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Over the centuries, classical riders have studied the work of their predecessors and expanded the understanding of the techniques and skills that have been passed down. Throughout, there is one quality that they all sought to achieve from every horse; lightness. This aspect of a trained horse makes them maneuverable and easy to ride and it should be the focus of every trainer’s work. When you have ridden a horse that is truly light it becomes the most important quality that you search for in your training.
Lightness is developed through a steady, systematic approach to using classical training techniques. The horse needs to be balanced and supple, so they can move their weight towards the haunches and develop self-carriage. This involves the horse and rider balancing themselves and working together. Once true self-carriage is achieved, lightness becomes apparent.
Lightness brings a softness to the impulsion and a unique expression to each horse throughout their work. The ultimate demonstration of this lightness is “descente de main” or descending the hands. This is where the rider is able to lower the hands, releasing the contact, and the horse remains in the movement, without interference from the rider.
This quality has been over-shadowed in today’s competitive dressage world, it takes time and builds on a pre-existing foundation of creating a balanced, supple horse. Nuno Oliveira emphasised the value of working a horse on correct, geometric circles with the weight of the reins being sufficient contact. The rider must have a well-balanced seat and supple back in order to have exact control over the leg, seat, back and hand aids.
Developing lightness begins with the early work, centering round applying the training techniques in an appropriate way for each horse. Setting up correct basic foundations starting with circles is the key to the correct progression of dressage. Nuno Oliveira said that horses learn many things when ridden correctly round a circle, as this begins to supple them, places them round the inside leg to the outside hand and starts to engage the inside hind leg.
From correct circle work and riding correct corners, shoulder-in develops more easily, and these 3 movements form the basis of dressage and more advanced work. It is worth remembering that when problems occur in advanced movements, they are often resolved by coming back to correctly ridden circles and shoulder-in.
In these pictures, the black horses are heavy and blocked in front, whereas the other horse is light. Look at the lengthening of the horse’s frame, rather than the hooves, the contact in the rider’s hands and the position of the horse’s head and neck.
Lightness is developed through a steady, systematic approach to using classical training techniques. The horse needs to be balanced and supple, so they can move their weight towards the haunches and develop self-carriage. This involves the horse and rider balancing themselves and working together. Once true self-carriage is achieved, lightness becomes apparent.
Lightness brings a softness to the impulsion and a unique expression to each horse throughout their work. The ultimate demonstration of this lightness is “descente de main” or descending the hands. This is where the rider is able to lower the hands, releasing the contact, and the horse remains in the movement, without interference from the rider.
This quality has been over-shadowed in today’s competitive dressage world, it takes time and builds on a pre-existing foundation of creating a balanced, supple horse. Nuno Oliveira emphasised the value of working a horse on correct, geometric circles with the weight of the reins being sufficient contact. The rider must have a well-balanced seat and supple back in order to have exact control over the leg, seat, back and hand aids.
Developing lightness begins with the early work, centering round applying the training techniques in an appropriate way for each horse. Setting up correct basic foundations starting with circles is the key to the correct progression of dressage. Nuno Oliveira said that horses learn many things when ridden correctly round a circle, as this begins to supple them, places them round the inside leg to the outside hand and starts to engage the inside hind leg.
From correct circle work and riding correct corners, shoulder-in develops more easily, and these 3 movements form the basis of dressage and more advanced work. It is worth remembering that when problems occur in advanced movements, they are often resolved by coming back to correctly ridden circles and shoulder-in.
In these pictures, the black horses are heavy and blocked in front, whereas the other horse is light. Look at the lengthening of the horse’s frame, rather than the hooves, the contact in the rider’s hands and the position of the horse’s head and neck.
In the pictures below, the horses are all in piaffe. The horses in the first two pictures lack lightness, whereas the horses in the last picture show lightness. Notice the rider’s hands and connection to the bit, the position of the withers, neck and head as well as the general outline of the horse.
© Training Riders, Transforming Horses
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William Cavendish was born in 1593. He lived through the English civil war, but his love of horses was a life-long passion, wherever he was his horses went with him. He was a highly regarded equestrian, and whilst some of his stable management advice is questionable in this day, his books provide a wonderful insight to his innovative training methods.
He published two books, written in French, La Methode Nouvelle et Invention extraordinaire de dresser les Chvaux in 1658, and Methode nouvelle, et invention extraordinaire de dresser les chevaux in 1671. These books added to the work of earlier renaissance riders and his work was hugely influential to later riders, one of the most notable being Francois de la Guérinière. Today it’s easy to dismiss his method of training horses as irrelevant, but, horses don’t change and the methodology he created was used by later masters of dressage and is still applicable to horses today.
A significant change he made was in the rider’s position. The method at that time was to grip with knees so the horse could not displace the rider. Cavendish advocates a position where the rider keeps his own balance and does not rely on the reins or gripping the legs.
Cavendish followed Grisone’s wish for a straight, light horse, but rejected the more forceful methods in Grisone’s training in favour of a softer, sympathetic approach.
Cavendish reminds the rider that “ you ought to be lavish of your rewards, and sparing of your corrections, otherwise you will spoil your horse. You should pardon him a great many faults, as proceeding from ignorance; for how should a horse know what he has never been taught?”
Viewing dressage as an art, he writes at length on the need to train each horse according to their natural ability, emphasising that not all horses are able to do dressage, and those that do may not be able to perform all movements.
“if the horseman studies nature, and dispositions of his horses, he would better know how to appropriate them to the uses for which they were created, and consequently they would become good horses.”
He stresses that it is the rider who responsible for the training, not the horse, and points out that the rider should never demand more from the horse than it is capable of giving, advising a gentle and unhurried approach. He uses a natural progression of exercises so that the horse wants to move on to the next stage. A horse put under pressure will either panic or resentfully accept the rider’s demands – either way, the rider will feel the repercussions from this at some point. Cavendish comes back to this point several times, reiterating that the rider must assert himself without intimidating his horse.
He published two books, written in French, La Methode Nouvelle et Invention extraordinaire de dresser les Chvaux in 1658, and Methode nouvelle, et invention extraordinaire de dresser les chevaux in 1671. These books added to the work of earlier renaissance riders and his work was hugely influential to later riders, one of the most notable being Francois de la Guérinière. Today it’s easy to dismiss his method of training horses as irrelevant, but, horses don’t change and the methodology he created was used by later masters of dressage and is still applicable to horses today.
A significant change he made was in the rider’s position. The method at that time was to grip with knees so the horse could not displace the rider. Cavendish advocates a position where the rider keeps his own balance and does not rely on the reins or gripping the legs.
Cavendish followed Grisone’s wish for a straight, light horse, but rejected the more forceful methods in Grisone’s training in favour of a softer, sympathetic approach.
Cavendish reminds the rider that “ you ought to be lavish of your rewards, and sparing of your corrections, otherwise you will spoil your horse. You should pardon him a great many faults, as proceeding from ignorance; for how should a horse know what he has never been taught?”
Viewing dressage as an art, he writes at length on the need to train each horse according to their natural ability, emphasising that not all horses are able to do dressage, and those that do may not be able to perform all movements.
“if the horseman studies nature, and dispositions of his horses, he would better know how to appropriate them to the uses for which they were created, and consequently they would become good horses.”
He stresses that it is the rider who responsible for the training, not the horse, and points out that the rider should never demand more from the horse than it is capable of giving, advising a gentle and unhurried approach. He uses a natural progression of exercises so that the horse wants to move on to the next stage. A horse put under pressure will either panic or resentfully accept the rider’s demands – either way, the rider will feel the repercussions from this at some point. Cavendish comes back to this point several times, reiterating that the rider must assert himself without intimidating his horse.
His methodology centres round keeping things simple, highlighting the need to create suppleness, which improves mobility in both the shoulders and haunches. The exercises he recommends improve the athletic ability of the horse by moving the horse laterally, beginning with the shoulders and then the haunches. He does not use many exercises, but each one is described in detail and accompanied by a diagram for clarity. However, this does not always make it easy to follow!
Throughout his books, he describes the lateral movements we use today. He clearly describes the shoulder-in, although he does not refer to it as such. It is a movement now strongly associated with Francois de la Guérinière, who further refined it based on Cavendish’s work, and often quotes Cavendish in his own book.
Cavendish cites patience and knowledge as essential qualities in a rider, using steady steps in training over several days, not forcing the horse’s head position but working slowly towards the desired head carriage and making the desired movement easy so horse wants to do the movement.
He recommends short, varied lessons, and that the session should end with the horse as energetic as when you started. This allows the horse to rest otherwise he will grow too tired to retain what he has learnt.
Cavendish suggests that you should praise often and use the whip sparingly.
“Instruct him then by frequent repetitions. When you have taught him, if he maliciously rebels, correct him, but let it be seldom, and the correction should not last long. If the horse obeys ever so little, stop him, and make friends with him by some present recompense.”
To retain the sensitivity of the horse, the rider should not give aids every step, but according to the rhythm of the horse. Constant aids makes horses insensitive, like a block or stone. When the horse obeys, you should cherish and make much of him.
Still extremely relevant, his manual should be high on the reading list of anyone who is interested in classical dressage.
Quotes are from “A General System of Horsemanship”, translation of Cavendish’s 1658 book
Throughout his books, he describes the lateral movements we use today. He clearly describes the shoulder-in, although he does not refer to it as such. It is a movement now strongly associated with Francois de la Guérinière, who further refined it based on Cavendish’s work, and often quotes Cavendish in his own book.
Cavendish cites patience and knowledge as essential qualities in a rider, using steady steps in training over several days, not forcing the horse’s head position but working slowly towards the desired head carriage and making the desired movement easy so horse wants to do the movement.
He recommends short, varied lessons, and that the session should end with the horse as energetic as when you started. This allows the horse to rest otherwise he will grow too tired to retain what he has learnt.
Cavendish suggests that you should praise often and use the whip sparingly.
“Instruct him then by frequent repetitions. When you have taught him, if he maliciously rebels, correct him, but let it be seldom, and the correction should not last long. If the horse obeys ever so little, stop him, and make friends with him by some present recompense.”
To retain the sensitivity of the horse, the rider should not give aids every step, but according to the rhythm of the horse. Constant aids makes horses insensitive, like a block or stone. When the horse obeys, you should cherish and make much of him.
Still extremely relevant, his manual should be high on the reading list of anyone who is interested in classical dressage.
Quotes are from “A General System of Horsemanship”, translation of Cavendish’s 1658 book
© Training Riders, Transforming Horses
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I have grouped these 3 things together because I have found that most riders either think too much about them, not enough about them or use them for the wrong thing!
Nose bands
Nose bands often fall into the ‘not enough thought’ category. I often ask riders why they are using a particular nose band, and most of the time the reply is that it was the one the horse came with. These horses are usually in a flash nose band which has been done up quite tightly.
For dressage, the noseband which I prefer to use is a cavesson, done up very loosely. This is because it allows the horse to move his mouth – the exact opposite of the purpose of a flash, drop or grackle noseband. Horses often resist in the mouth first and if you tie their jaw shut, you miss the opportunity to feel in your hands that first point of tension. Horses then become blocked in the jaw and consequently the neck and this flows through to the back and often you can hear them grinding their teeth.
Loosening the nose band and paying attention to the actions of your hands it is possible, over time, to loosen off the nose band with a view to using a simple cavesson. This is something I have done with many horses, and they all respond positively to having this freedom in their jaws. But it is down to the rider to provide a correct, light contact
Yes it is possible with time and patience.
Nose bands
Nose bands often fall into the ‘not enough thought’ category. I often ask riders why they are using a particular nose band, and most of the time the reply is that it was the one the horse came with. These horses are usually in a flash nose band which has been done up quite tightly.
For dressage, the noseband which I prefer to use is a cavesson, done up very loosely. This is because it allows the horse to move his mouth – the exact opposite of the purpose of a flash, drop or grackle noseband. Horses often resist in the mouth first and if you tie their jaw shut, you miss the opportunity to feel in your hands that first point of tension. Horses then become blocked in the jaw and consequently the neck and this flows through to the back and often you can hear them grinding their teeth.
Loosening the nose band and paying attention to the actions of your hands it is possible, over time, to loosen off the nose band with a view to using a simple cavesson. This is something I have done with many horses, and they all respond positively to having this freedom in their jaws. But it is down to the rider to provide a correct, light contact
Yes it is possible with time and patience.
Bits
Which bit to use is another problem area for most riders. Some go with the same logic as the noseband, ‘it’s what he came in’, other people spend a small fortune trying to find a bit that suits their horse. For dressage, my preference is to go with a simple snaffle, with a single joint or a small link, and rings that are either loose, egg butt or hanging cheek. This type of bit will suit most horses, but there are a few horses with difficult conformation in their jaws, such as a particularly small mouth or large tongue and for these horses finding a bit which suits them can be tricky. More severe bits tend to put horses on the forehand rather than on the haunches, and this applies to severe hands too!
The time to use a double bridle is very individual, and a matter of how the horse responds to the bits; I have horses working in piaffe and flying changes in snaffles.
Whichever bit you choose to use, the most important part is the hands at the other end of the reins, as they apply the pressure.
Spurs
The spurs are a refinement of the leg aids not, as you often see, a means to get the horse going. The type of spur you use is personal preference, and how your leg sits on your horse’s side. You should have a supple ankle, not forced down, so that you can raise the spur onto your horse’s side at the appropriate moment and then remove it again. To use the spur, apply a quick light touch, and then immediately remove it from your horse’s side. It is the lightest, softest touch you can give, so you do less. Touch on the side of the hind leg you want to draw under more. You should be able to feel exactly when the spur touches the hairs on the horse’s side and apply the spur with the utmost delicacy.
Which bit to use is another problem area for most riders. Some go with the same logic as the noseband, ‘it’s what he came in’, other people spend a small fortune trying to find a bit that suits their horse. For dressage, my preference is to go with a simple snaffle, with a single joint or a small link, and rings that are either loose, egg butt or hanging cheek. This type of bit will suit most horses, but there are a few horses with difficult conformation in their jaws, such as a particularly small mouth or large tongue and for these horses finding a bit which suits them can be tricky. More severe bits tend to put horses on the forehand rather than on the haunches, and this applies to severe hands too!
The time to use a double bridle is very individual, and a matter of how the horse responds to the bits; I have horses working in piaffe and flying changes in snaffles.
Whichever bit you choose to use, the most important part is the hands at the other end of the reins, as they apply the pressure.
Spurs
The spurs are a refinement of the leg aids not, as you often see, a means to get the horse going. The type of spur you use is personal preference, and how your leg sits on your horse’s side. You should have a supple ankle, not forced down, so that you can raise the spur onto your horse’s side at the appropriate moment and then remove it again. To use the spur, apply a quick light touch, and then immediately remove it from your horse’s side. It is the lightest, softest touch you can give, so you do less. Touch on the side of the hind leg you want to draw under more. You should be able to feel exactly when the spur touches the hairs on the horse’s side and apply the spur with the utmost delicacy.
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This quote from Nuno Oliveira is worth repeating, “the hands receive the work of the legs”. If the rider is using the legs well with tact and timing, the horse becomes light in the hands. If the leg is not well timed the hands become strong and there is no lightness.
The horse must be able to respond to the lightest of aids and then the rider must cease the aid, and allow the horse to continue in the same frame, only giving an aid when a change is required. The timing and co-ordination of aids is important, if the legs say go, the hands and seat must not block that aid.
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With a hot horse, your legs must remain softly against horse’s side and touch lightly or the horse will be surprised by the leg. Don’t clamp your legs on or your horse can’t breathe
The leg positions for different riders may not look exactly alike, dependent on their leg length and the shape of the horse. The pictures below riders with correct leg positions, but each looks slightly different.
This quote from Nuno Oliveira is worth repeating, “the hands receive the work of the legs”. If the rider is using the legs well with tact and timing, the horse becomes light in the hands. If the leg is not well timed the hands become strong and there is no lightness.
The horse must be able to respond to the lightest of aids and then the rider must cease the aid, and allow the horse to continue in the same frame, only giving an aid when a change is required. The timing and co-ordination of aids is important, if the legs say go, the hands and seat must not block that aid.
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- Legs start in the hips, tightness in the thighs will affect the seat and back.
- Lightly touch the legs in the rhythm of the horse.
- Don’t push the heel down as this will tighten your leg, leg the weight drop down through a supple heel.
- Legs must touch and give.
With a hot horse, your legs must remain softly against horse’s side and touch lightly or the horse will be surprised by the leg. Don’t clamp your legs on or your horse can’t breathe
The leg positions for different riders may not look exactly alike, dependent on their leg length and the shape of the horse. The pictures below riders with correct leg positions, but each looks slightly different.
© Training Riders, Transforming Horses
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“The hands receive the work of the legs”
This quote from Nuno Oliveira sums up the crucial relationship between the rider’s hands and legs, if a rider’s legs and seat act correctly, the hands can be light and tactful. If the rider’s legs and seat don’t act with precision, the horse becomes heavy in the hands.
Remember that a rider’s hands start in the shoulders, and any movement in the arms or shoulders is magnified in the hands and can interfere with the rein aids. Your upper arm should hang close to your side, not be clamped in, with your elbow near to your hip.
Your hand is carried by your forearm allowing the wrist to be supple and the fingers should be free from gripping. Your hands should be close together, as a pair, just above the withers, not dropping down to your thigh or carried wide. Keeping your elbows close to your hip, your back and seat moving with the horse’s back, your hand will follow the movement of the horse’s head.
It’s difficult to control your hand movements. In everyday life we tend to use our hands first, but in riding we should use them last and with great tact. You must be able to have a still, soft hand before you can do anything with them, then you can give delicate tactful aids and place your hand in the best position to help your horse.
And a thought from William Cavendish about the hands:-
“The main secret for a horse that is heavy upon the hand, is for the rider to have a very light one; for when he finds nothing to bear upon with his mouth, he infallibly throws himself upon the haunches for his own security.“
These pictures demonstrate the effect of the hands. The black and white pictures show correct hand position and contact the other four pictures show the negative effects of incorrect hand aids; contracted necks, over flexion, resistant jaws and blocked polls.
Remember that a rider’s hands start in the shoulders, and any movement in the arms or shoulders is magnified in the hands and can interfere with the rein aids. Your upper arm should hang close to your side, not be clamped in, with your elbow near to your hip.
Your hand is carried by your forearm allowing the wrist to be supple and the fingers should be free from gripping. Your hands should be close together, as a pair, just above the withers, not dropping down to your thigh or carried wide. Keeping your elbows close to your hip, your back and seat moving with the horse’s back, your hand will follow the movement of the horse’s head.
It’s difficult to control your hand movements. In everyday life we tend to use our hands first, but in riding we should use them last and with great tact. You must be able to have a still, soft hand before you can do anything with them, then you can give delicate tactful aids and place your hand in the best position to help your horse.
And a thought from William Cavendish about the hands:-
“The main secret for a horse that is heavy upon the hand, is for the rider to have a very light one; for when he finds nothing to bear upon with his mouth, he infallibly throws himself upon the haunches for his own security.“
These pictures demonstrate the effect of the hands. The black and white pictures show correct hand position and contact the other four pictures show the negative effects of incorrect hand aids; contracted necks, over flexion, resistant jaws and blocked polls.
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The correct position in the saddle directly affects your ability to communicate with your horse. Good posture allows the rider to move as one with their horse and give the lightest aids with precision. Poor posture inhibits the horse’s movement and means that the rider’s aids are ill timed and unclear to the horse.
Sit on your seat bones with the pubic bone resting towards the twist of the saddle. Your thighs should hang from the hip sockets, slightly forward, and your upper body should be balanced over your seat bones. Our spine has a natural “S” curve and this should be retained so that your lower back can move exactly with the horses back, otherwise the horse will be blocked.
The rider's seat extends up through their lower back and if this part does not move, the rider's seat is blocked. A supple lower back moves with the horse’s back or you will block the horse’s back and the movement from the quarters.
Never support your position by hanging on the reins or gripping with the legs. When the position is right it should feel balanced and connected. This position allows the rider to feel and direct the horse’s movement and not disrupt it.
The first picture below show a correct seat.
In the centre picture the rider has lost contact with the saddle and is gripping with the knees which is pushing the seat up towards the back of the saddle
The last picture shows how the rider has lost the seat forward, the seat is being held in the saddle by the thighs braced against the knee rolls and the hands are pulling back on the reins.
The correct position in the saddle directly affects your ability to communicate with your horse. Good posture allows the rider to move as one with their horse and give the lightest aids with precision. Poor posture inhibits the horse’s movement and means that the rider’s aids are ill timed and unclear to the horse.
Sit on your seat bones with the pubic bone resting towards the twist of the saddle. Your thighs should hang from the hip sockets, slightly forward, and your upper body should be balanced over your seat bones. Our spine has a natural “S” curve and this should be retained so that your lower back can move exactly with the horses back, otherwise the horse will be blocked.
The rider's seat extends up through their lower back and if this part does not move, the rider's seat is blocked. A supple lower back moves with the horse’s back or you will block the horse’s back and the movement from the quarters.
Never support your position by hanging on the reins or gripping with the legs. When the position is right it should feel balanced and connected. This position allows the rider to feel and direct the horse’s movement and not disrupt it.
- A well balanced seat allows the rider to use their lower back and releases tension in legs and shoulders.
- The seat is directly affected by the upper body, legs and hands.
- The seat is affected by horse’s movement, up and down, backwards and forwards and side to side – all at once!
- The ability to follow the movement of the horses back with your lower back gives you feel and contact.
- Your back influences and reflects the horse’s back.
The first picture below show a correct seat.
In the centre picture the rider has lost contact with the saddle and is gripping with the knees which is pushing the seat up towards the back of the saddle
The last picture shows how the rider has lost the seat forward, the seat is being held in the saddle by the thighs braced against the knee rolls and the hands are pulling back on the reins.
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Self-carriage is a quality that results from correct basic work and gives lightness to the horse. A trained horse should be able to maintain self-carriage throughout his work, whereas a younger horse may only be in self-carriage for a few steps before losing balance and needing help from the rider to correct himself. Self-carriage is a combination of balance, strength, straightness and energy, maintained by the horse without intervention from the rider. Additionally the horse needs to be mentally calm and receptive, as a tense horse will be trying to escape the rider’s aids and therefore will not be in self carriage.
Developing self-carriage in your horse takes time, carefully working through simple exercises makes your horse supple, improves their balance which leads to a straight horse, and this is where self-carriage begins. Once the horse is straight and has no weight in the shoulder, you can increase the impulsion which will elevate the forehand.
There is a lot of discussion around horses being in self-carriage but the rider must also have self-carriage. An unbalanced rider who uses the reins and grips with the legs to stay in the saddle will create an unbalanced tight horse. A correctly seated, balance rider is able to give clear aids to the horse and remain quietly with their horse when the horse has responded and is performing the movement. The ultimate test of self-carriage is “descent de mains”, where the rider simply opens the fingers, and the horse remains in the same posture, gait and cadence.
The pictures below show horses in self carriage (top row).
Below them are 3 more of the same horses when they have lost their self-carriage. (All the riders brought their horses into self-carriage again after the photos were taken.)
The first horse has fallen through his outside shoulder on a circle, he has lifted his head in order to regain his balance.
The bay horse has lost his balance on a straight line, he has dropped onto his shoulder and is leaning on the rider’s hands.
The last horse has come off the rider’s inside leg in travers, she has lost the bend and is pressing weight to the inside shoulder.
Developing self-carriage in your horse takes time, carefully working through simple exercises makes your horse supple, improves their balance which leads to a straight horse, and this is where self-carriage begins. Once the horse is straight and has no weight in the shoulder, you can increase the impulsion which will elevate the forehand.
There is a lot of discussion around horses being in self-carriage but the rider must also have self-carriage. An unbalanced rider who uses the reins and grips with the legs to stay in the saddle will create an unbalanced tight horse. A correctly seated, balance rider is able to give clear aids to the horse and remain quietly with their horse when the horse has responded and is performing the movement. The ultimate test of self-carriage is “descent de mains”, where the rider simply opens the fingers, and the horse remains in the same posture, gait and cadence.
The pictures below show horses in self carriage (top row).
Below them are 3 more of the same horses when they have lost their self-carriage. (All the riders brought their horses into self-carriage again after the photos were taken.)
The first horse has fallen through his outside shoulder on a circle, he has lifted his head in order to regain his balance.
The bay horse has lost his balance on a straight line, he has dropped onto his shoulder and is leaning on the rider’s hands.
The last horse has come off the rider’s inside leg in travers, she has lost the bend and is pressing weight to the inside shoulder.
© Training Riders, Transforming Horses
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Impulsion is not just the energy required to move a horse, nor is it having a horse going round the school as fast as it can, (that just creates a tired horse), so I am starting this blog with a quote from Nuno Oliveira,
“Impulsion means to maintain the energy within the cadence.”
Impulsion is often misunderstood by riders, in dressage it can be your greatest friend or your greatest enemy. Too much energy at the wrong time unbalances and makes the horse heavy in the shoulder. Whereas insufficient energy makes the horse flat and unable to perform the movement you are asking. The right energy at the right time gives a freedom, mobility and lightness to a horse, linking to self-carriage.
Impulsion is not a one size fits all, different horses need different levels of impulsion at different times, and it is the skilled rider who knows how much to ask and when. Good impulsion exists when you have a straight horse, supple and balanced with his hind leg travelling straight under his body, the impulsion directs the horse forward and up, lightening the forehand. When the horse has impulsion it is the rider who directs it either upwards to give a collected step, or forwards for a more extended step.
With young horses don’t ask too much too soon, begin by asking for a very little lengthening and collecting in trot, in balance, on the long side of the school, retaining the energy from the lengthened steps to the collected steps. As the horse develops his strength and suppleness so the balance improves and the impulsion increases.
And a final though on impulsion; don’t ride with more energy than you or your horse and cope with.
Training Riders, Transforming Horses
© Diane Followell
“Impulsion means to maintain the energy within the cadence.”
Impulsion is often misunderstood by riders, in dressage it can be your greatest friend or your greatest enemy. Too much energy at the wrong time unbalances and makes the horse heavy in the shoulder. Whereas insufficient energy makes the horse flat and unable to perform the movement you are asking. The right energy at the right time gives a freedom, mobility and lightness to a horse, linking to self-carriage.
Impulsion is not a one size fits all, different horses need different levels of impulsion at different times, and it is the skilled rider who knows how much to ask and when. Good impulsion exists when you have a straight horse, supple and balanced with his hind leg travelling straight under his body, the impulsion directs the horse forward and up, lightening the forehand. When the horse has impulsion it is the rider who directs it either upwards to give a collected step, or forwards for a more extended step.
With young horses don’t ask too much too soon, begin by asking for a very little lengthening and collecting in trot, in balance, on the long side of the school, retaining the energy from the lengthened steps to the collected steps. As the horse develops his strength and suppleness so the balance improves and the impulsion increases.
And a final though on impulsion; don’t ride with more energy than you or your horse and cope with.
Training Riders, Transforming Horses
© Diane Followell
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Collection is the result of correct training, with a strong, supple, balanced horse that has self-carriage, can control his paces and respond instantly to his rider. It is developed over years from methodical training, starting with correct circles, where you begin to engage the inside hind leg and balance your horse, moving on to suppling the quarters and shoulders through carefully selected lateral work, and then developing strength and impulsion.
Classical collection comes from the horse engaging the hind leg under his body which results in a lightening of the forehand. The degree to which you can see this engagement depends on the level of training and the horse’s conformation. Some horses show a distinct lowering of the quarters, and the lightening of the fore hand is easy to see. For other horses, the change in the quarters is not so evident, but this does not mean that the horse is not collected; you can see the same qualities in both horses, just displayed differently.
A horse that is heavy in the hand and has weight in the shoulder is not collected, regardless of the perceived action in the legs. The hind leg should appear to be working under the hips, not out under the tail, the back should not be hollow or braced and the fore hand should have a lightness and freedom of movement through the shoulder with the neck stretching forward from the withers.
The ultimate expression of collection is in the “decente de main” and “decente de jambes”, most easily seen in piaffe, where the rider lowers the hands and releases the contact and lightens the action of the legs, while the horse remains in the same piaffe.
Collection is the result of the careful development of a horse through training, ensuring each stage is correctly developed, creating a supple, balanced, strong horse, able to control their impulsion and therefore able to respond instantly to the riders aids. If you rush the early training, you will have problems in the more advanced work.
Classical collection comes from the horse engaging the hind leg under his body which results in a lightening of the forehand. The degree to which you can see this engagement depends on the level of training and the horse’s conformation. Some horses show a distinct lowering of the quarters, and the lightening of the fore hand is easy to see. For other horses, the change in the quarters is not so evident, but this does not mean that the horse is not collected; you can see the same qualities in both horses, just displayed differently.
A horse that is heavy in the hand and has weight in the shoulder is not collected, regardless of the perceived action in the legs. The hind leg should appear to be working under the hips, not out under the tail, the back should not be hollow or braced and the fore hand should have a lightness and freedom of movement through the shoulder with the neck stretching forward from the withers.
The ultimate expression of collection is in the “decente de main” and “decente de jambes”, most easily seen in piaffe, where the rider lowers the hands and releases the contact and lightens the action of the legs, while the horse remains in the same piaffe.
Collection is the result of the careful development of a horse through training, ensuring each stage is correctly developed, creating a supple, balanced, strong horse, able to control their impulsion and therefore able to respond instantly to the riders aids. If you rush the early training, you will have problems in the more advanced work.
© Training Riders, Transforming Horses
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Christmas is with us again, and I hope that you have had an enjoyable year with your horse. Thank you for reading my blogs throughout 2015, I trust that you have found them thought provoking and helpful in your riding.
With best wishes for a very merry Christmas and New Year, and I wish you every success with your riding in 2016.
I will be blogging again on 4th January 2016
With best wishes for a very merry Christmas and New Year, and I wish you every success with your riding in 2016.
I will be blogging again on 4th January 2016
