, can I move longer, can I make them smaller? Another way is to work on the horse’s energy. In building the energy, can the horse go more? Utilize transitions within the gaits and build the elastic band.

An example that came up with a participant’s ride was that the horse showed a lack of balance on the left lead canter serpentine. The horse wanted to fall on the right shoulder or, when prevented from that, would perform a flying change. The workshop instructor advised the participant to not complete the serpentine (comfort zone), but ride straight on the quarterline and address the right shoulder (stretch zone) without allowing the horse to perform a flying change.

5. The trainer’s mantra: observe, analyze, plan, implement

Observe: Tack safety check, physical and mental health of the horse

Analyze: Use the information gathered in the warm-up phase to present a two- to three-sentence assessment. Don’t get into the detail yet. During the work phase you ask the deeper questions such as more bending or more crossing. Understand that there is no quick response with cold muscles and a cold mind.

Plan: Ask yourself, what movements and what figures can I use to help the horse? How long, how strong, how often?

Implement: Think about the muscle circle—haunches and hind leg; withers and barrel (including the shoulder blade); shoulders and neck; and poll and front legs.

This workshop was about demonstrating basic competency to improve a horse through riding and articulating the assessments and results using correct dressage vocabulary. Each of the eight participants and the auditors learned so much from the educational weekend. Sarah is an expert communicator and instructor, and her weekend sidekick, Dolly Hannon, a USEF “S” dressage judge and USDF “L” faculty member offered additional expert insights. The workshop absolutely would not have been possible without the eight horse owners lending their horses for the participants to ride. Appreciation cannot be expressed strongly enough, and the workshop had a wonderful variety of horses!

ADA’s Education Chair, Sarah Lindsten, organized this clinic featuring Janet Foy. As an FEI 5* Judge, USEF “S” Dressage Judge, USEF Sport Horse “R” Breeding Judge and USDF L-Faculty member, Janet’s resume is long and comprehensive and could certainly be an article on its own! She’s also the author of two books: Dressage For The Not-So-Perfect Horse and Dressage Q&A, which she offered for purchase and autographed during and after each clinic day.

Throughout the clinic, Janet shared her knowledge about the future of dressage, her training and judging philosophies and her knowledge of horse conformation. She answered audience questions at every available opportunity and made the experience a wonderful horse-rider-audience-clinician interaction. For each of the eight horse and rider teams, she observed a dressage test or the warmup for a test and then worked with the riders to improve test scores and overall training.

Breaking down two days of insights and training into a top 5 list is very difficult. But here are my top 5 takeaways:

1. Every movement has 5 pieces:

Preparation

Half-halt (inside hind comes up to the outside rein)

Aid

Movement

Finish

Janet says she’d rather see preparation than kick and pull. She explained that a half-halt is the perfect combination of driving, bending and connecting to the outside rein. There is a different half-halt for every movement. The final part of the half-halt is the outside rein.

An example of riding a movement, such as the shoulder-in is as follows: test the bend, half-halt (inside leg to outside rein). Use the inside rein to bring the shoulders right. Use the inside leg to keep the horse on the track. Then finish the movement by straightening before the bend in the corner.

2. Janet’s judging Q, B, E, M methodology to arrive at a score and comment for each box:

Q = Quality (quality of the gaits)

B = Basics (training scale)

E = Essence/Criteria (what is the horse supposed to be doing)

M = Modifier (accuracy)

3.  Ride the pendulum.

If you don’t develop the transitions, the horse will be flat and downhill. So get it done! The horse may need to transition slowly to stay engaged. Fast transitions make the horse sharp. Janet says, “Don’t make the transitions instantaneous until Grand Prix.”

There is no gray area for the walk. Ride either a free walk or on-the-bit walk; otherwise, you’ll ruin the walk. To pick up the reins from a free walk, bend to the inside and leg-yield into the outside rein, then pick up the reins into the medium walk.

Forward, supple, half-halt, give – no matter what movement.

The collected trot must be powerful and expressive. It has a faster tempo. A sample mantra is: collect, forward – MORE forward, shoulder-in, collect. Ride the “expensive” trot, not the “affordable” trot.

Another mantra for a younger horse is to ride the following trots in succession: “boring trot,” “big trot,” “slower than boring trot,” “working trot,” and another “big trot.” Then repeat. Use shoulder-fore to collect the trot.

In a lengthen trot if the horse breaks from the trot into a canter, ask for a GALLOP and then come back to the trot again in the corner. If the horse really shows effort, bring him back right away and pat him.

Think about all the canters you need. It’s okay for the canter to be slower when the horse is not yet strong enough. Try to put more weight on the inside hind. Get the horse under and sit, then gradually go forward so that she stays uphill.

In the lengthened canter, really GO. Pretend that coyotes are chasing you!

Ride medium canter for 3-5 strides, then come back to a collected canter and release.  If the horse is tense you must be able to create the reason to release. If you can’t release, then do a transition.

4. If there’s a problem, ask yourself where it is. You have these options: two legs, two seat bones, two hands. The problem isn’t in the movement itself. One of your aids is either unclear or being ignored.

When a problem arose in a tempi change, Janet said, “The problem wasn’t the change. It’s no use schooling more changes. The horse was not listening to the rider’s right leg. As trainers, we need to address that, not the change itself. This is the difference between being a rider and being a trainer.”

The solution to a problem lies in one or more of the following aids:

The inside leg – the active leg, gas pedal and rhythm stick.

The inside rein – the bending and directional rein.

The outside leg – controls the caboose when used behind the girth. We want to stretch the ribcage but not lose or let the haunches escape.

The outside rein – controls the speed. It tells the horse where we want the neck. The outside rein is the final part of the half-halt.

5. Janet’s favorite training schedule:

Sunday – off

Monday – check the aids, stretch, supple, ride transitions

Tuesday – pendulum exercises in the trot and canter, 3-4 minutes of intensive work, then a stretchy circle or walk

Wednesday – comfort zone gaits, shoulder-in, haunches-in, half-pass, comfort zone canter, more bending, more sideways

Thursday – pendulum exercises

Friday – put it all together, corners, small steps, long side forward, then the “new trot” into a movement

Saturday – trail ride or hack

In closing, the horses and riders could not have provided a more well-rounded and fun learning experience for us all.  A huge THANK YOU to each team. Janet shared a wealth of information and showed us clear building blocks. She demonstrated a consistent approach to training, used exercises to build expression in the horse, worked through problems or “training opportunities” and gave good advice on improving test scores. She reminded us that it takes 5,000 repetitions to form a habit, so let’s make it a good one!

West Coast Dressage Convention with Carl Hester (PART 1 – Young Horses)

April 8-9, 2017

Carl Hester, who needs no introduction as an internationally acclaimed trainer and competitor (British Olympian and trainer to Charlotte Dujardin) flew to Del Mar, California from the 2017 World Cup competition to provide a two-day training clinic.

Each morning began with the 4-, 5- and 6-year-old horses and then afternoons were advanced levels. Carl’s education and training ideas centered on the horse’s rhythm, relaxation and connection as well as the stretching, bending and collecting exercises. He believes in variety for the horse’s training, such as hacking, riding on hills, and working in the field instead of the arena.

When each horse first entered the arena, before evaluating the horse’s paces, Carl checked the rider’s position. The rider should be sitting on the horse just like a standing position on the ground. For example, visualize the rider in the saddle, then take the horse away. Would the rider be standing, falling forward or falling backwards? He wants each rider’s hands to be in front, not near or behind the saddle. Everyone in our sport knows Charlotte Dujardin’s famous quote from articles and clinics, “short reins win medals”. Carl says it means keep your hands in front of the saddle which will help you ride to the bit.

The key discussion points are:

• Be Safe
• Establish connection
• Keep the horse in balance and test self-carriage
• Ride a lot of transitions

The first goal when riding a young horse is to be SAFE first then start work on gymnastic training. At 4-years-old, horses don’t understand leg and rein together so start with the leg and stop with the reins. Work the newly under saddle horses only 20 minutes.  If a horse is growing, give him some time off because there is no sense riding a horse that is uncomfortable.

Ride a rising trot until the horse is about 6-years-old. In the early stages of training work on exercises such as circles, serpentines, change rein and stretching. Some horses can’t stretch early in the ride so stretch them at the end. Always perform hundreds of transitions. Riders need to be very particular on how the horse steps forward in the downward transition. Usually this means letting the reins out a little in the transition. Carl never allows a sloppy transition without repeating it until it was good – even the transition into a walk break! In Carl’s training barn, the piaffe is slowly introduced at 6-years-old and is developed over time once a week.

Establishing and maintaining connection is important from the very beginning. When one of the young horses was looking at the crowd, Carl told the rider, “let him look and keep the contact”. The rider should never break the contact.

The balance on a young horse needs to be level. As the horse develops and strengthens he can accept weight onto the hindquarters for an uphill balance. A horse that isn’t in balance, or is out of balance because of the rider, will probably experience loss of rhythm and may contribute to the horse losing confidence. On the 5- and 6-year-olds check the horse’s balance with an exercise where the rider posts three steps sits three steps posts three steps, etc. to see if the horse’s back changes. One young horse didn’t have the balance to perform a medium trot so the rider schooled the transition to medium, not the medium itself. It was lovely to watch the horse learn and develop from place of confidence.

Related to balance is the horse’s ability for self-carriage. Because riders tend to hold and help a horse’s balance, at the earliest stages of training the riders were asked to give and take the rein. To improve alignment, the rider leg yields a few strides, ride straight a few strides, leg yields a few strides and ride straight a few strides repeatedly down the long side. In developing the shoulder-in start with two reins on three tracks not four tracks. Four tracks is too difficult for a young horse.

One rider was complemented for riding the corners like a half circle. Young horses should not be ridden too deep in the corners or they learn to lean through the corner or anticipate and take over. Most dressage test movements start with a corner. Some exercises to improve them are riding to the corner, halt, turn on the forehand, and ride to the next corner and repeat. Another version of this is for the rider to trot the horse, walk when approaching the corner into a bit of a leg yield to activate the inside hind leg and trot when finishing the corner, and repeating the exercise at each corner.

It takes a lot of skill and patience to ride a young horse. As Carl explained, they can be so quiet and then turn into raging monsters. In his cheeky British accent he said “Ok ready to have a go now? Open your mouth take a deep breath and go.”