ESDCTA April 2024 Collective Remarks

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Amateur Dilemma President’s Message

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13

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6 A Bird’s Eye View of Dressage

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News from Outside the Ring 20

Training Insights from Three It’s Now or Never (I’ve got a feeling…) HorseTreats

Happy Spring! Not so happy mud season, but at least it keeps farriers in business.

As show season starts to ramp up, remember to check the website calendar for the list of all the shows, and check the omnibus flip book for show prize lists.

On a personal note, it’s very disappointing when you buy a horse and realize after struggling for three years that it’s not going to perform as you had hoped. After losing my fabulous beginner novice mare a couple of years ago to melanoma, I purchased Sunny as a late 6yo from an event trainer with the hopes that after several years of professional training and schooling, we’d be competing Starter or even Beginner Novice again. However, it’s become apparent that’s not going to happen. Sunny is a lovely mover, balanced, steady, comfortable, and is a cute jumper in the ring, but has never developed an appreciation for dressage and gets anxious out on the cross country course, when he can’t see any other horses. So I’ve made the reluctant decision to try to find him a home as a junior show hunter, which he will be perfectly happy doing, and start looking for my next partner. Since I passed Masters age quite a while ago, hopefully I can find something safe but willing to lug this geriatric rider around for a few more years. I know as a horse owner and rider for many, many years that we need to let our horses tell us what they are willing and able to do for us, but it’s hard when it’s yours, especially when you’ve put so much time and effort into their training. Sunny was supposed to be my forever horse; hopefully the next one will be. I know you all understand.

Appreciate and enjoy all your equine friends, whatever your discipline or direction, even if they’re just lawn ornaments.

President

Board

Vice

Holly Cornell

Ellen Brindle-Clark

Secretary secretary@esdcta.org 201.240.4505

Treasurer

Executive Board

Dressage at Large

Eventing at Large

Dressage Competitions

Eventing Competitions

Marketing Membership Membership

Finance Education

Youth Calendar/Omnibus

Ruth McCormick

Betty Adduci

102 Patricia Ct. Middle Grove NY 12850 treasurer@esdcta

Jena Rondinelli

Jennifer Duelfer

Dr. Lisa Toaldo

Janice Pellegrino

Paige Zimmerman

Vacant

Heidi Lemack

Gary Maholic

Victoria Shilton

Stephanie Warner

Mia Zimmerman datlargeMAL@esdcta.org eatlargeMAL@esdcta.org dressage@esdcta.org eventing@esdcta.org marketing@esdcta.org membership@esdcta.org membership@esdcta.org fi nance@esdcta.org education@esdcta.org youth@esdcta.org marketing@esdcta.org

609.306.8221 215.489.1557 6093511054

NJEAB Representative crunner141@comcast.net Awards

OFF BOARD COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Grants

Equipment

Newsletter

Becky Kuc

Carolyn Montgomery awards@esdcta.org

Holly Cornell

Nominating grants@esdcta.org dressage@esdcta.org newsletter@esdcta.org nominations@esdcta.org

Wilma Pfeffer

Meredith Rogers

Heidi Lemack-Beck

Show Results

Holly Cornell results@esdcta.org

CROSS COUNTRY...

News Across Our Region

COMMUNITY NEWS

If you’re reading this, you are probably a member of ESDCTA, but I’m sure you know of someone who rides dressage or events who is not a member. You know all about the wonderful things offered like educational programs, clinics with big name trainers, horse shows, year-end awards, and not least, that sense of being part of a community of likeminded people. The more members ESDCTA has, the better the programs we can offer. Our membership numbers are also important considerations when state and local governments decide on legislature that affects us (like open space), and we advocate for our sports (We helped get better footing at the HPNJ). Please reach out to your equestrian buddies and tell them about all of the benefits of membership and have them sign up. The more the merrier!

WHAT’S YOUR TALENT??

Let us know what you would like to help us with in 2024. All skills and interests wanted. Have an idea? We want to hear about it. Remember, this club is what YOU make it. Contact president@esdcta.org if you are interested.

NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE

Have a great article that you would like to share?

Please send article to:

Meredith Rogers: newsletter@esdcta.org

All submissions are due by the 15th of the month. Due to space considerations, the editor reserves the right to edit submitted articles. If necessary, articles will be edited and returned for your review.

AND YOU GET VOLUNTEER HOUR FOR EACH STORY!

Milestone

Please Contact this newsletter if you know any ESDCTA members who have achieved any Milestones. Success at a show, regional/national/international award, new horse, or anything else you want to celebrate.

e-mail: newsletter@esdcta.org

MEMBERSHIP QUESTIONS

For membership questions including updating physical or e-mail addresses please contact:

Heidi Lemack membership@esdcta.org

Please have electronic ads in Adobe PDF or .jpg format

You will receive an

Send Payment to:

Betty Adduci

for ad via email.

102 Patricia Ct, Middle Grove NY 12850

Email: treasurer@esdcta.org

Amateur Dilemma

By Meredith Rogers

I’ve seen a lot of stories about “quiet quitting” and “bare minimum Mondays,” and “lazy people jobs.” This seems to be a phenomenon of the younger generations. For the uninitiated, quiet quitting is doing the minimum requirements of a job and putting in no more time, effort, or enthusiasm than necessary; bare minimum Mondays are when employees do the least possible work on Mondays so they don’t burnout by the end of the week; and lazy people (or “girl”) jobs are those that are easy enough that you can quiet quit and still get paid. Those who profess to follow these trends say it’s in response to poor working conditions and no work-life-balance. What they don’t get is that when you are entering the workplace as an inexperienced newbie there is so much to learn and by holding back, no one will want to invest in teaching you. Your first job is likely not going to be fun and most likely will be draining, but the job you will get after that first job will be better and the job after that will be even better, and so on. As someone who has been in the working world for more than half my life I want to tell all you whipper-snappers out there that if you don’t hustle when you’re young and have the energy, when you’re my age, you’ll be both tired and broke, while I’m just tired.

What does this have to do with riding? Well, first off, horses are expensive and are only getting more so. You want to get paid, you need to earn it (compound interest is real). Second, riding takes a lot of work. If you want to be good at it you have to put in the time and put forth the effort. There’s no letting the horse be behind the leg on Mondays or forgoing icing his legs after a vigorous workout because it’s not rewarding. There’s nothing lazy about owning a horse. In addition, being a beginner rider is like being an entry-level employee: you need to learn the basics or how to jump the crossrails before you learn the upper level movements or can tackle cross-country. In both dressage and eventing there are levels for a reason and there are no shortcuts to get to the top.

I’m not saying every member of Gen Zer or Gen Alpha or whatever age group you belong to is like this. If you’re reading this newsletter you’ve already demonstrated your willingness to learn and expand your horizons. Just know that when the going gets tough, either in your career (or at school) or in your riding, all that work will pay off. You are not wasting your time staying late to finish a project, or listening to a podcast on riding theory, or hand-walking your horse when it’s raining. Go that extra mile to show you’re a team player, especially if that teammate is your horse.

News from Outside the Ring

Calling all students!

Purina Animal Nutrition and the Land O’Lakes Foundation is offering scholarships to high school seniors or undergraduate students who have experience raising and caring for livestock, horses, and/or poultry. Applications for 1 of 4 $5000 scholarships are due by April 17. High school seniors who plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic semester/term and undergraduate students enrolled in an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school are eligible. Visit www.purinamills.com/scholarship for more information and to apply

An interesting path to the Derby

Who knew a Philadelphia Phillies favorite had a thing for horses. Jayson Werth who played 15 big-league seasons, including winning a World Series with the Phillies didn’t know what he wanted to do after he retired at 39 years of age. He hadn’t gone to college and up until then, his entire life was baseball. He tried dabbling in golf and tennis, and invested in some business opportunities but it wasn’t fulfilling. One day after a round of golf, he watched a horse race on TV with a friend who had a horse in the race. Horses weren’t totally knew to Werth, who used to clean stalls when he was a kid, but then he moved away and that was that. His first foray into owning was with his friend and one of the horses won, which was a rush for Werth. But, then the horse got injured. However, he became attached to her after visiting her during her rehab. When she returned to racing, she was entered into a claiming race and didn’t get claimed, making Werth very happy because he was smitten with her sweet personality. And now, he has another horse prepping for the Kentucky Derby. By chance he met the owner of Dornoch at a bar and ended up investing in him. Dornoch is being talked about as being a potential Triple Crown winner. Let’s not jinx it.

A Bird’s Eye View of Dressage – More Wisdom from Felicitas von Neumann Cosel

By Paige Zimmerman

Ducati and I had the pleasure of participating in another clinic with Felicitas von Neumann Cosel from March 23-24. We had great lessons and I was very excited to show off how hard we had worked on our homework since the previous clinic just a month and a half ago. Felicitas said it was the most effective she’s seen me ride and the best she has seen Ducati move, which was very gratifying to hear. Felicitas probably won’t be back until summer, so we have plenty of time to continue chugging along and improving!

Felicitas first spoke of how she often has the image in her mind of the bird’s eye view of the horse and rider. She said that she imagines the horse as a sort of hologram and imagines herself riding the horse from a 3rd person perspective. She explained that this imagery and visualization really helps to check in to every part of the horse and what areas need to be improved. As I rode, she reminded me to imagine the bird’s eye view of myself and Ducati, to feel and ‘see’ where he was crooked and where each of his footfalls were landing. This also helped me check in to where I was sitting, where

my legs were, and to just tune into feeling every part of the horse so that I knew what needed to be fixed. For example, just walking along in the warmup, I could feel and imagine that his shoulders were crooked and falling out, so I could choose to do a small leg yield and realign his body into straightness. These visualization exercises were very helpful for me because then I couldn’t ‘zone out’ and forget about the straightness, or what his hind end is doing, or what my own body is doing. There are so many things to focus on in riding, and a bit of imagination really helps to remind the brain not to get stuck on one thing.

Felicitas had me be more precise in asking for the bend. It is a challenge to keep Ducati even on both sides of his body, as conformationally he is very long. I tend to either ask for too much bend and mistakenly allow him to fall out in the opposite direction, or I don’t ask for bend at all. And the difference between the two can be such a light aid because he also is quite sensitive! Lately I have really been working on keeping him aligned and even on both sides, which means that he is becoming much straighter and honestly soft on both sides of his body (as Olivia would say), but now I need to work on developing a more correct and consistent degree of bend throughout his body. Felicitas reminded me that I need to think of the horse as being the shape of a banana, softly bending throughout his whole body, not just his neck, and not having a straight and rigid back. She encouraged me to use a bit more of an indirect rein to keep his shoulder pushing towards the outside rein, while keeping my outside hand soft so that he had the room to push there.

An important part of this equation was also to keep his hind leg from spinning out with my outside leg and my seat aids. It was helpful to work on the haunches-in to get this feeling, which we did extensively in all of the gaits, although sometimes I had to mix it up with shoulder-in and leg yields to just check in and make sure that those exercises were available to me and that Ducati wasn’t just stuck in one thing. Doing these lateral exercises mindfully is very important. Felicitas told me that she wasn’t going to dictate which exercises I chose to work on. She said that I needed to feel where his body was and decide which exercise would be the most helpful to me at that moment.

Regarding the flying changes, we discussed the preparation into the change. I used to need to surprise him with my aids for the change so he couldn’t anticipate them. However, now that both he and I are much more confident, Felicitas explained that I shouldn’t need to surprise him with my aids, as it causes tension in his mind and body when I ask for a change out of nowhere. It is important to set him up for success. Proper bending (as we were working on) and lateral, as well as longitudinal, suppleness are all qualities very important for this preparation. Felicitas suggested that cantering down the long side towards the mirrors is a great way to check straightness and bend, and that I can ask for singular changes while watching in the mirror, to ensure the quality is there and that no straightness is sacrificed in the process. What I got from this is that quality is much better than quantity, and now is the time to get a bit

more nit-picky about the precision of my aids, the quality of my preparation, and the actual flow and relaxation of the flying change itself. He also needs to have the power to do the flying change, without it all rushing out the front end. In my lesson, Felicitas discussed frequently how I should imagine that the hind legs move quickly, while the front end moves slowly. This means that the hind end needs to have the power and push to maintain collection and engagement, but the front end cannot be fast and overtake the hind end, leading the horse to just run off his feet. In proper collection where the horse’s hind end carries them and the power from behind passes from tail to poll, the front end of the horse becomes lighter and they are able to lift up and engage their thoracic sling, feeling as though the front legs are moving big and in a slow tempo while the hind end maintains controlled power. This is a tough feeling to get with Ducati because often his entire body moves big and slow… and the hind end doesn’t have enough power to pass through his body. Working on these concepts and developing the strength for this will help all of our work, and not just the changes. If he is relaxed and focused in his mind and body, and I feel as though I could do anything in that moment of riding, that means that he is under my seat and listening calmly to my aids without anticipating my next step. In each of my lessons I got a feeling that I had been able to get briefly in the past few weeks, but hadn’t been able to maintain. Getting the feeling of the power from the hind end coming all the way through his body is incredibly tough! But the progress is there thanks to Olivia and Felicitas, and I am forever grateful to be learning so much under their watchful eyes. Thank you so much for being my mentors in this lifelong education. And as always, thank you Brenda Curnin for sharing Ducati with me. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Ducati to learn with. To the barns that graciously opened their doors to host the clinic, we are always grateful. As with each clinic, I am looking forward to next time.

Photos courtesy of Olivia Steidle

From Our Friends at

Lehigh Valley Dressage Association

No Negative Self Talk: Reflections on Tips to Set, Structure and Focus Your Riding Goals

By Ellen Broadhurst

As presented by Olympic eventer and USDF Silver Medalist, Samantha St. Jacques

In January 2023, ESDCTA published an overview of a presentation Samatha St. Jacques gave detailing how Dressage riders can improve competitive performance and training through the use of setting, evaluating and evolving goals. I was fortunate to be able to attend a second presentation of this lecture, and, surprising even myself, found that I took away an equally valuable, but very different message.

As with re-reading a favorite old book, or seeing a treasured movie again, the second time around proved to be even more compelling than the first. With this iteration of the Goals lecture, I was inspired by a notion St. Jacques emphasized: “No Negative Self Talk.”

You know that voice in your head, the one that says “I can’t, I’m awful, I’ll never be good enough?” That’s negative self-talk. Were you afraid no one else had that voice? Good news, we all have it. Most people who strive to be better, most riders who take regular lessons working to improve, most riders who are seeking education in the sport of dressage hear that voice. The bad news is that that voice using that language is not helpful. At all.

In our sport, self-criticism and self-evaluation are good things. Dressage is not stagnant. We need to be constantly evaluating and re-evaluating our riding in order to improve. However, the language and how we couch self-criticism is important. “I am never going to be able to sit the trot,” is a vastly different mental memo than “I am struggling to sit the trot, let me talk to my trainer about what steps I can take to improve.”

Annie Lamont, the author of Bird by Bird, a treatise on writing, describes our internal negative voice as radio station KFKD (K-F*cked), and says, “if you are not careful, that radio station will play in your head 24 hours a day.” Constant, belittling self-criticism causes us to focus on our short comings, rather than allowing us to focus on the positive steps that can lead to improvement.

If you struggle to sit the trot, for example, you aren’t going to achieve resolution in a single lesson. By listening to KFKD repeat over and over, “I can’t sit the trot, I’m never going to be able to sit the trot,” you aren’t allowing yourself the opportunity to take the small steps that will solve the problem over the longer term. Negative self-talk is a blocker that stops the posi-

tive dialogue that can drive longer term change.

But what to do about negative self-talk? It’s easy to say, “turn off Radio KFKD!” but quite another thing to hit an entirely imaginary volume button. There are some classic techniques that psychologists recommend, and as I have approached goal setting for 2020, I have begun to employ a few on a regular basis.

For me, the first step was realizing how much negative self-talk was going on inside my head (not all of which was related to my riding). From thinking I was not capable of what my trainer was asking in a lesson to the messy condition of my car to failing to put the clean laundry away for the third day in a row, I realized I spent a lot of time beating myself up for not being perfect.

I’m a visual thinker with an active imagination, so I hit up Mind Amazon (Instant delivery! None of this “next day” nonsense) and supplied my brain with a supersized rubber stamp that says “HEY, NO NEGATIVE THINKING.” When Radio KFKD turns on, I pause, mentally grab the rubber stamp and interrupt my own thoughts.

The second step for me was to change the negative language to positive. To be clear, I’m not trying to become a person who gives themselves permission to say no to my instructor, or someone who happily lives with a messy car or leaves clean laundry lying around without taking responsibility. Instead, I am looking to replace the negative thoughts with productive, positive action steps.

So, when my instructor says “Ok, again,” and my first thought is “One more time and I will FALL OFF,” I interrupt the thought the instant I recognize its sneaky negativity, and replace it with, “One more time, FOCUS, try again, you can do this!”

When I look at my messy car, and my brain starts to say, “Ugh, I am such a slob,” I pull out my mental stamp and rephrase: “OK, I don’t have time to clean this out completely, but can I take one item in the house to start the process of getting it cleaned out?”

When a friend recently complimented me on the positive changes in my riding, my gut reaction was to point out how much farther I have to go. I stopped myself mid-word, took a moment to picture my mental stamp (NO NEGATIVE THOUGHTS), smiled, and thanked her for her kind words.

Reducing negative thinking isn’t a panacea that is going to instantly make me a better dressage rider. But, it is an important technique that is helping me change the mental barriers that slow progress. Honestly, even in the short time since the lecture, I can feel a difference in how my internal voice presents itself.

So many thanks to Samantha St. Jacques for her inspirational Goal Setting Lecture. My mantra going forward is No Negative Self-Talk.

Training Insights from Three Olympians

Training Insights from Three Olympians

Training Insights from Three Olympians

This ar�cle was rst published on coth.com and reprinted with permission from the Chronicle of the Horse (see: h�ps://www.chrono�orse.com/ar�cle/schut‐kery‐rothenberger‐focus‐on‐the‐basics‐to‐polish‐fei‐level‐performance/)

By Mary Moon

By Mary Moon

This ar�cle was rst published on coth.com and reprinted with permission from the Chronicle of the Horse (see: h�ps://www.chrono�orse.com/ar�cle/schut‐kery‐rothenberger‐focus‐on‐the‐basics‐to‐polish‐fei‐level‐performance/)

By Mary Moon

When the Editors of ESDCTA Collec ve Remarks decided to republish the story I wrote for COTH about the 2024 Adequan USDF FEI‐Level Trainers’ Conference, I agreed to write a second story for Collec ve Remarks. This story provides background informa�on for readers at all stages of dressage experience. It gives brief explana�ons of some of the terms and principles of dressage, as well as training advice from the clinicians that is applicable for all horses and riders. The same terms and principles of dressage are applied as appropriate to horses at different levels of training and athle�cism, from novice through Grand Prix. This shows the importance and value of using basic dressage to train horses.

The Conference

When the Editors of ESDCTA Collec ve Remarks decided to republish the story I wrote for COTH about the 2024 Adequan USDF FEI‐Level Trainers’ Conference, I agreed to write a second story for Collec ve Remarks. This story provides background informa�on for readers at all stages of dressage experience. It gives brief explana�ons of some of the terms and principles of dressage, as well as training advice from the clinicians that is applicable for all horses and riders. The same terms and principles of dressage are applied as appropriate to horses at different levels of training and athle�cism, from novice through Grand Prix. This shows the importance and value of using basic dressage to train horses.

According to the USDF website (h�ps://www.usdf.org/educa�on/other‐programs/), “USDF

The Conference

Na�onal‐Level and FEI‐Level Trainers’ Conferences are designed to provide con�nuing educa�on for dressage trainers and instructors. USDF Trainers’ Conference presenters give trainers the opportunity to explore new training method and teaching techniques. Past presenters have included Ulla Salzgeber, Kathy Connelly, Hubertus Schmidt, and Jan Brink.”

According to the USDF website (h�ps://www.usdf.org/educa�on/other‐programs/), “USDF Na�onal‐Level and FEI‐Level Trainers’ Conferences are designed to provide con�nuing educa�on for dressage trainers and instructors. USDF Trainers’ Conference presenters give trainers the opportunity to explore new training method and teaching techniques. Past presenters have included Ulla Salzgeber, Kathy Connelly, Hubertus Schmidt, and Jan Brink.”

An FEI‐Level Trainers’ Conference was held January 15‐16, 2024, at Mary Anne and Walter McPhail’s High Meadow Farm, Loxahatchee, Florida. High Meadow Farm is located in White Fences, a community of homes, horse farms, trails for hacking and horse show grounds. Loxahatchee is a rural community in Palm Beach County in southeast Florida and accessible by highway from Wellington and West Palm Beach.

An FEI‐Level Trainers’ Conference was held January 15‐16, 2024, at Mary Anne and Walter McPhail’s High Meadow Farm, Loxahatchee, Florida High Meadow Farm is located in White Fences, a community of homes, horse farms, trails for hacking and horse show grounds. Loxahatchee is a rural community in Palm Beach County in southeast Florida and accessible by highway from Wellington and West Palm Beach.

Sponsor Mary Anne McPhail is a Member of Dis�nc�on of USDF. She is an adult‐amateur dressage compe�tor and re�red na�onal judge. She and her husband, Walter, are long‐�me supporters of research and educa�on related to equine health and performance.

Sponsor Mary Anne McPhail is a Member of Dis�nc�on of USDF. She is an adult‐amateur dressage compe�tor and re�red na�onal judge. She and her husband, Walter, are long‐�me supporters of research and educa�on related to equine health and performance.

USDF managed the logis�cs of the Conference, and there was a professional announcer and sound system. Eight FEI‐level compe�tors volunteered as demo riders, and several hundred enthusias�c auditors sat on folding chairs around a dressage ring in a covered arena.

The Clinicians

USDF managed the logis�cs of the Conference, and there was a professional announcer and sound system. Eight FEI‐level compe�tors volunteered as demo riders, and several hundred enthusias�c auditors sat on folding chairs around a dressage ring in a covered arena.

The co‐clinicians were Sabine Schu�‐Kerry and Sven Rothenberger, and the moderator was Lilo Fore.

The Clinicians

The co‐clinicians were Sabine Schu�‐Kerry and Sven Rothenberger, and the moderator was Lilo Fore.

Sabine Schut‐Kerry was born in Germany. She appren�ced under Jean Bemelmans, passed exams held by the German Na�onal Equestrian Federa�on and earned her Bereiter F.N. license. Bemelmans, her mentor, was a student of Harry Boldt, Olympic medalist in Tokyo (1964) and Montreal (1976). Sabine moved to the United States to pursue her career and became an American ci�zen. She rode Sanceo (owned by Alice Womble) on the American teams that medaled at the Tokyo Olympics (2020) and Toronto Pan American Games (2015). Sabine operates a bou�que dressage training business in San Marcos, California.

Sven Rothenberger was born in Germany. He was coached by Dr. Josef Neckermann (Olympic medalist in 1960, 1964, 1968, and 1972). Sven and his wife, Gonnelien Rothenberger‐Gordijn, were coached by Conrad Schumacher and rode on the Dutch team that medaled at the Atlanta Olympics (1996). Sven and Gonnelien coached their son, Sonke, who rode on the German team that medaled at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics (2016). The family trained Cosmo, the horse that Sonke rode to the gold team medal at the Tryon World Equestrian Games (2018). They have a farm near Frankfurt, Germany. Sven is an experienced businessman and FEI dressage judge.

Lilo Fore was born in Germany. She moved to the U.S. and developed her career as a breeder, compe�tor, trainer, and coach. She successfully trained her American thoroughbred, Dionysus, to the Grand Prix level. They won many Horse of the Year awards and were named to the USET short list of candidates to represent the US in interna�onal compe��on.

Lilo became a U.S. and 5* FEI judge and officiated at the Olympics, Pan American Games, World Equestrian Games and World Cup Finals. She was inducted into the Roemer Founda�on/USDF Hall of Fame. She is co‐chair of the USDF Instructor/Trainer Development Program Commi�ee, and judges na�onal dressage shows. Lilo operates her dressage training business out of her farm in Santa Rosa, California.

Sabine, Sven and Lilo shared their experience with the German training system to coach the riders and educate the auditors. They encouraged their audience, explaining that dressage is very difficult, and everyone (even the best riders in the world) feels discouraged at �mes. But anyone can learn to ride and train their horse to make gradual progress and enjoy the journey.

The German Training System

The clinicians frequently referred to the Training Scale, which is the essence of the training system promoted by the German F.N. The principles of the German system are applied worldwide to training and judging horses at all levels. The Training Scale summarizes and organizes the technical language and basic principles used for training and riding young horses and more advanced horses up to Grand Prix, as well as judging dressage in na�onal (USEF) and interna�onal (FEI) compe��ons.

The Training Scale consists of six basic principles related to the physical and mental performance of a horse as appropriate to its level of training and athle�cism.

The six principles are interrelated and progress from most fundamental to most demanding (FEI Dressage Handbook): rhythm, suppleness, contact, impulsion, straightness, and collec�on.

The Training Scale is also referred to as the Pyramid of Training, the Training Tree, the Principles of Basic Training, the Progression of Training and simply the basics

The USDF terminology for the Pyramid of Training, from most basic to most challenging, is:

 Rhythm (regularity and tempo)

 Suppleness (elas�city and freedom from anxiety)

 Contact (connec�on and acceptance of the bit through acceptance of the aids)

 Impulsion (engagement and desire to go forward)

 Straightness (improved alignment and equal lateral suppleness on both reins)

 Collec�on (balance and lightness of the forehand from increased engagement)

These principles are essen�al parts of the vocabulary and content of USDF educa�onal programs, USEF and USEA na�onal‐level dressage tests, and the USEF Rulebook

Harmony, thoroughness, engagement, ac�vity, looseness, bend, durchlassigkeit, losegelassigheit, schwung and other terms are also part of the dressage vocabulary and related to these six principles. (See The Principles of Riding, pages 136‐152.)

Training

It is cri�cal for each rider to pay careful a�en�on to the details of the t of their tack, their posi�on and the training of their horse. Even the most super FEI riders in the world check these details every �me they ride their horses. For example, they check that the curb chain is adjusted so that the shanks of the curb bit are at a 45‐degree angle to the horse’s lips when the rider holds the reins with slight tension. (See The Principles of Riding, page 35.)

Before star�ng to train a horse, it is important to always give the horse the chance to warm up. Ride rst at the walk and then working trot and canter to prepare the horse’s muscles and minds before star�ng to work. While training, remember to feel when the horse starts to �re physically or mentally and give them a break by walking with less or no rein contact (free walk) to relax and recover. End every training session by walking and cooling off the horse. (See The Principles of Riding, chapter 3.)

Sabine and Sven coached the riders to use circles and corners (ridden as a quarter of a circle) without changing the rhythm and tempo (speed of strides) of the gait. This improves bending and acceptance of the rider’s aids. Bending before a corner and straightening a�erward increases the horse’s suppleness. (See The Principles of Riding, pages 89‐92.)

The clinicians explained that horses are very sensi�ve creatures that feel and respond to the emo�ons of their riders. When training, remember to give the horse a walk break as a reward.

In this clinic, the horses understand this reward, and they look sa�sed and proud of themselves when their riders let them walk freely a�er they made progress.

Rider Posi�on and Aids

Every rider is responsible for correctly giving aids with their legs, weight, and hands, and training their horse to understand and respond to their aids. Sven and Sabine checked the posi�on of every rider in the clinic because no detail is too small at any levels. They explained that a rider’s posi�on affects their use of aids to communicate with their horse.

Sabine stood securely on one leg and li�ed the other straight leg in front of her to demonstrate the importance of balance of horse and rider.

“Ride with a longer leg” was most frequent advice given to the riders in this clinic. The clinicians demonstrated how to bring each knee further back toward a ver�cal line from the rider’s ear and shoulder to the ground. At the same �me, the rider needs to press their heels down (without making their leg s�ff or straight) and keep their calves in contact with the sides of their horse. (See The Principles of Riding, pages 61‐63 and Balance in Movement, page 129.)

This leg posi�on is helpful when a rider applies pressure with their legs to engage, bend or turn their horse. Pressing their heels down is par�cularly important when a rider uses spurs or asks their horse to canter. (See The Principles of Riding, pages 84‐85.)

The clinicians coached the riders to use their lower legs to apply pressure near the girth as an “engaging aid”. Sabine demonstrated by standing one leg while bending and li�ing the other leg underneath her (like a amingo or a heron) and then swinging her bent leg as she took a giant step forward. She explained that riders need to train their horse to respond to leg pressure near the girth in the same way by li�ing and swinging each hind leg forward as it takes a step (engages). The horse exes the joints in its hind legs (ac�vity) and shi�s its balance to carry more weight on their hind quarters (collects). (See The Principles of Riding, pages 148‐150 and Advanced Techniques of Dressage, pages 26‐40.)

A�er a rider applies their leg aids, they need to maintain their balance, allow their seat to follow the “swinging” movement of their horse’s back and “keep the front door open” (not restrict their horse with their hands). The horses took longer, more powerful strides with more impulsion and their toplines became more supple as muscles contracted and relaxed in their back behind the saddle. (See The Principles of Riding, pages 136‐139.)

The clinicians recommended that a rider primarily use their weight and leg aids to bend and turn their horse. The riders used their inside leg near the girth to “push the horse’s ribcage” toward the outside (way from the direc�on of bending and turning) and their outside leg behind the girth. Sven claried that riders need to shi� their weight (not lean) to the inside and maintain their posture. (See The Principles of Riding, pages 159‐161.)

Sabine and Sven noted that riders should use small adjustments of their hands to give correct rein aids and encourage good contact through the reins. (See The Principles of Riding, pages 138.)

The clinicians taught the riders to give an aid by slightly releasing some tension in the reins. When performed correctly, there was no obvious movement of the rider’s hands, and the horse responded by opening their throatlatch and stretching their neck into contact with the bit. (In a complete release to test for self‐carriage, the rider clearly moves their hands and the reins are loose. See The Principles of Riding, pages 79‐81.)

Some riders were coached to lower their hands close to the withers to encourage their horse to raise the base of their neck and improve throughness. (See The Principles of Riding, pages 136‐141.)

Both clinicians reminded the riders to bring their shoulders back and their shoulder blades closer together to stabilize their balance (but not a s�� “military” posture). Stable shoulders, exible elbows and a straight line from the elbow (with a at, not bent, wrist aligned with the forearm) through the rein to the bit are keys to correct rein aids and steady contact with the horse’s mouth in most situa�ons. (See The Principles of Riding, pages 53‐57 and Balance in Movement, chapter 5.)

Sven cau�oned riders about clucking and other voice aids. He warned that when a rider frequently uses their voice, horse and rider learn to depend on it. In addi�on, this is penalized in dressage compe��ons.

Sven, Sabine and Lilo agreed that a rider should use their spurs and whip to communicate with or cue their horse and never as a means of punishment. It is easy for a rider to repeat these aids when their horse does not respond to one or two small taps. Instead, every rider can learn to use their aids consistently and train their horse to respond correctly and be a�en�ve.

References

More informa�on is available through in‐person and on‐line educa�on from USDF (h�ps://www.usdf.org/), Dressage for Kids™ (h�ps://dressage4kids.org/), and these books:

 The Principles of Riding: Basic Training for Horse and Rider by the German F.N.

 Advanced Techniques of Dressage by the German F.N.

 H. Dv. 12: Army Riding Regula on 12, German Cavalry Manual on the Training of Horse and Rider translated by Stefanie Reinhold

 Basic Training of the Young Horse by Reiner Klimke

 Tug of War: Classical Versus “Modern” Dressage by Dr. Gerd Heuschmann

 Collec on or Contor on by Dr. Gerd Heuschmann

 Ride Be er with Christoph Hess – Dressage and Jumping Problems Solved by Christoph Hess

 FEI Dressage Handbook ‐ Guidelines for Judging (2007) by the FEI

 The View from C – A Trea�se on Judging Dressage Compe��ons by Dr. Dietman Specht

 Balance in Movement by Susanne von Dietze

 United States Pony Club Manuals of Horsemanship by the USPC

 USDF Glossary

(h�ps://www.usdf.org/educa�on/university/kb/item.asp?ID=991&q=Glossary),

Terry Ciotti Gallo Freestyle Clinic and Seminar

April 13 & 14, 2024

USET Foundation, Gladstone, NJ

Do you want to learn from a clinician who has made famous musical freestyles for Laura Graves, Steffen Peters, Debbie McDonald, Adrienne

Lyle, George Williams, and more?

Register now for our freestyle clinic and seminar! Saturday is filled, and only Sunday rider spots remain. Registration is due April 11th, & auditors are encouraged to pre-register too!

Please visit our website for more information and to register online:

https://www.esdcta.org/freestyle-clinic-and-seminar/

Obituary

We lost one of our own last month. Elaine M. Landy, 82, of Jackson passed away peacefully with her niece by her side on Wednesday, March 6, 2024 at CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township. Elaine was born in Bayonne and raised on Staten Island. She had lived in Holmdel before moving to Millstone Township in 1996. Elaine downsized in 2022 and settled in the Four Seasons at Metedeconk Lakes, Jackson. She had received her B.A. degree in Business Administration and had received her master's in nursing. In 2000, Elaine retired as a director of nursing. Prior to this, she was instrumental in the inception of dialysis wings at several hospitals. Also involved in the research side of the healthcare field, Elaine was a published author contributing to the work of Dr. DeBakey in Texas. Most recently, volunteerism was her path, as a member of the CentraState Medical Center Auxiliary.

Meeting her husband, on a ski trip, was the highlight of her life. It was on the plane when she knew she had fallen in love. A perfect match, they traveled the world together, sailed the world together, and even skied the world together. They volunteered at the Horse Park of New Jersey and were members of the Eastern States Dressage and Combined Training Association. She had a passion for gardening and watching figure skating. As a woman of faith, Elaine was a parishioner and member of the hospitality committee at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Millstone.

Elaine was predeceased by her husband, Lawrence and a brother, Richard Pelszynski. She is survived by her brother, Stanley Pelszynski of Carlsbad, CA; a niece, Lisa Bertotti and her husband, Eric of Carlsbad, CA; three great nephews, Andrew, Ian, and Eli; and a sister-in-law, Patricia Pelszynski of Fairfax Station, VA.

I will always remember her smiling face and warm welcome at shows. She seemed to be an ever-present fixture in the judges box as scribe whenever I trotted up centerline. I, along with the ESDCTA community, will dearly miss her.

Horse Treats

By Meredith Rogers

Have a little wanderlust? Looking to relocate to somewhere more horsey? Well, just about every state has a town with an equine-themed name. There’s something for everyone, and a few were actually named after a horse or two.

Deadhorse, Alaska: Population = 25-50. Reportedly named after the Dead Horse Haulers trucking company, which was a prominent local business in the late 1960s and 1970s.

Horsehead, Arkansas: Population = 694.

Iron Horse, California: Population = 297.

Horsetooth Heights, Colorado: Population = 310.

Wild Horse, Colorado: Population = 68.

Horse Cave City, Kentucky: Population = 2,311. The name most likely resulted from the cave in its center that has the largest natural opening in the area, and the fact that the word “horse” was used in the 18th and 19th centuries to refer to something extraordinarily large (eg, horse-laugh, horse chestnut).

Hungry Horse, Montana: Population = 900. Named after two draft horses used for logging; the horses, Tex and Jerry wandered off during the severe winter of 1900, and were found a month later, all scraggly and hungry but very much alive.

Kicking Horse, Montana: Population = 286.

Pony, Montana: Population = 118. Named after the miner that founded the city, Smith McCumpsey, whose nickname was “Pony,” it is an old gold-mining town that had electricity before New York City.

Pinto, Nevada: Population = 0. Once a gold-mining town, it’s now a ghost town.

Colts Neck, New Jersey: Population = 10,142. The town may have gotten its name from the shape of the land between the Yellow and Mine brooks, and was first referred to as “Colts Neck” in 1675.

White Horse, New Jersey: Population = 9,494. The name arose when George Washington rode through the area on his white horse for his first presidential inauguration in 1789.

Horseheads, New York: Population = 19,485. The first and only town and village in the United States dedicated to the service of the American Military Horse; the name is derived from the skulls of army pack horses (humanly euthanized by General Sullivan during the American Revolution) that were dug up and arrayed along the road to the town by Native Americans who wanted to keep settlers out.

Caballo, New Mexico: Population = 112. Caballo is Spanish for horse.

Gray Horse, Oklahoma: Population = 0. Named for an Osage Indian medicine man named Kowahhostsa (Gray Horse), the town is currently used as a ceremonial center by the Osage Indians for yearly rituals.

Mustang, Oklahoma: Population = 17,395. The whole area has places with Mustang in the name, including Mustang Creek, which is from where the town took its name.

Dead Horse Creek, Oregon: Population = 0. It’s a popular camping and fishing site.

Horse Pasture, Virginia: Population: 2,227.

Horsepen, Virginia: Named after a natural land formation used to hold captured horses by Cherokee Indians. The post office used to be in West Virginia but was moved (and thereby there used to be a Horsepen, West Virginia).

Spotted Horse, Wyoming: Population = 2. Named after a Native American chief.

It’s Now or Never (I’ve got a feeling…)

By Lori Kelly

WOW! Lots has been happening down here in Florida! The weather has been wonderful – so inviting to ride and spend time at the barn! I have been lessoning consistently with my trainer, Tracy Masterson, and already we are seeing steady improvement.

Of course, it’s never all unicorn and rainbows with horses (even though I think Henri may actually be a unicorn). Shortly after Henri arrived in Florida, he started breaking out in what appeared to be hives. I actually thought he had rolled on a fire ant hill. Sadly, it spread to his entire body and legs. He was literally covered in bumps. After some trial and error and several vet visits, he was diagnosed with a Florida crud. Just a generic-term for a fungal condition that some clipped horses get down here if they are not used to the warm weather and humidity. He was treated with prescription shampoos and SMZs. Of course, he lost the hair everywhere he had a breakout. He is definitely on the mend now but I think for the next horse show I will just indicate his color as “brindle” since he is pretty much a 50/50 mix of hair and bare skin!

Despite his skin condition, he has been great. Lessoning consistently has really helped my riding by leaps and bounds. The most obvious lesson so far has been the development of my “feel”. I’ve always had “good hands,” but Henri can be a little heavy AND a little lazy. Not enough “feel” and he doesn’t stay engaged and work over his back. Too much “feel” (and not enough leg) and he thinks that means break time. So, after

the last horse show where I had several breaks through the canter tour, we have been really working on just the right amount of “feel”. It’s coming, it’s not perfect yet, but it’s definitely there. When it’s right, according to Henri, everything just falls into place. I’m really encouraged by how quickly this is coming together because it is making such an overall difference in the quality of the rides. I’m confident that just maintaining a consistent feel and keeping Henri engaged throughout the test will drastically increase our overall performance.

As if developing an educated feel isn’t enough, there is also the elusive (to me) half halt. I have a 30-year background in the hunters. I grew up doing the children’s hunters then the low adults. A half halt is just not something that was not typically developed in that world back in the 80’s. As a result, it is not a readily available tool in my tool box. It does not come to me as second nature. I actively need to process what is going on (is he getting strung out, or heavy, or falling in, or lazy?) and then think through the correction instead of automatically going to a half halt. Once I identified this hole in my education, we added a focus on it in my lessons. There was an almost immediate improvement in the balance and consistency of the tempo. The whole quality of Henri’s gaits improved as his balance improved with the proper support. He became lighter in the bridle and more active. This had me take a moment to review the training scale, and the most basic block - “rhythm” (regularity and tempo). I had been so concerned about the lengthenings, that I totally skipped over the most basic skill. Of course, I could not achieve quality lengthenings and shortenings if my basic rhythm was inconsistent! And, my rhythm could not be consistent if my horse was out of balance, leaning on the forehand, or the inside shoulder. The solution? Half halt – regroup, rebalance, refocus – ideally before things really got out of hand! It was my “I could have had a V-8” moment.

So, my goal for schooling until the next horse show is to forget about the movements and to perfect the rhythm and balance through the use of the half halt. It seems so basic but with a new horse, it is an absolute necessity. Together we must develop our trust in each other through consistency both in routine and in feel. The training scale is there for a reason. There are no short cuts, you can’t just start in the middle. I’m learning this the hard way, but the lessons are paying off!

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AEA WINTER SCHOOLING SHOW IV

3/23/2024

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AEA Winter Schooling Show III 2024

3/9/2024

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AEA Winter Schooling Show III 2024

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Bit O Woods Farm Dressage Schooling Show 3/17/2024