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Region 8: Dressage Training Clinic – Catherine Haddad

May 31, 2011

Finding Your Comfort Zone
This dressage rider learned the value of a quiet, firm rein contact in a clinic with dressage trainer Catherine Haddad.

By Risa B. Hoag

As a rider, one never knows exactly what to expect during a clinic. But Catherine Haddad’s comprehensive online training videos had caught my attention and when I learned she was coming to nearby Gladstone, New Jersey, I figured it was a great opportunity to learn from her in person.

My mare Mia, a 9-year-old Selle Français, is a former jumper and knew nothing about dressage when I bought her in 2009. So we’ve had our work cut out for us. During the clinic, Catherine complimenting Mia on her gaits and working trot rhythm, noted that she liked my rein contact and then sized up my uneven hands and went to work on straightening my body. She did this not by asking me to straighten my torso or shoulders, but by telling me to put my knuckles together (literally) and hold my hands out in front of me with a bend in my elbow. I was quickly able to see that my rein length was uneven, which I compensated for by twisting my body.

“By putting your hands together in front of you, you are forced to make your reins even and you automatically straighten your body on the horse,” said Catherine. “I do this all the time on my own horses and ask myself, ‘Catherine, are you straight?’”

Next, Catherine explained how I should quiet my reins in order to keep Mia consistently (and comfortably) on the bit, and to tell her where her head and neck should stay. I needed to understand how to use my reins in a more “workmanlike” fashion. To do this, Catherine asked me to hold my inside rein in an upward way, with a real bend in my elbow, while my outside hand remained lower and directly in front of the saddle. Once I was able to get past the mechanical feeling of placing my hands in this manner, the difference was amazing.

This was an “aha!” moment for me. It took a while to understand that my outside rein could be lower and have less movement, while my inside rein could be held higher and be more active. Also critical was understanding that by keeping my outside rein firmly against her neck and by carrying my inside hand in an upward way, not only was I preventing her from escaping through the outside shoulder, but I was also keeping the bit evenly placed in her mouth. When I got it right, her relaxation was immediately apparent and she came round and through.

Catherine also pointed out that I did this exercise more naturally to the right. At first I didn’t agree, but as I have practiced with this new rein contact I have found this to be true. I have a much more natural feel to the right, and it is taking more work to get comfortable to the left. Every rider has a better side, as do most horses, and while it is easier to work on the more comfortable side, forcing myself to work more to the left has enabled us to become more symmetrical.

During Catherine’s second visit to Outfoxed Farm she got on Mia to demonstrate the steady and consistent rein contact she was looking for, as well as the frame I should expect. She rode Mia with a quiet, steady and upward contact and explained, “There shouldn’t be any conversation going on. It’s a piece of metal in the horse’s mouth and the more you work it and the more you use it, the more resistant most horses get.”

After about 10 minutes, I got back on Mia and Catherine positioned my hands where they needed to be. My job was to keep the contact exactly the same. This technique worked brilliantly. Catherine reiterated that my hands should remain quiet and neutral in order to show the horse where I want her head and neck to be, without playing and fiddling with the bit. The quieter and steadier the rein contact was, the quieter and rounder Mia became. “In good riding, the bit is not there for you to play with,” said Catherine. “It is there for the horse to carry softly and quietly and evenly without interference.”

Mia remained in a steady, forward and through frame the entire time as I focused on my quiet but firm rein contact. While we often read about lightness in the bridle, I found there was a certain amount of pressure in this connection. But neither one of us was pulling. Mia and I were both comfortable, and I was able to maintain that connection in the canter as well as in the downward transitions.

While the bulk of my lessons focused on rein contact, Catherine also provided some insight into my seat and using it more effectively in the canter. “Use your seat to tell the horse canter like this, canter like this—adjusting your seat as you ask for more collection or extension,” she said. I have always used my seat to send the horse forward in the canter. However, Catherine helped me understand how to use my seat to collect and balance the horse as well. I find myself saying canter like this over and over in my head when we are working, regardless of whether I am asking for a lengthening in the canter or collection.

Throughout both clinics, Catherine reiterated to many of the riders, “You need to give your horses the amount of rein that is appropriate for the work and tell them to get comfortable there.” The same is true for the rider. Put your body and hands in the right place and get comfortable there. Thanks Catherine!

Region 5: Dressage Clinic – Shannon Peters

May 5, 2011

Back to the Basics – Rider Position and Affect of the Aids
By Catherine Chamberlain

On March 26th and 27th I had the opportunity to ride my horse Chance in a two-day dressage clinic with accomplished international dressage rider and dressage trainer Shannon Peters at Round Mountain Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona. The biggest help I received from Shannon was her constructive criticism of my riding position. She clearly explained and demonstrated every small change that needed to take place in my body position and also defined the biomechanics of why the change needed to occur. It was incredible how even tiny changes in my position had such a huge impact on my horse! Shannon has a great eye as well; she was able to point out five things that I needed to work on in my position just as she came out to meet me when I was walking around on a long rein. The biggest difference I feel that she made was with my seat. I have a quiet seat so many people do not comment on it, but Shannon recommended that I use my abdominal muscles in front to pull my seat more underneath my center of gravity as I tend to balance just slightly too far in front of my hips. She explained that it’s important for a rider with a longer waist like me to always check my balance and position in the saddle to ensure I am affective. If I allowed my position to tilt forward slightly with my seat out behind me, then it was much easier for my horse to get behind the aids. We also worked on me being able to turn to the inside with my waist to increase the bend of my horse’s body.

Then, Shannon made me work on achieving a definite bend in my elbow which caused me to become strong in the back, shoulders, and biceps, but soft in the forearm and hand. My horse enjoyed this connection a lot more and I had much less resistance in the bridle. She also had me think about turning my pinkie fingers towards each other in order to keep my thumbs up and my elbows in.

Finally, Shannon had me work on pulling my lower leg back by using the muscles in the back of my thigh instead of just bending my knee, which causes my lower leg to become short and positioned too far in front of me. In this new position I felt much more balanced and automatically my bad habit to pump my upper body in the canter went away. I also felt like my seat was more independent of my hands and I could use one aid without accidentally using another.

Once we spent the first day working on my use and affect of the aids and my body position, the second day we included some work on the movements from the Prix St. George and FEI Young Rider tests. Shannon clarified for me how to bend the horse in the body instead of only bending the horse in the head and neck. Immediately our half-passes, haunches-in, and other lateral work became much softer and easier for my horse and I. We also worked on the three and four tempi changes and how the preparation was essential to having a good line of changes every single time. Finally we finished up with a few medium and extended trots and concentrated on the power coming fluently from the hind legs to a soft connection in the bridle. Over the last couple of weeks I have worked on everything she said in the saddle and also during my daily workout routine and I definitely feel many improvements in my balance and the coordination of my aids Overall it was a fantastic weekend and I cannot wait for another opportunity to train with Shannon!

Region 5: Dressage Training Clinic – James Shaw, Tai Chi

April 1, 2011

James Shaw Tai Chi Clinic Teaches Riders to Ride from Within

By Julia McSherry

Twelve lucky participants learned more about riding with less force through releasing areas of tension in their bodies that impede the horse’s ability to move freely at the James Shaw Tai Chi for Equestrians Clinic February 26-27 at Windy Creek Ranch in Longmont. Sponsored by SVB Equestrian, LLC and Windy Creek, the clinic provided an opportunity for two mornings of ground work followed by mounted lessons that created a better understanding of how breath and balance can make a more effective rider.

Shaw, who has worked with Conrad Schumacher, Betsy Steiner, Lyndon Gray and many riders from beginner through Olympic, offers numerous tips for translating Tai Chi movements into better dressage riding. Concentrating on ground work will help immensely in the saddle.

Tai Chi is similar to yoga and Pilates in that it focuses on breath, balance, and body core to improve communication between horse and rider. But there are differences as well. Tai Chi uses the bones and proper structural alignment over muscles. It is important to identify and bring to consciousness imbalances in our own body and work to be able to correct them before getting into the saddle. The horse can feel our imbalances and these imbalances impact the way the horse moves. Tai Chi principles apply to everything and can make you a better rider at age 70 than 40, moving healthier at 80 than 60.

Tai Chi fosters an independent seat for riding by training the body to turn at the waist or belly button for sitting trot.

Foundation in breath and balance is essential. For example, if you hold your breath, nothing gets better. Breath is one thing we can learn to control with practice. Who doesn’t forget to breathe when we are in stress conditions, such as in the middle of a test at a show, but it’s here where practice on the ground can make deep breathing natural, something we don’t have to remember to do. Since breathing impacts weight in the sit bones, it’s possible to breathe into upward and downward transitions rather than relying on the leg aides.

According to Shaw, we have the ability to control our breath 100 per cent of the time. Breath is the only thing we can control 100 percent of the time. Our breath sets the rhythm of our bodies. It impacts our center of balance. When it moves down into our body, the horse’s energy comes up to fill that space. It is then that you can feel each step push up through your body. This is key for getting in synch with the horse to feel the movements rather than look for them.

Shaw believes if that you focus too much on your horse, your horse doesn’t focus on you. When you focus on you especially your breath, the horse relaxes and focuses on you as well. Tai Chi also helps one become self aware, to look inward deeper. It is a healing art, which incidentally helps the immune system.

Breath and balance are essential to health and to effective riding. “Breathe in through your nose like smelling a flower,” he explains to his students. “Breathe out through your mouth like playing a flute.” Breathing out through the nose tightens the throat creating tension. This tension transfers to the horse.

Smile to relax the jaw. Inhale/exhale one count apart, that is one count longer on the exhale. Releasing all the air from the abdomen opens the space to breathe in a full belly of air.

Try halting on the exhale. The horse drops its head when the back releases, when breath lowers into the body. Practice at the walk, breathing in for three counts, out for four for a regular walk and in for five counts out for six counts for a slower walk, more relaxed on a longer rein. You can change the rhythm of the gait by changing your breath.

Shaw also explains that the pelvis (sit bones), femur, and lower back comprise the seat. Balance here, in the core, is what you need to make the horse go straight. If the horse drifts right, breathe into the left sit bone. If the horse drifts left, breathe into the right sit bone.

The sit bones tell you where your weight is and you need to control your weight with breath. A key concept is how our weight drops from your sit bones into the horse.

Ground work and practicing simple breathing exercises mounted at the walk can be amazing to foster riding improvement. Shaw encourages riders every time they ride to get on and at the walk, check the breath, awareness of the sit bones, making sure all the “gates” (a Tai Chi term) are open in the body. The sit bones drop when the horse’s back foot hits the ground. Riders can learn to feel each of the horse’s foot falls through the sit bones. This is important for feeling when to give aids for transitions. “You should be able to feel the foot falls all the way up your spine to the back of the skull,” Shaw emphasizes. “Many people block in their lower back. Practicing at the walk is very beneficial and makes the walk much more interesting to ride as well.

If the rider pushes down too much into the stirrups, they can’t feel the sit bones. Riding without stirrups is beneficial. If the rider’s body opens to receive the energy from the foot falls, it creates throughness as the horse moves over the back to the poll. The rider has to have it too.

Weight in the proper sit bone is very important for balance of the horse. For example, more weight should be on the inside sit bone when working the horse in circles. To get the correct diagonal, ask for the trot as the inside sit bone drops because the rider’s sit bone drops as the horse’s same back foot is stepping forward. More efficient turns can be made when aids are given when the horse’s inside leg is in the air. Seventy percent of the power in the canter is received into the inside sit bone so that means we need to learn how to maintain much more contact with the inside sit bone during the canter. Sit bone weight is critical in canter departs and flying changes. When you lose contact with the sit bones, the horse shortens its stride.

In Tai Chi, as in dressage, relaxation and balance are the root of power. Power, not strength, results in calm and precise movement.

James Shaw will return to Windy Creek Ranch September 9-11. For information, contact Sarah V. Barnes at sara...@yahoo.com. James Shaw has been a student of the martial arts for over 20 years and translates Tai Chi to dressage principles with riders throughout the U.S. and United Kingdom. He is the author of Ride from Within: Use Tai Chi Principles to Awaken Your Natural Balance and Rhythm.

Region 3: Sons of the Wind Dressage Quadrille

April 1, 2011

Sons of the Wind Showcases Moving Quadrille Performance at Dressage Under the Stars

By Rebecca Walton

On Wednesday, March 16, I had the opportunity to attend Dressage Under the Stars in Wellington, FL, a weekly competition that showcases the best the dressage world has to offer.  The night’s events were focused on the Iberian Challenge between the Lusitano and PRE horses. After four horse and rider combinations showcased their skills, the winning title was presented to professional trainer Emily Kannenstine after her rousing performance aboard her talented 11-year-old Lusitano from Brazil.

“Tonight was so fun with the music and having the opportunity to do what you want in the ring,” commented Kannenstine. “The crowd was excited and it was fun to play to their enthusiasm.”

One of my favorite parts of my night at Dressage Under the Stars was a unique Quadrille performed by Sons of the Wind, an equestrian arts school based in Merrimac, MA. All four riders were aboard Lusitano mounts and were wearing beautiful Portuguese costumes. The horses were perfectly in sync as they performed the beautiful dressage routine under the lights for the crowd to enjoy.

“For our performance tonight we brought some young horses and it was just extraordinary,” smiled Silva after the ride. “It proves that hard work and the classical training can create talented horses, which in turn creates a beautiful ride. The quadrille is very special because it requires precise choreography and special coordination between the horses and riders.”

The Sons of the Wind and Mr. Silva are famous for exhilarating airs above the ground and their quadrilles have been featured at the Boston Portuguese Festival, Bear Spot Freestyle, PVDA “Ride For Life”, and many other locations. The Sons of the Wind School for the Equestrian Arts, based in Merrimac, Massachusetts and now for the winter Palm City, FL, were founded by Portuguese trainer Mr. Vitor Silva. With their dedication to classical training, these unique centers provide a venue for the starting and sales of the young Lusitanos, along with instruction to all levels of students by the Lusitano school masters developed by Mr. Silva for amateur enthusiasts, instructors and competitive riders from around the world.

Silva added, “Dressage Under the Stars is a great event because it allows different breeds and disciplines to be showcased in a very special way. It’s a lot of fun to see the different riders and horses put together such unique performances.”

Having the opportunity to attend this unique event was truly thrilling and I enjoyed watching the Iberian breeds showcase their incredible talent.

Region 3: Dressage Clinic – Edward Gal (part 2)

October 18, 2010

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By Laurie Bauchman

There are few dressage fans in the world that were not moved by the incredible winning performance at the World Equestrian Games by rider Edward Gal and Totilas, the magnificent black stallion. Together, they have made history by breaking world records in international dressage competition, including three gold medals at the WEG’s. Edward arrived in Lexington, Kentucky a week prior to the competition, where he and Totilas were expected be unbeatable (sadly, it was there last performance ever, as Totilas was sold shortly afterwards). I had the incredible good fortune to be given the opportunity to ride in a clinic with Edward at Gayla Driving Center on Saturday, September 18th.

My excitement about this particular clinic was really off the charts, a feeling that was shared by everyone involved, including the organizers (Team Engaged), their sponsors , and one hundred auditors. We had all followed Edward and Totilas’ success in Europe and with their record-breaking scores of greater than 90% in international competition. Videos of their amazing performances had been seen by all, and we could not wait for the opportunity to watch Edward train. Aside from the obvious talent that the pair was born with, I hoped to find out what other variables had helped to make Edward and Totilas the best in the world.

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My friend and trainer, Becky Blikslager, was also riding in the clinic and we made the ten hour journey from North Carolina together. On Saturday, the morning of the clinic, Edward and his business partner, Nicole Werner, were brought down to the stables to meet us all. It was difficult not to be starstruck during the introductions! Edward was bright and friendly, showing no signs of jet lag from the long flight from Holland the day before. Shortly afterwards, I joined the other riders at a special table reserved for us so that I could watch the first two lessons. This included Becky’s ride, which went really well and I was glad for the chance to see what Edward’s teaching style was like.

At noon, all of the riders joined Edward and Nicole on the patio for a private lunch. This gave all of us a chance to ask some questions about their horses and training methods. I learned that Edward had not started riding until age 14, where he had a weekly lesson at the local riding school on a pony. Edward was 22 and studying at a university when he decided to leave to seriously pursue his riding career. He and Nicole, who serves as his “eyes on the ground”, have been working together for 15 years. My horse William, is by the stallion Gribaldi, who also sired Totilas and whom Edward competed throughout his career. I asked Edward about his experiences with training Gribaldi’s. He commented that they were smart and sensitive, that you had to be careful not to give too big a correction. Edward does not often ride with a whip, since he cannot use one when he competes internationally.

When it was time for my lesson, Edward and I spoke briefly about what I hoped to work on, which included flying changes and extended trot. We started our warm-up in a forward rising trot and canter with a longer rein (but with contact). Edward immediately told me to ride more forward. There were lots of changes in length of stride, mostly on straight lines as too many circles early on made the horse lose the forward tendency. When William stiffened, Edward said, “lower the neck, relax your hand, then forward”. William moved over his topline with increased suppleness. Edward had a very definite idea of what he wanted to see with respect to the tempo and gait quality. He asked for it in a way that seemed easy for the horse, such as, “let him drop the neck a little more” and “let him canter”, when he wanted more activity.

William warmed up nicely, so Edward asked me to shorten my reins to put him together a little more. When my horse stiffened, he said “make him a little more round, then relax your hand”. Once I had a quality canter and a better connection, we began to address the straightness. I rode shoulder-fore to correct the haunches that were coming slightly to the inside. During any corrections, Edward’s first concern was preserving the gait quality. The gait was not to change as a result of any adjustments I made. The horse must keep thinking “forward” and was not to stop or slow down just because I shortened the reins, made a turn, asked for lateral positioning, or approached a corner. In all of these situations he said, “Don’t let him come back on his own. Keep it active.”

Transitions were also ridden in a forward manner. Edward wanted to see an obvious jump into the walk-canter departs. Next, we collected the canter by riding forward and back on a circle. When Edward said “forward”, he wanted an immediate reaction and to see a clear difference. We then started work in the counter-canter as preparation for the changes. Again, I was to keep the activity while lengthening and shortening the stride. Edward then asked me to change the flexion to the inside while holding the counter-canter. A few times, William threw in a flying change on his own. “Doesn’t matter. Just do it again”, Edward said calmly. In order to improve the changes, he said that William had to learn to wait through the preparation while maintaining the activity of the canter. “Collected canter has nothing to do with a slow canter”, he said.

Edward then asked for a transition into trot, “Let him drop out of the canter, then forward”. Because we had been paying such close attention to the gait quality through the ride, the medium trot was rhythmic and balanced. After our first extended trot Edward said, “He can do more”. We repeated it first on the long side and then across the diagonal; William lengthened his frame and steps quite easily. I was then told “let him come back, relax your hands” in the transitions back to collected trot. We finished with a little shoulder-in. I was asked to ride it with greater bend and angle than is needed in the test. Edward warned me that William was again losing gait quality, during the first few steps of shoulder-in and that I needed to keep the tempo and activity into the lateral work.

The clinic was truly a once in a lifetime experience and I felt that William did some of his best work ever. What I learned was Edward’s precision with the training clearly had much to do with his and Totilas’ success. We watched the coverage of the WEG’s the following week and were not surprised at all to see that the pair dominated the competition. Just this week, the news broke about the sale of Totilas to Germany and with sadness, I find myself thinking of Edward and how hard it must be to lose his partner. I don’t expect to ever see another pair like them in my lifetime. Somehow though, I have a feeling we will see Edward’s name at the top of the scoreboard again.

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