Coypright ® 2014 by Cadmos Publishing
Copyright of original edition © 2013 by Cadmos Verlag GmbH, Schwarzenbek, Germany
Translation: Carol Hogg
Design: R2, Nicola van Ravenstein, Verden
Setting: jb:design, Johanna Böhm, Dassendorf
Cover photograph: Maresa Mader
Content photo: Maresa Mader
Drawings: Renate Blank
Graphics: Günter Veichtlbauer
Editorial of original edition: Alessandra Kreibaum
Editorial of this edition: Christopher Long
Printed by: Westermann Druck, Zwickau
All rights reserved: No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photographing and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library.
Konvertierung: S4Carlisle Publishing Services
eISBN: 978-3-8404-6924-4
The publisher and the author point out that the exercises described in this book do not pose an alternative to professional riding lessons. Publisher and author are not liable for any damage to persons and property that may be incurred in connection with the implementation and application of the exercises and methods described in this book. Although these were designed and tested with great care, they should always be carried out with due circumspection.
In this book, riders are shown not wearing riding hats. Readers should always ensure that the appropriate safety equipment is worn: riding boots, gloves and, if necessary, a body protector. The publisher also recommend a correctly fitted hard hat to a minimum of EN1384/BSEN1384 or PAS015 standard.
Contents
FOREWORD – WHY ANOTHER BOOK?
INTERESTING CASES FROM MY EVERYDAY WORK WITH HORSES
Friesian stallion „Gawain“
Westphalian gelding „Flamingo“
PRE stallion „Ramon“
Hanoverian gelding „Mephisto“
THE ANALYSIS – A RELIABLE FIRST STEP TOWARDS SUCCESSFUL TRAINING
Assessment of the horse in a standing position
Assessment of the horse running free
Assessment of the horse on the lunge
Assessment of the horse under saddle
Questioning of the rider, breeder, owner or seller of the horse
TRAINING ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS OF THE ANALYSIS
The basic work
Understanding the rider‘s aids
Forwards as a basis
The walk
The lateral movements as a key instrument in training
Mobilisation
Suppling-up
Bringing the horse onto the aids
Straightening
Bringing the horse into balance
Collection
Movements that develop from the lateral movements
Further fundamental principles
The rein back
The trot
The transitions
The canter
Frequent problems at canter
Riding in counter-flexion
The movements are not an aim in themselves, they are a means to an end
The Spanish walk
Potential problems in training the Spanish walk
Problems with the Spanish walk when the horse‘s crookedness is not considered
The piaffe
Potential problems in training the piaffe
The passage
Potential problems in training the passage
The extended trot
Potential problems in training the extended trot
The Spanish trot
Problems with the Spanish trot
The counter-canter
Potential problems in training the counter-canter
The flying canter changes
Potential problems with the flying canter changes
The pirouette
Potential problems in training the pirouette
Forwards–downwards riding
Work in-hand – how helpful is it?
Physical condition and muscle development
THE RESULT OF TRAINING
How to recognise a successful training result
Self-carriage
Beauty and expression
The horse chews on the bit
The tail is swinging
Relaxed breathing
Minimal rider‘s aids
Pure basic gaits
The horse‘s legs
Collection
Throughness
How long can a positive training result be maintained?
CHECKLIST FOR THE RIDER TO ASSESS THEIR HORSE
Questions for the assessment of natural crookedness
Questions you should ask yourself, in order to assess your horse‘s training
At walk and halt
At trot
At canter
Unmistakable indications of incorrect training
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Foreword
WHY ANOTHER BOOK?
The author with Lipizzaner stallion “Favory Toscana”.
Every year I feel even more enthusiastic about my profession and the work I do with horses. New horses and challenges always mean new experiences for me and astonishing insights which motivate me to keep on learning, observing and working on myself. These are experiences I would like to share with you!
Most important in this context is the knowledge that classical dressage offers a solution for every problem. Whenever you come up against seemingly insurmountable obstacles in the training of a horse, and other so-called „methods“ have failed, it is time to reflect and start looking for solutions within the scope of classical dressage.
This search for solutions nowadays involves a slightly dramatic dimension because the number of qualified trainers is frighteningly small. Over the course of recent decades horse-friendly training has, in many places, unfortunately been sacrificed in favour of commercial interests and riders‘ vanity.
Even if some of these riders start to think more carefully and try to train their horses in accordance with classical principles, the fundamental question is: where have they learned about these principles and acquired their experience? Because, as Kurt Albrecht (1920–2005) commented many years ago, any search for classical equestrianism at competitions will be completely in vain: „The dressage scene must become aware of the fact that what is happening in competition arenas today is indeed far removed from the ideals of classical horsemanship. Judges as well as riders have to learn that dressage means horses which are attractive and content – and there is only one way in which this can be achieved: correct and gradual training according to the methods determined by the great classical masters“ (Loch, Sylvia: Reitkunst im Wandel. Franckh-Kosmos Verlag 1995, page 171.)
A great deal of ancient knowledge has meanwhile been lost. Many exercises that are so meaningful and useful for horses no longer feature in a rider‘s daily routine. Lack of knowledge gives rise to helplessness and this leads to humiliating methods applied to horses. People who no longer know, for example, how to introduce horses to the piaffe or passage, but are under pressure to achieve success, resort to instruments that are totally unnecessary in the context of classical dressage, and which degrade training to a kind of drilling to achieve specific aims. If the first horse drilled to perform in such a way actually experiences success in equestrian sport, such a procedure will soon become established as a method and there will be plenty of ambitious persons keen to imitate it. Over the course of time the gap between this „method“ and genuine classical equestrianism becomes quite alarming: correct images sink into oblivion, centuries-old knowledge is abandoned – classical equestrianism becomes extinct!
The only recourse is to read old books and to apply the knowledge gained from them. We may also have a stroke of good luck and come across one of the few remaining trainers still working according to the classical principles.
Classical means orientating oneself according to the nature of the horse: nothing is demanded which is not in harmony with nature or which involves the danger of destroying the basic gaits or psyche of the horse. Adherence to this fundamental principle means that classical training is the basis for every discipline in equestrian sport. Irrespective of whether I am involved in show jumping, dressage or western riding, the nature of the horse must always be respected.
I would like to illustrate this with an example based on my own experience. In spring 2011 I held a clinic in Dubai. One participant was riding a Württemberger mare with which he wanted to do some competitive jumping. Shortly before I arrived, an internationally successful trainer had been in Dubai. This trainer, himself a former Olympic competitor, instructed this rider and also rode his horse. The result was that after three days the horse could not close its mouth properly and the rider’s hands were covered in blisters. The mare was pulling badly and communication between horse and rider was, to say the least, very tense.
In fact this rider was not really keen on participating in another clinic, but colleagues at his yard had persuaded him to ride with me. So I was confronted by a seriously unmotivated horse and a very mistrustful rider. After a short period of observation, the tensions and crookedness of this very talented, sensitive mare were clearly visible to me – as were the deficits of the rider. Now it was a question of finding the right gymnastic exercises to help the mare relax and encourage the rider to apply the aids in a different way. After a very short time spent in selected lateral movements at suitable tempo at walk and then at trot, the mare began to drop her neck, to chew and engage her back. As a consequence, the rider‘s seat improved and his rein aids became much more gentle, because he actually started to feel. To put it briefly, after three days the expression and rideability of the mare, as well as the rider‘s application of the aids, had changed so much that they presented a harmonious overall impression. This rider was so surprised and enthusiastic about how subtly he could actually ride his mare that, two months later, he visited me in Germany to find out more about classical dressage. He also told me that he took part in a jumping competition after I left Dubai and immediately won second place – an achievement he had never experienced before.
This example proved to me, once again, just what is possible with classical dressage. Even those riders who are very sceptical about it can be convinced – they simply have to find the courage to try it. What you want to achieve with your horse afterwards, or in which discipline you choose to ride, is completely irrelevant.
In this book I would like to share more experiences with you, which I have acquired over recent years. Above all, I would like to try and explain how I approach horses which are entrusted to me, in order to be able to exercise them as effectively as possible and bring them into balance. This is because balance is the key to being able to ride the horse with lightness and in harmony and keep it healthy and able to perform for many years to come!
My regular astonishment about the stiffness and dullness of horses with which many riders spend their leisure time represents a further incitement for me to write this book. Many horses are not ruined because they have been over-stretched by their riders, rather it is their riders’ lack of knowledge that ruins them – and this should not happen. If these riders had ever experienced the great pleasure of sitting on a horse well trained to haute école level, they would always want to work to achieve this harmony themselves. Unfortunately, however, the number of well-ridden horses is alarmingly low. This book is intended to help you find a better way of training your horse. The way I would like to show you improves your horse‘s physical well-being and motivates it to strive constantly to please you. For you it is a way of feeling, reflecting and understanding which will ultimately lead you to enjoy happy moments in great harmony with your horse. Daily riding should be pleasurable and enjoyable for both parties involved –give it a try!
INTERESTING CASES FROM MY EVERYDAY WORK WITH HORSES
Friesian stallion „Gawain“.
In the following section I would like to present some horses that have benefited particularly from classical dressage. The principal aim of dressage is to keep the horse healthy by bringing it into balance and strengthening its back. The individual movements develop from gymnastic exercises and represent further components that make the horse mobile and develop its muscular system. The better and more finely the gymnastic work is regulated, the lighter and more harmonious the communication will be between rider and horse, culminating in invisible application of the aids. In extreme cases, classical training not only serves to keep the horse healthy, it sometimes even works as a kind of physiotherapy and helps the horse to become healthy! I should like to give brief summaries here of the different backgrounds of some horses for which this has been the case. Only summaries are possible, because each of their stories would fill an entire book.
Friesian stallion „Gawain“
Gawain came to our training yard after experiencing a long saga of examinations and periods spent in clinics. His pelvis was over twelve centimetres out of line and every vet who examined him discovered a different reason for this crooked pelvis. In fact, Gawain could not move his offside hind leg forwards properly, he could only drag it and not raise it. He was extremely lame at walk, and trotting or cantering were completely out of the question. Consequently all the vets who had been consulted recommended the owner to have the horse put down because even if he was simply turned out to grass, Gawain’s lack of mobility meant he could no longer experience any kind of quality of life.
In complete despair but not yet quite willing to concede, the owner came to us. We promised to see what we could do with Gawain – at any rate, there was nothing to lose! His condition, however, was worse than I had imagined on the basis of the reports. Nevertheless, I wanted to give it a try particularly as the horse did not convey the impression of being sad or apathetic – indeed on the contrary, Gawain always seemed interested and in good form.
My plan was to try working with the lateral movements in order to motivate the dragging hind leg. Gymnastics thus began every morning with stepping over in-hand, from right to left on a volte. The offside hind leg was to be activated and mobilised. With this aim in mind, I repeatedly touched the leg with the whip and Gawain made a great effort to raise it a little and move sideways. Initially I just led him in a cavesson, later in a snaffle, in order to frame him better on the outside, and I never required him to do the exercise for longer than ten minutes, of course with lots of breaks while he rested. Afterwards I brought Gawain back to his box, and I repeated the procedure several times a day. Directly adjacent to his box was a little paddock to which he had permanent access, so he was always able to take some exercise himself, if he felt like it. After a few weeks, as a result of these stepping over exercises, the straight forward walk from the box to the indoor school and back again also became better and more even. Three months later the pelvis was straight. I phoned the vet immediately but by the time he arrived, thirty minutes later, the pelvis was crooked again. Nevertheless, this was a revelation for me. It showed that it was indeed possible to straighten the pelvis! Evidently, however, it required even more time, patience, gymnastics and muscle training in order to keep it straight.
“Gawain” doing Spanish walk under Anna Jantscher.
After almost a year in which we worked on all lateral movements at walk and trot under the saddle, and increasingly activated the offside hind leg, we were also able to canter. The lameness had gradually disappeared completely – the pelvis was now only very minimally crooked.
Gawain can now perform a beautiful piaffe, he does the passage, he can do the Spanish walk and a beautiful canter; counter-canter and flying changes pose no problems. His owner goes out for long hacks with him every weekend. Gawain no longer suffers from any hint of lameness, he has become a horse with plenty of go and has had no problems at all for the last five years.
In this case classical dressage saved a horse’s life and was much more than simply gymnastics for the horse. It was quite definitely physiotherapy here!
For me this story had the quality of a miracle and it motivated me to continue, particularly with horses that were considered to be virtually hopeless cases. As this experience is no kind of unique exception, I have become fully aware of the amazing successes which classical dressage can achieve.
Westphalian gelding „Flamingo“
Flamingo was purchased by his owner for a slaughterhouse price and had been diagnosed as “unrideable” before he came to our yard. As a three year old, he had won the Championship Qualification for Young Horses in Warendorf and experts believed he had a great future ahead of him. Sadly, however, the training which followed almost ruined him. It proceeded much too quickly and relied on the use of draw reins – so Flamingo simply refused to cooperate. He was put out to grass for a period of mental rehabilitation. During this period he was kicked by another horse, causing injury to his hock. He underwent extensive surgery in an effort to save this joint but the result was far from satisfactory. X-ray pictures taken at the time confirmed this and all future hopes were destroyed. Nevertheless, we wanted to see what could be done! When Flamingo came to us, he was extremely cantankerous and nervous. He would really have preferred to have no contact with people whatsoever. Any movements were very tense and stiff. His mobility, particularly in the neck area, was extremely restricted. He was not lame, but he frequently reverted to amble or pace sequences at walk.
First of all we worked on the lunge with him, just as we do with a young, inexperienced horse, to try to regain his trust in the rider. We used a snaffle bridle, without auxiliary reins, but with a cavesson to which the lunge was attached – to avoid causing any stress for him in his mouth. First of all Flamingo was simply overwhelmed by so much freedom in the neck and head area, and reacted by consistently throwing his neck upwards. He also kept trying to block, or spit the bit out again because, of course, we had allowed him complete freedom in the mouth, or rather the jaw area, and did not restrict him with a tightly fastened crank flash noseband.
“Flamingo” with his regular rider Vera Munderloh.
He reacted to the slightest sound or movement in his surroundings with leaps of fear and often with some really powerful bucking. At the end of every lungeing session, we tried stepping over on a volte, with one person riding him and me on foot. On the left rein this worked very well from the beginning, but in the other direction Flamingo was very stiff and responded to our requests with kicking, rearing or jostling. Whenever he had completed one or two steps from right to left, we praised him effusively – thus gradually gaining his confidence and stimulating his motivation.
After many months spent mobilising Flamingo well in a snaffle at walk and trot, he was also able to canter on and halt confidently, so we started working with him in a double bridle and bridoon. This had the surprising advantage for us that Flamingo began to chew on the two bits, with which he was not familiar, and he became lighter in the hand. When ridden in a snaffle, he had learned to bite hard on it and lean on the reins. These problems now became part of the past.
We gradually began to piaffe with him to strengthen his back and improve his balance, in other words to relieve his forehand. With the aid of gymnastic exercises in the lateral movements, piaffe and canter work, Flamingo became increasingly smooth and powerful, as well as more content, and he trusted his rider increasingly. Now, six years later, this “ruined” gelding has become an expressive and motivated riding horse. He is in optimum physical condition, powerful and well-muscled. Flamingo is able to perform very good piaffes and passages and is even capable of passage half-passes. Flying canter changes, also in series, pirouettes, Spanish walk and Spanish trot are part of his repertoire. He does all this under his regular rider, Vera Munderloh, who directs him with subtle application of the aids.
Naturally such a horse is sometimes confronted by stressful situations – this is unavoidable – and old memories are obviously revived. At these moments, when Flamingo gets nervous, his rider must remain very calm. She must radiate composure and remain patient with the horse until he has calmed down again. Any indication of impatience, anger or unfair treatment at such a moment would cause a setback of many months in the training of such a horse. This trust, which Flamingo now places in humans, should never again be destroyed! Anyone who cannot exercise such self-control and patience as a rider should avoid ever becoming involved with horses that are difficult to correct. Furthermore, throughout the course of all these years, Flamingo has never once been lame. This is a phenomenon which even vets are unable to explain because his hock joint is actually in a very bad condition.
In this particular case classical dressage has not only helped the horse physically, it has also transformed a cantankerous bundle of nerves into a content, motivated riding horse.
PRE stallion „Ramon“
Ramon came to our training yard because he had recurring problems with his near foreleg. He could never be ridden for longer than three months without going lame. Consequently he came to us and had to be led at walk for six weeks before we could slowly begin to work with him. The diagnoses extended from tendon problems in the nearside foreleg to carpal tunnel syndrome.
The first thing which struck us was that Ramon was actually doing amble or pace rather than walking, even when being led. His back was very tense and he was not using it at all. Furthermore, he was very sensitive and his muscles were not well developed. Even when Ramon was just being led, it was easy to recognise that it was hard for him to turn his neck and head to the left. Ramon carried himself with a permanent slight curvature to the right, thus imposing more weight on the nearside foreleg. His movements were very loud and laborious, particularly at trot and canter.
Our first task was to relax his back and then to strengthen it. This needed to be done in order for him to walk properly again. However, straightening was also important in order to take weight off his nearside foreleg and relieve it significantly as soon as possible. This was the only way in which we could exclude the risk of Ramon going lame again within a short period of time. We were able to regain the balance via increased movement in the horse’s entire body, particularly in the neck and in the jowl.
Gymnastic exercises and straightening were done, as always, via the lateral movements. First of all we focused particularly on the lateral work, which was intended to relieve Ramon’s left side. This involved, for example, leg-yielding from left to right, shoulder-in left, counter-shoulder-in from left to right, travers left and renvers on the right rein. Ramon soon began to engage his back. He began to chew and his joints became more agile. He started to use his muscles more. As a consequence he was able to put his hooves down more gently and more quietly, which was obviously easier on his tendons and joints. The increased mobility helped him to become more supple on both reins, which meant we could take more weight off the nearside foreleg and encourage Ramon to distribute his body weight better over the four legs.
Ramon has now been with us for more than two years and, despite intensive daily work, including piaffe, passage and lots of cantering work, he has never again been lame on his nearside foreleg.
This represents further evidence of the fact that classical dressage is healthy for the horse as well as beneficial. Dressage exists for the horse and not vice versa.
Hanoverian gelding „Mephisto“
This horse had a problem that had resulted from bad riding. A variety of trainers, owing to a lack of knowledge of classical dressage, had failed to solve it. Mephisto always let his tongue hang out to the far right side of his mouth.
Attempts had indeed been made to counteract this alleged bad habit with the crank flash noseband as well as a standard flash noseband and special bits, but all to no effect. Vets and equine dentists did their best, however they were unable to discover any medical reason for this tongue habit. So how could I approach the problem? First of all I asked someone to ride Mephisto whilst I watched and analysed the problem for myself. I immediately noticed that Mephisto was doing amble or pace instead of walk. His head movement was severely restricted, his nose was behind the vertical and his breathing was tense and uneven. His back seemed very stiff and the loin area was virtually rigid. On the right rein it was very difficult to flex and bend Mephisto. The rider rode the gelding consistently with too much tempo and was permanently driving him to go faster. Thus he finally drove him out of balance onto the forehand. After the first few metres Mephisto cleverly manoeuvred his tongue through all sorts of inhibiting devices out of his mouth, and left it hanging out for the entire session.
I began working with Mephisto initially in an ordinary snaffle and a very loosely buckled ordinary noseband – there was easily space for two fingers between the horse’s nose and the nose-band strap, so this gave him the opportunity to do what he liked with his tongue. It was very important to me that he had the feeling he could move his mouth and tongue freely. My first training attempts consisted of stepping-over exercises in hand, with me standing in the middle. In this way I just wanted to flex Mephisto slightly and use the whip gently to encourage him to step sideways on a small volte.
I was immediately struck by how stiff the gelding was. He was unable to flex and also unable to step over sideways with his hind leg. He was completely blocked. He did not react at all to my request to turn his head slightly on the inside rein. It was as if the rein were attached to a lump of concrete. Naturally he had never made even the slightest attempt at chewing. Instead he gripped the bit in his mouth just like a dog bringing back a piece of wood. I tried again to mobilise this stiff body, which weighed over 600 kilograms, and with a great deal of effort and very, very gradually, I succeeded in moving Mephisto slightly sideways. As the gelding’s muscles were so stiff and tense, unfortunately I did not have any fine reaction to my light touches with the whip either. Instead Mephisto just let these touches bounce off. It was a few weeks before he began to evade the whip promptly and relatively finely.
After a short daily warm-up phase in stepping over in-hand, I began to ride the horse. After just a few metres, Mephisto started to let his tongue hang out. I completely ignored this, however. Instead, I tried to concentrate on the many other problem areas of his body. Somehow I had to find a way of relaxing him and mobilising him. The only way of achieving this was via the lateral movements. This is why I started off with leg-yielding, then stepping over, shoulder-in and travers, changing consistently, at a calm walk. This gave him the opportunity to coordinate, breathe properly and understand my aids. As a consequence of this work he gradually began to relax his muscle system and ultimately to use it. He also learned to bend his stiff joints.
After spending a number of weeks doing these gymnastic exercises, Mephisto gradually became more supple; he started to walk properly instead of doing amble or pace, and sometimes he even kept his tongue in his mouth. I continued with the exercises mentioned above, now also progressing to a quiet trot. I also always integrated plenty of breaks with the reins yielded. This gave him regular opportunities to stretch himself. He was now becoming increasingly willing and fine in his reactions to me taking up the reins, and he also reacted much better to the leg aids and was becoming quite obviously more diligent. The initial hard pulling with his mouth and neck against the rider’s hand stopped and Mephisto began, completely of his own accord, to arch his neck. By now I was quite sure that we were on the right path because I also increasingly felt his back. When I began riding him, it felt as if I were sitting in a deep, hard hollow. This feeling had now disappeared. It seemed to me as if I were sitting higher, and I felt smoother movements under the saddle. The loosening up of the muscle system, the mobilising of the horse and the strengthening of his back were the key to the mouth! All I still had to do was to get Mephisto to chew on the bit. Then his tongue could no longer hang out. As soon as he loosened his lower jaw, reacted to slight movements of my finger and chewed, the problem would be solved.
Which exercise is best to strengthen the horse’s back and bring the entire horse into balance? Which exercise, provided it is correctly exercised, gets horses inevitably beginning to yield in the lower jaw and chewing? The piaffe, of course!
On account of good gymnastic preparation, it was now quite easy to get Mephisto to piaffe. Lo and behold, even after the first small steps, he began to chew calmly. His tongue was no longer visible. From now on, everything was easy. Lateral movements in all gaits, transitions, canter work, piaffe and even passage were achieved – with a relaxed and diligently chewing horse.
A tricky moment for me was ultimately the transition from the snaffle to the double bridle and bridoon. How would Mephisto react to the unfamiliar bits? The answer was amazing: he did not react at all! He could be ridden very finely, as had been the case before, and he also kept his tongue in his mouth. It was ultimately a question of his back; the mouth problem was only a symptom, I reminded myself. In the transition from snaffle to double bridle, it is important, as a conscientious trainer, to avoid buying one of the modern bridle models, with the so-called crank flash noseband, a primitive contraption which has nothing to do with fine riders’ hands and noble horses’ heads. Look instead for an “old-fashioned” double bridle with a simple noseband, and buckle it loosely. In this way you will avoid the problems which many riders try to hide later on with the crank flash noseband. And please never forget that the horse’s mouth is the reflection of the back and the horse’s muscular system. It is now three years since the “correction” of Mephisto, and his tongue has remained in his mouth ever since.
I could continue through a long list of horses with similar experiences. It is always like a miracle for me to see what dressage can make of a horse, and I hope that the examples I have mentioned will surprise you too, and possibly also motivate you to consider classical dressage, if you have a problem with your horse.
Naturally the correction of a horse requires a great deal of experience and feeling. I would not like to convey the impression that “application” of a few lateral movements will be enough. If you select the wrong exercises and execute them in the wrong tempo, with the wrong seat and wrong rein length, and ride your horse “crablike” through the arena, you will never achieve success even after many years of practice. To do the right thing at the right time – using sensitivity in conjunction with patience and consistent work over many months and years – will give your horse confidence, strength and balance. Of course there are also horses that have been ruined or even traumatised to such an extent that they will never be “normal” again, but almost all of them can be improved.
THE ANALYSIS – A RELIABLE FIRST STEP TOWARDS SUCCESSFUL TRAINING
The very expressive head of Lusitano stallion “Super”.
When we are entrusted with a new horse, we should never simply “get on it and ride” or even try to proceed according to a set plan about how this horse is to progress. Instead, we should first of all take the time to observe very carefully and try to find out as much as possible about our new companion. What are the horse’s strengths and, more particularly, what are its weaknesses? Where does it have tensions and asymmetries? How about its balance? And what can we find out about its inner qualities? There is an almost infinite list of questions – the answers to which will serve as an essential guide to the horse’s training.
In order to be able to train successfully, meticulous attention to detail is required in the procedure. First of all, I would like to define what I mean by “success” in this context.
“Success” does not mean winning rosettes and cups, but rather bringing a horse into physical and, if necessary, mental balance. During the course of training a horse should become more attractive, stronger and more expressive. The relationship with its trainer should be characterised by deep affection and profound trust. Ultimately the success of dressage is defined almost exclusively in terms of preserving the horse’s health and laying the foundation for the horse’s permanent ability to perform over many years to come.
A successful rider, from my point of view, is one who, with great care and love, extracts the optimum from their horse – not the rider who is permanently looking for the best horse.
A genuine rider takes every horse “seriously” and treats it with respect. This treatment is not restricted solely to a horse that the rider regards as being talented for their own specific purposes, because a good rider is trained and formed primarily by working with a many different difficult horses. In this way they learn a lot about many relevant topics and attributes in addition to technical skills. Above all, such a process involves outstanding training for the human character. Traditional values such as diligence, discipline, patience, humility and self-control are only some of the virtues which we can learn from horses, especially difficult horses. It is not only the rider who forms the horse – it is a reciprocal process! The horse has a decisive effect on the personal development of the rider, providing the rider is open to such a development. If they are not, they will always remain a person who uses horses and possibly even wastes them. It is possible for such a rider to collect cups and rosettes. However they will never proceed to the high accolades of classical equestrianism.
Before making any start on training a horse, it is essential to observe the horse in detail, ideally under a variety of different circumstances. This “assessment of the status quo” is important in order to be able to make a precise analysis of the horse. The result corresponds to a diagnosis, which ultimately represents the basis for the therapy, which consists of an individual training plan with corresponding gymnastics. This enables us to mobilise the horse in question and bring it into balance so we can support it in its development up to the level of the most advanced movements.
The next section of this book is therefore dedicated to the analysis procedure. How can I find out what problems my horse has and what exercises are specifically important and healthy for it?
The first criterion that provides useful information is the breed of the horse. What sort of horse am I dealing with? For what purpose was it bred? I cannot expect of a Friesian, for example, that it will gallop in the same way as a Thoroughbred, or that it will jump as high as a horse bred for show jumping. The breed of the horse thus provides me with a certain framework, within which I can work with the horse.
Even within a breed, however, there are breeding lines or particular lineages which can help a well-informed person to assess a horse. Thus there are, for example, lineages within the German Warmblood breed, which provide virtual guarantees of good jumping horses, whereas other lines are associated with harmonious competitive dressage horses with particularly good gaits.
It is also important to know the age of a horse in order to be able to assess it properly and gauge the required amount of work correctly. For example, I cannot expect a three- or four-year-old horse to be as well balanced as an eight-year-old horse, and it would not be good to work with it for as long a stretch at a time as I would work with a fully grown horse.
Furthermore the horse’s sex has an influence on its conformation, its expression and naturally also on its behaviour. Mares are often somewhat longer in the body and some of them are rather difficult, or even impossible, to ride when they are in season. There are very genuine, hormone-based reasons for this which the trainer must respect. Stallions are normally of more compact conformation and the haute école movements normally suit them well; after all, these movements are derived from the stallion’s natural instinct to “show off”. Nevertheless stallions often have a tendency to accord too much attention to environmental influences or to engage in rivalry with other stallions and therefore require a rider in whom they have a lot of trust as well, of course, as a great deal of respect. Geldings have the physical advantages of stallions, and provided they are not castrated too early, they often maintain the required masculine expression. They do not always manifest the concomitant negative characteristics of stallions such as lack of concentration or impulsive instincts. Geldings are normally calmer and more balanced, therefore they concentrate better on the rider. However, in this respect also, there are always exceptions which confirm the rule.
The statements I have made here are naturally of a very general nature, but they provide an overview and can help in the assessment of a horse. Of course, every horse has to be observed on an individual basis but these criteria should certainly be kept in mind.
Assessment of the horse in a standing position
Whenever I am entrusted with a new horse, I assess it in a standing position first of all. It should be in good body condition in order to be able to work effectively. Nowadays horses which are too thin are rarely underfed: their state usually indicates some form of deficiency in their health, for example worms or stomach problems. In some cases, however, horses are thin because they suffer from excess nervousness. There are many possible reasons for this stress, ranging from excess demands being imposed by the rider to incorrect stable management. Tooth problems must also be taken into consideration. Horses that cannot chew properly, and experience pain doing so, will become thin. This book will not be focusing on questions of health and feeding, because each of these topics merits a separate book in itself. Nevertheless, I should like to point out that, as a trainer, I also have a duty to look for the reason why a horse with which I am entrusted is too thin. It is always important to consult a vet in order to clarify the matter. Horses which are too fat, on the other hand, have either had too little exercise or have been living on pasture that is too lush, and they should definitely lose some weight before serious training begins.
Lusitano stallion “Pao”.
An initial look at the body condition can thus be extremely informative, and in some cases provide an incentive for further research into the horse. Usually the state of the coat also reflects the body condition: if the horse is too thin, the coat is often shaggy and dull. If the horse is well nourished but the coat is in poor condition, I once again have to ask the reason why. Is it suffering from some kind of deficiency, in vitamins or minerals, for example? Or is it perhaps a question of neglectful care and bad grooming? Well-muscled horses usually have a good coat. If a horse has little or no muscle the coat is virtually always in poor condition.
Lusitano gelding “Ciclone”.
It is always instructive to take a look at the hooves. Are they well cared for, are there sandcracks, are they of different sizes and – extremely important – are they worn down on one side? Hooves which are worn down on one side can be an indication of crookedness or an uneven gait.
The muscle system is yet another mosaic stone in the assessment of an unfamiliar horse. If a horse has very little muscle, work should begin very gradually. We have to find out if the horse is strong or perhaps has muscular development in the wrong places. This can be an indication of incorrect training or unfavourable, tense carriage of a horse whilst being worked. Incorrectly developed muscles indicate that much work will be required in further training, because such muscles must be reduced gradually and new, correct muscles have to be built up – this is a lengthy process! It is even worse if excessive muscle development on one side can be recognised when a horse is standing. This indicates serious crookedness, and it often requires years to straighten such horses again. If the horse has a crooked pelvis or shoulders, the problems are multiplied and a great deal of patience is therefore required. In such cases dressage is not just gymnastics but it becomes physiotherapy and should have a healing effect. A great deal of experience and support is required in order to tackle such problem cases. Nevertheless an effort should at least be made even with these difficult horses. I have already achieved some amazing results. Furthermore, particularly with complicated horses, one’s ability as a rider and experience, in the broadest sense of the word, increase enormously.
Finally, it is also important to assess the horse’s expression. Does it make a quiet, relaxed impression? Does it perhaps seem disinterested or even apathetic? Is it over-excited or just interested in its surroundings? Does it respect the human being or simply look through them? Does it make a frightened, disturbed impression? This observation helps us to recognise the nature of the horse and, moreover, it can provide us with further information about how it was previously treated.
In the entire analysis, the horse should not be judged in the same way as if it were a case of assessing its suitability for riding, breeding and licensing. We should not allow ourselves to evaluate the quality as good or bad. Rather the analysis described consists of a collection of pieces of information which appear relevant to us for training, and provides us with information about how we can best bring the horse in question into balance.
Assessment of the horse running free
After I have had the opportunity of assessing the horse briefly in a standing position, I like to let it run free in the indoor school, providing that it is familiar with this activity. Attention: Make sure the mirrors are covered! Stallions, especially, tend to interpret their own reflections in the mirror as rivals and try to attack them.
Lusitano stallion ”Pao” running loose in the paddock.
When a horse is running free, I try to analyse its movements and recognise and analyse how it uses its body. Which gait does it prefer? What about the quality of the walk? Is it free, restricted, or is the horse in fact doing amble or pace rather than walking? Does it canter on immediately or continue trotting for a while and require a lot of extra encouragement to go into canter? Is it light-footed and manoeuvrable, or does it constantly go into a disunited canter, drop back into trot, sway badly and move in poor balance? The most important gaits for me in this context are walk and canter because these two basic gaits are the most difficult to improve. The trot becomes more significant if, at a later stage, I want to present the horse in modern dressage competitions. It does not give any indication whatsoever about the horse’s ability to progress to the most advanced movements! Some horses have a very poor basic trot and nevertheless excel at piaffe and passage. With the help of good dressage work, this basic gait can most certainly be improved as far as ground cover, cadence and expression are concerned. In nature the trot is simply a transitional gait between walk and canter. Today it is often accorded a degree of importance which it does not actually deserve. This is because an impressive trot looks particularly good to non-experts and consequently can increase a horse’s value considerably. Horses living in natural freedom normally move at walk and frequently stop to graze. If something frightens them, they gallop away. Consequently – under natural circumstances – a horse’s trot is not particularly relevant.
In order to discover any asymmetries, we should observe the following: Where does the horse bend its neck and where does it turn its head? Where are the hindquarters? Is the horse always flexed to the same side? Can I already recognise a hollow and stiff side? On which rein does it cut the corners and on which rein does it go well in the track or even lean on the surrounding board for support? Which rein does it prefer?
A further important criterion is the speed with which it reacts. This can provide important information about its sensitivity as a riding horse. Furthermore, when a horse is running free I can recognise easily if it has power in the back and in the hindquarters. Strong horses remain even in their gait, even when negotiating a corner. They can turn lightly on the hindquarters and you virtually never have the impression that they are losing balance. Weak horses are often in a disunited canter or drop back into trot; they need a long time to turn and are often clumsy in their attempts to do so. Everything which strikes me in a positive light has to be maintained, or even reinforced, later when I ride the horse. Even at this early stage, all the weaknesses I can recognise start me thinking about what gymnastics I can use to improve the horse.
Particularly when the horse can move freely, I can also find out something about its temperament. Is it a horse with an energetic temperament or is it rather stolid? Is it attentive or does it shy easily? Some horses also become aggressive when allowed to run free or are very nervous and avoid some corners of the indoor school. These impressions flow into the overall impression which I have gained of the horse so far and help me to form more concrete plans about the training. In the case of young horses, I often see the lanky and still immature horse and can already gain a precise picture of how it will look in a few years’ time, fully grown and with well-developed muscles, and of the impression it will make in collection. Then I really look forward to starting the actual work. I would like to get to know the horse well and to train it, rather like the artist who has a picture in their head and is very keen to paint it on canvas.