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| Classical Communications - Features by Jenny Rolfe | ||||||||||
CLASSICAL COMMUNICATIONS - ‘Horses, a gift from God, will eventually mirror our own personalities and become our best teachers.' by JENNY ROLFE |
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This is an introduction for my future articles and also our teaching here, in England. My book ‘Ride From the Heart will be published next year and the title is no accident. I asked Classical Maestre, Luis Valenca, on one of my visits to Lisbon, what meant most to him, when working with horses and he replied, ‘to ride from the heart’. I realized this was the most important philosophy for me and the message I wanted to convey, throughout my book. We are continually evolving a system of training based on minimal confrontation with the horse. The only way to achieve this is to understand and listen to our horse and communicate in a language which he can understand. When we observe the sensitivity of the horse it becomes obvious that LESS can often be MORE!! How often will a horse leap into the air when he hears a rustle of leaves or when a fly lands on his back? When we look at the nature of the horse and his responses it should make us aware that strong aids will not necessarily be more effective aids. Our horse can understand the gentle touch and the quiet voice which should be the aim of our teaching. If you observe a herd of horses, from their earliest days they learn to challenge, even in their play. Herd members will always be looking to dominate and challenge the behaviour of others. Our horses will predictably continue with these natural traits within their training, however with calmness and discipline, we can seek to build a relationship where ‘LESS will become MORE’. Have you ever listened to a conversation, between two people, where differing opinions are aired, where voices become raised and neither person is really listening? Both parties try unsuccessfully to get their point across and the harsh tone and raised voices continue. An argument has begun! This is how it can evolve with our horses and it is our responsibility to keep communications quiet, disciplined and easy to understand. We will in future articles be discussing the value of loose work from the ground.This involves communications, using both voice and body language. My Andalusian stallion, Delfin, was a bull fighting horse in Spain before we imported him to England. He is now an advanced dressage horse. He loves to work loose which he finds stimulating and fun; he has a rather ‘cheeky’ nature!! If I stand in the school, maybe 20 metres away from Delfin, he will watch all my movements intently and if I move sideways, he will mirror my movements whilst still totally loose. Of his own free will, he performs a half pass. I can control his paces as he moves in a circle, loose around me, only responding to my breathing and body language. He will change direction by watching my movements. There is a telepathy which has grown from years of learning and trying to understand each other. Every relationship, whether human or equine will take time and patience and much love to develop. I have found that our horses will mirror our own personality and become our greatest teachers! Over a period of time I began to realize the importance of our awareness of ‘breathing’ in our communications with horses. They are looking always for a herd leader to offer them CALM direction. They will react immediately to tension which brings an instant response from the fear and flight instinct of the horse. The herd will remain peaceful in the field if their leader is quietly grazing but if the horse stands alert having seen some potential threat on the horizon, the whole group will become agitated and restless. I f a horse is tense or excitable at the beginning of training I ask him to stand quietly with me for a few moments. I breathe deeply and stroke his neck, and then I will ask him to walk on the lunge and not allow him to trot until I give the signal. The horse at all times must learn to be attentive to us, which over a period of time will help him identify us as a herd leader, worthy of his respect. During ridden work after an intense few minutes of training, I will ride quietly at walk, on a loose rein and encourage the horse to sigh deeply. I can feel the tension being released and then we are both ready to start work again with fresh mind and relaxed body. These concepts of communication are the aims throughout training, whether working with a young horse or an advanced dressage stallion. My articles will explain in detail how we can learn to observe our horses and enhance the communications. I hope that through my articles you can further enjoy and understand your training and deepen your relationship with your horse. |
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CLASSICAL COMMUNICATIONS - |
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Our aim for the first year of basic training is to create a foundation on which all future work can be based. As Classical trainers we are aiming to communicate this work with harmony and to bring out the joy and pride of the horse in his work. If our time is not rushed and we are prepared to listen to our horses then for the future, all things are possible. We will discuss lateral exercises to loosen and supple the horse but also, of fundamental importance is the relationship we build, whilst working with the horse. When we commence work, our aim is to relax and calm the horse so he is able to accept our commands. If he is tense and over energetic then, in this frame of mind it will be difficult for him to concentrate and listen. Our goal is for light, sensitive communications and this series of articles will help you to understand how this harmony can be achieved. First we will look at lessons for the rider, without the horse .This will help progress self awareness of posture and breathing and also further understand the importance of balance. If we can feel ‘centred’ in our posture and focused in our thinking, then we can have a positive influence on our horse. Whilst in Portugal, I was taught by the Chief Instructor of The Portuguese School of Equestrian Art and frequently I would hear these words ‘Master the Balance and you Master the Horse’. At all times the horse is seeking to find his natural balance within the pace or movement and as we become more aware of this, his work can become more harmonious. EXERCISES FOR THE RIDER (without horse) To help us look at ways of improving self awareness there are some useful exercises from the ground which can help to enhance our ‘feel’ of movement. Begin by just walking a small circle, with your hands on your hips. Become aware of the larger movement with your outside hip and leg which will be the same for the horse when ridden on a circle. Think of your posture and breathing which will help you feel balanced and ‘centred. Turn your shoulders in the direction of the circle and feel the slight inward turn of the upper torso, supported by your waist. There will be a sideways and forwards swing of your seat and pelvis which you will feel easily with hands on your hips. This ‘flow’ of energy is important when you ride, not to become stilted but to move freely with the movement of the horse. Experiment and walk around ‘slumped’ with heavy, laboured steps, then change you stance and lift your spirits, feel proud and happy. Expand your rib cage and breath deeply, feeling your body expand in the space around you. Feel light and elegant. This is the way to self carriage in your riding. You become aware of your posture and feel ‘light’. When you have walked a few circles on foot and are becoming more aware of your body movements, then you can proceed to walk laterally, beginning with ‘Shoulder-in. Just walk into the corner of the school and then in a 10 metre circle. As you arrive back at the track, in the corner, think of walking up the long side. Then turn your shoulder position at 45 degrees looking as if you could ride a diagonal across the school. Keep your walk very slow and with your hands on hips feel the side ways movement (a little like the rumba!!) Continue for several walk strides up the side of the school. This can give you an awareness of movement which will help you to prepare to ride the ‘shoulder-in’. PREPARATION for LATERAL MOVEMENTS - RIDDEN When you commence ridden work, give yourself the opportunity to ‘tune in’ with your horse. For the first few minutes just think of your posture and the flow of energy through your back and seat. This does not mean to slump in the saddle but focusing on breathing as you expand your rib cage. The upper torso will be well supported by your ‘centred’ abdominal area which will allow you to ‘make a frame’ similar to a dancer. You will need to have a relaxed feel from the waist downwards. If you place your hand in the small of your back and breathe outwards you will feel the release of the pelvis. This creates a flow of energy from which the horse can respond. Take a deep breath inwards, widening your rib cage rather than drawing it upwards. As you breathe outwards, you can feel your breath follow through down into your stomach and abdomen. The goal of our basic work is to maintain rhythmic, loose paces with submission and straightness, whilst keeping the horse relaxed but energetic. During this work we should ride many transitions; this will help the horse build up good muscle structure and listen to his rider. We must also ensure that the contact allows the horse to be in his own self-carriage. I would recommend a time of warming up in basic work either on the lunge or under saddle before the lateral work is commenced. During the first few minutes of riding, keep the reins longer and use frequent transitions from walk to trot and trot to canter and down again, on both reins to develop more obedience and self carriage. Encourage your horse to stretch the topline of his neck, forwards and down in a relaxed way. If your horse tries to take a pull, breathe inwards and close your fingers on the reins. Bring him back to walk and maintain steady balanced paces. When we teach the lateral movements we should begin slowly at walk. Steady paces in walk will help the rider gain more control in the lateral work and maintain the balance of the horse. Once we have mastered shoulder in, travers, half pass and pirouettes in walk, we may then proceed to lateral work in trot. The horse will have developed the necessary suppleness through exercises in walk to cope with the trot work. Working a horse in hand can equally prepare the horse to move laterally.This is very helpful as you can watch more closely the horse moving as you train him from the ground. The most important exercise is that of ‘shoulder-in’ which will increase the engagement of the hind leg and so help create further collection, self-carriage and balance. This exercise is used in competition on three tracks but the original Classical exercise was on four tracks. LATERAL WORK IN WALK The correct preparation for the movement is the key to success, so begin with walking the horse slowly, but with energy and submission. The energy is important as you want to begin with a responsive but submissive horse. On the riding arena as you turn from the short side to ride up the long side of the school, ride a 10 metre circle in the corner. Upon returning to the long side, think of riding across the diagonal and place your shoulders and upper body to look across the 45 degree diagonal line. As soon as your horse turns towards the diagonal line, steady and support him with the right hand and leg so that he moves slowly, one step at a time, along the track. Position the forehand of the horse to come in, off the track and continue to walk in shoulder-in for just a few strides. Use your inside leg on the girth to promote impulsion and to encourage the horse to flex around it. Do not bend the neck of the horse to the inside by using too much inside hand (left) but control the bend with your outside (right) hand. Concentrate on your breathing with each stride and allowing your seat to ‘rumba’ with the movement... Ensure you are sitting centrally on the horse as this will help his balance and the power should be felt from the inside hind leg stepping through. After just a few strides, finish this movement and prepare to walk forward. Straighten your shoulders, looking ahead (up the long side) and prepare to walk forwards up the long side of the school, for several paces. Alternatively, from the shoulder-in, you can just continue in the position of the movement and ride a 10 metre circle turning in from the track. This shoulder-in movement can be practiced along the side of the school or you can ride a large circle at walk. Practice a few strides of shoulder-in, on the circle then walk forwards, still maintaining the circle. It can also be a good exercise to halt within the shoulder-in movement, relax, and then proceed with the move again. TRAVERS (HAUNCHES IN) After several walk strides forward from your shoulder-in, you may prepare for the haunches –in movement. It can be an effective exercise to work in shoulder-in to the corner and use the bend to help you change to ‘travers’. Steady and control the front of the horse with both reins to keep him straight and shoulder-fore. Your inside leg, on the girth, will maintain or create impulsion along with your seat and breathing. Position your outside shoulder and your outside leg, slightly back, to encourage the outside hind leg to take a step inwards, tracking towards the middle of his front legs .Just ride a few steps of this movement and then straighten the horse to walk forwards again on the track.. This exercise can also be performed on a circle, just asking for a few strides then refreshing with a forward walk. When he begins to understand an exercise, your aids can become less, as he begins to respond and understand. Once the shoulder-in and haunches –in are more established, they can become the preparation for riding the half-pass. As a result of these slow lateral exercises, the horse should begin to feel really submissive and more ‘bouncy’ and collected. Impulsion is not just about forward movement but upward lift and cadence. The engaged hind limbs are capable of taking more of the weight distribution, which enables the forehand to become lighter and more elevated. I use trotting poles for horses that are energetically forward but don’t achieve enough elevation in their paces. Sometimes horses can throw themselves onto the forehand by large hind limb paces which take them out of their natural balance. Trotting poles encourage the elevation within the natural balance of the horse. During a teaching session I regularly reward the horse for good work by riding at walk on a loose rein and stroking his neck. The horse understands the feel of freedom from aids as a reward. The logical progression for training the horse is to teach the lateral work in- hand then progress to work under saddle in walk until the horse feels more supple and obedient. He is then mentally and physically prepared to commence lateral exercises in trot. With any of the exercises, just ride a few paces then just ride straight forwards. The lateral work will help to supple the horse, but to refresh with energetic forward paces will re-activate the horse physically and mentally. If you can ride forward on a loose rein and the horse reaches forward and down, stretching and relaxing his neck, the lateral work has been beneficial. IMPORTANT GUIDELINES FOR LATERAL WORK. Practice exercises on FOOT before RIDDEN WORK. Then: PREPARE WELL for the exercise My next article will continue with the half pass and pirouette in walk. We will explore further exercises to help our goals of collection and extension in the paces. Later we can develop lateral exercises in canter, working towards counter canter and flying changes. Other future topics will include, Breathing techniques for the rider, A rider lesson on the Lunge – to develop ‘feel’ and balance Effective lungeing for the horse, Working a horse in hand Methods of warming up Structure of a training session If you would like further information, or if there are any aspects of training which you would like to see included in future articles, please contact Jenny Rolfe e -mail [email protected]. My book ‘RIDE FROM THE HEART’ is now available, published by J.A. ALLEN Equestrian publishers ( LONDON UK) ��
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