May/June 2020 USDF Connection by USDF Publications

USDF Responds to COVID-19 Crisis (p. 6)

May/June 2020

Official Publication of the United States Dressage Federation

Set Your Horse up for Success Warmup Strategies Are Focus of USDF Trainers Conference (p. 36) Move up to Second Level with Beth Baumert (p. 30) Fund-Raising Ideas for GMOs

Trainers Conference demo rider Kasey Perry-Glass on Mistico TM

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USDF CONNECTION

The Official Publication of the United States Dressage Federation EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Stephan Hienzsch (859) 271-7887 • stephh1enz@usdf.org EDITOR Jennifer O. Bryant (610) 344-0116 • jbryant@usdf.org CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Hilary M. Clayton, BVMS, PhD, MRCVS EDITORIAL ADVISORS Margaret Freeman (NC), Anne Gribbons (FL), Roberta Williams (FL), Terry Wilson (CA)

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USDF Connection is published bimonthly by the United States Dressage Federation, 4051 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY 40511. Phone: 859/971-2277. Fax: 859/971-7722. E-mail: usdressage@usdf.org, Web site: www.usdf.org. USDF members receive USDF Connection as a membership benefit, paid by membership dues. Copyright © 2020 USDF. All rights reserved. USDF reserves the right to refuse any advertising or copy that is deemed unsuitable for USDF and its policies. Excluding advertisements, all photos with mounted riders must have safety head gear or USEF-approved competition hat. USDF assumes no responsibility for the claims made in advertisements. Statements of fact and opinion are those of the experts consulted and authors, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or the policy of USDF. The publishers reserve the right to reject any advertising deemed unsuitable for USDF, as well as the right to reject or edit any manuscripts received for publication. USDF assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. All materials must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Questions about your subscription or change in address? Contact USDF Membership Department, 859/971-2277, or usdressage@usdf.org. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: USDF, 4051 IRON WORKS PARKWAY, LEXINGTON, KY 40511. Canadian Agreement No. 1741527. Canada return address: Station A, P.O. Box 54, Windsor, Ontario N9A 6J5.

2 May/June 2020 | USDF CONNECTION

USDF Connection

MAY/JUNE 2020

Volume 22, Number 1

Columns

6 Inside USDF

The Show Must (Not) Go On

By Lisa Gorretta

8 Ringside

Shelter from the Storm By Jennifer O. Bryant

Departments 20 The Judge’s Box

Anticipation: Not Always Your Best Friend By Janet Foy

22 Salute

Features

By Jennifer O. Bryant

Through the Levels

By Beth Baumert

Smart Solutions Are You Prepared Not to Win? By Melonie Kessler

By Jennifer O. Bryant

YR Grad Program Helps Careers Evolve

Nailing It! Riding with Success Through the Levels Part 4: Second Level

60 My Dressage

Just as horses face challenges in their training, fledgling dressage pros struggle to get established. A unique program aims to give a leg up.

By Penny Hawes

54 Tack Shop

Pay to Play

30 Clinic

Warming up in Welly World If you donʼt have a warm-up plan, youʼre not setting your horse up for performance success

By Colleen Scott

26 GMO

The Dressage Expansionist

A four-time USDF/USEF Young Rider Graduate Program participant reflects on what sheʼs learned and how far sheʼs come

By Laura Ashley Killian

Basics 8

Contact

Sponsor Spotlight

Collection

56 Rider’s Market

On Our Cover Olympian Kasey Perry-Glass rides Mistico TM at the 2020 Adequan®/USDF FEI-Level Trainers Conference. Report, p. 36. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

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USDF Office Contact Directory

Advertising Index

USDF CONNECTION | May/June 2020

Inside USDF The Show Must (Not) Go On How the USDF is navigating the COVID-19 pandemic

s I write this message at the end of March, my home state of Ohio, like many other states, has entered a two-week lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As this issue of USDF Connection was preparing to go to press, US Equestrian announced that it had extended the moratorium on recording horse-show results from the originally announced April 16 to May 3. On March 26, at my request, the USDF Executive Board approved a similar extension for both dressage competitions and any submitted schooling-show results. In short, we are not through this yet. The impact is being felt worldwide, and this deliberate and measured extension will provide—we hope— a sufficient cushion for the tide to turn. I know that everyone is worried, if not downright frightened, for their families, their livelihood, and their way of life, especially that part determined by a passion for horses and the sport of dressage. Some of you have even been told that you cannot visit, much less care for and ride, your boarded dressage partner. As USDF president, I really want to be able to provide you with answers and solid solutions to the upheaval we are experiencing, but I can’t—at least not as of today. As a licensed official (dressage technical delegate and FEI steward), I have been taught to look at all sides of a situation, consider the facts, and rely on the rules before

calmly arriving at a decision or recommendation. That is exactly how we need to approach this mess. I know that you have many questions regarding your plans and goals for this year. Will you be able to achieve them? What’s going to happen with the FEI North American Youth Championships? The US Dressage Festival of Champions? The Great American/ USDF Regional Championships? How will you be able to qualify when shows have been canceled? How will you get that necessary score toward a USDF rider medal? What if your young horse or your yearling cannot compete this season? At this point, I can tell you that the USDF staff, committees, and Executive Board are committed to providing reasonable solutions and answers to your questions as soon as we can. Today, we can only hope that everyone takes this crisis very seriously so that it passes sooner rather than later. We must take this one day at a time. We dressage people tend to be longerrange planners, and many of us do not deal well with obstacles

4 May/June 2020 | USDF CONNECTION

placed in our paths. But I fervently request that you do your best to summon patience now. We are closely following all related equestrian organizations as well as the directions and mandates from the government. When an “all clear” is sounded, we will look at the “where, when, and how” of our programs and competitions with all due speed and concern for a (nationally) reasonable, level playing field. We will continue to work closely with the US Equestrian Dressage Department to identify concerns and find solutions to difficulties as they arise. This I can promise to all USDF members. We will all get through this crisis eventually, but only with your continued support, your shared concern for everyone in our sport at every level, and everyone’s agreement that it is better to get accurate information and details than fast “fake news” based on erroneous or unsupported reports. Let us keep our eye on the ball: This is a potentially life-threatening disease. It has a real chance to be devastating on so many levels in the US. First we must deal with these undeniable facts, and then we can direct our focus to our sport. Thank you for your e-mails and letters of support. Please take care of yourself and others.

COURTESY OF LISA GORRETTA

By Lisa Gorretta, USDF President

“He acts 100% better during lessons, he stays focused and we can actually learn new things.” – Renee H. from Western, NY

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Ringside Shelter from the Storm Again, in the face of crisis, our horses offer solace

people to much worse, from the health-care professionals putting their lives on the line, to the critically ill, to the almost-Olympians and -Paralympians whose dreams for this year have been dashed. You don’t need me to tell you that the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the world to an unprecedented degree. USDF president Lisa Gorretta shares the USDF’s response and plans—which likely will have progressed by the time you read this, so check the USDF website and your e-mail inbox for the latest—in her “Inside USDF” column in this issue. On a more micro level, this issue of USDF Connection may reach you a bit later than usual, in part the result of delays like those many businesses experienced in the shifting of employees from offices to work-from-home. While you’re #stuckathome, this issue will, I hope, offer some diversion and the dressage involvement that you are probably missing at the moment. Thankfully, the 2020 Adequan®/ USDF FEI-Level Trainers Conference and the 2020 USDF/USEF Young Rider Graduate Program both went

6 May/June 2020 | USDF CONNECTION

off prior to the coronavirus-related shutdowns. The general consensus was that the Trainers Conference, with its panel of two international rider/trainers and two international judges, was one of the best ever—a true conference with free exchange of ideas and all of the demonstration horses and riders showing improvement. Turn to page 36 for my report. I’m a bit north of the target age group at which the YR Graduate Program is aimed, so you’d think I’d find that event less than gripping. Not at all! Top riders’ insights into their careers, their struggles, and their horses are not only interesting from the “celebrity tell-all” angle; they’re also peppered with tips and strategies that any dressage enthusiast can use to improve your riding and training or your career. My report on this year’s program begins on page 46. Many of you are champing at the bit to get back in the show ring, to get back on your horses, or both. Until then, read up on judge Janet Foy’s tips on dealing with the horse that anticipates movements (page 20) and trainer Beth Baumert’s advice for moving up to Second Level (page 30). Pair your reading with more virtual learning by watching USDF’s On the Levels videos, available on DVD or as streaming video (see page 34). Perhaps, by the time you read this, we’ll be on the other side of this crisis. Until then, I hope there’s a special horse out there waiting to offer you shelter from the storm.

Jennifer O. Bryant, Editor @JenniferOBryant

MICHAEL BRYANT

n 9/11, after fielding the flood of panicked phone calls from friends and loved ones desperate to learn whether my airlinepilot husband was safe on that terrible day, I took refuge at the barn. Too shocked and devastated to ride, I hand-grazed my horse under that cloudless, weirdly empty sky. I felt the warm late-summer sun on my face, the only sounds those of birds chirping and my horse munching contentedly. Life at the farm continued in its quiet, unhurried way. For a few blessed minutes, there was peace. I wrote a “Ringside” column about that experience. Today, nearly two decades later, I find myself again telling you about my almost-primal urge to seek solace at the barn in the face of a global crisis. This time, seeking that comfort is not so easy. Even going out to walk my dogs feels vaguely reckless. I’m nervous about venturing out for fear of getting sick; safely at home, I feel unwell anyway—fretful, tired, tension-headache-y, with a full complement of early-onset seasonalallergy misery to cap it off, so I spend my spare time double-checking lists of symptoms to reassure myself that itchy eyes and sinus pressure are not, in fact, signs of COVID-19. On top of it all, I’m worried about my horse. My special-needs child, as Junior is commonly known, has his own set of quirks that my presence seems to soothe, and vice versa (the fact that we clearly deserve each other is not lost on me). I need my horse! I need to keep him going! Then I feel ashamed and guilty for wallowing in self-pity in the midst of a global pandemic that is subjecting

Contact New and Improved I felt compelled to write and let you know how wonderful the January/ February issue was. For the first time, I read the magazine from cover to cover and shared it with my barn friends. Every feature, column, and department was filled with insightful and engaging information and stories. I especially enjoyed the Isabell Werth book excerpt. Congratulations to USDF for sending its members an excellent publication with a great new format! I’m looking forward to the next issue. Kristine DiTano Alamo, California

Corrections

wing to a series of mishaps, a photo of the 2019 StallionExpo Perpetual Trophy recipient did not appear in the 2019 USDF yearbook issue of USDF Connection (March/April 2020). It was also mistakenly reported that the recipient, Samantha Kidd, was not on hand at the 2019 Adequan®/USDF Salute Gala & Annual Awards Banquet to receive her award.

How nice it was to see a picture of Komo in the January/February issue (“Guiding Light”). I was his owner for the final six years of Komo’s life, but I use the word “owner” lightly. I may have paid the bills, but he and I both knew who was in charge, and it wasn’t me.

Komo was euthanized on September 10, 2018. I still think about him every day. He was highly intelligent, immensely talented, superbly trained, arrogant, opinionated, demanding, and intense. I will always be grateful to Kathy Pavlich for letting me be part of his life. Susan K. Williams Redlands, California

Kidd was in fact in attendance and was presented with an award plaque, but was not photographed with the trophy, which recognizes the Adequan®/USDF Dressage Sport Horse Breeding Breeder of the Year. The composite photo above shows the StallionExpo trophy and Kidd (center) with USDF president Lisa Gorretta and American Regent Animal Health (Adequan®) director of strategic partnerships Allyn Mann. Kidd is the president of Arion Sporthorses, a sporthorse breeding facility in Southern Pines, North Carolina, DSHB EXCELLENCE: Kidd (second from right) won that aims to produce horses for the 2019 National Dressage Pony Cup Pony Stallion Championship and the NDPC/Dressage at Devon the upper levels of dressage and jumping. The photo at right Pony Grand Championship with her German Riding Pony The Duke of Clarence (Classic Dancer I – is of one of Kidd’s champions, Nonchalance, Night-Star III). “Clarence” went on to the Westfalen German Riding capture the 2019 Adequan®/USDF Dressage Sport Pony The Duke of Clarence. Horse Breeding Four-Year-Old and Older Stallions The USDF and USDF Horse of the Year title. Connection regret the errors and congratulate Samantha Kidd on her achievement. March/April’s “Meet the Instructor” item (“Collection”) misstated the location of Second Level USDF-certified instructor Carol Cunefare. She is in Durango, Colorado.

8 May/June 2020 | USDF CONNECTION

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Collection Bits and Pieces from USDF and the World of Dressage

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Coronavirus Decimates Spring Competitions ★ USEF Convention Highlights ★ Para-Dressageʼs Hope Hand Honored

IN THE FRAME In front of empty stands, the USA’s Steffen Peters and Suppenkasper notched their eleventh straight win of 2020 on March 13 at the Wellington (Florida) CDIO3*. The Adequan® Global Dressage Festival arena, usually packed with “Friday Night Lights” spectators, was closed to all but riders and official personnel because of coronavirus concerns. Story, p. 12.

USDF CONNECTION | May/June 2020

Collection COMPETITION

For horse sports and pretty much everything else, March 11 was the tipping point. That was the day that the World Health Organization declared COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, a global pandemic. That evening, President Donald Trump announced that US borders would be closed to most non-citizen travelers from the Schengen Area

SORRY, WE’RE CLOSED: Dressage fans were saddened when the 2020 FEI World Cup Finals became an early casualty of the COVID-19 outbreak, dashing their hopes of seeing reigning champions Isabell Werth and Weihegold OLD of Germany (pictured at Omaha 2017) go head to head in Las Vegas with Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin and Mount St. John Freestyle, among others

of Europe—most of the Continent, exclusive of the United Kingdom—for 30 days beginning March 13. On March 14, the UK joined the travel-ban list, along with other countries already under travel restrictions. It was plain to most dressage and jumping enthusiasts that the travel bans spelled the death of the 2020 FEI World Cup Dressage and Jumping Finals in Las Vegas, which were set to kick off with horse inspections April 14. The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) soon drew the same conclusion, and on March 13 it announced the Finals’ cancellation for the first time in the event’s history. Superstitious types who consider

Friday the 13th to be unlucky had only to point to March 13 to support their belief, as the dominoes continued to topple. The USDF, which was set to hold its spring Executive Board meeting in Las Vegas to coincide with the Finals, pulled the plug on that plan. The US Equestrian Federation issued a news release that all USEF-owned events (selection trials, camps, clinics, and so on) would be suspended for 30 days beginning March 16. The USEF further “strongly recommended” that all USEF-licensed competitions across the country be suspended for 30 days and that no equestrians compete during that time frame. Later that same day, Equestrian Sport Productions announced the cancellation of the final two weeks of the hunter/jumper Winter Equestrian Festival and the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida. And on the heels of that news came another “strong recommendation,” this time from the FEI, that organizers cancel all FEI events scheduled for the next four weeks. As US government agencies and state and local governments took action to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, horse shows were among the many activities, institutions, and businesses being affected. State governors began barring large gatherings (which of course include large horse shows) at the recommendation of the US Centers for Disease Control. As this issue went to press, the Del Mar (California) National Horse Show and the 2020 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, both scheduled for April 23-26, were among the highprofile cancellations. By the time you read this, other competitions and equine-related activities certainly will have been canceled or postponed. To its urging that show organizers and competitors call off their plans for 30 days, the USEF added not a carrot

12 May/June 2020 | USDF CONNECTION

but a stick: For any USEF-licensed shows that go on as planned during the shutdown time frame, results will not count toward any USEF awards, rankings, team selections, or qualifications. The USDF followed suit, on March 18 announcing that show-results processing would cease until April 15—meaning that scores earned during that time frame will not apply toward any USDF championships or awards programs, and will not be recorded as part of a horse’s or rider’s official record with USDF. The moratorium applies to scores earned at unrecognized (schooling) shows toward USDF Regional Schooling Show Awards, as well. In addition, USDF announced the cancellation of USDF-organized and -hosted educational events through the weekend of May 22-24, with the intention of rescheduling those events in the future. The largest competitions to be felled by coronavirus concerns are the 2020 summer Olympics and Paralympics. Although as recently as March 14 Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated that the Tokyo Games were still a go, calls for their cancellation or postponement escalated rapidly after that date as the number of diagnosed cases rose worldwide and lockdowns increased. On March 24 the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee issued a joint statement that the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games “must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games, and the international community.” The rescheduled Olympics will be held July 23-August 8, 2021, with the Paralympics to follow August 24-September 5, organizers announced on March 30. They will retain the “Tokyo 2020” moniker. —Jennifer Bryant

JENNIFER BRYANT

Coronavirus Halts Most Springtime Equestrian Sport World Cup Finals canceled; Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics postponed

PARA-EQUESTRIAN USPEA’s Hope Hand Receives Pegasus Medal of Honor For her efforts in advancing para-equestrian sport in the US, Paralympian and United States ParaEquestrian Association (USPEA) president and executive director Hope Hand received US Equestrian’s Pegasus Medal of Honor during the organization’s 2020 Annual Meeting in January. The Pegasus Medal of Honor recognizes individuals who have exhibited outstanding service to horses and equestrian sport. Hand, of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, was an alternate for the 1996 US Paralympic dressage team. She was a member of the bronze-medal-winning 1999 US World Championships paradressage team and of the 2000 US Paralympic dressage team. She

DEDICATED: 2020 USEF Pegasus Medal of Honor recipient Hope Hand (front)

MEET THE INSTRUCTOR

went on to serve on numerous national and international paraequestrian committees and boards, from the USDF to the FEI. She has been a driving force behind the growth of the sport in the US. During her 25 years of involvement, para-equestrian has become a US Equestrian discipline, with the USPEA designated the official affiliate organization; para-dressage joined the FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) program; sponsorships and funding for horses, training, and competition have increased; successful coaches have been hired; and—in one of Hand’s proudest moments to date—US para-dressage athletes won four medals at the 2018 WEG in North Carolina.

THE NEAR SIDE

ADAM BRENNAN/PICTURES BY AB.COM; COURTESY OF ASHLEY MINÈA

Ashley Minèa, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Ashley Minèa is a USDF bronze medalist and a USDF-certified instructor through Second Level. She holds a degree in equine science from William Woods University in Missouri. How I got started in dressage: I grew up riding saddle seat and showing Arabians and Saddlebreds. During college, I ALWAYS LEARNING: Minèa quickly realized that my and friend true passion was dressage. Since that time, I have been dedicated to learning as much as I can. I wanted to become certified because: I believe that continuing education is crucial to becoming a great trainer, so deciding to go through the Instructor Certification Program was the obvious decision for me. My horse: I am currently showing Prix St. Georges with my 2012 Hanoverian gelding, Lorenzo. We hope to compete at Grand Prix in the future. Contact me: amdressage@yahoo.com or (717) 743-5838. —Alexandria Belton USDF CONNECTION | May/June 2020

Collection GOVERNANCE Themed “Focus on the Future,” the 2020 US Equestrian Annual Meeting, January 7-11 in West Palm Beach, Florida, emphasized how the strategic plan US Equestrian president Murray Kessler launched in 2017 is paying off. US Equestrian is growing membership, boosting sponsorships, and building for the future with new initia-

A GOOD YEAR: US Equestrian president Murray Kessler reviews 2019’s progress at the organization’s annual meeting

tives and operational efficiencies, Kessler said. Membership in 2017 was “stagnant,” Kessler said at the General Session. “It was a slightly declining membership of 80,000 that was stuck there for more than a decade, and we were being criticized. It was viewed that USEF was just a place to get a license to be able to compete and served no other purpose and had no other benefits. It was a pretty tough place to be.” He, US Equestrian CEO Bill Moroney, and senior staffers vowed to change that, “and we put forth the vision to bring the joy of horse sports to as many people as possible.” So far, said Kessler and Moroney, their vision is producing results. Member numbers currently exceed 187,000 total members and 100,000 fan members. US Equestrian gained more than 45,000 new members in 2019, with an increased number of former members renewing their membership at some level. Participation in USEF-licensed competitions is also up, they said. In 2019, 81,000 horses took part in more than 2,300 events nationwide, with more than 14,000 members competing for the first time. Part of the organization’s turnaround is thanks to online video content and social-media engagement, Kessler and Moroney said. The US Equestrian Learning Center houses online educational videos. US

14 May/June 2020 | USDF CONNECTION

Equestrian’s social-media platforms have more than 800,000 followers. And the USEF Network, with livestreamed and archived footage of competitions and clinics as well as original videos, got more than 1.3 million total plays in 2019, they said. To increase efficiencies and savings, US Equestrian made two key moves in 2019. The organization built a new headquarters at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington that will result in a savings of more than $200,000 annually, officials said. It also outsourced drug testing to the University of Kentucky laboratory. Safe Sport status report. Moroney reaffirmed US Equestrian’s commitment to Safe Sport and the implementation of the federally mandated Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention (MAAP) policies. US Equestrian received a SafeSport audit score of 100% in review of its compliance with its policies and procedures, he said. US Equestrian has unveiled improved Safe Sport navigation and webpages redesigned for each target audience: trainer, rider, parent, affiliate, licensed official, and competition organizer. Each page leads with educational videos, key information, and easy-to-navigate icons. The new website content and a targeted socialmedia campaign also will address common Safe Sport misconceptions, and US Equestrian plans town-hall meetings to discuss member questions. Expanded member benefits. US Equestrian fan and competing members now can get health and liability insurance. Group discounted medical plans for businesses with two or more employees also are available, as is a free mental-health aid for members. The insurance program for members will continue to grow in 2020, officials said. At a spring 2020 “future of sport” assembly, US Equestrian planned to address a range of critical topics that affect equestrian sport’s future, Moroney said. “To be truly successful as a sport,” he said, “it takes coming together and working together to find the commonalities that are going to bring our sport to a new level to create more awareness to make it more popular to bring more people to us.” —Ashley Swift

Online Extra View video from the 2020 US Equestrian Annual Meeting, including the General Session, interactive panel discussions, and coverage of the Pegasus Awards dinner and the Horse of the Year Gala.

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Collection USDF BULLETINS GMO Members: Are You Eligible for a Refund?

If you are a member of a USDF group-member organization (GMO), you may request a refund of the USDF portion of the membership fee for any additional GMOs you join (limit three), less a small processing fee. Requests must be submitted in writing between April 1 and August 1 of the current membership year using the Multiple GMO Dues Refund Request form, which is available on the USDF website. For voting purposes, a primary GMO must be declared. Send e-mail to gmo@usdf.org with any questions.

Is Your Horse Declared for the All-Breeds Awards Program?

Declaring a horse for the 2020 USDF All-Breeds Awards is easy! Simply submit a copy of your horse’s breed/performance-registry papers along with a completed All-Breeds Awards Declaration Form with fee to USDF no later than August 1. Find the declaration form on the USDF website under Awards.

Duplicate and Replacement Awards Available

USDF offers duplicate and replacement All-Breeds medals, rider medals, and rider and horse performance certificates for a nominal fee. Call USDF for assistance.

Applying for USDF Rider Medals Is Simple

After all award requirements are met for the bronze, silver, or gold medals or freestyle bars, complete the easy online USDF Rider Performance Awards Application under Awards. Applications must be received by September 30 for the award to be recognized in the 2020 competition year.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Job title: Owner of highperformance US dressage horses including Salvino (ridden by Adrienne Lyle) and Handsome (ridden by Jennifer Baumert). Also owner of Havensafe Farm, Wellington, Florida; and Middlefield, Ohio. What I do: Horse owners come in as many different varieties as horses. Some, like me, are much more involved in the daily goings-on. Some owners of high-performance horses don’t even live in the same cities or states as their horses. How I got started: When I was young, I rode at a camp where one of the instructors was trained in dressage. When I got older, I had to work. In 1984, I started a business of my own, and in the mid-1990s I got to the

SPONSORING THE DREAM: Juliano (back to camera) with one of her high-performance string, the medal-winning 2019 US Pan American Games team horse Handsome, and rider Jennifer Baumert

16 May/June 2020 | USDF CONNECTION

point where I could start riding again. Best thing about my job: Watching the process. Worst thing about my job: The risk of injury, after you put your heart and soul into a horse. My horses: Fourteen horses total. I did train very heavily, and I’ve competed as an amateur. Now I’m riding more for pleasure, and concentrating on business. Tip: Before entering into a relationship where you have somebody riding for you, it’s critical to establish expectations—even down to minute details, like who keeps the ribbons—and to establish times for reevaluation. Then you will have much less chance for conflict or misunderstanding. —Katherine Walcott

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Collection FINANCIAL AID The Dressage Foundation Announces Grant Recipients, New Fund

BIG PLANS: Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize recipients Lehua Custer and F.J. Ramzes

Custer, a USDF-certified instructor/trainer and a USDF L program graduate with distinction who worked as Olympian Hilda Gurney’s assistant trainer for 10 years, called the prize “a game changer” that will enable her and Sasser to continue the rider’s and horse’s training with US national dressage technical advisor Debbie McDonald. “This grant is truly life-changing for us,” said Custer, “as we don’t have a large budget for our journey.” TDF supports the continuing education of US dressage instructors through its Major Anders Lindgren Grant program, named in memory of the late US dressage-team coach and funded through the Carol Lavell Gifted Memorial Fund. In December

Para-Dressage Emerging Athlete list, will train with Susanne Hamilton and plans to attend USEF/USPEA clinics. New grant for dressage pros. The well-known FEI-level trainer and competitor Jessica Jo “JJ” Tate and her family have established the Team Tate Mentorship and Leadership Grant Fund, TDF announced in February. LINDGREN GRANT RECIPIENT: Dressage instructor Cindi Wylie on Edelrubin

2019, TDF awarded Lindgren Grants to three instructors: Fourth Level USDF-certified instructor Cindi Wylie of Massachusetts, who plans to train with George Williams; Second Level USDF-certified instructor Meaghan Byrne of Virginia, who will work with Tami Batts and Anne Margaret Meyers; and fellow Virginian Lauren Sprieser, who will train with Olympian Michael Poulin. Meghan Benge of South Carolina and Erika Wager of New York each received a grant from TDF’s Para-Equestrian Dressage Fund. Benge, the 2008 Para Driving World Championships gold medalist, has been named to the US Equestrian Para-Dressage Development Athlete list. She will use the funds to train and compete in Wellington with Melissa Vaughn. Wager, who has been named to the US Equestrian

FROM DRIVING TO DRESSAGE: The multitalented para-equestrian Meghan Benge

18 May/June 2020 | USDF CONNECTION

PAYING IT FORWARD: FEI-level competitor JJ Tate with her own mentor, the modern dressage master Charles de Kunffy

“I have been very fortunate to have a strong, supportive network of trainers, family, and clients who have helped me develop as a trainer and as a person,” Tate said. “I believe that being successful in our sport requires a lot more than just good riding…. We hope this grant will help people further not only their depth of relationships with their mentors, but also to further their education, whether that be through personal development and growth or better business skills.” The goal of the new fund is to provide one annual grant of up to $5,000 for a dressage professional aged 25 and over to receive business, leadership, or personal coaching education and/or to work with a dressage mentor to improve equestrian skills.

GINA FALCONE/COURTESY OF THE DRESSAGE FOUNDATION; COURTESY OF CINDI WYLIE; NICOLE MCNALLY; RBM PHOTOGRAPHY

California-based Lehua Custer and the 2010 KWPN gelding F.J. Ramzes (Juventus x Rampal), owned by Wendy Sasser, will receive the $25,000 Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize for 2020, The Dressage Foundation (TDF) announced in February. Established by the 1992 US Olympic team bronze medalist, the prize supports the advancement of US high-performance horse/rider combinations.

USDF DRESSAGE SEAT MEDAL SEMI-FINALS POSITION YOURSELF FOR SUCCESS For information on qualifying and locations, visit

www.usdf.org For rider divisions 13 and under, and 14 to 18.

Photo by Emma Miller

YOUR CONNECTION TO DRESSAGE EDUCATION • COMPETITION • ACHIEVEMENT

The Judge’s Box Anticipation: Not Always Your Best Friend The horse that anticipates movements thinks he’s doing what you want, but his overeager responses will cost you points in your dressage test. Here are strategies for teaching him to wait for your aids.

orses learn by repetition, so practicing movements where they occur in the tests is not a good idea. Judges reward horses that wait for the rider’s aids; “volunteered” movements don’t usually gain many points! In this article, I will list the most commonly anticipated movements, and I’ll give you a few exercises to help train the movements without letting your horse know exactly where they will occur.

be used to half-halting in the vicinity of X but will still “think forward,” so the halt at X will be more successful when you ride it in the test. Rein back. Again, don’t practice the rein back where it’s called for in the test. And don’t always ask for the designated number of steps. As with the halt, you want your horse to think forward in the rein back. The best plan is to halt a few times to make sure that you can settle the halt. (Keep in mind that the rule re-

DON’T HALT AT X: Horses quickly learn to anticipate the entry halt in the dressage tests, so practice your halts elsewhere, advises FEI 5* dressage judge Janet Foy

Halts. X is deadly! Every test starts at with a halt at X. Don’t practice your halts at this letter. My suggestion is to ride a few half-halts as you approach X without actually halting. Continue riding forward. Turn left or right at C, and then halt on the next quarter line or along the rail. If you practice riding down center line in this way, your horse will

quiring three seconds of immobility applies only to halts on the center line, not to the halt before a rein back.) Rein back a few steps and then move forward into trot. Keep your horse thinking forward, always. A horse that runs backward will not be rewarded. The rider must apply the aids, and the horse should answer. To count the steps of rein back

20 May/June 2020 | USDF CONNECTION

correctly, count the number of steps that the hind legs take. Change of lead through the trot. Horses quickly learn to do this on their own! To prevent anticipation, canter across the diagonal to X and then begin a 10-meter circle. Ask your horse to trot while on the circle; when you return to X, immediately ride a second 10-meter circle, still trotting. Pick up the new canter lead when you reach X and continue on the diagonal. This exercise prevents the horse from thinking about quickly moving to the next lead, as he is expecting the 10-meter circles. Out of every 10 or so times you canter on the diagonal, ride a change of lead through the trot once. The rest of the time, ride the circle exercise. Lateral work, such as leg-yield or half-pass. Leg-yields are not as difficult in the beginning, but horses tend to “fall” sideways once you start the movement. To keep your horse honest to your aids, ride “stair step” leg-yields: sideways, forward, sideways, forward. If in half-pass your horse starts going sideways on his own, don’t do it! Practice the preparation a few times with the bend and the halfhalt, but don’t go sideways until he waits for your aid. Canter or trot lengthenings, mediums, or extensions. If your horse gets strong at the beginning or the end of the line, ride a 10-meter circle in the first or last corner to help balance and collect him. Except for in the tests, I never think it is a good idea to blast across the entire line. A horse has only so many good extensions in his body, so why waste them? Instead,

JENNIFER BRYANT

By Janet Foy

practice the transitions, which will also increase his balance and strength. Example: Ride a 10-meter circle in the first corner. Ride the lengthening, medium, or extension from the corner letter to X. At X, momentarily recollect and rebalance your horse; then go forward again to the next corner and use a second 10-meter circle to teach him to come back to you. This exercise also helps instill in the rider the importance of the downward transition at the end of the movement—an element that is frequently ignored in the show ring. Flying changes. The transition to Third Level is usually such a difficult one because horses get so excited about changes. The good news is that eventually they get bored with the whole idea and start to wait for the rider’s aids. In the meantime, never do a change where it is placed in the test. Sometimes in Third Level it is worthwhile to do a couple of simple changes in those locations. Don’t ride a change directly after a halfpass, either, as doing so will ruin the half-pass. Again, wait until the horse is bored with the changes; then you will have control. To avoid the anticipation pitfall, riders and trainers need to be creative. Above all, never punish a horse for anticipating a movement; if you do, you’ll only make him more tense and the movement more difficult.

Janet Foy, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is an FEI 5* dressage judge with numerous other judging credentials to her name. She is a member of the USDF Judges and L Program Committees, and she is a faculty member of the L program. She is the author of Dressage for the Not-So-Perfect Horse. USDF CONNECTION | May/June 2020

Salute The Dressage Expansionist USDF’s 2019 Youth Volunteer of the Year has big plans— for her career, for her riding, and for the sport of dressage By Colleen Scott

COMMITTED: 2019 USDF Youth Volunteer of the Year Ruby Tevis and friend

“I fell in love with dressage,” Tevis says: “all of the structure, the challenges. I loved trying to learn how to do things like leg-yields and other movements. Learning how to communicate with a horse such that it could understand what you were asking for was fascinating to me.” Since then, Tevis has immersed

herself in the world of dressage, both in the saddle and out. She’s become a tireless volunteer and advocate for youth in the sport, and her efforts resulted in her standing on stage at last year’s Adequan®/USDF Salute Gala & Annual Awards Banquet to receive the prestigious national trophy.

sage Festival of Champions. The $5,000 Young Rider Development Grant that she received from her USDF group-member organization (GMO), the Kentucky Dressage Association (KDA), will help her pursue that goal.

Will Work for Rides

Remembering her own unfamiliarity with dressage, Tevis was inspired to help educate and connect other young enthusiasts. She joined the KDA board as its junior/young-rider representative in 2018 with a goal of helping the GMO to augment its existing youth-focused offerings, which included development grants and a college scholarship. “I made it my goal to expand on these programs by forming the KDA Youth Club,” says Tevis. Open to all KDA Jr/YR members, the KDA Youth Club is intended “to bring affordable and accessible dressage education to KDA youth members” while offering a fun, social community, she says. “It started as a pizza party with a $200 budget,” Tevis says, “and now the board has approved a $1,000 budget for 2020.” Tevis also serves as co-editor of the KDA member newsletter Impulsion, which features a regular “Youth Salute” column. “Ruby has taken the bull by the horns in her job as young-rider representative on the board,” says KDA president Bill Kraatz. “She has greatly expanded the reach and activity of our youth membership and is even working right now on a clinic/ symposium featuring an Olympic and World Equestrian Games veteran, geared first to our young riders.”

“As a teenager, I really couldn’t afford to have my own horses,” Tevis says. “I had to knock on a lot of doors and look for opportunities to exchange barn chores or grooming for riding other people’s horses.” After riding “Remy” for a year, Tevis spent the next three and a half years trading work for saddle time on various dressage horses. She currently works for dressage pro Linda Strine, who trains out of Fairview Farm in Nicholasville, Kentucky. In November 2018, Tevis began leasing a Grand Prix-level schoolmaster, the Friesian gelding Beerend W, owned by Paul and Vickie Short. At 20 years young, “Bear” still had a lot to offer and gave Tevis the opportunity to learn. “It was perfect timing,” Tevis says of the lease opportunity. “He was finishing the Grand Prix with Linda but wasn’t ready to retire, and I just happened to be looking for a horse to explore the upper levels with. His owners generously offered to lease him to me, and I am very grateful for their support.” The 2019 competition season was a milestone for Tevis, who with Bear not only competed at the FEI Young Rider level but also earned her USDF silver medal. This year, she hopes to qualify for the Adequan®/FEI North American Youth Championships or the US Dres-

22 May/June 2020 | USDF CONNECTION

A Force for Change

EMILY MELCHER

ineteen-year-old Ruby Tevis was honored as the 2019 USDF Youth Volunteer of the Year. It was quite a turnabout for someone who never intended to pursue dressage. A casual rider in early childhood, Tevis began regular saddle-seat lessons at the age of 11 in her hometown of Lexington, Kentucky. But in 2014, Maggie Taylor offered her a partial lease of Rembrandt, her Arabian gelding and a lower-level dressage schoolmaster. Tevis got hooked on the sport and has never looked back.

Before Tevis received the USDF Youth Volunteer of the Year award, KDA recognized her contributions, presenting her in 2018 and 2019 with the KDA Merry Sunrise Award, given to the youth member who has most significantly contributed to the organization through volunteerism. “It is important to note the hard work of thousands of volunteers that make our sport possible,” Tevis said after she received the USDF honor. “I encourage every GMO to expand on their youth programs and invite what will be the next generation of riders, trainers, judges, breeders, and volunteers to participate.”

Laying the Groundwork

on Midway’s equestrian team, to ride apart from the collegiate program, to volunteer, and to work for Strine. She hasn’t yet decided on a career, but Tevis is confident of one thing: Her future will include dressage, either as a professional or as an adult amateur. Through her interests in marketing and media, she’s become intrigued with those aspects

of the equine industry, which led her to join the US equine-media professional organization, American Horse Publications (AHP), as a student member. Last year the high-achieving Tevis was a finalist in the annual AHP Student Award Contest, and she’s a finalist again for 2020, with the winner to be announced at the AHP Equine Media Conference in late May. [

JENNIFER BRYANT

Like many young equestrians, Tevis juggles schoolwork with riding. A rising junior at Midway University in Midway, Kentucky, she is pursuing a marketing degree with a minor in sports management. In addition to carrying a full course load, she somehow finds the time to compete

ON THE NATIONAL STAGE: Tevis (second from left) receives the 2019 USDF Youth Volunteer of the Year award from USDF Youth Programs Committee chair Roz Kinstler, 2018 USDF Youth Volunteer of the Year Emma Kane, and USDF FEI Junior/Young Rider Committee chair Roberta Williams

USDF CONNECTION | May/June 2020

Salute Tevis’s involvement with AHP (plus her Kentucky location) have helped to open some doors in the industry. She has volunteered in the media room at the US Dressage Finals at the Kentucky Horse Park, allowing her to combine her dressage passion with her love of journalism and photography. She’s also contributed articles and photos to the English equestrian-lifestyle magazine Sidelines. “It has been an amazing experience writing for Sidelines,” Tevis says. “I have been able to reach out to some of the biggest names in the industry and hear, then tell their stories. I draw inspiration from their journeys and apply it to mine.”

Big Dreams No matter what Tevis does in the future, it’s likely she will continue making her mark in the dressage community. And if she has her way, it will be a big mark. For instance, she’s contemplating the possibility of

expanding on what she has done at the KDA, on a much larger scale. “I would be interested in starting a nonprofit that would help make dressage more affordable and accessible,” she says. “I’m passionate about reaching out to people who want to participate but who don’t know where to start. Anyone can participate in dressage, but sometimes they just need a little help understanding how. I know from experience that anyone can do this. It just takes some perseverance and creativity.” Perseverance and creativity being qualities Tevis appears to have in spades, we’ll be eager to see how her career unfolds. For now, we salute her already impressive list of accomplishments.

Colleen Scott lives in Kansas City, Missouri, where she works in the marketing industry supporting an equine client. She competes with the half-Arabian mare Kiss a Girl LOA.

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American Connemara Pony Society American Dutch Harness Horse Association American Hackney Horse Society American Haflinger Registry American Hanoverian Society American Morgan Horse Association American Paint Horse Association American Quarter Horse Association American Rhineland Studbook American Saddlebred Registry American Shire Horse Association American Trakehner Association American Warmblood Registry American Warmblood Society and Sporthorse Registry Appaloosa Horse Club Arabian Horse Association Belgian Warmblood Breeding Association Canadian Horse Breeders Association Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association Cleveland Bay Horse Society of North America Clydesdale Breeders of the U.S.A. Curly Sporthorse International Draft Cross Breeders & Owners Association Fell Pony Society of North America Friesian Heritage Horse & Sporthorse International Friesian Horse Association of North America Friesian Horse Society Friesian Sport Horse Registry Friesian Sporthorse Association German Sport Horse Association Gypsy Horse Registry of America

Holsteiner Verband - North American Breeding District Hungarian Horse Association of America International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association International Drum Horse Association International Friesian Show Horse Association International Georgian Grande Horse Registry International Rescue Horse Registry International Sporthorse Registry/Oldenburg NA Irish Draught Horse Society of North America Knabstrupperforeningen for Danmark (KNN) KWPN of North America New Forest Pony Society of North America North American Danish Warmblood Association North American Shagya Arabian Society NorthAmerican Sportpony Registry Norwegian Fjord Horse Registry Oldenburg Horse Breeders Society/German Oldenburg Verband Performance Horse Registry Performance Shagya-Arabian Registry Pinto Horse Association of America Rheinland Pfalz-Saar International Swedish Warmblood Association of North America The Foundation for the Pure Spanish Horse *The Jockey Club Trakehner Association of North America United States Lipizzan Federation United States P.R.E. Association Welsh Pony & Cob Society of America Westfalen NA *Denotes a new Participating Organization for 2020.

Gypsy Vanner Horse Society

A complete listing of the AdequanÂŽ/USDF All-Breeds Awards Participating Organizations, program rules, and award standings are available on the USDF website at www.usdf.org. For questions e-mail allbreeds@usdf.org.

2020 All-Breeds Participating Organizations

These organizations, in partnership with USDF, promote and recognize a high standard of accomplishment within their breed, through their participation in the AdequanÂŽ/USDF All-Breeds Awards Program.

GMO Pay to Play A guide to fund-raising for GMOs By Penny Hawes

f you manage (or belong to) a USDF group-member organization (GMO), you know that the first law of sustaining the organization is that you need members. The second law is that to attract and sustain members, you need programs. And the third law is that, in order to be able to offer programs, you have to have funds.

Grant Funding from the USDF As part of its GMO Education Initiative, the USDF offers GMO Education Initiative grants to assist GMOs in creating and hosting four types of educational events: clinics/ symposia, ride-a-test clinics, camps, and unmounted events. A GMO or GMO chapter may apply for a grant

nization that was created in 1989 by the late USDF “founding father” Lowell Boomer. TDF has become an important source of financial support for individuals, GMOs, and the sport of dressage in the US as a whole. Among TDF’s many grant programs are 10 funds that aim to support educational events applicable to GMOs. They target everything from GMO events (the Violet Hopkins Fund) and freestyle, including the purchase of sound systems (the Dancing Horse Fund), to the hosting of USDF Instructor/Trainer Program events (the Maryal and Charlie Barnett Continuing Education for Dressage Instructors Fund) and even for education in the discipline of Western dressage (the Lynn Palm Western Dressage Fund) or in Centered Riding (the Sally Swift Fund for Centered Riding Clinics). To learn more and to apply for a grant, visit DressageFoundation.org.

PARTY FOR THE CAUSE: Successful benefit events help pad GMOs’ bottom lines. At one, revelers actually have their (donated) cakes and eat them, too!

With many clubs facing declining membership, there’s a fine line between managing expenses and offering enough quality programs to attract and retain members. So what’s a cash-strapped GMO to do? We sent out a call to GMOs across the country and got some great ideas, which we’ll share with you in this article. But before we delve into the list, let’s first take a look at the lowesthanging fruit: money that’s available to your GMO in the form of grants.

of up to $1,000 to host an approved event. To be eligible, the event must meet established criteria, including presenter credentials, insurance coverage, and liability waivers. Find specifics, FAQ, and the application form at usdf.org/education/ gmoei.asp.

Grant Funding from The Dressage Foundation The Dressage Foundation (TDF) is a donation-funded charitable orga-

26 May/June 2020 | USDF CONNECTION

Grants don’t cover everything, of course, and so many clubs engage in their own fund-raising efforts. Here’s where we get to the great ideas we mentioned earlier. The GMO representatives we interviewed say they’ve had good luck with auctions, both online and silent auctions held at events. The Maryland Dressage Association’s (MDA) auction is a popular annual event, according to MDA president Adele Cohn. “This year,” says Cohn, “we auctioned off two $500 beauty/Botox packages, an $800 Preakness package, saddle pads, lessons, and jewelry. One of our members who owns a liquor store donates a $150 wine package. We also had an interior-design pack-

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Who Will Give Me $100?

age!” The MDA netted close to $1,000 from auction proceeds last year, with the monies going to fund scholarships, she says. If you’ve ever attended the Board of Governors assembly at an Adequan®/USDF Annual Convention, you’re familiar with the traditional GMO gift baskets, which are awarded as door prizes. The Louisville (Kentucky) Dressage Society (LDS) does a twist on the basket theme for its own silent auction. “We do a local barn-basket competition,” says LDS education chair Kristen Young. “We invite all the local barns, eventing farms included, to donate a basket to be auctioned off. Each barn usually comes up with a theme, such as date night, winter survival, horse-show-ready, and so on.” The barn whose basket sells for the highest amount of money is declared the winner. Last year, the Eastern New York Dressage and Combined Training Association (ENYDCTA) learned

that it can literally have its cake and eat it, too. The cake fund-raiser, introduced as part of the competitors’ dinner at ENYDCTA’s recognized show, was “a huge hit,” says GMO president Krystal Wilt. “We had members bake or buy fancy cakes and had them on display at the dinner. We then placed an envelope on each table, and throughout the evening we encouraged everyone to place money into their envelopes to try to win the right to pick first from the cakes. At the end of the night, we counted the money in each of the envelopes, and the table with the highest amount got to pick the first cake, and so on. Everyone had a great time, and it was a fun and easy fund-raiser for the club.” Another popular and successful GMO fund-raising activity is the raffle. The Louisiana-based Southern Eventing and Dressage Association (SEDA) “invites barns, trainers, groups, and individuals to make a basket of goodies. We sell raffle tickets for

a dollar each. We’ve also done a 50/50 raffle, with the proceeds split between the club and the ticket buyers, which makes our members happy,” says SEDA president Nicole Miller.

Play for a Cause: Fund-Raising Events GMOs host a variety of events as fund-raisers. The MDA hosts 10 unrecognized (schooling) shows and one USEF-licensed/USDF-recognized show per year, and plans to add clinics to the mix, says Cohn, who reports that most of those shows turn a profit. Taking advantage of the area’s ample open space and rolling hunt country, the southeastern-Pennsylvania-based French Creek Equestrian Association (FCEA) hosts an annual Veterans Day paper chase (similar to a hunter pace), which is the club’s biggest fund-raiser, according to Fay Seltzer, the GMO’s president. The FCEA usually makes $2,000 to $3,000 on the event, depending on

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USDF CONNECTION | May/June 2020

GMO

FLYING AWAY: Costumed riders at the French Creek Equestrian Association’s annual paper chase, the GMO’s biggest fund-raiser. Red, white, and blue attire is encouraged for the Veterans Day event, and the club gives costume awards. Veterans ride free.

the weather, she says. Successful past events have included a 10K and a 5K benefit race, as well. The GMO Central Florida Dressage has capitalized on the public’s love of dressage to music to produce

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“a fabulous freestyle fund-raiser,” says CFD president Susan Croft. Solo riders, pas de deux, quadrilles, and drill teams entertained with musical exhibition rides. Tickets to the event cost $10, and riders paid entry fees to cover the cost of renting stalls and a covered arena, Croft says. CFD split the profits with a local therapeuticriding organization. The Central States Dressage and Eventing Association (CSDEA) puts on one or two community tack sales each year. “Vendors buy a seller number for $5,” says GMO president Kari Hill, “and then we take 15 percent. But credit-card fees, tags, supplies, and venue and rental costs all come out of our portion of the profits.” The Louisville Dressage Society holds a “paint and sip” event to benefit the club, says Young. LDS’s “amazing” fund-raising chair, Maggie Hassel, hires a local artist, who ahead of time makes “pre-tracings” of photos that members submit of their horses or other pets. The artist and the participants then gather at a member’s home, where each person uncorks their inner Da Vinci (with guidance from the artist) to create the petportrait painting. “The artist does it at a reduced rate,” says Young, “and we keep $15 per person for the club.”

28 May/June 2020 | USDF CONNECTION

Fund-raising events such as these may net modest profits, but the GMO representatives we talked with affirm that every little bit helps. What’s more, it can be easier to raise a series of smaller amounts than to try to stage one major benefit. Holding a variety of events also helps to broaden a GMO’s appeal to members. CSDEA membership “has continually been decreasing,” says Hill, “so we are working hard to find ways to offer more incentives to join. We have been trying to hold educational events that would benefit the majority of our members, not just riding clinics. We have held membership drives.” The tack sales, although popular, “are hard, as you also need volunteers to run them.” Along with raising funds, GMOs look for ways to trim costs in an effort to bring more to the bottom line. The CSDEA, for one, switched its year-end awards banquet from the traditional dinner to a luncheon, which was less expensive. To encourage banquet attendance, the GMO “reduced the number of tests needed throughout the season to qualify for awards so that it was more attainable for everyone, and thus more would attend the banquet,” Hill says. Chris Cashel, president of the Central Plains Dressage Society, agrees with the diversified approach. “We have used-tack sales. We rely on donations for special events. We ask people to round up on entries to shows. We use Amazon Smile to catch a little from our members’ purchases. We also have members who generate money from their company by volunteering through grant programs. Lots of little stuff that adds up.”

Penny Hawes is a freelance writer who lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, horses, dogs, and cats.

COURTESY OF FAY SELTZER

It All Adds Up

Clinic

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Nailing It! Riding with Success Through the Levels K

Based on USDF’s On the Levels videos. Part 4: Second Level. By Beth Baumert

he Second Level dressage tests really are tests! They are all tests, of course, but at Second Level the judge expects to see a clear and specific result of your previous work: that the seeds of collection that you planted at First Level have sprouted a bit to become “baby collection”—meaning that, although collection may come and go at Second Level, it is clearly present.

inclined to move “uphill”: When you look at the horse in profile, the energy goes through his topline on an uphill slope with a reaching attitude, instead of horizontal or downhill. The “uphillness” may come and go, but the inclination is there. He’s set up for success. The Dutch Olympian Tineke Bartels once observed that if she asks a rider for more collection, the work almost always gets worse. The

collection, she focuses on whatever prerequisites might be weak. Tineke’s lesson is a simple one: Look to the basics, and the horse will be “collectible.” Collection will “just happen.”

Examining the Definition of Collection Why do the hindquarters lower? Because the joints of the hindquarters bend. Why do the hindquarters engage (carry more weight)? Because your half-halts add weight to a hind leg when it is on the ground. How does the horse “narrow his base of support”? Your aids ask him to step with his inside hind leg exactly under your weight—under your seat— in shoulder-fore. That inside hind leg is naturally inclined to step outside of the center of gravity, and the outside hind leg is inclined to step out also;

The Purpose of Second Level

For the Second Level horse, moving with “an uphill tendency” (see “The Purpose of Second Level” at right) should be a probability, not just a possibility, because his body should be in a shape such that he’s naturally

reason, she said, is that riders who are consciously trying to collect their horses tend to try to collect from front to back. If all the prerequisites are in place, she said, “Collection just happens.” So instead of trying to achieve

30 May/June 2020 | USDF CONNECTION

SUSANJSTICKLE.COM

SECOND LEVEL DEVELOPMENT: 2019 US Dressage Finals Second Level Open Freestyle champions Ronin and trainer/rider/co-owner Martin Kuhn in medium trot, a movement that calls for “moderate lengthening of frame and stride with engagement, elasticity, suspension, straightness, and uphill balance”

o confirm that the horse demonstrates correct basics, and having achieved the thrust required in First Level, now accepts more weight on the hindquarters (collection); moves with an uphill tendency, especially in the medium gaits; and is reliably on the bit. A greater degree of straightness, bending, suppleness, throughness, balance, and self-carriage is required than at First Level.

FIRST-DEGREE COLLECTION: The 2019 US Dressage Finals Training Level Open champion Jameson SW, owned by Kathryn FlemingKuhn and ridden by Martin Kuhn, is clearly in a horizontal balance. All four legs are carrying approximately an equal amount of weight.

but your horse learns to respond to aids that ask his hind legs to narrow their path of travel. Review the information on half-halts (“Clinic,” January/February) and shoulder-fore (“Clinic,” March/April). As a result of the lowering and engaging of the hindquarters when the horse is stepping directly under his weight, his front end lightens and he is therefore more maneuverable. You don’t ask for those qualities directly; they happen when you enable the hindquarters to carry more weight. Tineke Bartels meant that the increased elevation must be the result of and relative to the lowering of the hindquarters. The shorter, more cadenced, and powerful strides mentioned in the USDF glossary definition

SUSANJSTICKLE.COM; JENNIFER BRYANT

The USDF Glossary Definition of Collection

ollection (balance and lightness of the forehand from increased engagement): The horse shows collection when he lowers and engages his hindquarters, shortening and narrowing his base of support, resulting in lightness and mobility of the forehand. He shows shorter, but powerful, cadenced steps and strides. The increased elevation must be the result of and relative to the lowering of the hindquarters.

SECOND-DEGREE COLLECTION: The horse now has sufficient balance and strength to show an “uphill” tendency and to execute the movements with ease. Adam Steffens rides Boston Strong, owned by Christina Vinios, at the 2020 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival Gold Coast Opener. Notice how open the frame is in front. Boston Strong is very confirmed in this degree of collection.

are also a result of those same prerequisites. Half-halts, transitions, and shoulder-fore are the keys to finding that balance.

What’s “the Right Balance”? The concept of collection at Second Level is exactly the same as the concept of collection at Grand Prix. The significant difference between the two is a matter of degree. “First-degree collection” (photo 1) is that of a four- or five-year-old horse that is able to do Training and First Level. In first-degree collection, the horse is in approximately a horizontal balance and, as a result, can perform the movements of those tests easily. “Second-degree collection” (photo 2) is the amount of collection that is introduced at Second Level, which requires “collected trot” and “collected canter.” The horse’s back may not be strong enough for him to carry this frame 100% of the time, but his balance is developed enough that the Second Level movements are easy. The horse in “third-degree collection” (photo 3) carries at least 55% of his weight behind and a maximum of 45% in front. As a result, he carries himself in an uphill frame, and he is highly maneuverable. What is the correct balance for your horse? At any level, if the move-

THIRD-DEGREE COLLECTION: The upperlevel dressage horse should carry at least 55% of his weight behind. Betsy Juliano’s Salvino, shown at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games with rider Adrienne Lyle, looks light, bouncy, and very maneuverable.

ments are easy, then you have the right amount of collection for that level. Don’t be discouraged if you “lose it”; everyone does. Just think about why you lost it. What basic ingredient is your horse missing? That’s what you’ll need to fix.

Developing and Improving Collection There are certain skills and movements that directly produce and improve collection. Notice that they are all in the Second Level tests! Half-halts. Because half-halts add weight to whichever hind leg is on the ground, collection is directly improved during that brief moment. The hind legs bend slightly and the quarters lower as a result. Transitions that skip a gait (trothalt-trot and walk-canter-walk). In

IN THE NEXT ISSUE • Special horse-health issue • Hoof care for dressage performance • Stereotypies and the dressage horse • Safe Sport: What you need to know

USDF CONNECTION | May/June 2020

Clinic

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A Look at the Second Level Tests The new movements in these tests include: Shoulder-in. This movement (see photo above) is known as the “mother exercise of dressage” because it is the first time in the training that actual collection is required, and Test 1 is the

32 May/June 2020 | USDF CONNECTION

THE MOTHER EXERCISE: Shoulder-in is fundamental in dressage because it’s the first movement in a horse’s training that requires actual collection. Megan Fischer-Graham rides Elian, owned by Amanda Stapleton, at the 2020 Adequan®/USDF FEI-Level Trainers Conference.

first time it is required in competition. It’s judged with a coefficient of 2, indicating its importance. The “directive ideas” from which the movement is judged read: “angle (30 degrees and 3 tracks), bend and balance; engagement and quality of trot.” In shoulderin, your horse’s gaits should improve or at least maintain their quality. If the trot gets short and choppy, it means that the horse has lost the swing in his back. If that happens, straighten, ride a 10-meter circle, and try again. The quality of the gait is your barometer for assessing the quality of the work. Rein back also gets a coefficient of 2, and the directives for this movement are “immobility; willing steps back with correct rhythm (2-beat) and count (3-4 steps); straightness; clear transitions.” Transitions between collected and medium gaits. Although these transitions don’t have a double coefficient, they might as well have, because the transitions are judged separately from the gaits themselves. The upward transition should demonstrate only moderate thrust so that the horse can retain his engagement throughout, and so that a smooth downward transition can be ridden in a forward way—by shortening the stride from back to front until the ground cover-

JENNIFER BRYANT

UNIVERSITY

order for these transitions to work gracefully, your half-halts have to actually connect to your horse’s hind legs. The faster gait must be able to collect enough to go the same miles per hour as the slower gait. When they do, then the transition will be like butter. In Second Level, you’ll need to ride trot-halt-trot transitions twice on the center line. Test 1 includes walk-canter, and Tests 2 and 3 require the more difficult canterwalk-canter. These transitions set you up for flying changes. Lateral movements with bend. At Second Level, these include shoulder-in, travers (haunches-in), and turn on the haunches (the precursor to pirouettes in both walk and canter). These exercises require that the horse bend his joints and thus lower the hindquarters and increase engagement. They also improve the insideleg-to-outside-rein connection. Rein back. This movement directly creates engagement by bringing the hind legs under the horse’s center of gravity. Note that that engagement is achieved as well with one step as with four or five. The benefit comes in the subsequent upward transition—if the horse stays engaged instead of leaving his hind legs out behind him. Voltes. The 10-meter circles required at Second Level ask the horse to shorten his normal stride slightly. And if his body conforms to the circle line, his inside hind leg will bend more and carry a bit more weight. Tenmeter circles are required in all tests, and that 10-meter bend needs to be retained in all the lateral movements. That’s the prerequisite that gives your horse elegant lateral work with cadenced gaits!

age is reduced while maintaining the activity for collection. The directives for the medium trot read: “bend and balance in turns; moderate lengthening of frame and stride with engagement, elasticity, suspension, straightness, and uphill balance.” Note the attention that the judges pay to the preparatory corners! The directives for the transitions are “clear, balanced transitions; consistent tempo.” Ten-meter circles in canter are done from the center line and need to be framed between the two quarter lines. Walk-canter transitions are executed from a shortened stride of walk—always from a place the judge

x + y = z (For Those Who Are Mathematically Inclined) x = The amount of weight carried by the forehand y = The amount of weight carried by the hindquarters z = The weight of the horse • When x = y, the horse is in a state of horizontal balance: All four legs carry the same amount of weight. • When x (the weight carried by the forehand) is greater than y (the weight carried by the hindquarters), the horse is on the forehand. That’s not always wrong! After all, he was born that way, and if he’s undeveloped, he will begin his warmup that way. If you pay attention to the pyramid of training as you train your horse, his balance will gradually change. Remember not to try to change the balance directly. Change it indirectly. If you simply try to get him off his forehand, the result will be wrong. • When y (the weight carried by the hindquarters) is greater than x (the weight carried by the forehand), then the horse is in some degree of collection.

can see clearly! The directives are “clear, balanced transition; regularity and quality of gaits.” “Clear” means with no shuffly steps in between: from a clear four-beat walk directly to a clear three-beat canter. Canter-walk-canter transitions (simple changes) include the more difficult downward transition from canter to walk. The serpentine in Test 2 gets three scores: one for the serpentine itself (directives: regularity and quality of gaits; positioning;

geometry) and then separate scores for each of the simple changes (directives: clear, balanced, straight transitions; regularity and quality of gaits). Ideally, ride three to five walk steps over each center line in your serpentine, and pay attention to the equality of the bend (20-meter bend) left and right. Travers (haunches-in) is another double-coefficient movement. Travers is done essentially with the same aids as shoulder-in, so don’t contort yourself. Travers is more difficult for

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USDF CONNECTION | May/June 2020

Clinic your horse than shoulder-in because you are now asking him to travel in the direction of the bend, as he does in half-pass. He’ll need to figure out the mechanics of the movement; if he hasn’t yet, ride travers in walk sometimes. The directive ideas for travers are “angle (35 degrees and 4 tracks), bend, and balance; engagement and quality of trot.” Turn on the haunches is another movement in which the horse has to understand the concept of moving toward the direction of the bend. It’s OK if the hindquarters describe a 1-meter circle (smaller than that is a pirouette). Make sure that you can comply with the directives before reducing the

size of the circle: “quality of shortened walk strides; tempo and regularity; activity of the hind legs; bend and fluency in turn.”

Important but Not New at Second Level Although not new to the level, the medium and free walks also are judged with double coefficients because of their extreme importance. The directives read: “regularity and quality of the walks; reach and ground cover of free walk, allowing complete freedom to stretch the neck forward and downward; straightness; clear, balanced transitions.” Counter-canter also isn’t new

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In the next issue: Third Level.

ON THE LEVELS 7th Edition

DRESSAGE

34 May/June 2020 | USDF CONNECTION

L e v e l

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©2018 United States Dressage Federation (USDF) and United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited by law. Neither USDF nor USEF is responsible for any errors or omissions in the publication or for the use of its copyrighted material in an unauthorized manner.

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Filmed at Starr Vaughn Equestrian Center, CA, Valley View Farm, KY, and Meadowbrook Farm, Marlborough, CT. USDF and USEF would like to thank the demonstration riders and owners of the horses used, along with the support staff at each filming location. We would also like to thank the following contributors to this project: • FEI 5* Judge Janet Foy • FEI 4* Judges Lois Yukins, Mike Osinski, and William Warren • USEF ‘S’ and retired FEI 4* Judge Natalie Lamping • FEI 4* Judge and USDF Certified Instructor Sarah Geikie • USEF ‘R’ Judge and USDF Certified Instructor William McMullin • USDF FEI Level Certified Instructors Reese Koffler-Stanfield, Rachel Saavedra, and Volker Brommann • USDF Certified Instructor Heidi Chote

I n t r o d u c t o r y

his is your opportunity to view the dressage tests and learn what is new and what you, as a competitor, need to know! With narrations by international dressage riders, trainers, coaches, and judges, riders will demonstrate proper execution and some common faults in the riding of the latest tests, effective through November 30, 2022.

2019 US Dressage Tests

vailable on DVD or as streaming video from the T On the 2019 US Dressage Tests USDF store (store.usdf.org), the USDF Levels series demonstrates the riding of every curON THE rent (2019) dressage test from Introductory through Fourth LEVELS Levels, along with comments from respected judges. Michael Osinski (FEI 4*) is the judge for all the Second Level tests in On the Levels. When you watch the videos, you’ll see that Mike’s comments often address the basics, such as his frequent mentions of alignment. The rider’s alignment is of critical importance—that you sit equally left and right (laterally) and that you are neither in front of nor behind the horse’s motion (longitudinally). Alignment of the horse is equally critical. If your horse is not aligned and straight, he can’t collect. It’s that simple. Align him so that he doesn’t get in a spinal traffic jam when he tries to collect. Alignment enables throughness. Osinski notes that if there’s tension in the rider’s hand, there will be tension in the horse’s neck (and back), which prevents swing. He speaks of swing in the back, lift and lightness of the shoulders, reach, engagement, and expression. Great stuff! FEI 4* dressage judge Sarah Geikie’s comments reflect a fun way to describe collection. She encourages “rounder, bouncier” strides. FEI 4* dressage judge Lois Yukins judges Second Level Test 3 from E in the video, and she mentions responsiveness to the aids, quality of the trot, and use of the corners in setting up the horse for medium trot. She also speaks of riding the inside the hind leg under (what we have called “narrowing” of the hind legs or shoulder-fore), and she encourages riders to use their eyes to ensure proper geometry. It’s always good for us to be reminded of the difference in viewpoint between the judges at C and at E. It’s sometimes dramatic and can easily account for what appears to be a discrepancy in scores. Differences in scores among judges on a panel don’t mean that the judges disagree. The scores just reflect a bigger, more truthful picture.

but, like the medium and free walks, is judged with a double coefficient. The judges are looking for “regularity, quality, and balance of the canter; straightness.” Ride counter-canter with the same amount of bend as true canter. Overbending, a common mistake, causes loss of every quality being judged. Ride super-straight, as if you were going to do a flying change: Keep your horse’s hind legs on the line of travel, and ride shoulder-fore in the direction of the lead. Second Level is often referred to as the “black hole” because there’s a lot for both horse and rider to understand and execute. It’s the point in dressage training where some get stuck. As you navigate your way through it, review the three ways to balance your horse: half-halts, transitions, and shoulderfore. When your horse is basically in balance, he will develop well.

Effective December 1, 2018 through November 30, 2022

Meet the Expert

eth Baumert is a USDFcertified instructor through

Fourth Level, a USDF L program graduate with distinction, and the author of When Two Spines Align: Dressage Dynamics. She currently serves as president of The Dressage Foundation. For many years she owned and operated Cloverlea Dressage in Columbia, Connecticut, and served as the technical editor of Dressage Today magazine. She divides her time between Connecticut and Florida.

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Exclusive Coverage: 2020 Adequan®/USDF FEI-Level Trainers Conference

Warming up in Welly World

If you don’t have a warm-up plan, you’re not setting your horse up for performance success STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY JENNIFER O. BRYANT

TEAM EFFORT: The 2020 Trainers Conference clinicians acted as a panel, sharing and exchanging ideas. Seated, from left: Clinicians Ashley Holzer, Lars Petersen, and Anne Gribbons look on while Gary Rockwell makes a point. Standing: Announcer Brian O’Connor confers with conference moderator Lilo Fore.

36 May/June 2020 | USDF CONNECTION

hat do you do when you first get on your horse? A lot of dressage riders don’t give the process much thought. They walk around for a few minutes, upshift into trot and canter, change directions a couple of times, and then get to work. If this description sounds like your typical warm-up, then you’re not benefiting from the critical first phase of your training sessions, according to the quartet of clinicians at the 2020 Adequan®/USDF FEI-Level Trainers Conference. With demonstration horses and riders ranging from lower-level to Grand Prix, the four international trainers and judges showed that formulating a warm-up strategy is as much a part of a successful ride as the “real work” (or the dressage test) itself.

A Looser, More Collaborative Approach The 2020 conference, held January 20-21 at Mary Anne McPhail’s High Meadow Farm in Loxahatchee, Florida, won accolades from audience members for the interplay among clinicians Anne Gribbons, Ashley Holzer, Lars Petersen, and Gary Rockwell. Like all dressage instructor/trainers, each has a slightly different approach, even if it’s just a unique way of putting things. Although only one clinician was generally in the arena at a time, the event was a true conference, with the other three presenters contributing ideas from the sidelines, swapping roles to let someone else try a different exercise, and occasionally even voicing slight disagreements as to where the training focus should be. With audience members being allowed to pose questions and comments more informally, as well, the Trainers Conference was less a demonstration and more a meeting of some of our sport’s top minds.

Issues in Warmup Lead to Issues in the Work The tag-team approach and the emphasis on the importance of a thoughtful warmup started right away, with the first demonstration pair on day one. Meagan Davis wanted clinician Ashley Holzer’s help in preventing her mount, the Oldenburg gelding Leopold of Shakespeare (by Landkoenig), from falling on his forehand in the flying changes. Holzer’s approach: Ensure that the horse is making clean, prompt walk-canter transitions; then ride shoulder-fore in the direction of the lead and, with the rider sitting a bit back, give the new inside rein and ask for the change. [

Acknowledgments

he USDF is grateful to the riders, horses, owners, and volunteers who contributed to the success of the 2020 Adequan®/USDF FEI-Level Trainers Conference.

JOB WELL DONE: Gifts and applause for the people who made the conference a success. From left: USDF executive director Stephan Hienzsch and Education Department manager Kathie Robertson; High Meadow Farm owner Mary Anne McPhail; clinicians Ashley Holzer, Anne Gribbons, Gary Rockwell, and Lars Petersen; announcer Brian O’Connor; moderator Lilo Fore.

Title sponsor: Adequan® Contributing sponsor: Gardy Bloemers, vice president and wealth-management advisor, Merrill Lynch US Equestrian Host: Mary Anne McPhail, High Meadow Farm And all the volunteers, including participants in the Dressage4Kids Winter Intensive Training Program. The demonstration riders and horses: Emma Asher, Greenwood Village, Colorado, and Elegance N, owned by Seeley Equestrian Ventures Hanna Benne, Satellite Beach, Florida, and Rigadoon RF, owned by Lori Minteer Meagan Davis, Stone Ridge, New York, and Leopold of Shakespeare, owned by Scott Durkin Emily Donaldson, Parkesburg, Pennsylvania, and her own Audi Megan Fischer-Graham, Reddick, Florida, and Elian, owned by Amanda Stapleton Michelle Gibson, Wellington, Florida, and Barland IM, owned by Emma Asher and the rider Kasey Perry-Glass, Orangevale, California, and Mistico TM, owned by Diane Perry Lauren Sprieser, Marshall, Virginia, and two mounts: Guernsey Elvis, owned by the Elvis Syndicate; and Helio, owned by Judy Sprieser.

USDF CONNECTION | May/June 2020

CHANGES THROUGH BASICS: Suppleness work and attention to simple changes produced improvement in Leopold of Shakespeare, ridden by Meagan Davis

Then it was Lars Petersen’s turn. He said he likes to begin change work by emphasizing the jump in the canter stride. With that established, he asked Davis to “think renvers so the horse accepts your inside leg; then give a little ‘pop’ with your outside leg to aid for the change.” To encourage better uphill balance, Petersen uses the imagery of holding the croup down and lifting the ears. “Go forward and back in the canter to build carrying power,” he said. “Come back by lifting the ears, not by pulling back.”

Next, Gary Rockwell focused not on the flying changes but on how the work was the product of the warmup. “The horse was too tight in the warmup,” Rockwell said, “and now you have problems in the changes. You need a better outline in the warmup.” Rockwell directed Davis to go back to basics, including walk-canter transitions. He would go on to stress the importance of correct work in the warmup with most of the demonstration riders, showing how the basics—circles, transitions, leg-yield,

38 May/June 2020 | USDF CONNECTION

shoulder-in—lay the foundation for everything that comes after. The horse may require a slow and patient warmup to prepare it properly, and the process can’t be rushed, he said. In both warmup and work, don’t try to “prepare” your horse for a transition, Rockwell said. He had Davis ride walk-canter transitions as preparation for flying changes. “Ride the best walk you can, and just ask. [The transition will either be] perfect or it failed. If it failed, walk, ride the best walk you can, and repeat. Many of your walk-canter transitions [ridden prior to the start of the flying-change work] were not clean,” he noted. He encouraged Davis to apply a strict pass/fail standard: “If you think maybe it wasn’t clean, then it wasn’t. Walk and do it again.” A rider must learn how each horse warms up best. “Some horses warm up slower than others,” Holzer told Hanna Benne on the 10-year-old Oldenburg mare Rigadoon RF (by Hohenstein). Holzer observed that Rigadoon’s warmup tempo was “overpaced”—too rushed to enable the mare to develop optimal looseness and swing. You wouldn’t get up off the couch and immediately break into a run, but that’s the equivalent of what we do to our horses if we ask for difficult exercises or exaggerated movements in the warm-up phase. Clinician Anne Gribbons took one rider to task for doing half-pass too early in the session. Instead, she advised, stick to simple, classic gymnastic exercises: circles, leg-yield, shoulder-in, transitions. “I see the craziest things at shows,” Rockwell said by way of agreement. “At one show, I saw the steepest legyield [in a warmup] you ever saw. Want to torque your horse’s hocks?” “Let’s look at an expert warmup,”

said Gribbons as Olympic and World Equestrian Games medalist Kasey Perry-Glass began her session with the thirteen-year-old Hanoverian gelding Mistico TM (by Donnerhall). Gribbons called the approach “a perfect warmup,” as Perry-Glass suppled her mount with long, shallow leg-yields, transitions and changes of direction, and shoulder-in work. The demonstration riders’ warmup work was itself a departure from the format of previous Trainers Conferences, at which—as is customary at clinics and symposia—riders entered the ring already warmed up. For the 2020 conference, the clinicians expressly requested that the riders start cold so they and the audience could view and evaluate the individual warmup processes. They noted afterward than doing so enabled them to identify problems with the warmup that led to issues in the work—issues whose origins they otherwise would not have understood and been able to address. Another rider who showed excellent command of the warmup was 1996 Olympic team bronze medalist Michelle Gibson, riding the nineyear-old Swedish Warmblood gelding Barland IM (by Briar). “The warmup has to make sense and be progressive,” said Rockwell. “All the top riders ride shoulder-in. Why? Because it’s impossible to get right!” he said with a laugh. Shoulder-in is the fundamental collecting exercise in dressage. Rockwell pointed out that “the bend and angle are the same with every horse, so it should be easy to recognize.” Even an advanced horse benefits from doing elementary exercises as part of the warmup. Megan FischerGraham’s mount, the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Elian (by Sir Oldenburg), has shown through

“AN EXPERT WARMUP”: Olympian Kasey Perry-Glass rides Mistico TM in leg-yield as clinician Anne Gribbons looks on

the FEI levels; but still Petersen had Fischer-Graham ride leg-yield in her warmup. He noted that Elian “is tending to come off the contact. He hovers a bit and is not truly on the bit.” So in the leg-yield, “Think ‘I need to go sideways but forward to the bit.’” “Have a plan for your warmup,” Holzer told the audience. “You have a general plan for the horse, but modify the warmup as needed after you get on. A great warmup is an art, a talent, and a continued learning experience. You need to feel for the suppleness, the balance, and the connection

between your seat and hands in both directions. Then you need to take the information gathered in the warmup and use that information as you move into the work.”

From the Experts’ Toolboxes: Exercises and Tips for Improvement With four world-renowned dressage professionals in one arena, there were bound to be plenty of great insights and strategies for improving

USDF CONNECTION | May/June 2020

IMPROVED CONTACT: Lars Petersen helps Megan Fischer-Graham achieve better connection with Elian

the demonstration horses and riders—and your own training and riding. Here are some of the standout takeaways. Increase the adjustability of the canter. The horse must learn to shorten and lengthen his strides in order to be successful at pirouettes and other work. Try the exercise Holzer had Fischer-Graham ride with Elian: Starting in collected canter on the left rein, ride down the long side F-M, aiming to vary the number of strides between each pair of letters. Ride regular collected canter F-P in approximately five strides. From P to B, aim for only four strides. Allow the horse to settle back into collected canter from B to R; then, from R to M, ultra-collect and try to fit in seven strides. (Adjust the target counts as needed to suit your horse’s stride length.) Repeat on the opposite rein.

Develop suppleness. “Riding straight too much can make a stiff horse,” Petersen told Emily Donaldson on Audi, a 14-year-old KWPN gelding by Sir Sinclair. “Bend; straighten; bend; straighten.” In the bending work, vary the lateral positioning: shoulder-in / renvers / travers. Encourage engagement of the outside hind leg. Holzer wanted the nine-year-old Lusitano gelding Helio (by Xa) to bring his hocks more under himself to move with spring—“like a jack-in-the-box, not a jackhammer.” First, in collected canter, she had rider Lauren Sprieser tap Helio’s quarters with the whip to encourage his hocks to come under. Then, Holzer explained, “You need to find the looseness in the gait; then more power; then looseness again.” The sequence went: “Push him forward first onto the snaffle; then rock him back while tapping the hindquarters to create power and jump.

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Plant your hands, and push him up to the hand with your hips instead of pulling back.” (Holzer noted later that this intensive sequence would not have been productive—and in fact could have had the opposite effect—had it not been for the correct warmup work Rockwell had done with the horse beforehand.) Develop a working pirouette— tactfully—in the horse that doesn’t like to be “packaged.” Some horses need a “window,” observed Gribbons: “At the Spanish Riding School, they open up the inside leg to turn.” When Elian backed off and stiffened, Gribbons counseled Fischer-Graham: “Don’t pull left and right. Hands down; leg on.” Next came the first exercise: one circle in counter-canter with slight counter-bend, followed by a smaller circle in true-lead canter with “a bit of pirouette feeling of sitting on the hind legs.”

COACHING FOR SUPPLENESS: Anne Gribbons works with Emily Donaldson on Audi

After Elian had completed the circle exercise successfully, Gribbons said, “Now we need to get a bit steadier into a tiny bit more contact. Here is the exercise I use when a horse has to be slowly talked into this”: From collected canter out of the corner, ride half-pass from the corner letter to the center line. Then ride shoulder-in on the center line for a few strides into a large halfpirouette. “Ease from one part to the other.” Rebalance the horse that “sits” too much in the pirouettes. Rigadoon RF is an overtrier, Holzer said—an “awesome horse” who can’t hold the super-squat he puts himself into and who therefore resorts to turning too quickly. “We have to teach him a way to come off his hind leg,” she said to rider Hanna Benne. “He actually needs to put his neck down a little and come forward to the bridle to

FROM LOOSENESS, POWER: Correctly created coiled energy resulted in an expressive flying change from Helio, ridden by Lauren Sprieser

USDF CONNECTION | May/June 2020

RETRAINING THE BODY: Ashley Holzer shows rider Hanna Benne the part of the neck that needs to lower in order to improve mount Rigadoon RF’s pirouettes (left), which became more balanced and less “stuck” (right)

get some weight off his hind legs. In the beginning, you might need to take him a little behind the vertical and—ready?—put his head down,” Holzer said, lowering her voice to a stage whisper, to appreciative laughter from the audience. Her point: In dressage training, occasionally the rider must deliberately, and with knowledgeable intent, put the horse in a posture that is not classically correct, as a momentary means to an end. And “the second he goes up [raises his head and neck], I would get out of it [the pirouette turn] with my inside leg.” “We must teach the horse to use every part of their body, to do the best they can do,” Holzer said. “You have to be more connected to him from a balance point of view.” From balance, build power and strength. Nine-year-old Guernsey Elvis, a KWPN gelding by QuerlyElvis, showed some loss of balance in trot half-pass and at the bigger paces. “I might bring him back to a ‘dribbly trot’ or ‘piddly trot’ until he gets his balance,” Holzer told rider Lauren Sprieser. (“I used to call it ‘pony trot,’” Holzer added with a laugh, “but Lendon Gray got after me.”)

“The fancy, big trot is the cardio part of the workout,” Holzer said. “The slow trot is for balance. Bring him back to a ‘piddly trot.’ Let him fail. If he walks, he walks. We’re trying to show him how to make the gait smaller. Then, from that relaxation, go big again.” The result: Guernsey Elvis learned to maintain his balance in “piddly trot” without leaning on the hand or dropping into a walk, and when Sprieser asked for a bigger gait the horse showed power with relaxation and good connection. “This is the most interesting part of the session,” Gribbons commented. Do transitions. Do some more transitions. The clinicians agreed that their number-one exercise is transitions, for their ability to develop and gymnasticize the horse. “If I could choose only one training tool,” said Gribbons, “I would choose transitions.” “An hour of transitions is never time wasted,” Holzer said. She called trot-walk and walk-trot transitions “the gateway to piaffe.” Address the problem, not the symptom. Leopold of Shakespeare

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was inclined to pull on the hand in canter-walk transitions. Holzer observed that “he’s using the bit to balance himself…he’s not using his butt at all.” She had rider Davis activate the horse’s hindquarters in the transition, knowing that the heaviness in the hand would go away once the horse learned to use himself properly. “Students tend to focus on what the horse is doing wrong, not what he needs to do,” Holzer explained. “It sounds counterproductive to tap with the whip or spur [when the horse is running through the hand], but sometimes it’s what you need to do.” Likewise, when Leopold of Shakespeare was pulling in the flying changes, Holzer instructed Davis to position the horse in demi-shoulderin, hold the new outside rein, and give the new inside rein. “Sit back,” she said. The initial effort “might be physical” on the rider’s part, she added. “Well, guess what? Dressage is physical. You must keep his weight back over his hind legs, or he physically can’t do the movement.” Use your weight to encourage loading of the hind legs. All horses have a stronger side and a weaker

LITTLE STEPS TO BIG SUCCESS: After Lauren Sprieser allowed Guernsey Elvis to find his balance in a “piddly trot” (left), she was able to ask for power while retaining relaxation and connection (right)

Meet the Clinicians

nne Gribbons, of Chuluota, Florida, is an FEI 5* dressage judge and an international competitor, trainer, and coach. She is a former US Equestrian national dressage technical advisor, who during her tenure established the successful national dressage “pipeline,” with coaches and programs for youth, young horses, developing horses, and elite performers. In 2013 she was inducted into the Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame.

USDF ARCHIVES; JENNIFER BRYANT

Ashley Holzer has lived in New York City for many years but rode for her native Canada in four Olympic Games in addition to FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG), FEI World Cup Dressage Finals, and Pan American Games. In 2016 she became a US citizen, and she now rides for the USA.

Lars Petersen has represented his native Denmark at Olympic Games, World Equestrian Games, and FEI World Cup Dressage Finals. He became an American citizen the same year as Ashley Holzer and now rides for the USA. With his wife, dressage pro Melissa Taylor, he teaches and trains out of their Legacy Farms in Loxahatchee, Florida.

Gary Rockwell, of Wellington, Florida, has ridden for Team USA at many international competitions and championships, including a team bronze medal at the 1994 World Championships. He is now best known as an FEI 5* dressage judge who has officiated at multiple Olympic Games, World Cup Dressage Finals, European Championships, and others. He is the current chair of the USDF Judges Committee and a faculty member of the USDF L Education Program.

USDF CONNECTION | May/June 2020

RIDING THE “LOOKY” HORSE: The rider’s seat, not the hands, help the spooky horse feel secure. Emma Asher rides Elegance N.

side. They move such that the rider’s weight often ends up shifted away from the weak side. “Sit heavier over the weaker hind leg—the side they pop you off of,” Lars Petersen told Emily Donaldson, “to encourage that leg to ‘sit,’ bend, and carry weight.” Position the horse for relaxation. “Your horse is ‘looky,’” Petersen said to Emma Asher on Elegance N, an 11-year-old KWPN gelding by Jazz. In the manner of many such horses, Elegance N came into the arena in a high-necked, tight-backed posture. “He needs to be lower in the neck and more over the back in order to relax,” Petersen said. It’s not easy to relax the contact on a spooky horse, Holzer acknowledged, saying, “I have two Jazz [offspring] myself. Sometimes [riders of such horses] are slow to soften your hand because you get a big spook. You need to sit stronger so the comfort comes from your seat, not your hands. You need really strong abs and core.” Recognize the signs of struggle and fatigue. In the canter-pirouette

TACTFUL TRAINING: By recognizing when Mistico TM was beginning to tire and giving him breaks accordingly, Perry-Glass achieved excellent canter pirouettes

work, Mistico TM changed leads behind a couple of times. “Horses will swap behind when they’re having trouble holding weight on the hind legs,” Holzer noted. “He’s not being naughty.” “Snorting, tail-swishing, putting the tongue out, et cetera, is the horse telling us it’s difficult,” she said. “We have to know how much is too much—how to keep it positive yet move forward.” Seek expert critiques, and accept correction gracefully. Holzer joked with Gibson: “We trained with the same trainer for so many years, and so I’m going to tell you: Put your heels down and shorten your reins!” The two Olympians laughed (and Gibson complied), as Holzer shared that she herself was once given “rainbow reins” and told which color section to hold, to teach her proper rein length. Sometimes, you just have to experiment. To Sprieser’s dismay, Helio chose his session as the time to get his tongue over the bit. She dismounted, fixed the problem with help from Gary Rockwell,

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remounted—and Helio did it again. After another adjustment they were finally able to carry on, but the clinicians agreed that trial and error is sometimes the only option in such cases. If trying to get the horse to reach more consistently out to the bit doesn’t work, and the horse is otherwise sound and comfortable, then it may be time to experiment with raising the bits, trying different bits and mouthpiece types, or both, they said.

Using Our Resources Past Trainers Conferences have tended to feature a single “European import”—a marquee-name trainer or judge as clinician. For the 2020 event, moderator Lilo Fore lobbied for a different approach. “We have so much education here in our country that we are not using enough,” said Fore, herself a retired FEI 5* judge and a past Trainers Conference clinician. “I said, ‘Why don’t we make a group of presenters here. We have two FEI judges, and then we have two trainers.”

TRAINING BUDDIES: Olympians Michelle Gibson and Ashley Holzer, who formerly trained together, share a laugh

“We have experience,” said Gribbons. “We’ve made all these mistakes, so maybe we can prevent some other people from making them.” Fore said she appreciated the clinicians’ candor in addressing horses’ and riders’ issues (noting that they did so “in a nice way”), as well as the demonstration riders’ and horse owners’ willingness to put themselves under a public microscope. The conference presenters “are not afraid to go a little out on a limb and say, ‘You know, this has to happen before we’re going to go on,’” Fore said.

Jennifer Bryant is the editor of USDF Connection.

DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE: Lars Petersen helps Michelle Gibson improve Barland IM’s piaffe

USDF CONNECTION | May/June 2020

HELPING HANDS: Speakers pose with participants at the 2020 USDF/USEF Young Rider Graduate Program

Through the Levels Just as horses face challenges in their training, fledgling dressage pros struggle to get established. A unique program aims to give a leg up.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY JENNIFER O. BRYANT

he horse business can be tough and unforgiving. In a 24/7 world of all horses, all the time, some equine professionals struggle to maintain a personal life with what can become an all-consuming career. Add the fact that dressage tends to attract type-A perfectionist personalities, and pressures can feel overwhelming. These challenges, which have been bubbling to the surface in recent months, brought a renewed sense of importance to the 2020 USDF/USEF Young Rider Graduate Program, held in January in West Palm Beach, Florida. The biannual weekend classroom event, produced with funding support from The Dressage Foundation, was established with the purpose of throwing

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a professional lifeline to a group of twentysomethings who, after “aging out” of the Young Rider ranks, found themselves dumped into the open waters of the sport with little career guidance. Successful professionals representing various aspects of the equine industry share personal anecdotes and hard-earned lessons on topics ranging from client relations and work/life balance to legal matters and the quest for sponsorship. Amidst sessions on such impersonal topics as business planning and media relations (see “Build Your Dressage Business with These Top YRGP Takeaways” on page 50), well-known instructor/trainers spoke candidly about juggling dressage careers with marriage and motherhood, the challenges of carving out “me” time, and the importance of attending to one’s mental health.

MAKING IT WORK: Moms and dressage pros Hilary Moore Hebert and Tiffany Bragdell

USDF Connection sat in on the sessions, and in this article we’ll bring you the main takeaways—which are great advice for anyone in the dressage world, regardless of age and career stage.

Tired but Happy: The Life of a Dressage-Pro Parent Dressage pros and moms Hilary Moore Hebert and Tiffany Bragdell shared their experiences. “I think almost everybody who has a kid has postpartum depression,” Hebert said candidly. “I got [a sort of mental] dyslexia so I couldn’t teach. I would tell students to turn left; they would say, ‘Why are you having me turn into a wall?’ I was exhausted….Only in the last eight months or so do I feel like I have my brain again.” Hebert’s son is four—and it’s taken her almost those full four years, she says, to feel as if she’s fully back in the game, balancing marriage (to a non-rider) and motherhood with her career as the owner/trainer at her 22-stall, 30-acre dressage facility in Germantown, Maryland. The juggling act is not necessarily easier if you don’t own your own facility. Tiffany Bragdell and her husband, fellow dressage pro Michael Bragdell, live and work at the well-known sport-horse breeding and training facility Hilltop Farm in Colora, Maryland, with their two children, ages four and not-quite-one. “I didn’t think there would be” as much of a change in routine pre- and post-baby, Bragdell admitted. But “I used to do half-marathons and marathons; I haven’t done that in four years.” Help with child care is vital if you want to continue your career, both women agreed. Bragdell recognizes

that she and her husband are fortunate in that his parents live with them and help out with the kids. “My mom watches my son for the season when we’re down here [in Florida in wintertime],” said Hebert. Home in Maryland, Hebert and her husband rely on babysitters—the hiring of whom poses its own special challenge to a dressage pro. “I have a twelve-hour day, but normal people work eight hours,” Hebert explained, meaning that “you need two people, one to watch the kid from 7:00 to 4:00 and then someone to watch the kid in the evenings so you can teach. And you need someone on weekends, too.” Both women shared memories of fears—not unfounded—that pregnancy would affect their businesses and their clientele. “I lost the ride on all of my FEI horses,” Hebert said. Particularly cruel were the “catty comments” made by a local trainer “who said that [I] had the horses taken away and then [I] had gotten fat because [I] wasn’t riding. I was seven and a half months pregnant at the time.” A client who had been promising to take Bragdell to Europe and “buy a really special young horse” for her to ride withdrew the offer when the person learned that Bragdell was pregnant with her second child, she said. The pregnancies had the effect of winnowing the women’s dressage businesses, not altogether for worse, they said. The clients who stayed tended to be the “lower-maintenance” people—often adult amateurs—who were supportive of the moms-to-be and who have stayed loyal during the early-childhood years, they said. Motherhood has changed Hebert’s and Bragdell’s attitudes toward riding in various ways, they said. “After my first child,” said Bragdell, “I didn’t realize it at the time, but I started having anxiety about riding young USDF CONNECTION | May/June 2020

HIGH-PERFORMANCE PERSPECTIVE: Olympians David Marcus and Allison Brock address the YR Grad Program participants

horses. People said, ‘You’re a mom now; you have someone depending on you.’ You hear that enough and you start doubting yourself.” Bragdell did, in fact, get bucked off a young horse during that time, and the experience “kind of freaked me out. I didn’t seek professional help, but I did speak to somebody who helped me through it. I did overcome that fear. It took some time.” She reported happily that

“after my second one was born, I couldn’t wait to start riding again.” Hebert takes an analytical approach to the risk-assessment process. Citing the case of a client’s horse that slipped on pavement, resulting in the rider’s broken femur, she said she no longer hacks out. She herself has a constant reminder of the lasting damage one horse can inflict in an eyeblink: “I have a spiral fracture in my pinky finger from

a horse that bucked.” The injury caused a drop in grip strength in the affected hand, which makes holding a double bridle’s two reins more difficult, she said. Now, “if someone comes into my barn with a horse with a bucking problem and wants me to train it, it’s not worth it,” Hebert said. On the up side, said Hebert, “I’m not nervous at shows any more. I’ve done very well in the competition

Grant Recipients attend YR Grad Program

he Dressage Foundation (TDF) offers funding support to USDF/USEF Young Rider Graduate Program participants in the form of its Captain John H. “Jack” Fritz Grants. These grants provide eligible individuals with demonstrated financial need grants of up to $500 each to attend the program. Six recipients received grants to attend the 2020 program: Kalie Beckers, Louisiana; Patricia “Peaches” Cava, Washington state; Kristen Chasnis, Michigan; Grace Craven, Texas; Naomi Porter, Washington state; and Emma Sevriens, Georgia. Read the grant recipients’ event reports, and learn more about applying for a grant, at DressageFoundation.org.

THIS COULD BE YOU: Grants are available to help defray the costs of attending. USEF managing director of dressage Hallye Griffin addresses the 2020 participants.

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ring since my son was born….I’m not going to waste my time taking a horse in the ring if it’s not ready.” Roz Kinstler, chair of the USDF Youth Programs Committee and the YR Grad Program organizer, asked the panelists the ultimate question: “Are you happy you did it [had children]?” There was a pause before either Bragdell or Hebert responded. Bragdell said yes, she’s happy with her decision. “I don’t want to paint a negative picture,” Bragdell said, but she admitted that “it’s hard…. You might not have everything at once.” She pointed out, however, that “there are other top professionals who have kids,” mentioning Olympians and current US national dressage coaches Debbie McDonald and Christine Traurig as two high-profile examples. In making this and other major life decisions, Hebert said, she takes the long view. “At the end of the day,” she said, “we’re [dressage pros] all hoping to win the lottery of being on a team.

This may help soften the blow—‘The reason I didn’t make the team is that I had kids’—but you realize that it’s a one-in-a-million shot. What happens if you don’t get that one-ina-million shot, and you’ve sacrificed everything, and you’re alone? “For me, it’s having a depth to your life, not putting all your eggs in one basket. So yeah, I would do it again.”

Is There Life Outside the Barn? Another popular YR Grad Program session features successful highprofile riders/trainers discussing their career arcs, individual struggles, and advice. At the 2020 program, the panelists were the Wellington, Florida,-based Allison Brock and David Marcus. Brock was a member of the bronze-medal-winning 2016 US Olympic dressage team in Rio de Janeiro. Marcus, who holds dual American and Canadian citizenship, rode for the US as a young rider. He competed for Canada at the 2012

London Olympics and at the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG). US dressage Olympic and WEG medalist Steffen Peters helped to jump-start frank discussions of riders’ mental health with his statements that he has fought anxiety and depression—a move that Brock called “huge.” She herself has battled similar demons, she said, and today she considers her weekly talk sessions with a therapist an essential “safe space” that allows her to “deal with stuff ” without “dump[ing] it” on clients, sponsors, or her fiancé. “It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, working on myself,” Brock said, “but one of the best things you guys can do for yourselves is start dealing with your own personal stuff, whatever that means.” Marcus encouraged the audience to adopt the perspective of “what we do is great, it’s a wonderful way to spend your life, but it doesn’t have to be your entire life…. What we do doesn’t define who we are.” Under pressure to succeed, a bad

Participant Perspectives

ere’s what some of the 2020 USDF/USEF Young Rider Graduate Program participants had to say about their experience. These comments are excerpted from the post-event participant evaluation forms. I learned far more than I expected to and am so grateful to have been able to attend. I learned more than I have in a long time, and I wasn’t even on a horse! –Mara Santiz, Michigan The two days of lectures provided a mind-boggling amount of information, and it was great to make friends with other young professionals from across the country. –Anna Weniger, North Carolina GRADUATION PHOTO: 2020 YR Grad Program participants It was extremely beneficial, and I spent much of last week working on aspects of myself and my business that the program discussed. I am pose with their certificates of completion all fired up and excited to improve my business, and thus the service that I provide to my clients, based upon what I learned. –Rachel Edwards, North Carolina It was so educational and eye-opening. It’s cool to be able to make connections with other people that are in the same position I am in. –Emily Schaefer, New York If you missed the 2020 program, watch the USDF website (usdf.org) for date and application information when details about the 2022 program are announced.

USDF CONNECTION | May/June 2020

Build Your Dressage Business with These Top YRGP Takeaways

his article has barely scratched the surface of the information imparted by the weekend’s speakers. We’ve focused on the more personal and intrinsic aspects, but there were plenty of pragmatic tips, as well. Some favorites:

• “I have customers I’ve had for 30 years and are good friends, but I draw a line between business and friendship. I charge them the same that I charge new customers. If you let the line get muddy, you’re in trouble.” – Dressage instructor/trainer, USDF Youth Programs Committee chair, and YRGP organizer Roz Kinstler • Use social media (especially Facebook and Instagram) to help build your brand. Position yourself as the expert in your industry niche (teaching children? riding ponies and small horses? starting young horses?) by sharing useful information relevant to your brand. – Equine-industry marketing professionals Johnny Robb and Alex Stark

MEDIA AND MARKETING PROS: Johnny Robb and Alex Stark

LEGAL EAGLE: Equine-industryfocused lawyer Yvonne Ocrant

• “Signed releases are worth more than the paper they are written on, if done right.” – Lawyer Yvonne Ocrant, who specializes in equine matters • If you’re seeking sponsorship, start by knowing the product and being able to explain why you like it. Then do your homework with the company: contact names, spellings, even genders. Don’t expect the moon, and prepare to persevere in the face of rejection. – Allyn Mann, director of strategic partnerships, American Regent Animal Health • Anyone who wants to be a dressage instructor/trainer today should go through the USDF L Education Program—at least parts A, B, and C. – USEF “S” dressage judge and L program faculty member Marilyn Heath

USDF PROGRAMS ROUNDUP: George Williams, Caitlin Gallagher, Amy Swerdlin, and Marilyn Heath share a laugh while discussing the various opportunities

• “The US Olympic Committee is putting pressure on [affiliated sport] organizations to develop certification programs, before the US government mandates certification for those sports that are in the Olympic family. I think it [instructor certification] will become pretty close to mandatory for those who want to be professionals in the sport.” – George Williams, USEF national dressage youth coach, USEF Dressage Sport Committee advisor, FEI Dressage Committee member, past USDF president, and international competitor • Your mind is governed by three natural laws: 1. You are what you think. 2. Every thought causes a physical reaction. 3. Imagination is more powerful than knowledge. So be careful what you watch and listen to (even music and TV), and learn to replace worry, negative self-talk, jealousy, and judgment with goals, solutions, gratitude, positive relationships, and mindfulness. – Laura King, performance and life coach, certified hypnotist, and Neuro-Linguistic Programming practitioner • “I am a big fan of security cameras and incident reports. [If an accident happens], document the incident while it’s fresh in your mind.” If there was a witness, ask that person to document in writing what they saw. – Yvonne Ocrant

MONEY MANAGER: Financial advisor and dressage-facility owner Gardy Bloemers

• Make sure you have health insurance. – Gardy Bloemers, wealth-management advisor, Merrill Lynch • A stint as a working student in Europe can offer valuable exposure to top training, horses, and competition. But to wangle an invitation you need to find a connection to a top trainer. When to go? Now, “before you get too involved [with your own business]. If I were just starting out and I had an opportunity to work with Carl Hester, I would take that risk, even if the job were just mucking stalls.” – George Williams • Establish an emergency fund of savings (enough to keep you afloat for at least three to six months) and a regular business income stream before you even consider buying a horse, even as a resale project. “There are so many risks involved in buying young horses—so many things that can go wrong.” – Gardy Bloemers

PAYING IT FORWARD: The Dressage Foundation’s Beth Baumert discusses grants and funding options

• If you need money to help advance your dressage education and career, explore the many grants The Dressage Foundation offers, and apply. “You don’t have to be poor to apply for a grant. That’s a misconception.” – Dressage professional and The Dressage Foundation president and CEO Beth Baumert

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dressage test can feel like a disaster— something Marcus, who got eliminated at the 2012 Olympics when his mount spooked and failed to regain his composure—knows all too well. He said he sometimes recalls the advice he heard fellow Olympian Ashley Holzer give a student who had mistakenly ridden too many pirouette turns during her freestyle: “[The rider] was bawling, and it was really like the end of the world for her. And Ash just goes, ‘Are your kids OK? Do you have cancer? How’s your husband doing?’ The student is like, ‘Great.’ [Holzer] goes, ‘OK, let’s put that in perspective a little bit. You rotated three times in a sandbox.’” Marcus has developed a strategy for dealing with disappointment. “I like to give myself time to wallow… to mourn, to be miserable, but I give myself a time line: ‘At this time, you’ve got to get over it because it’s not the end of the world.’ He admitted, though, that “it’s hard because we spend so much of our time doing it. We see our horses more than we see our families.” As a counterbalance, both Brock and Marcus carve out time—even if it’s only part of one day a week—in which they’re not at the barn, not responding to horse-related phone calls or messages, and dressed in something other than boots and breeches. That’s even harder to do, said Marcus, in “Welly World,” where “I see Robert Dover at the gym” and fellow horse people abound in stores and restaurants and even at the beach. His solution: to get out of town—literally—far enough away from Wellington that he can enjoy his day off in relative anonymity.

True Grit It’s not talent alone that causes world-class riders and trainers to

rise to the top. Luck plays a role, but extraordinary commitment and work ethic set them apart. “It’s not like anybody ever said to me, ‘Oh, Ali, you’re the best thing that ever happened,” said Brock. “No. It’s what you put into it is where you’re going to go.” Brock, who left her native Hawaii “to get a better [equestrian] education,” said she looks for a similar drive in the people she hires as working students or similar roles: “I look for people that are incredibly gritty and have come far away from where they live, gone off on their own.” “Our working student made a great point,” said Marcus. “She said, ‘I’m going to make myself invaluable to you.’ I thought, holy cow. And she’s right: I say to myself now, what would I do without her?” “Instead of looking for opportunities,” Marcus advised, “look for where you want to end up. Who are you inspired by?” Then contact that person, explain why you admire their riding and training, and tell them you want to come learn from them, he suggested. And if at first you don’t succeed… well, you know the old saying. Sometimes a rejection is not about you; it’s that the timing isn’t right. Politely check back in a few months, perhaps toward the end of the winter or summer seasons, the pros advised; some working students come for only one season, they said, and most people move on eventually.

Niches and Goals In 2015, Marcus sold his farm outside Toronto, Canada, and relocated to Welly World full-time. With his husband, the Australian-born dressage pro Nicholas Fyffe, he now co-owns and -operates Marcus Fyffe Dressage in Loxahatchee Groves, Florida.

The business in Canada had begun to feel “almost too easy,” Marcus said. “I felt like I was being held back in my own improvement. To get better, I feel you have to put yourself in a situation where there are people who are better than you…. So for me that meant packing up and, instead of going there [to Florida] in the winters, let’s go make a home there and put ourselves in a position where there is a lot of competition. You cannot get better if you are the best.” Not everyone can pull up stakes and move to Florida, of course—and besides, as Marcus pointed out, dressage needs more than elite, highperformance-focused professionals. “There’s a need for different aspects of the sport,” he said. “There are people who are great at different things, so understanding what your strengths are [will help you to identify your niche]. There’s a need for ‘grass roots’ trainers to educate people in a great way. There’s a need for people to bring kids along…so kind of figuring out what your niche is and marketing yourself.” The 32 young women who attended this year’s Young Rider Graduate Program may or may not end up on international dressage teams and on the covers of magazines like USDF Connection. Odds are, some will find themselves pursuing another career direction entirely. But all will benefit from the program speakers’ shared wisdom, and will be better equipped to navigate the career and life choices that lie ahead.

Jennifer Bryant is the editor of USDF Connection.

USDF CONNECTION | May/June 2020

YR Grad Program Helps Careers Evolve A four-time participant reflects on what she’s learned and how far she’s come

oped as a rider, trainer, and business owner. At my first YR Grad Program, in 2014, I felt so out of place. Seated at the table with me were two young ladies from California whose topdollar horses filled an entire highend stable. “I have no business being here,” I thought. “How am I ever

EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY: Killian and friend

52 May/June 2020 | USDF CONNECTION

going to catch up?” But every time I go back, I find myself a few steps closer to where I want to be. Since that first year, I’ve earned my USDF silver and gold medals; graduated from college; brought a young horse up the levels; established a clientele of students and horse owners; and earned my USDF instructor certification through Fourth Level, among others. The program also allows me to reexamine my point of view. My first year, I remember scribbling dates and deadlines for every USDF clinic and grant available from The Dressage Foundation (TDF). Now I am friends with the people behind the scenes who make the USDF L and Instructor/Trainer Programs possible, as well as those who support TDF. I remember listening to lawyer Yvonne Ocrant explain some of the “musts and don’ts” to protect yourself in the horse industry, with all of the innate dangers related to horses and riding. Two years later, my ears perked up when Yvonne began talking about sales contracts, as a few of my own clients were asking me to represent their horses for sale. Over the years she has given me valuable tools I use to protect my home and my business. I remember being starstruck

BRITT GILLIS

here’s a saying, “Look back only to see how far you have come.” Every two years, I’ve done exactly that as I apply to attend the next USDF/USEF Young Rider Graduate Program. I always enjoy this process because, as I update my biography, I get to see how much I have devel-

BY LAURA ASHLEY KILLIAN

when people like Robert Dover, Scott Hassler, Debbie McDonald, Steffen Peters, Christine Traurig, and George Williams came to talk to us. Maybe I’m still a bit of a fangirl, but now I feel as if the path from where I am to where they are has a bit more light pointing me in the correct direction. The YR Grad Program session that resonates most uniquely each year is the one on lifestyle, with dressage professionals talking about their careers and about work/life balance. For a while, I was afraid that people would think that I was less dedicated to my dressage dreams if I maintained some outside interests. Now I realize that those interests are what keep me feeling fresh, invigorated, and excited every time I step into the arena to teach or train. And I am beginning to look at other female equestrian professionals who have managed the superhuman task of tackling piaffe training and potty training all in the same day. At this year’s program, Tiffany Bragdell and Hilary Moore Hebert let us eavesdrop on a very real “mom life” chat—the good, the bad, and mostly the exhaustion. Their candor helped me to start thinking about what is important to me in both the short and long run, how my clients will react to my life decisions, and how life will go on no matter which path or paths I choose. My training style has been shaped through the USDF Sport Horse, L, and Instructor/Trainer Programs, but that was possible only thanks to funding from The Dressage Foundation. I am glad that I have a strong background in marketing, as recommended by marketing and media expert Chris Stafford, to better present myself and my horses. I know that I need to

stay up to date on the social-media trends that experts Johnny Robb and Alex Stark discussed, to keep my business in the public eye. That positive press may allow me to connect with potential sponsors; and thanks to the advice of well-known sponsors Debbie Witty, Kim Boyer, and Allyn Mann, I know how to foster such relationships to be mutually beneficial and long-lasting. However, if I don’t take care of my body properly, paying attention to muscle activation and overall wellness, as demonstrated by Andy Thomas, my hips may not let me last as long as I’d like. But I will be sure to also manage my mental health and strength with the tips provided by Laura King, as this is pivotal to succeeding under pressure as you rise to the top of the sport. When I reach that level, I know that US Equestrian has a plan to help put promising horses and riders through their pipelines, to gather the greatest high-performance combinations to train and compete nationally and abroad. But at the end of the day, it is a strong set of values and business ethics, as discussed by Roz Kinstler, that may help you stand out from the crowd. And when my body one day forces me to slow down, I hope I will have taken Gardy Bloemers’ advice to manage my finances and save for retirement rather than spending every last penny on the pretty ponies, even though “This one might be the one, and I’m sure he will stay healthy and sound.…” The connections I’ve made, the education I have soaked up, and the dedication I have put in, combined with the love and support from those around me, have prepared me for all of the big things to come. You can’t control which horses end up in your stable, but you can control

your education and perspective. The best thing I have done for my career is to take advantage of Every. Single. Educational opportunity available to me through USDF (with the support of TDF). One day, I hope to be the one at the front of the room speaking on “How My Career Has Evolved” or “Training in Europe.” For now, life has brought me full circle and I’m almost feeling like a working student again. You see, I am now the proud owner of my very own dressage stable and home just outside of Wellington—something I thought would never be obtainable! I am back to waking up before the sun to drop feed and muck stalls, and I couldn’t be happier. Looking at my career and life path in the six years since my first YR Grad Program, I think that the route I ended up taking may have landed me at the greatest viewpoint. To all of those aspiring dressage professionals out there: You can do this! Don’t let the progress of those around you distract you from your own mission. There is no limit to how many people can succeed in this sport. Network with those around you, support one another’s goals, care for those in tough times, and cheer on those who are winning at life.

Laura Ashley Killian owns and operates Laura Ashley Dressage in Wellington, Florida. For her account of serving as a first-time demonstration rider at the 2020 USDF Sport Horse Prospect Development Forum, go to USDF’s YourDressage.org website.

USDF CONNECTION | May/June 2020

Tack Shop Smart Solutions Our roundup of new products for spring

Stick to It Dressage riders enjoy FITS riding apparel’s good looks, functionality, and durability. Just in time for warmer weather, FITS introduces the Finley Full Seat Tread breech, made of soft, breathable fabric and featuring a Euro seat with the same grip pattern as on FITS’ popular Tech Tread breech. Flattering embroidery on the hips and on the back-pocket flaps completes the look. Available in ink (pictured), anthracite, and Sahara.

FITS pioneered the segmented full seat, which feels and works great, but not everybody likes the look. Get all the benefits plus a more understated appearance with the new Espresso Duet color combination in the classic PerforMax Front-Zip Breech. The perforated black leather panels blend in with the black yoke, which contrasts handsomely with the rich espresso color of the breech’s allseason, four-way-stretch fabric. With a zip front, front slash pockets, and mesh in the lower leg for ventilation, you’ll be sitting pretty. Learn more: FITSRiding.com.

Entice the Picky Eater or Drinker Getting a horse to eat medications or supplements in his feed, or to drink unfamiliar water, can be a challenge, especially if you want to avoid feeding large amounts of sugar. The developer of the popular Farriers’ Fix Hoof Oil formulated a new product designed to fill the need.

NextGen Topicals Horse people have trusted Back on Track textiles and Sore No-More topical products for years. Now Back on Track has launched its newest line of topicals, Limber Up LiniMint, developed by the formulator of Sore No-More. Equine Flavor Fix contains dried molasses, dried peppermint leaves, vitamins, and minerals. One scoop contains less than 3 grams of sugar. Add to feed or water to tempt the fussy eater or drinker in your barn. Learn more: EquineFlavorFix.com.

Return of a Famous Name Generations of English riders grew up with Crosby saddles. Now that Available in liquid, gel, foam, and shampoo forms, Limber Up LiniMint products contain allnatural ingredients: arnica, aloe vera, rose hips, rosemary, yucca root, peppermint essential oil, and witch hazel. They are drug-free, non-GMO, and free of pesticides, sulfates, and parabens. Learn more: MyLimberUp.com.

54 May/June 2020 | USDF CONNECTION

legendary name is back, as part of the Weatherbeeta family of products. Crosby offers three dressage saddle models. The Crosby Dressage Saddle’s (pictured) features include traditional flocked panels, an adjustable “Y” girthing system, and the versatile Opti-Fit gullet system that allows the user to alter the saddle’s width as needed. Crosby also offers a model with external knee blocks and one with adjustable knee blocks. Learn more: CrosbySaddlery.com.

A Smart Way to Guard Valuables Show season is upon us, and that means toting our expensive saddles and other gear to places where, unfortunately, thefts can and do happen. Many competitors padlock their tack stalls, but keys are easy to lose and it can be burdensome to have to share a combination, much less try to remember it.

Sustainable, Dust-Free Bedding

Health from the Inside Out

Especially if your horse suffers from allergies or respiratory disease, you’re concerned about indoor air quality. Trouble is, traditional bedding materials can be dusty and problematic to use. A “smart padlock” may be the solution. The Tapplock one+ combines biometrics, security, and wireless technology. The padlock can store up to 500 fingerprints to allow multiple users to open the lock—no key or combination needed. The accompanying app allows users to track who opened the lock and when, and even to grant remote access via a remote-unlock feature. Tapplock one+ is waterproof, fully functional between -4 and 140 degrees F, and equipped with a battery that lasts up to a year on a single charge—perfect not only for tack stalls but also for outdoor sheds, gates, or other exposed locations. Learn more: Tapplock.com. Espoma’s Sani-Care bedding, made from premium hardwoods from sustainable forests, offers an alternative. It’s dust-free, more absorbent and longer-lasting than other materials, sanitized, and nonallergenic. Soiled bedding clumps naturally and the material is easy to sift, meaning less waste and practically no need to strip stalls. Learn more: Sani-Care.com.

Other specially formulated products help to, among others, revive turnout blankets’ water-repellent qualities while preserving the fabrics’ breathability. Learn more: RugSafe.co.uk.

Formulated by a biologist, Equa Holistics probiotics for equines and small animals offer digestion and gut support for optimal health. The products are nonGMO, human-grade, and all-natural. Healthy Gut Maintenance is a daily probiotic supplement for horses, while Healthy Gut Performance is ideal for horses in a heavy training, show, or otherwise stressful schedule or during and after a course of antibiotics. The Healthy Gut Foal Kit (pictured) is a seven-day regimen of probiotics and natural horse milk to help give your baby’s digestive tract the best possible start. Learn more: EquaHolistics.com.

Horse-Laundry Solutions The UK-based horse-laundryproduct manufacturer Rug Safe is bringing its line to the USA. The various washes offer superior cleaning and antibacterial properties, and are designed to clean and freshen items ranging from stable blankets, turnout blankets, and fleece and wool to saddle pads and leg wraps.

“Tack Shop” contains notices of new products judged to be of potential interest to USDF members. Information and images are supplied by manufacturers. Inclusion of an item does not constitute an endorsement or a product review.

USDF CONNECTION | May/June 2020

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HHanging annging angi ging up Your Spurs? How ow w too SStay ta IInvolved in tay Dressage agge (p (p. p. 28) 228 Donald: Don onald: ald: d: Debbie McDonald: nec ne ectio ect ction on The USDF Connection interview

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USDF CONNECTION | May/June 2020

My Dressage Are You Prepared Not to Win? Learning from—and even planning for—the inevitable disappointments are as much a part of success as the wins themselves

he late motivational speaker and author Zig Ziglar has inspired countless people to keep working toward their goals. Ziglar’s famous quote, “Prepare to win, plan to win, and expect to win,” has become a motto, inspiring faith that, with enough preparation and effort, we can and will succeed.

comment. Teachers who understand this concept work to encourage a positive thought process when negative thoughts or words have put a ding in a student’s ego, and it’s an excellent tool for dressage instructors to use when a student is struggling to master a new exercise or doesn’t do as well as hoped at a show. Pointing out the positive elements in the work, along with an honest and realistic assessment of the problems, will help to bring the goal back into focus for the rider. On the student’s part, not allowing the problem to become bigger than the goal may mean that you need to do more work in certain aspects of your training and riding in order to set WELL PREPARED: The writer, a dressage instructor/trainer and judge, believes that dealing with disappointment is as important as planning yourself up for for success success. “Outside the box” thinking can be But it’s not enough simply to “plan a part of the problem-solving process, to win.” As I tell my students, as you to open more pathways to the goal. As pursue your goals, it’s also important the saying goes, many roads lead to to accept the possibility of failure. Rome. If you encounter what feels like Because like it or not, we are going to a dead end in your training, you must face failures along the way. Getting be willing to backtrack to a different derailed from your goals is a very real road. For instance, you might find possibility, despite the months and inspiration in training a problematic years that you have devoted yourself movement by looking at the exercises to pursuing your dream. Without and techniques used in other equestools to help us over the inevitable trian disciplines—say, the side pass in bumps and setbacks, our egos can a Western trail class. Even counting become so deflated when we fail that strides as the jumpers do will benefit quitting begins to look like the more dressage riders in making their horses sensible choice. more elastic and compressed. Researchers have found that it Disappointment can be devastattakes seven positive comments to ing when you have not made a “rainy override the impact of one negative

60 May/June 2020 | USDF CONNECTION

day” plan. The faster you can rebound from failure, the sooner you can begin moving forward again. It’s being prepared with a Plan B that keeps our feet on the ground when things don’t go our way. Planning for and expecting success are great attitudes, but in reality there can be only one winner. Accepting this fact allows you to go to the next level by applying the extra effort needed to improve your chances of success. We’re told that “practice doesn’t make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect”—but if you are not the only person doing perfect practice, then how can you guarantee success? The answer is that you can’t. You can never guarantee that you will win against an equal competitor, but underestimating the competition will certainly lead to failure. Understanding this provides you with another tool: Know your competition. Study them in practice and at shows or clinics. Learn what they know and then some. Moving up the ladder toward success requires hard work and dedication. When the competitions begin, I hope that everyone has a realistic assessment of their skills and is ready to do the hard work to hit their personal targets. No matter what color the ribbon, your horse and your trainer will be proud of you.

Melonie Kessler is a US Equestrian “S” dressage judge; a USDF bronze, silver, and gold medalist; and an instructor/trainer of riders and horses at all levels. She teaches and trains out of DevonWood Equestrian Centre in Sherwood, Oregon.

ERIN SNELL

By Melonie Kessler

Photo: Alden Corrigan

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