Dressage: Foundation for All Riding Disciplines

Lesson Three

In-Hand Work

Now that we are sure both you and your horse can learn dressage, and that you have learned to look at how horses move to determine what you are going to be working with, let's get down to business.

I want you to be able to see the improvement, or lack thereof, in your work.

It is a good time to video or take some good pictures of how your horse looks and moves now.

As for his conformation, I suggest you take our Conformation course so you’ll have an even better idea of how form and function go together. As I have tried to impress upon you, a horse does not have to have the perfect conformation to move well, but a good conformation is an asset. Learn as much about conformation and movement as you can; it can only make you a better rider and trainer.

I am sure you recognize that most horses are one-sided; meaning, they may prefer one direction more than the other. Is it not interesting that most horses prefer to go left? Is it not interesting that most people lead their horses from the left? They turn the horse towards the left, the horse prefers the left canter lead. It is not always the fact, but it is most often.

Watch yourself! Watch others. You will notice them leading their horses from the left side. Why? It is drilled into us as kids. "Always lead the horse from his left! Always get on from his left side! Keep the horse to your right! Tack up from the left side! Put the elastic side of the girth on the left!" Eventually some horses feel very strange, or won't even move, if you lead them from the right. As a matter of fact, the horse's right side is considered his "off-side".

I was often fussed at by adults and trainers because I would tack up on the "wrong" side, or lead my horse on the "wrong" side etc. Funny thing was my horses were not one-sided; as a matter of fact, they could move in both directions easily and canter on both leads well. They were very easy to lead from either side; actually, I could lead two of my horses at one time (not usually recommended).

Certain horse clubs are very specific and demanding about doing everything to the horse from his left side. I now teach in many of those clubs, and I teach the students to vary the side on which they work. It drives other trainers and instructors crazy, but I get the students to mount and dismount on the "wrong" side as often as possible. The only problem is, when they go to a club show, they have to follow the "left side only rules". I hope some day to change those rules.

One more note about being on the "correct" side: being on the left side of a horse started because in the old days knights and the cavalry wore swords on their left side. They did not want the sword to rub into their horse, and they did not want to swing their leg with the sword over the horse's back. It was safer for them to stay on their horse's left side. These days, we do not wear swords. It does not matter what side of the horse we do things on. When someone tells me, even now, that I am on the "wrong" side of my horse, I just say that I left my sword at home.

Now, what I want you to do is lead your horse from his right side. Use your left hand on the lead. It may take a little bit of coaxing on your part, but it can be done. You may not have a problem leading from the right side, and that would be good. If you can, lead a friend's horse who might object to you on the right side; it should not be hard to find a one-sided horse.

I want you to realize we cause most of the one-sidedness we see in our horses. We can fix it.

If your horse is already one-sided, that's okay. We will be working on correcting the situation.

If your horse is okay with being led from the right side, then try turning him to the right, then to the left. If he accepts being led from either side, tack him up from the right side. Girth your horse from the right side and put his bridle on from the right side.

Turn him in both directions. You may be surprised how resistant he can be. If he accepts all this with disinterest, then you have done a good job in keeping him supple and "two-sided".

Can you get on and off your horse from the right side? If you have ever secretly smiled at a beginner getting on a horse the first time, you will understand what they are going through. Unless you are very athletic, or use both sides of your body often, you will feel every bit a newcomer when you try to mount or dismount from the "off-side".

As you ride more and get older, you start using different parts of your body for different jobs. Your body will adjust so that one leg becomes your "pushing" leg and the other the "swinging" leg when you mount. It is hard to change that. Try it!

Young students have an easier time. I teach my students to get on one side and get off the other, and visa versa. Younger bodies have not become so rigid and accustomed to doing things a certain way, therefore they develop more evenly on both sides. Adults will have to re-accustom their bodies to working from either side.

A horse learns the same way. Lead him from both sides as often as possible. Move him around from both sides as often as possible. Make it as normal as you can. You will need to get as comfortable as the horse with this new way of doing things. Start this as soon as possible.

Let's say your horse is resistant. This is where the work begins.

Stand on your horse's right side while holding his lead in your left hand. Face forward and gently tap his haunches with a crop in your right hand by reaching behind your back to tap him. Lead him forward with your left hand pushed out in front of him. Some horses will get the idea quickly with a few tries. Ask him a few times, using your voice as encouragement. You can cluck and use upbeat voice signals to move him forward.

Do not spank him. Reward him with "good boy" or "yes!" in an upbeat voice and pat him.

If he does not move forward, then put the lead in your right hand and face your horse's right side. Gently vibrate the lead and ask his head to follow the lead as you tactfully pull it around to the right. With your left hand, or crop, tap his haunches to ask him to step forward.

Use just a few, rhythmic taps and encourage him with your voice to step up. Once he does, tell him “good boy” and release the pressure. Be sure you can do this from both sides of your horse. You should be able to get your horse to move forward with a slight vibration on the lead with or without a tap on his haunches to move him forward.

If you want to do these exercises from his "easy" side first, that is fine. Just be sure to do the exercise from both sides. This is also how you begin teaching your horse to longer.

Now ask your horse to move his haunches sideways, but keep his forehand still. Standing on his right side, hold the lead in your right hand, use your left hand to press firmly but gently on his right side or haunches to move him a step sideways to the left away from you.

If he pushes into you, he is telling you that his sides are stiff and that he needs you to be a little more assertive, not confrontational. Rub him on his hip, and then gently press your hand into his haunches just below the point of the hip. Say, "Over". You may tap the horse on his haunches rhythmically, but do not discontinue using your voice. Do not poke or tickle him. Use firm, but soft pressure.

If he still does not respond, then carefully pull his head around to an even greater degree and deepen your voice, repeating, "Over". Be sure to praise the horse for any movement in the correct direction. (This technique is called, “successive approximation”—you will learn about it in the course Behavior Modification.) The horse does not have to perform perfectly to be rewarded. When the horse attempts to perform as asked, he should be rewarded.

If the horse does not respond, do NOT try to force movement with punishment. Be patient, and keep asking. He will move. Encourage good behavior and reward attempts to perform, no matter how small.

Positive reinforcement is extremely important. Good horse training includes using positive reinforcement as often as possible.

Once your horse moves away from you, be sure you reward him immediately. Use your voice in a kindly manner and pat him. Please do not slap or make loud slapping sounds. Most horses do not find loud or overly aggressive pats as naturally rewarding. A mother horse will gently pat her foal or rub him with her muzzle, not slap him as a reward. Think about how other horses show affection and rewards—they are gentle.

When the horse is moving his hindquarters sideways easily, we need to become more specific about how he is moving. The horse must have his near-hind leg (the one closest to you) crossing in front of his opposite hind leg. Your leading hand should also act as a restraint, keeping the horse from moving very far forward.

The goal is to move the horse's haunches around his forehand. His haunches describe a circle around his front end. It will eventually become a pivot around his forehand.

Usually a horse will do one side well, but on the other side he will not want to move sideways; he may rush forward, or he may back up when you ask him to move his haunches. If he tries to back up, use the crop and tap him forward as previously discussed.

By now, the horse should understand he is to move forward or move sideways with just a few soft taps. With the leg closest to you, the horse should take forward and across in front of the opposite hind leg. The opposite hind leg should then move forward. (If you are on the horse’s right side, the sequence is: right leg in front of and across the left; then left leg forward.)

If you press your horse and get no response, then back and press him farther toward his tail. The more supple your horse becomes, the less you have to reach back to move him. For example, if you want your horse to move his midsection over, you may need to press his haunch to get him to move. As he becomes supple, you will only have to press his midsection.

It is very important the horse eventually moves away from light hand pressure. He must be able to do this from either side of his body. For the horse’s muscles to develop correctly, it is imperative the horse moves his legs in the described sequence. We don't want to shove him over; we need him to move correctly and smoothly.

When you press the horse to move sideways, he will respond more quickly and more smoothly if you press him when his "near" hind foot is off the ground. The timing is important. If you are asking a horse to move a certain leg sideways or forward, you press when that leg is already off the ground. (It is the same when under saddle.) You need to press him at first to get him to move, and once he is moving, be sure your requests are timed to assist his response.

As you do the exercises from the ground, consider how you will use your leg to ask your horse to move his hindquarters sideways. Your leg may need to be back a bit, but as your horse becomes more responsive, your cue can become more subtle. Observe your horse’s movements while you are on the ground. You will not be able to observe the movement when mounted. However, knowing what the horse is doing will allow you to “feel” the correctness of his movement while you are mounted.

Dressage is all about moving the horse around. When you start working your horse toward this goal, you must be able to move him in both directions with equal ease.

There is a reason this exercise must be precise.

When the near hind leg crosses over, in front of the other, it encourages the horse to lift his tummy muscles up and out of the way of his leg. This not only helps to loosen up the muscles in the horse's haunches, but also strengthens the tummy muscles -- much like doing stomach crunches. As the horse's midsection strengthens and tightens, his back becomes better supported and stronger. When his back improves, he can more easily get his hindquarters under his body. When a horse has his hindquarters well under his body, he will have better balance, smoother movement, and will be able to arch in the form most natural for him.

This is the correct order of the chain of muscles. It does not start at the HEAD! Do not pull the head of the horse in to try to get some "headset". What have we been talking about? We’ve been talking about the horse’s hind legs—all action is initiated in the hindquarters.

We need our horse to move away from the rider’s legs, in either direction equally well. When a rider presses his or her legs against the horse, the horse should move. Why does the horse move? He moves because the rider’s legs activate the tummy muscles, thus initiating hindquarters action and the chain of muscles.

If your horse is not moving his hindquarters farther forward and he's got his rump stuck out with his legs camped out, then his chain of muscles are not working correctly. His back is probably tight and his tummy muscles are probably not working.

When a horse is not using his muscles correctly, you will notice his back has a sway in it. He may have what looks like a "grass belly", a gut that may make him look fat, even though there may be no fat anywhere else on him.

Here’s an exercise to help bring up the horse's back. Stand at your horse's shoulder on the horse's left. Hold the horse with your left hand, face him, and use your right hand to reach under his heart girth. Place your hand upright and slide it to the far side of the horse's "pectorals". I want you to reach the right side of his body. Make your fingers stiff as you pull up and back towards your body. The pressure of your fingers should make the horse lift his withers and his back. If he does not, try using your fingernails.

If he objects slightly, then continue with a little more pressure. If he objects violently, then his back is really sore and he may need to be seen by a veterinarian. (You may want to take the online course, Equine Sports Massage.) Knowing massage techniques may help you with these exercises. As a matter of fact, massage is good way to help relax your horse’s muscles even if he does not have body problems. It can help keep him feeling good so his training proceeds more efficiently and smoothly.

If he does lift his back well, then gradually move along his body, pressing with your hand along the other side of his belly, asking him to lift his belly. The easier and more sensitive he is when lifting his back, the easier he will be able to move under saddle. Also, the less leg pressure you will need.

If the horse can move and turn in both directions, bring his hindquarters underneath himself, and lift his back, then you are doing well.

Let's look at the horse’s neck. Does he swing it around? Fling it up? Bob it back and forth? Is it really bulging underneath or ewe-necked?

Run your hands all over his neck on both sides. Feel it. Are there lumps or bumps? Are there large, misplaced muscle masses? What about hollow places? If there are, and his neck does not look ideal, then there are a few things we can do.

Rub your hand along the crest of his neck. Then close your fingers and feel along the sides of the crest. If you feel or see any dips, muscle masses or knots, or if he objects in any way, then that is where you want to start.

Take a dense rubber curry or use your fingers, and rub the area where you feel lumps or knots. If the horse is sore, then handle carefully until he lets you rub the area.. He may toss his head, snap, or pull back to avoid any pressure, but this is merely his way of telling you where he hurts or is tense. That is where he needs the body work. Do not give up. Continue as long as he is not dangerously objecting. If he is sore, he will not enjoy the rubbing until the tension or pain is gone.

The rubbing releases muscle knots and removes lactic acid.

As the tension is relieved, the horse will begin to relax, drop his neck, chew contentedly, his eyes will go soft, and he may yawn or sneeze. He is feeling good. This is a sign that you need to move on to the next tight area.

Again he may object if he is sore.

Again, the only way to have a horse that will train easily for dressage is one that has little or no tension in his body. Find those tight areas, rub them, press deeply into them, or curry them. Tight muscles or old scar tissue only release by getting them to constrict first. Continue this on both sides of his neck, from his crest down. Watch your horse's expression as he goes from annoyance to contentment. That will let you know that you are being effective.

Even if tension or pains are removed initially, you may need to rub the horse a few times a week for a while. There will be fewer objections from him and he will stretch his neck out and down more often and become happier.

When you have him under saddle, he will have more freedom of his neck and it will take on a more smooth and arched appearance. Eventually, with the exercises we will do later under saddle, his neck will strengthen and he will move with ease and perform better.

The ground exercises we have just studied should get your horse supple and ready to start his dressage training. Should your horse stiffen up, go back to any or all of these exercises to help him relax and understand what to do with his body. Whatever he can learn under saddle, he can learn from the ground easier and faster.

TERMS

Inside --when bending or circling, it is the inside of the pending circle. For example, if you are going right, the right is the inside.

Near-side --the left side of the horse.

Off-side --the right side of the horse.

One-sided --a horse that cannot move or bend in one or the other direction.

Outside --when bending or circling, it is the outside of the pending circle. For example, if you are going right, the left is the outside.

Pectorals --a horse's lower chest muscles found under the girth area.

Positive reinforcement --an action which the horse enjoys.

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