Dressage: Foundation for All Riding Disciplines
By Tammy Fifer
Copyright © 2004
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.