(Below)
TOPLINE INK
Equestrian Journal
MAR/APR 2009
TOPLINE INK MAGAZINE
To become an equestrian athlete, one must first decide to whom are we referring? The rider or the horse? In today's world it is an easier path to find if we are speaking of the rider. As with all sports, there are levels of athleticism. The beginner rider may call themselves an equestrian athlete to their friends. A rider that has been riding for several years may also feel they are an equestrian athlete. But if we are talking about the elite athletes of the high performance quality the definition is within the fitness of the rider's body. With personal trainers and proper use of high-tech gym equipment as well as participation in yoga and pilates, riders have learned to build and strengthen their cores. This is necessary to have more connection with their horses. Muscle strength leads to muscle control. Of course a focused, long term commitment is necessary to turn an average body into a fine tuned machine able to feel the movements of your equine partner. Hard work with much sweat (and probably tears) has to be included in this equation. Now, for the bigger problem. Turning a 1200 lb. horse into a strong, elastic, fit, dancing-machine that can reliably perform movements and figures with ease and grace. The high performance horse needs to perform consistently in competitions across the country and often over seas, peaking in their fitness at just the right time. As the weather challenges are facing most of us in this country this time of year, I am reminded of the timely fable "The tortoise and the hare". To train a horse is a very long term commitment which requires a great deal of knowledge about both the physical and emotional states of the horse. Riders must be responsible for their horses well being, never rushing movements from a horse not strong enough or mature enough to handle the pressure. This is a very big problem in conditioning. The exercises in the national USEF test should be followed in order from training level thru 4th level. These test allow the horse to develop in a progressive conditioning manner. Short cuts never pay off, and consequently, many times the problems which arise from them can ruin the horses career. As I mentioned, the weather constraints on many riders without a covered arena this time of year..mud, snow, cold wind and rain create poor footing which should never be overlooked when working your horse. I watch many riders ride their horses at a trot and canter on footing harder than a parking lot. Where is the horsemanship? Riders must take the long road with many curves (just as the tortoise did) and preserve their partner's health for the many months ahead when the conditions for riding will be more conducive for success. So, for me, the answer to what makes an equestrian athlete is simple. #1 Proper horsemanship, where the physical and mental abilities and limitations of the horse are understood. #2. Taking your time to build his core muscles as you have built your own, and #3 never being motivated by the finish line, but enjoying every day with the most extraordinary animal...the horse. Melonie Kessler
TOPLINE INK MAGAZINE
Unfortunately, the "what are your tips for organizing"? question has really stumped me. I am the most unorganized person I know. I have no tips, because I don't really know how I get everything done at the end of the day. All I can say, is that I do get it done! There is one tip I can offer people dealing with horses. Be flexible. It is the ONLY way a horse person can survive and advance in this business! Horses don't wear watches, and they don't look at calendars. And, since they pretty much are the center of our universe, it never fails that they keep us more "off track" than on. How many times have we all started down the driveway, only to look over our shoulder and notice either a horse cast in the paddock, a waterer leaking in the pasture, or even a neighbor driving in to tell you your horse just jumped the fence and is headed south on hwy 58? For me, being "Octo-mom" for a barn full of horses is a full time job of constantly organizing chaos. It may appear disorganized from the outside, but the inner circle definitely has a handle on it. I think before one judges the organization of a particular barn, one should look at the end product. Happy, relaxed horses that know their job and perform with pride. (Pay no attention to the rag-a-muffin trainer with dirt on her face and hair tussled over her head like the mad professor). Sincerely, Melonie Kessler
ToplineINK@aol.com Sent: Sun, Feb 21, 2010 12:33 am Subject: Re: Topline article on "Dancing"
When talking about "dancing" between horse and rider, most people think of the obvious freestyle ride. This is where the rider combines compulsory movements-technical marks given- with riding to music-artistic interpretation. The balance, and flow of the steps and movements should give the impression of grace, beauty and harmony between the pair. The horse should appear to be dancing on its own accord. The cooperation of each party, horse and rider, will be so in tune that the spectator is drawn into the dance. In order to create such a harmonious dance, the technical portion of the ride must show the quality of the steps and strides to the highest degree possible for the pair. Again, we must be guided by the training scale: Rhythm, Relaxation, Contact, Straightness, Impulsion, and Collection. While concentrating on the fundamentals, the rider adds the components of the artistic side of the freestyle test. These are: Rhythm, energy, and elasticity Harmony between rider and horse Choreography. Use of arena. Inventiveness Degree of difficulty. Calculated risks Music and Interpretation of the music The artistic portion of the test is somewhat guided by subjectivity, while the technical side is not. Just as a figure skater selects music to emphasize the strengths of their abilities, a dressage rider must choose music suited to the movement of their horse. "Big" music with a strong beat does not always reflect the natural gait of a small movement just as soft music may not enhance the movement of a particularly big mover or a particular movement. The music should accentuate each gait. It should show a change in intensity from high to low depending on the movement, figure and gait. The beat of the music should be with the front feet of the horse. When dancing with your horse in competition, riders must also consider the genre of the music. All the pieces should be related. Their dance should tell a story allowing the spirit of the pair to be shown with expression and freedom. Riding to music somehow frees riders in a way that straight technical riding doesn't always do. When dance-riding for fun, it is not necessary to worry about pre-matching beats with steps. I am always amazed at how much better the harmony shows when music is playing and riders can allow the artistic side of themselves to show. We have to remember riding is an artistic sport as much as it is a technical one. Whether you dance with your horse for fun with the radio playing in the background, or dance with your horse in competition, remember to enjoy the special bond you feel when the two of you are flowing as one.
TOPLINE INK EQUESTRIAN JOURNAL
The question of the importance of riding forward is a very interesting topic. For me, it is also over thought and analyzed, like most dressage terms. Riding forward is a relative term just as relative elevation which refers to the height of the poll and neck. It is all relative to so many other fundamentals. A rider can ride forward without regard to the balance and relaxation of the horse. This is obviously not correct. If we consider the training scale, we must add the forward riding into the impulsion stage of the training, which comes after the confirmation of maintaining the rhythm, relaxation, and acceptance of the bit. Some might debate that a horse is not always capable of becoming secure in these first 3 steps of training without a forward ride, but I believe things are easier to learn with a slower more cause and effect feel from the rider. Just as in learning to drive a car, one learns slowly in a parking lot, learning where and how the pedals and wheel work, how much pressure one needs to use, and the response time after having applied the pressure. Once the horse and rider can operate together as a team, the rider must begin to use their seat and leg aids to develop more from the horse, more cadence, more uphill balance and more impulsion. In dressage, riders try to achieve maximum impulsion from their partners. Impulsion is not speed. It is the uphill thrust which is released from well engaged hind legs. I have witnessed many clinics taught by many notable riders where the theme is "more forward". Many times the mental maturity of the horse is never addressed, and often times the riders find themselves running around the arena in a very quick out of balance gait with their partner looking wide eyed and confused, to say nothing of frightened. I believe it is important for riders to learn how to create the forward ride from their seat and leg (driving aids) as opposed to a chaotic run where the adrenalan of the horse is what gives the rider the sense of this forwardness they are seeking. Confusing forward with a faster tempo is a very common mistake. As a judge, I often see training and first level riders riding much too quickly around their test. Again, we must remember to ride balance. Each horse, as with each rider, has their own degree of natural balance. The exercises within each test are designed to develop the strength and agility that is necessary to reach the goal of dressage training. In case you have forgotten what that goal should be, it is referred to with the training pyramid...The development of collection which makes for a happy and secure horse which is a pleasure to ride.
DRESSAGE TODAY MAGAZINE
QUESTION: I am learning to distinguish between the various trots-----working, medium, lengthen, extended. How can I be sure I am practicing each correctly? There seems to be a fine line sometimes.
Melonie Kessler a USEF "S" Judge, trainer, and competitor.
I think this is an excellent question that needs to be clearly understood. As a competitor it is very difficult to fulfil the criteria for a movement when you are not sure what the criterion is. To obtain a complete description of the objective and criteria for specific movements you must consult your dressage section (DR 101) of the USEF rule book. So many riders neglect to read this material. Judges are required to be well read in the purpose of each level, and each movement of every test they are licensed to judge. The USEF rule book is a wealth of information explaining bending, angles, and ground cover pertinent to the movements or figures. When discussing the variations within the pace( lengthening, medium, extended), you must first be able to show the "quality" within the particular gate. To understand what quality really represents, refer to the rule book and the training scale. Your horse must be able to show a degree ( depending on his level ) of uphill balance, engagement, elasticity, with a lively impulsion in order to begin to demonstrate the variations within the gait. All of these terms are clearly explained in your rule book. The working trot is a gait of 2 beats on diagonal pairs of legs driven by a lively impulsion. It is of moderate stride length and a frame with the poll being the highest point. For a lengthening in the trot, the objective is to show a clear lengthening of frame and stride while maintaining the quality of the trot. The medium trot is more "over" the ground, where the extended trot is similar to the lengthening which is more "across" the ground, but with more power and ground cover. The suspension of the legs is more accentuated in the medium paces as the frame of the horse remains in a more collected frame than during the lengthening or extended paces. In all variations, uphill balance and cadence ( air under the horses feet) must be maintained. If the horse loses balance or rhythm during any of the movements, there will be a deduction in points for that movement. The judge is looking for the frame and the stride to both lengthen. Even if the competitor manages to show some change in length, but loses quality the score will not be very high. Competitors should realize developing and maintaining the quality of the gait during each exercise is essential to obtain a positive score for the movement. Lengthening the stride begins in 1st level and typically horses learn to lengthen by going quicker. Ideally this change in tempo will be eliminated in this longer stride as your horse gains more strength in his core. Riders are permitted to either post or sit the lengthening. This can help some riders balance their horses more effectively. It is important the rider has a proper education on riding the frame of his horse if they want to be effective in adjusting his stride. The way to the horses' back and hind legs, is thru his neck. A horse that is lengthening in the front legs is not always lengthening in the hind legs. The first thing the dressage rider must learn to do is to lower, raise, and bend the horses' neck. The stretching circle exercise in training and first level is a crucial exercise for many reasons, not the least being how to lower the neck to engage the hind quarters. If the hind legs are trailing out behind your horse, it may be necessary to adjust his balance by addressing the position of his neck. When you train your horse, tempo changes are an easy way for your horse to get the idea of longer and shorter steps. A lively quicker tempo smoothly brought back to a slower tempo is a great way to teach your horse to use his back like a spring, but only if you keep the energy in front of your leg. Your seat and legs create the energy, and your hands and your seat contain it. So, if you are attempting to lengthen your horses stride, you must first have him reliably in front of your leg. Next, you must be strong enough in your core to support the thrust coming from your horses engine (haunches and hind legs). As dressage riders, we are compressing our horse into a frame in order to achieve a degree of collection which is required to perform the lateral exercises. These lateral exercises develop the strength in your horse. The stronger the horse, the higher the level he can go. Medium paces are introduced in 2nd level, and extended paces begin in 3rd level. When we show the medium and extended paces we are now saying to ourselves (and the judge) that our horse is strong enough to cover ground in an uphill balance with a rhythmic stride. The medium and extended paces require more uphill balance due to the more increased power the horse should have in this level. Developing the engagement (this is the "loading" phase of the stride where the hind legs are carrying the weight) and leaning to release the energy into an uphill thrust(impulsion) without the horse losing his rhythm is a difficult task. Practicing the exercise on a 20 meter circle is very helpful as the horse needs to stay more on the riders aids as opposed to using the corner to compress his frame. I ask my riders to imagine they are pumping up a balloon, even thinking of the Macy's parade balloons, support the energy with their seats, then carefully release the air out the front by slowly pushing your hands forward toward the horses ears. The image of riding the hind legs into the bridle is helpful. The lengthening should " grow" and be at maximum length over the center of the line you are riding. Clear transitions into and back from the lengthening, where the horse is engaging his hindquarter, is part of the score of the test. Horses learn from repetition, but remember...practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. My advise to all riders and competitors is to take the time to read the dressage portion of your USEF rule book, and become very familiar with the definition of the terminology used by judges.
"The pros of showing"
Aside from the obvious reasons for showing which is motivation to progress, getting a consensus of you and your horses' abilities, and comparing yourself against your peers, I have, what is for me, the primary reason to show. I believe when you are active in the sport by competing, you actually embrace the discipline by becoming part of a tradition which has been passed down for centuries. Representing yourself and your work with your horse over the past months or years allows you to become part of the big picture. The horsemanship of the sport should be presented when you ride down the center line. Riding with harmony and oneness is why so many equestrians choose dressage as their discipline. To compete allows you to voice your opinion of training. By riding in the style which suits you and your horse, you can be an inspiration to others. With so much controversy about the rolkur, showing allows you to demonstrate proper basics without harsh methods...the way the sport was intended. So next time you enter the class, remember, you are a representative to not only the dressage community, but to horses everywhere. The cons of showing: Riders can become caught up in the latest "trend". As mentioned before, the rolkur is a good example of a riding style that has become very popular with not only many top trainers, but with many amateurs seeking short cuts to years of respectful training. Of course, competitors more interested in their own egos than the welfare of their horse can also be a concern.. The bottom line is horsemanship. Their tends to be a lack in knowledge whether it be in horse psychology or horse care from both the amateur and professional contingency. Education is the answer, and before anyone thinks about showing a horse, they first must learn about the horse.
