Question:
Sometimes I can feel exactly what is going on with my horse...sometimes I can't. It is my ultimate goal to be able to feel exactly what is stiff, crooked, etc. every step of the ride...however since that probably won't happen for a while, I need tools.
There are things that I rider can obviously feel (whether they have good "feel" or not), such as "My horse is not giving to the right rein", "my horse won't bend, or move sideways", "My horse is not going forward", My horse's tempo is too fast". The question, then, is what to do about it, since you know what you are feeling, but not why it is happening.
What I would like to have is a checklist of sorts, so that when my horse is locked up on one rein I can run through my checklist and say, "Is she wrapped around my inside leg?" Yes. "Is she moving forward well?" Yes. "Is her shoulder straight?" No. Aha!!
So, I'm looking for how problems in the horse's body/position/way of moving, manifest themselves into something the lower level rider notices. For the basic issues that all lower level riders have. Obviously once you get to the upper levels you'd better be able to feel what is going on under you, because you don't have time to go through your checklist, but it would be a helpful for riders trying to develop "feel".
Could you contribute an idea or two?
Answer:
That's a great question, but it's not easy to answer in a few words. You are essentially asking for an outline of a system of gymnastic training. Let me try to give you a few pointers that might be useful.
To start out, develop your feel by observing the horse very closely, every step of the way. Observe yourself as closely, and try to see the correlation between your (voluntary as well as involuntary) actions and the horse's reactions. (Ask yourself: what did I do to deserve this? - whether it's a good or a bad reaction on the horse's part).
Analyse the horse along the parameters of:
accuracy of the arena pattern
alignment of hips and shoulders
tempo
stride length
balance (front/back, left/right)
suppleness of all the major muscle groups and joints in the horse's body (poll, throat latch, neck, shoulders, rib cage, back, hips, stifle).
If you discover a misalignment of the hips and/or shoulders, find out which leg escaped and move it back where it belongs. If the horse leaves the line of travel, move him back on track. If he speeds up unauthorized, slow him down. If he slows down on his own, speed him up to the original tempo, etc.
If you feel a resistance against a leg, ask him to yield away from this leg. If you feel a resistance to a rein, ask him to yield to this rein. The rein can be connected to almost any part of the horse's body. It can receive signals from almost any part of the body. So, if you feel a resistance in a rein, you have to trace it back to its source and deal with it at its source. By the way, resistance against a rein can be caused by imbalance. If the horse overloads his left pair of legs (especially the front leg), he will feel heavy in your left rein. Before he can yield to this rein, you have to redistribute the weight towards the right (especially the hind leg).
In discovering resistances/stiffnesses in the horse's body, it is crucial that you ride accurate arena patterns with the correct alignment of the hips and shoulders, and in a steady tempo. That's the foundation for the even weight distribution between the four legs. In addition, the base of the neck must be connected steadily to the shoulders. That way, the energy of the hind legs can travel along the spine to the bit and back.
It's this energy of the hindquarters that we use in detecting problem areas. If the energy impulse of the hind leg does not arrive undiminished in the rider's hand, and if it cannot be recycled undiminished from the hand to the hind leg, then the reason is either that one (or several) muscle(s) is/are not allowing the energy to go through to the other end of the horse, or that a false bend is creating an energy leak, just like a hole in a garden hose does not allow the water to come out through the spout.
So, if you discover that the energy does not go through the horse's body, you have to decide first whether it is due to a blockage or due to a leak. Then you have to find where the problem is located. Start the trouble shooting process by checking the abovementioned parameters. Crookedness and imbalance always cause stiffness and resistance. Conformation flaws can cause stiffness and resistance as well. Of course, crookedness or imbalance in the rider's body will create stiffness and resistance in the horse as well, because they throw the horse off balance. Poorly timed and coordinated aids, as well as stiff joints in the rider's body also create stiffness in the horse's body.
Once you have eliminated the factors I mentioned in the previous paragraph as possible causes, you can use specific exercises to research the horse's joints and muscles. Each dressage movement addresses specific muscle groups and joints. If you encounter a resistance in a specific movement, then there is a stiffness in the respective muscle group(s). The movements and exercises are diagnostic tools, but they are also therapeutic tools. They will show you where problems are located, and they help you to overcome the problems.
This is the shortest outline I can think of. It's a little like trying to fit a whole training manual on the back of a postcard, but it contains all the most important elements.
Thomas Ritter
Have a Question?
Email it to us at thomasritt@gmail.com.
