- Published on
Lateral work is essential in developing suppleness, balance and collection in your horse, and includes shoulder-in, travers, half pass and renvers. A correct shoulder-in, creates a horse with a lowered hind quarter and raised forehand. In the beginning, use shoulder-in to build a strong supple horse, and later use it to correct problems with more advanced movements. Incorrectly ridden, it only creates a crooked, blocked horse with weight in the forehand.
The movement shoulder-in is described in the book ‘A General System of Horsemanship’ by William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle published in 1600’s, and was seen as an exercise to supple horses. The following century François de la Guérinière’s work lead him to a full understanding of the benefits of shoulder-in, he also developed it’s use on a straight line.
A shoulder-in is created by moving the horses shoulders off the line of travel, and the horse continues in a sideways movement with his hind legs on the original line of travel and his body evenly bent round the rider’s inside leg.
I prefer to start teaching shoulder-in by using quarters out on the circle. Other trainers favour the use of leg yield or turn on the forehand, which are perfectly acceptable methods, but I find that these exercises can put weight back onto the horse’s shoulder, whereas quarters out on the circle keeps the forward movement, prevents weight dropping into the shoulders, mobilises the quarters and maintains better balance.
Quarters out on the circle can be started as soon as the horse has reasonably good balance on the circle. It is ridden by using the inside leg to send the quarters slightly out of the circle. This aid is supported by the outside rein and a slight turning of the rider’s body to the inside of the circle with a balanced seat.
In shoulder-in it is important that the horse is bent throughout his body, the degree of angle will depend on the horse’s level of training and conformation. The exercise should be ridden slowly, and in walk the steps should not be too wide or the horse’s back will become hollow, and you should feel the horse’s weight remains on the inside hind, not the outside shoulder.
The rider should sit well balanced in the center of the saddle, it is very easy to allow your body to tip to the inside which will unbalance the horse. Move the horse’s shoulders over by a slight movement of the hands to the inside, don’t pull the inside rein as this will block the horse. Use light touches with the inside leg step the inside hind leg across and half halts to help the horse stay on line. Once the horse understands the movement, the rider should stay quiet in the saddle, moving with the horse, and be attentive to the steps ready to make a correction if needed.
The movement shoulder-in is described in the book ‘A General System of Horsemanship’ by William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle published in 1600’s, and was seen as an exercise to supple horses. The following century François de la Guérinière’s work lead him to a full understanding of the benefits of shoulder-in, he also developed it’s use on a straight line.
A shoulder-in is created by moving the horses shoulders off the line of travel, and the horse continues in a sideways movement with his hind legs on the original line of travel and his body evenly bent round the rider’s inside leg.
I prefer to start teaching shoulder-in by using quarters out on the circle. Other trainers favour the use of leg yield or turn on the forehand, which are perfectly acceptable methods, but I find that these exercises can put weight back onto the horse’s shoulder, whereas quarters out on the circle keeps the forward movement, prevents weight dropping into the shoulders, mobilises the quarters and maintains better balance.
Quarters out on the circle can be started as soon as the horse has reasonably good balance on the circle. It is ridden by using the inside leg to send the quarters slightly out of the circle. This aid is supported by the outside rein and a slight turning of the rider’s body to the inside of the circle with a balanced seat.
In shoulder-in it is important that the horse is bent throughout his body, the degree of angle will depend on the horse’s level of training and conformation. The exercise should be ridden slowly, and in walk the steps should not be too wide or the horse’s back will become hollow, and you should feel the horse’s weight remains on the inside hind, not the outside shoulder.
The rider should sit well balanced in the center of the saddle, it is very easy to allow your body to tip to the inside which will unbalance the horse. Move the horse’s shoulders over by a slight movement of the hands to the inside, don’t pull the inside rein as this will block the horse. Use light touches with the inside leg step the inside hind leg across and half halts to help the horse stay on line. Once the horse understands the movement, the rider should stay quiet in the saddle, moving with the horse, and be attentive to the steps ready to make a correction if needed.
- Published on
Nuno Oliveira from “An Old Master trainer to Young Trainers”
Practice shows us that a horse cannot give his back before being curved (laterally) around the inside leg.
The rider who turns the head to the inside without the horse first relaxing in the inside curve of his body only achieves a twisted and resisting position of the head.
It is the inside leg which is active, and what is necessary is that the horse turns the head around the inside leg without having more weight on either the inside shoulder or the outside shoulder.
Nuno Oliveira from “Horses and Their Riders”
One must enter the circle with the outside shoulder of the rider going forwards, parallel to the outside shoulder of the horse and not with an action of the inside rein.
He [the horse] should make circles, in spirals, making them bigger or smaller by the rider’s legs, which guide and control the horse’s body on each circle.
Practice shows us that a horse cannot give his back before being curved (laterally) around the inside leg.
The rider who turns the head to the inside without the horse first relaxing in the inside curve of his body only achieves a twisted and resisting position of the head.
It is the inside leg which is active, and what is necessary is that the horse turns the head around the inside leg without having more weight on either the inside shoulder or the outside shoulder.
Nuno Oliveira from “Horses and Their Riders”
One must enter the circle with the outside shoulder of the rider going forwards, parallel to the outside shoulder of the horse and not with an action of the inside rein.
He [the horse] should make circles, in spirals, making them bigger or smaller by the rider’s legs, which guide and control the horse’s body on each circle.
© Training Riders, Transforming Horses
- Published on
Last time I blogged about riding circles and the importance of correct bend. I use circles to warm my horse up, and during training sessions to maintain and correct imbalance.
Each corner is ¼ of a circle, if you ride it as a circle with correct bend, your horse will come to the straight side balanced. If your horse is unbalanced through the corners, he will be unbalanced on the straight side and any movement you chose to do will be compromised.
Once you are confident with staying balanced round a circle, start to introduce more changes of bend through various exercises. I usually start these by working a horse through smaller circles down the long side of the school. Feel how your horse manages with the smaller circle and adjust the size of the circle so it is small enough to flex him a little more, but not so small that he loses balance. If he is having difficulty, make the circle slightly larger circle so he can keep his balance and then work towards smaller circles.
From there move on to riding a serpentine down the length of the school. Each loop is part of a circle, so ride it with correct bend, and make the changes of bend as you cross the school. The changes of bend are most important, prepare them well. If your horse loses balance and you can’t correct it, ride out of the serpentine go back to circles to correct the bend and then try again.
A very useful exercise used by the classical masters is to do circles of varying sizes and with frequent changes of bend in the centre of the school. Come into the middle of the school and make changes of bend away from the walls. Circle in one direction, find the balance and then make a change of circle, keeping the balance throughout. This simple exercise is quite hard to do, focus on your back and seat and feel the movement your horse gives you through his back.
Another good exercise is a spiral. Start your horse on a correct large circle, use your outside aids to decrease the size of the circle around the same centre point, then increase the size of the circle from your inside leg back to the original one.
Each corner is ¼ of a circle, if you ride it as a circle with correct bend, your horse will come to the straight side balanced. If your horse is unbalanced through the corners, he will be unbalanced on the straight side and any movement you chose to do will be compromised.
Once you are confident with staying balanced round a circle, start to introduce more changes of bend through various exercises. I usually start these by working a horse through smaller circles down the long side of the school. Feel how your horse manages with the smaller circle and adjust the size of the circle so it is small enough to flex him a little more, but not so small that he loses balance. If he is having difficulty, make the circle slightly larger circle so he can keep his balance and then work towards smaller circles.
From there move on to riding a serpentine down the length of the school. Each loop is part of a circle, so ride it with correct bend, and make the changes of bend as you cross the school. The changes of bend are most important, prepare them well. If your horse loses balance and you can’t correct it, ride out of the serpentine go back to circles to correct the bend and then try again.
A very useful exercise used by the classical masters is to do circles of varying sizes and with frequent changes of bend in the centre of the school. Come into the middle of the school and make changes of bend away from the walls. Circle in one direction, find the balance and then make a change of circle, keeping the balance throughout. This simple exercise is quite hard to do, focus on your back and seat and feel the movement your horse gives you through his back.
Another good exercise is a spiral. Start your horse on a correct large circle, use your outside aids to decrease the size of the circle around the same centre point, then increase the size of the circle from your inside leg back to the original one.
- Published on
Straightness is referred to in dressage as being a particularly important quality. When a horse is straight the energy created in the quarters lifts the forehand and makes the horse manoeuvrable, both in turns and in collection and extension. This desirable quality of straightness is not something that can be developed in isolation, it is the result of a supple and balanced horse.
Balance and suppleness are linked and need to be developed together; an unbalanced horse will have to carry his weight unevenly and this affects his suppleness and a supple horse can more easily maintain his balance.
A horse that is out of balance will carry weight in a shoulder, which is most clearly felt when you ride a circle. When the stiff side is to the inside of the circle, the weight falls to the inside shoulder and the circle starts to get smaller. On the other rein, where the stiff side is to the outside, the horse falls out of the circle, giving the impression that he is moving correctly round the circle, but in fact he is being held up by the side of the school or pulled round by the rider’s hands.
Poorly ridden circles change nothing, the tension and stiffness in the horse are re-enforced with the weight remaining in the shoulder.
Initial exercises should center on creating a supple, balance horse using movements to lengthen the muscles on the soft side and strengthen the muscles on the stiff side, and the most important of these is a circle. Correctly ridden, circles teach horses to bring the inside hind under the body and stretch and strengthen laterally. It is the beginning of a process that results in a horse well balanced across all four legs; straight.
To ride a circle, bring your outside shoulder forward and brush the inside leg lightly forward at the girth. Turning with the inside rein twists the horse’s head, and bringing it back blocks the inside hind from coming forward. Keep the rein soft and let the hands follow the position of your shoulders so you have an even contact. Your horse should give round the inside leg and keep the weight balanced across both shoulders.
If your horse puts weight on the inside shoulder, re-establish the inside bend and then move him back to the original circle, directing with your leg and maintaining the bend. If he puts weight in the outside shoulder, use the outside hand and/or leg aid to straighten him and bring the shoulder back under.
When you change the rein, make your change of bend over several strides. Move from one bend to straight by sitting straight. Then ask for the bend in the new direction. Give yourself plenty of space so your horse learns to maintain his balance throughout. The change will become quicker as your horse becomes stronger and more balanced.
Balance and suppleness are linked and need to be developed together; an unbalanced horse will have to carry his weight unevenly and this affects his suppleness and a supple horse can more easily maintain his balance.
A horse that is out of balance will carry weight in a shoulder, which is most clearly felt when you ride a circle. When the stiff side is to the inside of the circle, the weight falls to the inside shoulder and the circle starts to get smaller. On the other rein, where the stiff side is to the outside, the horse falls out of the circle, giving the impression that he is moving correctly round the circle, but in fact he is being held up by the side of the school or pulled round by the rider’s hands.
Poorly ridden circles change nothing, the tension and stiffness in the horse are re-enforced with the weight remaining in the shoulder.
Initial exercises should center on creating a supple, balance horse using movements to lengthen the muscles on the soft side and strengthen the muscles on the stiff side, and the most important of these is a circle. Correctly ridden, circles teach horses to bring the inside hind under the body and stretch and strengthen laterally. It is the beginning of a process that results in a horse well balanced across all four legs; straight.
To ride a circle, bring your outside shoulder forward and brush the inside leg lightly forward at the girth. Turning with the inside rein twists the horse’s head, and bringing it back blocks the inside hind from coming forward. Keep the rein soft and let the hands follow the position of your shoulders so you have an even contact. Your horse should give round the inside leg and keep the weight balanced across both shoulders.
If your horse puts weight on the inside shoulder, re-establish the inside bend and then move him back to the original circle, directing with your leg and maintaining the bend. If he puts weight in the outside shoulder, use the outside hand and/or leg aid to straighten him and bring the shoulder back under.
When you change the rein, make your change of bend over several strides. Move from one bend to straight by sitting straight. Then ask for the bend in the new direction. Give yourself plenty of space so your horse learns to maintain his balance throughout. The change will become quicker as your horse becomes stronger and more balanced.
© Training Riders, Transforming Horses
- Published on
de la Guérinière
M. de la Broue, and after him the Duke of Newcastle, say that in order to have a good hand, it must be light, gentle and firm. This state does not proceed solely from the action of the hand, but principally from the seat of the rider; for when the body is unbalanced or askew, the hand cannot be in its proper position, and the rider concerns himself primarily with keeping his seat. Furthermore, the legs must act in consonance with the hand, otherwise the effect thereof will never be correct; such consonance is called, in the terminology of the art, accord of hand and heel, which is the perfection of all aids
Kurt Albrech
Reins and legs can never compensate for an incorrect placement of the rider’s weight!
G.Steinbrecht
The skill of the hand can justifiably be considered a measure of the rider’s total skill. It is completely erroneous to believe that good hands could be an isolated favourable characteristic of some riders. Rather, they are the result of a perfect seat and fine feeling.
G.Steinbrecht
If the rider artificially applies more weight, the stirrup aid results which has become indispensable for all driving aids. It becomes a major fault if it is used to hold onto the stirrups in order to prevent their loss, or if it becomes a support for the seat. Riders who make such an error are still lacking in the fundamentals of their art, and they must first perfect their seat, and particularly their balance.
de la Guérinière
Elegance on horseback consists of a straight and free position as a result of a well balanced body: as a result the rider maintains, during all the movements the horse makes, without losing his seat, as much as he is able to, in an appropriate balance, an air of comfort and freedom, which makes him an elegant rider.
Nuno Oliveira
You must relax your waist and your back to go with the back of the horse and keep your bottom in the saddle.
William Cavendish
Now a good Seat is of such Consequence, as you shall see hereafter, that it is One of the chief Things maketh a Horse go perfectly; the very Manner of sitting being almost beyond all other Helps
M. de la Broue, and after him the Duke of Newcastle, say that in order to have a good hand, it must be light, gentle and firm. This state does not proceed solely from the action of the hand, but principally from the seat of the rider; for when the body is unbalanced or askew, the hand cannot be in its proper position, and the rider concerns himself primarily with keeping his seat. Furthermore, the legs must act in consonance with the hand, otherwise the effect thereof will never be correct; such consonance is called, in the terminology of the art, accord of hand and heel, which is the perfection of all aids
Kurt Albrech
Reins and legs can never compensate for an incorrect placement of the rider’s weight!
G.Steinbrecht
The skill of the hand can justifiably be considered a measure of the rider’s total skill. It is completely erroneous to believe that good hands could be an isolated favourable characteristic of some riders. Rather, they are the result of a perfect seat and fine feeling.
G.Steinbrecht
If the rider artificially applies more weight, the stirrup aid results which has become indispensable for all driving aids. It becomes a major fault if it is used to hold onto the stirrups in order to prevent their loss, or if it becomes a support for the seat. Riders who make such an error are still lacking in the fundamentals of their art, and they must first perfect their seat, and particularly their balance.
de la Guérinière
Elegance on horseback consists of a straight and free position as a result of a well balanced body: as a result the rider maintains, during all the movements the horse makes, without losing his seat, as much as he is able to, in an appropriate balance, an air of comfort and freedom, which makes him an elegant rider.
Nuno Oliveira
You must relax your waist and your back to go with the back of the horse and keep your bottom in the saddle.
William Cavendish
Now a good Seat is of such Consequence, as you shall see hereafter, that it is One of the chief Things maketh a Horse go perfectly; the very Manner of sitting being almost beyond all other Helps
- Published on
There are several factors that will contribute to a horse being unbalanced, and it is important for the rider to recognise the reasons behind the balance problems so they can choose the most appropriate exercise to correct the difference and develop the horse’s straightness.
Most riders are familiar with horses being naturally one side and will turn more easily one way than the other, but there are other factors that influence a horse’s balance and what that horse will ultimately be able to achieve. Conformation contributes greatly to this. A horse who has a large shoulder and thick set neck with quarters and hind legs that are a relatively small in comparison will have a different frame to a horse with a thin neck and shoulder and a more powerful hind end. Horses who are short coupled will generally find the collected movements easier than a horse with a long back, but the extensions may not be as expressive.
However, conformation is not the whole story; the way a horse moves is equally important. I have seen horses with less than ideal conformation transform when they move just because the use themselves well.
Another equally important consideration is the work they have been doing. A horse just off the race track will have very different schooling needs to a horse that has been used for light hacking.
So how does this translate to you and your horse? Take some time out to look at how your horse is made, how he moves and what his life story is; it may provide you with the training direction you are looking for.
I’ve blogged previously about what you can do to improve your horse’s balance and straightness, so do read through those posts if you’re looking for tips and exercises to incorporate into your training.
Most riders are familiar with horses being naturally one side and will turn more easily one way than the other, but there are other factors that influence a horse’s balance and what that horse will ultimately be able to achieve. Conformation contributes greatly to this. A horse who has a large shoulder and thick set neck with quarters and hind legs that are a relatively small in comparison will have a different frame to a horse with a thin neck and shoulder and a more powerful hind end. Horses who are short coupled will generally find the collected movements easier than a horse with a long back, but the extensions may not be as expressive.
However, conformation is not the whole story; the way a horse moves is equally important. I have seen horses with less than ideal conformation transform when they move just because the use themselves well.
Another equally important consideration is the work they have been doing. A horse just off the race track will have very different schooling needs to a horse that has been used for light hacking.
So how does this translate to you and your horse? Take some time out to look at how your horse is made, how he moves and what his life story is; it may provide you with the training direction you are looking for.
I’ve blogged previously about what you can do to improve your horse’s balance and straightness, so do read through those posts if you’re looking for tips and exercises to incorporate into your training.
© Training Riders, Transforming Horses
- Published on
There are currently some pictures circulating on the internet of the Spanish Riding School using rollkur. This is a particularly worrying move as the SRS has always been considered one of the most prestigious institutions of classical dressage. Today the word “flexion” is being used to redefine rollkur (as is “low, deep and round”) however, these “flexions” are not flexions according to the classical principles. True flexions are done without pulling and require a trainer with great tact and knowledge. The horse should turn through the neck and the nose should remain up or on the vertical, and when the horse softens his jaw, the rider’s hands soften. The horse’s head should never be pulled down to the chest, horizontal to the ground. With the pressure that needs to be applied to the bit for these deep flexions/rollkur, the horse can never soften his jaw.
Fexions were originally developed in the mid 1800s by Francois Baucher. He realized that tension in a horse was expressed by tension in the jaw, so developed a series of flexions to train the jaw to accept the bit softly. Baucher’s aim was to educate the horse to release the mouth to the slightest indication of the rider’s hand, resulting in relaxation of the muscles in the poll and neck.
Baucher’s flexions are started from the ground and require great skill and feel on the part of the trainer so the horse understands what is being asked and does not become more resistant. Throughout Baucher’s descriptions of flexions he places great emphasis on the tact that the trainer needs to teach flexions correctly, and the damage that is caused by poorly trained flexion.
Searching Google for rollkur pictures shows how unnatural and distressing it is for horses. Dressage should enhance a horse’s natural ability, and work only to develop the best each individual horse can produce, only then do you see the full beauty of the horse. No doubt the rollkur debate will continue, but as more people look for a different, more sympathetic way to train horses, classical dressage is more relevant today that ever.
Make sure you check back in a fortnight for more classical dressage tips. In the mean time, you can visit me on my Facebook and Twitter accounts for more information about all things classical dressage
© Training Riders, Transforming Horses
Fexions were originally developed in the mid 1800s by Francois Baucher. He realized that tension in a horse was expressed by tension in the jaw, so developed a series of flexions to train the jaw to accept the bit softly. Baucher’s aim was to educate the horse to release the mouth to the slightest indication of the rider’s hand, resulting in relaxation of the muscles in the poll and neck.
Baucher’s flexions are started from the ground and require great skill and feel on the part of the trainer so the horse understands what is being asked and does not become more resistant. Throughout Baucher’s descriptions of flexions he places great emphasis on the tact that the trainer needs to teach flexions correctly, and the damage that is caused by poorly trained flexion.
Searching Google for rollkur pictures shows how unnatural and distressing it is for horses. Dressage should enhance a horse’s natural ability, and work only to develop the best each individual horse can produce, only then do you see the full beauty of the horse. No doubt the rollkur debate will continue, but as more people look for a different, more sympathetic way to train horses, classical dressage is more relevant today that ever.
Make sure you check back in a fortnight for more classical dressage tips. In the mean time, you can visit me on my Facebook and Twitter accounts for more information about all things classical dressage
© Training Riders, Transforming Horses
