Dressage as Physiotherapy: Maintain and Improve Your Horse's Soundness Through Gymnastic Training Exercises
Horses were never designed to carry weight on their back. If we want to ride them and to keep them sound, we have to protect them from the negative effects that our weight has on their backs and their leg joints and tendons.
In order to minimise wear and tear, we have to balance, straighten, and supple the horse, so that he moves with the greatest possible efficiency.
When the horse is balanced and supple, all muscles in his body will work together, not against each other. All joints will move smoothly and with their full range of motion. In other words, there are no joints whose movement is restricted through muscle tension, and there are no areas that are hypermobile to compensate for the stiffness in other parts of the body.
The old masters discovered a long time ago that the hip and stifle joints have to act as shock absorbers in order to protect the back and the joints and tendons of the front legs as well as the hocks. In order to be able to do that, the hind legs have to step under the body mass and flex their joints like coiled springs. This is done through gymnastic work.
Riding correct arena patterns in a steady tempo that is neither too fast nor too slow, with good energy lays the foundation for balance and straightness. Balance allows the horse to release tension and to become relaxed and supple. On this foundation, even greater suppleness can be achieved through gymnastic exercises that mobilise specific areas of the body, like the shoulders, the hips, the rib cage, or the spine.
In this video, we will explain how you can use gymnastic exercises to keep your horse sound, and oftentimes even return your horse to soundness. You will learn what you need to concentrate upon in the training to keep your horse sound.
Watch the video: https://youtu.be/8qt9hkRCnmY
"A Course About Straightness" with Ritter Dressage begins Monday, March 4, 2019
This is a course about learning through implementation... not just learning the theory.
In this course you will learn:
🔸The Definition of Straightness and Crookednes
🔸The Biomechanics of crookedness
🔸How to understand the difference between your horse’s stiff side and hollow side and how this impacts the rest of your training
🔸The key symptoms of crookedness which you should be aware of and on watch for at all times in your training
🔸What happens when the horse becomes straight
🔸How your own crookedness plays a role in your riding
🔸Typical asymmetries in the rider
🔸 How to analyse and assess your own level crookedness
🔸Exercises to develop your awareness of crookedness
🔸Exercises you can ride to help you define and diagnose your horse’s crookedness
🔸Strategies to cultivate while addressing your and your horse’s crookedness
🔸What to work towards and how
🔸Exercises you can use to improve your horse’s straightness
🔸Exercises specifically effective on the horse’s hollow side
🔸Exercises specifically effective on the horse’s stiff side
🔸Exercises which are effective at making BOTH sides more even
🔸Rider Exercises you can use to improve your own straightness
Enrollment closes Sunday, March 3rd at 12:00 midnight CET.
Multiple payment plans available and alternate currencies just added (USD, CAD, AUD, and GBP).
We have a spot for you and we can’t wait to have you join our Straightness Alumni.
Enroll now: https://courses.artisticdressage.com/p/straightness-of-course
🥁 Have you registered for the FREE Dressage as Physiotherapy 5-Day Challenge with Dr. Thomas Ritter? Get your spot now - - - > https://courses.artisticdressage.com/soundness-challlenge
