Dressage truth bomb from Suzanne: canter!

This one is mostly about canter:

I've always felt that correct canter departs are extremely important. They affect a rider's true understanding of inside leg to outside rein, but more than that, they develop the FEEL (feel is everything and the only thing) for balance, throughness, and self-carriage. Maybe it's the impulsion that a canter supplies that allows or helps some of the rider's aids to succeed. I think we've all tried to bend and soften and achieve movements at walk that don't really succeed because we can't generate enough impulsion. Many times instructors say to trot or canter to regain forward impulsion before attempting some new movement or concept again. Having said that, a correct depart is very different than just achieving the canter gait. It is not running into canter or falling over the inside shoulder into canter. I guess it's because most of us didn't come directly into dressage but came through other disciplines such as h/j or saddle seat or just trail riding. Those other disciplines (at least at low or beginner levels) teach cantering from outside rein and outside leg back (kicking). This causes the horse to sort of leg yield into the canter and fall over the inside shoulder. The unintended consequence of this is that the horse uses its neck as a lever (and comes above the aids) in order to help bring its forehand back up. Then the rider has the more difficult task (or at least added task) of "packaging" the horse in the canter after the depart for proper uphill balance and "jump" and throughness, softness, and collection. The reason some of this happens is that in "falling" over the inside shoulder, the outside hind is left out behind the horse. It should be under the horse supporting the first stride of the canter. It should be the "one" of the "one, two, three" of the canter stride. When we allow the horse to fall over the inside shoulder, we are really kind of coming in on "two" (inside hind, outside front) and falling further to inside front.

Please bear with me. I know I am long and wordy, but I so want riders to get this that I maybe explain or "draw pictures" too much. Anyway, riders develop this way of beginning their canter from their previous experience and body memory and, frankly, from riding a lot of young, green, or messed up horses (rather than the ideal schoolmaster) where just achieving a canter at all is a success. Might get by with this at low levels, but as we move up the levels, more quality is demanded. I always say "inside leg forward, outside leg back, shove with the inside seatbone forward, hold until the horse lifts into the canter, and release thru the inside rein". That's already a lot to think about, but what's missing is timing. I know this but don't say it enough. Often, too, I think the rider released or "dropped" the horse too early, when in reality, the rider asked when the horse's outside hind is on the way back instead of on the way forward. It's a feel that must be developed. Too much else suffers from this one little oversight: bad things like coming above the aids at the withers, falling on the forehand, losing the back, total loss of uphill balance which, in turn, causes contentious downward (non-existent?) (crappy?) transitions. In conclusion (Woohoo! Yay!), you can count on me stressing this timing more from now on:).

Saturday videos

Texted wisdom from Suzanne

Every so often Suzanne drops a dressage theory bomb on me via text. I love it! I love theory and truly believe that there is no "dressage mystique": if you know your theory and apply it correctly, you and your horse will improve.

I wanted to save the last two theory bombs both so I don't lose them and so others can benefit from her wisdom. Here they are:

I am home. Therefore, you may be subjected to random thoughts, such as the following: Due to all my lessons of late on lengthening and extensions, I've been thinking a lot about what is logical to us humans is often the antithesis of what it means to the horses. It is so true! We see it in bending them away (shoulder-in past the "monster") from what scares them rather than facing it. We see it in using legs (driving) into collection and downward transitions rather than pulling. Also, holding into upward transitions AND EXTENSIONS! More leg for less forward (but more activity) and less leg (but more seat) for more forward and extensions. Yes, there are half-halts, and softening has it's place. However, to think about all these things simply as the opposite of what might be expected could be an effective rule of thumb. I didn't connect those things sufficiently in lessons, I don't think.

Suzanne May

I've been thinking about hands a lot. I was pretty easy going about it before, but the more I think about it, the more I'm coming to the conclusion that the hands need to stay close together. Maybe it's because everyone's getting their horses past the "baby stage", or maybe it's because logic dictates it. Also, I have noticed a distinct lack of success with wide - and often low - hands. It really came home to me when someone asked me at a show why she couldn't keep her horse "on the bit". She proceeded to show me how he came down in halt with her hands wide and low. As soon as they moved, he was gone. It was a "trick". He was not accepting her hand. I realized that the horse could "bounce" between the reins. I have also seen a lot of "one-rein arguments", usually (exclusively?) on the stiff rein. What do they accomplish? Not much! It becomes like "resistance training" for both you and the horse! Both get stronger! The neck bends, but the poll never gives, the half-halt goes out the bulging side of the neck, and throughness never improves. It also is usually the result of temper. Instead, if we keep our hands together AND keep contact on both reins AND use them together - either to the right or to the left - the neck stays stabilized between the shoulders. The only place left for the horse to give is in the poll. As I've said before, these rein aids can be strong, but not long. This will help prevent the horse from opening its mouth, too. Goes without saying that the rider must support all rein aids with seat and legs. If the horse gives in the stiff side of the poll, it also has to take a little more contact on the soft side of the poll. Voila! Two birds with one stone!

Suzanne May

Sunday trot work

Schooling January 7, 2017