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This winter, while judging a local schooling show, I occasionally
paused between rides to glance into the warm up area. I was curious
to match actual horses and riders with the advice I'd been overhearing
coaches dispense all morning. Rarely did I hear the wrong words,
but too frequently I saw less than optimal results.
Amidst all the books, magazine articles, instructional videos,
and clinics we're exposed to, almost everyone now can "talk the
talk." But like the Man says, "You also got to WALK THE WALK!" Talk
of half halts and preparation, rebalancing, suppling, and all the
rest won't get you too far if the horse is cruising along with a
flat topline and little regard for your input. Then it's only talk.
And your scores will reflect that.
At the Intro Level, it isn't necessarily my expectation that the
horses will be round. If they are, all the better, and the scores
can be 7s, 8s, even 9s. Intro, remember, is primarily a test of
obedience and control. If your horse is fairly rhythmical and energetic,
and if he stays on contact and bends through figures with some accuracy,
a 60% is certainly achievable with only a passive relationship with
the bit.
By the time your horse enters Training Level, my expectations have
escalated. In crudest terms, he has to go actively forward with
his nose in. Complicating your life, however, you can't produce
that effect in a crude way without sacrificing other essential qualities--
his relaxation, his freedom of movement, and the swing in his back.
Your horse must be attentive to, understand, and respect each of
the aids individually if you are to have any chance of combining
them to produce the kind of acceptance a dressage horse should exhibit.
A few years ago at the Aachen show, my wife, Susan, and our Working
Student, Courtney, interviewed Reiner Klimke. They sat with him
by the warm up arena and recorded his remarks on a small tape deck.
Upon their return to the States, Courtney's mom, who is an attorney,
offered the services of Tina, her secretary, to transcribe the interview.
Tina, who knows nothing about horses and even less about dressage
terminology spoken with a heavy German accent, produced a fairly
amazing document. According to Tina's interpretation, one of Klimke's
major concerns was that the horses be "swoo."
"Swoo-ness," as many of you must realize, cannot be measured only
by the rider's intention. A horse is only "swoo" if the half halts
you make GO swoo. ....If, for example, you can effect a rebalancing
without resistance or loss of the correct frame. In other words,
this quality, which is an important measure of the depth of your
relationship with your horse and your ability to adjust him, is
results-oriented. As riders you can't just steer through the patterns
and push the buttons. You must interact on a stride-by-stride basis,
asking your horse QUESTIONS. Then also in real time, you must make
judgments about his responses. Are they to be rewarded? Reinforced?
Corrected? Is your horse aware of you doing this? Does he care?
Can you channel the energy through his body and begin to shift his
weight towards the rear without him breaking in the middle?
These are tall orders which require a secure seat, independent
hands, and the knowledge of how you want your horse to feel. They
demand interactive riding-- not just peaceful coexistence or a don't-rock-the-boat
mentality. The willingness to experiment with this chemistry between
your horse and the aids is one step on the road to discovering what
"swoo-ness" really feels like.
It isn't realistic to expect instant results, but all good riders
have gone through this "searching" stage in their careers many times.
Dr. Klimke was as aware of this as anyone. I echo his parting words
(according to Tina's manuscript) in Susan's interview: although
it may be discouraging at times, "Donkey rub!"
**Translations (from Secretary-ese into DressageSpeak):
- "Swoo" is "Through."
- "Swoo-ness", of course, is "Through-ness."
- And "Donkey Rub" is "Don't give up!"
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Underlying
Relationships - Kyra's ABC's From the May 1999 issue