Dressage: Foundation for All Riding Disciplines
Lesson Seven
This lesson teaches specific
skills that will help you improve your horse's way of moving. These are skills
you will work on for a lifetime. As you
practice these skills, they will be come second nature, and a normal part of
your riding.
The major
misconception about lengthening the horse is that you achieve it by increasing
speed. The misconception about
collection is that you shorten the reins and the horse collects.
Collecting and lengthening
are two exercises every horse must learn to do correctly if he is to stay sound
and move well.
Each of
these exercises is dependent upon the other.
Collection is much like
compressing a spring, and lengthening is much like letting the spring
expand. There are degrees to both
exercises. Your horse's natural movement
should be somewhere in the middle.
Although most horses are
built to do perform one of the exercises better than the other, all horses can
do both, and do them well after proper conditioning and training.
Horses, as all animals, are
moved by a series of simultaneous contracting and stretching of muscles.
Collection
and lengthening both rely on the hindquarters of the horse being underneath
him, his back lifting, and his forehand getting lighter and more elevated. The horse must be accepting of the bit, his
center of gravity toward his hindquarters (the engine), and his body
straight.
The rider
must also be balanced and straight, his hands soft and quiet with even contact
on both reins. The rider's legs need to
have soft contact. The rider must use
timing in the aids to get the smoothest performance.
If the
horse can stretch his head and neck into your hands, (which he should be doing
by now if the previous exercises are being performed well) then you are ready
to begin collection and lengthening exercises.
If your horse will not stretch forward, return to the previous lesson
and continue practicing bending exercises.
Be sure to use your legs (not so much your hands) to turn the horse and
send him forward. If you still don’t get
the results you want, return to ground work exercises. Do more “body” work until the horse loosens
his neck and back and begins “stretching.”
Collection
is asking the horse to bring his hindquarters farther underneath his body,
lifting his forehand and moving his natural balance point under the rider.
To achieve collection,
the horse must shorten his frame. The
exercises to achieve collection will help the horse increase suppleness,
perform laterals, prepare for upper level movements, and allow him to use his
muscles in a compact way.
The rider increases leg pressure,
but not to the degree the pressure upsets the horse or sends him running
off. Think of the half halt. The legs squeeze the horse forward into a
gentle holding hand. The horse slows,
but doesn’t stop. There is a fine line
here: never push with more leg than your hand can kindly hold. Alternately,
never, use more hand pressure than the energy your leg is sending out.
Collection requires finesse,
so you may be working on these exercises for quite some time.
If your horse wants to run
off or explode, use less leg pressure.
Over the next few rides, gradually increase the pressure to increase the
horse’s tolerance. It can take weeks to
teach a horse collection if the horse is very sensitive.
If you have to “pull” back on
the reins rather than simply “hold”, you are applying too much leg pressure.
You may need to shorten your reins a bit and vibrate the reins a little to keep
the horse’s attention. Apply leg
pressure in a pulsating manner with very sensitive horses.
You may have to press and
then let him move off before asking him to slow down or compress his body.
When standing still, set the
bit, then squeeze with your legs until you feel the
horse move his hindquarters farther under his body. He should quickly learn you don’t want him
rushing off or rearing. You are simply
asking him to shorten his body to fit within the frame you have established by
“setting the bit.”
Always give your horse an
OUT. If you must, let him move forward
or even trot out, then ask him gently to come back to the halt, then press with
a softer leg and ask him once again to shorten his body by moving his
hindquarters farther under his body.
You should have a little more
contact in your hands as he presses into the bit. You are HOLDING, not PULLING. It helps to
tighten your own tummy muscles and keep your thighs closed as this will help
hold the horse's front end in place.
You will “see” the exercise
working when the horse lifts and rounds his neck upward in front of you,
creating slack into the reins.
If you cannot feel the
horse's back raise, or his hind feet moving farther under you, then the horse's
neck moving upward is your measuring stick.
Watch the neck to see if the horse is shortening and rounding his body.
It may several months for
your horse's body to be conditioned enough to perform this new skill. His body needs time to muscle and
strengthen. At first, all you should
expect is that he gets his haunches underneath and starts to round his back and
neck a little more. This skill will
eventually create suspension, "air time" of the horse's legs, and
"impulsion", the energy coiled within the horse's hindquarters.
He will also begin to flex
more at the poll, his face coming closer to the "vertical". Never, however, allow him to drop his chin
down to his chest. If he attempts to
evade the exercise by doing this, give him more rein, and use your legs to
gently squeeze him forward. Start the
exercise again. Never just pull his head
up!
As he develops strength, his
stomach, back, chest and neck will rise with the increased activity from his
hindquarters. The higher his new
elevation, the more arched and upright will be his head and neck. His haunches, on the other hand, will drop
and carry much more weight. They should
begin to lower to the same degree that his front end rises-- think
teeter-totter. The forehand should be
level or higher than the hindquarters to show that collection is indeed
happening.
It is important the horse's
hindquarters lower FIRST. You should
feel as if you are on a raft, facing the shore, and a wave (swell) has just
gone under you. The back of the raft is
up and suddenly it rolls and drops, so the area just behind you is lifted up,
then you are lifted, then the front of the horse is lifted. It's very much like that. Like riding the
"crest" of a wave.
Hopefully, you don't slide down the front of the wave and fall on the
forehand to the "shore."
Having the horse “tuck his
head” does not create collection.
Collection is created by having the horse move his hindquarters farther
under his body, thereby shortening his frame, while remaining on the bit.
In collection you pick up the
slack in the reins, raising your hands an inch or two as your horse raises his
forehand and rounds his neck. You do
not, however, start with the reins. By setting
the bit barrier prior to your leg pressure cue to move the hindquarter forward,
the horse will often stiffen his body, hollow out his back and sometimes throw
his head upward.
You will
not achieve true harmony and brilliance if you collect your horse by forcing
his head in and jamming his body forward.
Be sure you are sending your
horse forward first, into a soft, but gently holding hand!
Be patient and give your
horse time to understand your request.
He also needs time to condition his body. Collection requires strength and suppleness.
Even small progress toward
collection will allow you to perform with greater balance and grace. Do not rush the horse’s learning. Rushing through any of these exercises before
the horse is mentally or physically ready will only create distrust, improper
training and the possibility for injury.
NOTE: I do NOT expect your horse to be a finished
product by the time you are done with this course. It takes months and years to
correctly train a horse through all the levels.
You must let his body develop, and give his mind time to comprehend all
that is being asked of him. However, I
DO expect the horse to improve and master most of these exercises.
Teaching the horse to
“lengthen” will help him extend his strides, preparing him for upper level
movements. In lengthening, the horse
will use his muscles in “release” rather than in “contraction.”
Lengthening is the opposite
of collection in that the horse’s body is not shortened within a frame, but is
stretched within a frame. The
hindquarters reach farther under the horse so the forehand may reach farther
forward; the neck extends and the nose points forward. The horse in a lengthened frame is not
supposed to have his nose to the "vertical". (The nose, of course, should never be behind
the vertical. It should be slightly in
front of vertical.)
The horse should be reaching
for the bit as the rider encourages him to stretch forward. The rider's hands
keep the horse from stretching too far, as the leg asks for more energy. This will keep the horse from just dropping
his head to the ground -- it will encourage the horse to move forward with
exciting energy, while the rider’s hands and half-halts keep the horse from
running off.
You must understand and
remember, that lengthening is “not increasing speed.”
As you ask for more energy,
you need to slow your body down by slowing down your posting. Use your body, not your hands so much, to
keep the horse from increasing speed.
Posting slower will build the
horse's energy. The slower you post,
maintaining good energy, the longer the strides your horse will take.
Your fingers maintain an
elastic feel on the reins, much as they do in collection. Your arms raise just a little, an inch or two
at most, and go forward an inch or two to allow the horse to lengthen his
neck.
Leg pressure creates the
energy; while closing your fingers helps keep the horse from increasing speed
and falling on the forehand. Slowing
your body (posting) keeps the horse balanced so he can develop
"suspension".
If the horse is rushing, he
will fall on his forehand. You must use
your body judiciously to gauge just how much you need to press with your legs,
hold with your hands, and move your body.
The feeling is somewhat like
flying, I think. You feel as if you are
going a bit faster, but the “air time”, or suspension while posting is longer
and smoother. Just going faster would cause
the horse to have quick, short strides, like ponies. He would fall on his forehand and be going
"downhill". That is not how
“lengthening” feels.
If the horse is not
responding, try counting slowly backwards from 5 or so as you decrease your
posting speed until your horse responds. Post against your horse (post slower
than he is trotting) until he listens to your tempo. Use your verbal cues from earlier. Slow him down with your body until he stops
if necessary.
You will start to feel that
floating, light feeling, when you reach the right tempo. Hold that tempo. Feel it.
The
lengthening will only increase as he builds muscle, improves balance and stays
forward more reliably. Take your time;
have patience.
Some horses
are built for performance in a more collected frame; some in a more lengthened
frame. All horses should be worked in
both frames.
Horses built better for
collection rather than lengthening may have a steeper croup and a straighter
shoulder to allow them more elevation in front. These kinds of horses usually
are shorter backed and have a shorter, yet higher neck set. That allows them to easily lift in the front
and stay balanced. They may have
tendencies to put their head up high, usually prefer rearing to bucking, and
can be very light on their feet. They
may be considered "uppy".
The horse that is built better
for lengthening tends toward the opposite conformation. He could have a very sloping shoulder, and is
able to get more stretch with the forehand with a lower neck set and a longer
back. He may tend to be on the forehand
a lot, "root" the ground, and have a harder time getting his forehand
elevated. The rider will need to
encourage him to keep his hindquarters underneath him (the goal in any real
training). The horse may have a greater
tendency to be heavy on the forehand, lug on the reins, and will usually prefer
to buck than rear.
Those are the extremes, but
can give you a quick look at what type of horse you are training.
Does the horse look like he
could fit into a
"square box", and as if he could easily leap out of
it? Or does he look like he would fit
better into "rectangular" box, coming out the end of the box?
The trained horse, who can both collect and lengthen reasonably well, will look
more rounded, as if he would fit into a fat oval. His neck, back and hindquarters are round and
soft; he looks soft, yet strong. He
should not look like a mixture of hexagons and triangles and rectangles; that
is for the young or untrained horse.
Timing is the key!
Let's think a moment. Imagine you are on your horse. Feel his movement. Feel his body under your seat. Keep your body relaxed and soft. Feel his belly swinging between your legs. Let's go in a circle to the left. Your left leg is on the inside. Let the horse's rib cage swing your legs back and forth. As your left leg follows the tummy to the right, (outside) that is the time your horse's left hind leg is coming forward. That is the time to ask the horse to do something. When the horse's inside hind leg is leaving the ground and is in the air, that is the time to move it. You can't move the leg once it is on the ground! You have to get the timing.
It doesn’t matter which direction you are traveling, you want to affect the inside hind leg of the horse; it is the one carrying the most weight and affects the horse's body the most. You want to move that leg when it is off the ground.
As the belly of the horse swings to the outside, your inside leg needs to give it a little extra push, tap, press etc. Your inside leg follows the belly over, and then adds its own little energy to it.
If you are going straight, you can let both legs swing the horse’s belly over and back with his rhythm. Some call it "swinging the hammock". Left to right, right to left. But it is easier to feel and to follow while on the circle.
Do not pull your leg away from the horse when you do this. Be sure that your legs are still hugging him softly, and that your thighs are firm. You must relax the leg and then increase the tension momentarily to add the pressure. Do your best not to kick.
You may need to press or jig him a little at first, or use your crop to tap him, but remember to vary your pressure and to lighten up as you go. A constant pressure will just make him lean into you. Do not forget your ground lessons. How much pressure did you need to move him over from the ground?
It is the timing that asks for a lengthening, a lateral, a canter, or any other transition.
Here is how it works: as the horse's inside hind leg is coming forward, you press him on that side, (as the outside leg holds him from moving over), and that energy sends the horse's inside leg further forward, stepping deeper under himself.
Keep your hips level, but be sure they are following the bend that you are describing. You should feel the horse's back rise a bit as he reaches farther underneath himself. He should not speed up.
Keep your body relaxed, but stiffen your seat against his “speeding” motion. When he slows, relax again.
If you want to move your horse laterally, you do the exact same thing, except you keep your outside leg slightly off his side at first so that he can move over. You don’t want you outside leg to block the horse. Also, your inside hip, the side of the pushing leg, drops a little so he really understands to move away from your pressure on his back as well as his sides.
I know; we have been keeping our hips level . . . but in the next lesson, we will be talking again about the clock exercise. We will be starting to use the weight and pressure of our hips for specific purposes.
I want to recap a few things about collection and lengthening.
Do not pull horse's head in or down to collect him.
The horse must remain forward and contain springy energy.
The horse must not diddle along at a jog; there is much more action to be had here.
The horse must lift his back and lower his haunches first.
Use your leg, leg, and leg.
Never use more leg than you can kindly hold in your hand.
Never use more hand than leg.
Lengthening does not mean speeding up.
Your legs create the energy; your hands regulate it.
The horse should never have his chin on his chest.
Collection and lengthening both use more energy, but the tempo is slower.
All rules of proper equitation apply.
All rules of kindness and patience to your horse and yourself apply as well.
There is not much difference in this list than in some of the others we have discussed, but the differences are important. They may be subtle, but they are important. Remember, everything new builds upon a strong and solid foundation.
Things may be getting difficult, but if you have gone thoroughly, step by step, through this program, it should make sense to both you and your horse.
Training horses is a balancing game of give and take. Learn when to give and when to take. And when you give, give generously, and when you take, take kindly.
TERMS:
Fat oval--a term defining the general shape of the horse's muscular structure (rounded, soft curves -- not fat)
Impulsion--the energy created in the hindquarters of the horse as a result of any collection; like a spring being compressed; needed to create suspension.
Root--an action of the horse that is on the forehand and keeping his head low to the ground, heavy on the fore.
Rectangular box--a term defining the general shape of the horse's muscular structure (long and low).
Square box--a term defining the general shape of the horse's muscular structure (upright, front end raised).
Suspension--when the horse's legs are staying in the air longer, smoothing the ride, like the suspension on a car; hang time.
Swing the Hammock--an exercise where a rider is moving the horse's rib cage by using his seat and legs.
Uppy--a horse that tends to be a little light on the forehand; tends to be bouncy and may rear.