Horse&Rider Magazine – October 2019

In this feature. . .

➤ Use

tactical exercises to create impulsion

DRESSAGE CONFIDENTIAL:

Increasing impulsion

Struggling with tepid transitions and mediocre marks?

Power up your horse’s paces and add point-scoring sparkle with Dan Greenwood’s exercises for increasing impulsion

As told to Tilly Berendt. Photos: Jon Stroud

Our expert

Dan Greenwood is a dressage rider and trainer.

He’s won many national championships and ridden for Great Britain at Small Tour level, as well as coaching up to Grand Prix.

Our model

Owned by Jo Handman, nine-year-old Flore II is

by Rousseau and out of a Flemingh mare, and is enjoying her first forays into Prix St Georges competition.

N

o matter what level you compete at, impulsion is hugely important – without it, you can’t have straightness, collected or extended gaits, or a correct, stable contact. Despite this, impulsion is one of the most misunderstood and underused tools in most riders’ arsenals.

In simple terms, proper impulsion is achieved when you feel as though you squish your horse into a smaller shape before asking him to go forward. If you ride for that squish, and your horse’s shape doesn’t change, he’ll just get longer and more strung out as you ask him to move forward. Creating a more compressed base by bringing his hind feet closer to his fore feet should be your primary aim – that way, you can begin to lift your horse’s midsection and take this sustainable, cyclical energy forward. How do you know when you’ve got it right? When you feel like you’re riding uphill, even on the flat surface of your school.

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In the saddle

➤ Use

lateral work to increase activity ➤ Use squares to test power

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As told to Rebecca Philpot at the International Eventing Forum 2019. Photos: Jon Stroud

golden rules The

OF EVENTING

Our expert

A former riding master of the Household Cavalry, Richard Waygood MBE is the British Eventing (BE) Performance Manager.

He’s ridden to CCI5* level and is also a BE accredited coach.

Our model

Balance, correct way of going and a good line are the cornerstones of jumping. And, if you can get these basics right, the rest is simple, says Richard Waygood

I

f you’re the type of rider who gets carried away planning elaborate training routines, or seems to always overcomplicate your schooling – either on the flat or over jumps – you’re certainly not alone. It’s something we’re all guilty of at one point or another. But what if it was possible get the same results, if not better, by keeping it simple?

Warm-up breakdown

While the excitement of jumping may entice you to rush through your warm-up routine, before you ask your horse to start leaving the ground, ask yourself…

• is my horse moving forward?

• is he laterally supple?

• do my brakes work? Does my accelerator work?

• am I in balance?

If you answer ‘no’ to any of these questions, spend a little more time perfecting the basics – practising

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transitions and riding shapes to engage his hindquarters.

International eventer Georgie Spence rides nine-year-old gelding Cooley Legaland (Eddie), owned by Mollie Fisher and Lucy Fleming, who currently competes at Advanced/CCI3*.

In the saddle

Golden rules

There are three golden rules I use for riders as they ride over fences. Invariably, when something goes wrong on course, it’s due to one of these rules being broken...

You must sit in balance all the time – on your approach, in the air, on landing and in-between When your horse loses balance, he turns to you to help him rebalance. This can only be possible if you’re in proper balance yourself – including your head and eyes being up, with your lower leg in the correct position. As a general rule, ride with your hands low and upper body upright to keep you and him balanced.

Balancing act

Balance a pole on another pole or plank, so it meets at an intersection.

Now, balance a hat on one side and watch the pole fall TOP TIP down, despite the When you reward your horse with weight of the a pat, just lower your hand down, hat being negligible. Think of your horse keeping your body up. By looking down as this pole – that’s how delicate the or tipping forward to praise him, you’re balance is for your horse, too, so it’s vital suddenly asking your horse to carry that you’re perfectly balanced to give extra weight over his shoulders and your horse the best chance of a clear. ultimately disrupting his balance.

Your horse must have the correct way of going for the obstacle in hand By this, I mean that he must be in self-carriage, rather than being supported by your hands. His neck is his fifth leg if he gets in a mess, so it’s imperative he has freedom of his head, withers and neck to get himself out of trouble if needed.

Every aspect of jumping should start and finish with a quality canter. Don’t ‘flop’ after the final fence of the course or exercise – reinstate the correct way of going, give your horse a pat and then finish the exercise.

You must provide your horse with the correct line Make sure you’ve set up your horse correctly and taken him to the best take-off spot for the fence in hand. Use your legs to steer and correct him – your hands are only there to back up your legs.

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TAKING A STEP

BACK

Learn the tips and tricks for getting the best out of your horse in-hand, or even ridden, with Fizz Marshall’s fun polework maze

Our expert

Fizz Marshall worked with all types of horse in her six years as Centre Manager at the Equine Therapy Centre at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire. More recently she’s worked for racehorse trainer Jonjo O’Neill and as Yard Manager for Carl Hester.

I

n-hand work can be useful for all sorts of things. However, in a rehabilitation sense, it’s most often used for horses who have sustained injuries affecting their proprioception and spatial awareness, most common in conditions that have a neurological element to them.

In-hand work is also very useful for occupying the mind of a horse who’s on very limited exercise. Some horses on walk work can quickly grow bored of pottering about.

In this case, some polework may keep his brain switched on, and him more settled as a result. If your horse has been

prescribed rest for an injury, always check with your vet first to ensure the suitability of this type of exercise before getting started.

Maze work is a form of in-hand exercise that will test your horse’s co-ordination, balance and control. It’s also a great way of encouraging him to think.

You’ll need...

• a bridle with the reins removed or tied into the throat-lash • a lunge line • a schooling whip • six 4m poles • some treats to use as a reward

Photos: Jon Stroud

Building your maze

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To build a maze you’ll need six standard-length poles. Set them out to form two interlocking C shapes.

Providing that your poles are all the same length, the distance between each one should be the same from every angle.

There are a number of exercises TOP TIP that you can do with your maze, A maze is a great exercise to but the two main ones involve have laid out in your arena. Because asking your horse to step over the distances are all the same, the poles through the centre, and you can lunge or ride over it from then negotiating the corners different angles, providing you a within the maze itself. series of different pole exercises from one set-up.

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Route 1 Route 2 Route 3

Management know-how

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