Tag Archives: dressage

Trying Out Novice, a taste of great things to come ~ Brigitte Billings

The nice thing about Novice is that it really is a level for any horse. Dressage often gets a bad rap as being elitist and purely for the ‘money set’, but a well-schooled crossbreed has just as much chance of doing well in a Novice test as an imported Warmblood.

In fact, many dressage experts believe that any horse can easily compete right through Elementary. This means that simply by caring for your horse and being committed to your schooling, you can enjoy years of dressage with a horse of any age or budget. Better yet, an imperfect horse will most likely benefit greatly from the strength and flexibility that this training will give him.

Prelim prep

If your Prelim foundations have been well established, the transition to Novice should be fairly smooth. While your horse will continue to be challenged by the athletic requirements of each test, if you’ve started him correctly, his body should be able to adapt to the demands with minimal stress.

Again, consider how you would embark on a training programme yourself. You wouldn’t walk into a gym and immediately lift the heaviest weight in the rack, or set the treadmill to the fastest or toughest level; instead you’d build up strength and stamina gradually, while maintaining correct form. The same applies to your equine athlete.

 The Tests

There are seven Novice tests – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and a Freestyle, which is dressage ridden to music. As in Prelim, the horse should be ridden in a snaffle bit and the rider may ride with whip and spurs. The movements introduced to your horse in Prelim will now require more accuracy. Gait changes are more pronounced and should be accurately ridden at the marker. A lengthened canter is introduced, which will show that you are able to ask for a burst of impulsion and then a return to a working canter within the space of two markers – quite a challenge if your horse is not on the aids, but it’s an excellent way to teach you to use your seat rather than your hands to control speed.

Judges will also be paying more attention to your horse’s rhythm, straightness and balance, which will be tested in movements such as the ten-metre half circle in trot and the 15-metre canter circle. Don’t overlook the importance of the ‘stretchy trot circle’, in which you allow your horse to take the rein and stretch down on a 20-metre circle. It allows the judge to see that your horse is working comfortably over his back and is happy to reach forward to the contact – fundamental aspects of good schooling.

By the time you reach Test 6, you’ll be doing the rein-back, counter-canter and lateral work in the form of the leg yield. While this may sound daunting, all of these are natural progressions of your basic schooling and your horse should adjust to them with minimal resistance. For example, consider that a horse working in balance will not need to ‘lean in’ on a canter circle, so should be comfortable working on either lead. Also, if your horse is responding correctly to the leg aid, stepping away will be a simple response to leg pressure, resulting in a leg yield.

Ringcraft Learning some basic ‘ringcraft’ can help you achieve better scores. Prepare your horse for transitions by getting him balanced, don’t cut corners (you’ll quickly realise that corners are your friends) and be accurate on your markers. Your instructor can provide tips on turning your ‘5’ into a ‘6’ – or even a ‘7’, just by paying attention to the little details.

Of course, many of these things are easier said than done, because in a lot of instances you will be learning at the same time as your horse. But this is the beauty of dressage – it’s an endless journey of discovery which ultimately strengthens your relationship.

Next month we’ll look at the Elementary classes, where the pressure starts to mount.

Want to try it out? Recreational membership is free! Visit www.dressagesa.com for contact information.

Pessoa Rein~ Georgina Roberts

 

A WORD OF CAUTION!

As helpful as gadgets may be, there is no replacement for good schooling and conditioning. Both horses and riders ultimately need to learn how to balance themselves, develop correct muscles for sustained quality, with the rider developing accurate sensitive aids. Artificial aids can assist where there is a fundamental problem and the rider is less than experienced, helping to speed this process up by allowing both parties to get the correct feel for such work. Never assume that your groom knows how to use a specific gadget – always be educated and supervise their use.

HOW DOES IT WORK

The Pessoa Rein is the only full-body gadget, i.e. does not focus solely on the neck and head position. It cannot be used while riding, but is highly effective on the lunge. It works by teaching the horse body awareness, connection from back to front, suppleness, lightness, and to push and engage the hindleg. 

WHAT HORSE WOULD BENEFIT FROM IT

It is particularly effective for horses that struggle to work through and over the back, whilst staying light in the contact. Try imagine it as teaching the horse to be “contained” in a forward bubble of movement; the second the horse leans on the bit, it will literally pull its own hindquarter further under itself. If it pushes out instead of under with the hindleg, it will immediately feel the light pressure of the rope around the hindquarter; it will also pull slightly on the bit, which is why it is important to instill the forwardness from the ground, that they never learn to correct “backwards”. It one of the best aids to use for regular lunging, and once the handler knows how to fit it very little adjusting is needed in a session – all that the handler needs be responsible for is maintaining the ratio of balance and forward tempo, and knowing which rope goes where!

HOW TO FIT IT

There are several different fittings for the Pessoa, depending on the horse’s level of training. By far the most common way for attachment is pictured: above the hock, clipped midway on the surcingle, through the bit rings, ending between the front legs. This encourages the horse to work rounder and lower, stretching the topline to encourage the “rugby ball” shape. With a more experienced and balanced horse, they can warm up like this and then have the end clips moved up to the top of the surcingle to simulate the position of the riders hands, encouraging the horse to work in a slightly more uphill frame through the wither, while still in self-carriage and pushing from behind.

WHAT TO BE CAUTIOUS OF

The feeling of containment, whilst one that we encourage more and more throughout a horse’s life, is initially a very claustrophobic one for a flight animal. Too tight, and the horse may panic and throw itself over. Too loose, and the dangly ropes are not only ineffective but a tangling risk.

Horses can learn to lean quite comfortably on themselves and may need to be pushed forward more to lighten in front. On the other side, a horse that is particularly shy in the contact will tuck his nose in and suck away from the bit, not pushing forward, as he might not like the lack of steady pressure on the mouth.

The Pessoa, being on a pulley system, can also slide a little to the horse’s favourite side. It may need to be shifted back into the correct place when changing rein, and if the horse consistently shifts it due to severe one-sidedness, then long-reining (where the handler can control the straightness directly) will be a better option.

Horses also commonly kick out at the feeling of something toughing their hocks – try not to panic, but gently push them forward. If they are reluctant to go forward, make sure that it is not too tight to begin with that they feel they can “go somewhere”, and try maintain the rhythm until the horse relaxes into the frame. If the horse wants to shoot forward away from the back rope try keeping his head bent slightly in towards you and not letting the circle get too big. If the horse is particularly sensitive about his hindquarters you can desensitise him first by lunging with a crepe bandage tied from the girth, around the hindquarters, and back to the girth. This arrangement will not change pressure with the frame, thus allowing them to get comfortable and confident working like that before upgrading to the Pessoa.

 HANDY TIPS

Colour code the ropes in the beginning if you have trouble remembering which goes where! Also remember to only put it on once in the lunging arena in case the horse does panic. The ends of the ropes can tend to fray, so to ensure longevity tape them. Make sure the pulleys turn easily and don’t jam, and once you and your horse are confident, don’t be shy to experiment with other settings: it’s a great way to develop an eye for how small changes can alter the biomechanics of your horse.