FAQ

How do evaluate where to begin with a Horse/Rider you've never seen before?

I first look at the foundation of the training and the development of the horse. If the horse is not being ridden or worked in a manner that encourages the development of the topline, which is what I most often see, I start at the beginning. If the horse isn't being worked correctly it will never reach its full potential so I consider this to be the number one priority. It has to approached in a logical manner. If a horse and rider aren't performing the basic foundation principals you have to start there. What seems to be missed most often is how long it takes to correctly develop a horse and the expertise it takes. Too often trainers are trying to entertain the riders instead of always doing what first is best for the horse. The key ingredient, and the most difficult, is to always be improving the horse while in an environment that the rider can learn.

Is lunging part of your program?

Yes, but not to simply tire the horse out. Correct lunging is gymnastic schooling that leads to a more compliant and elastic horse. As the horse progresses , we lunge less . Most Classical trainers will lunge a horse for up to a year before riding them because they know the importance of developing their backs and that can be best accomplished without a rider, IF you know how to lunge correctly. Lunging correctly can eliminate some of the most common issues I see....horses that are not forward and/or not engaging their toplines.

Most trainers I've worked with turn their horses out everyday, especially before they're ridden, why don't you?

We don't believe in pre-exhausting a horse. It is most commonly done so that the horse will be more ridable, but this is not the same as actually training a horse. Same as underfeeding a horse because it has too much energy and is hard to control. Horses need to be able to build muscle, not starve them into submission. You can not develop a horse that isn't getting enough to eat. To reach the highest levels of Dressage a horse has to have a tremendous amount of energy but be submissive. If it has learned to be submissive simply because it is tired, or weak, this is not training. I'm not sure why horseowners think their horses are having such a great time. Some horses I see turned out in large areas look terrified as they run around screaming for their mates and are most intent on finding a way to get back to them. Horses are herd animals and to be separated from the herd in their minds can mean danger and vulnerability. Or the other scenario are the horses that aren't affected and you see their owners trying to scare them into acting scared and running around chasing them.

So you never turn out?

We turn them out after they have been ridden, preferably in a round pen or small paddock and not accessible to other horses. We have seen more injuries due to turning horses out in large areas, especially if they are not used to it, then any other form of exercise. Horses that are trained properly put their energy into their work. None of our horses have stable vices nor seem discontented. They are always eager to go to work and the training sessions leave them in a relaxed state of mind and body. We turn them out on off days but monitor them closely.

Why do you use a chambon?

We use a chambon mainly in the beginning when we first start teaching a horse to lunge. It encourages horses that have been moving with a hollow back to stretch their frame down and out. Horses with undeveloped toplines need to lower the poll down and forward to allow the back to begin to lift and give room for the hind legs to swing deeper under the body. A horse must first learn to move forward with impulsion but many horses aren't ready for side reins (they haven't developed the correct contact with the bit) and a horse will never be able to reach under his body with his hind legs if his back is hollow. We will also sometimes have riders ride with the chambon who haven't developed enough themselves as riders to ask the horse stretch. This works in a twofold system; the horse continues to work on his frame, development and way of going while the rider concentrates on his balance, use of the aids etc.

Why do you lunge with side reins?

Side reins are essential in helping the horses understand the contact with the bit. Lunging is an art in itself, meaning you can teach a horse a tremendous amount about how you expect him to respond when ridden, help the horse to find his balance without having to balance a riders weight, the concept of moving away from inside pressure to the outside rein (which cannot be accomplished without side reins) and horses have a chance to "figure it out on their own" without the interference from a rider. After all, side reins can never pull on the horses mouth like a rider can and the horse can learn to flex correctly. Correct adjustment of the side reins for the level of the horses abilities is crucial and used mostly in the trot. All of the nuances of lunging are too vast to cover in one paragraph.

Why do you stretch your horses so much?

There is solid reasoning for stretching (long and low, down and forward). To begin the development of the topline a horse needs to be able to counterbalance the riders weight and the lack of development in his back by lowering the neck. Once the horses neck is lowered (not forced or pulled down, and with a light positive contact) it's back will lift and you will see the stomach muscles engage and the horse's hind legs will begin the reach deeper underneath . It is the beginning of the gymnastically improving the horses gaits and way of going. Our FEI horses that have advanced enough that they don' t need the stretching as a gymnastic exercise as much as a release for the muscles that may become fatigued from carrying themselves in collection and also as a reward for a job well done. It can also have a calming effect when horses have become excitable. Our horses love to stretch and it gives them a chance to relax during a training session (in mind and body) between demanding movements.

Why do you begin piaffe so early?

In the beginning it is a gymnastic tool and done in hand. We are not trying to achieve an immediate correct piaffe but it is one of the best gymnastic exercises to teach the horse to bend the joints in the hindlegs, begin to carry more weight on the hindlegs and to engage the back and stomach muscles. The same thing one is asking for when we ask the horse to collect (albeit to a lesser degree). It is easier for a horse to start developing these abilities in-hand without the weight of the rider and begin the correct muscle development that makes collection easier. So it makes sense to us that a horse start to develop these abilities, muscling and the understanding of the aids that indicate that we would like more engagement, before we start to ask the horse to collect under saddle. Collection then becomes a natural progression.

Why do your beginning students ride with their stirrups shorter than the ideal?

A rider (like a horse) needs time to develop. When riders are asked (same as horses) to assume a position that is more advanced then they are ready for they compensate in undesirable ways. A rider who hasn't developed enough yet to achieve a long relaxed leg will be reaching for their stirrups which will tip them forward and out of balance. This can lead to habits of gripping with the legs, using the reins for balance, or various other undesirable habits because the rider feels insecure and (of course) out of balance which you now have a vicious cycle. Balance is the priority and the rider will not progress unless they are in a position that is correct for them AT THAT TIME. Ergo, you need to begin with a stirrup length that allows the rider to find the stability they need to feel secure and begin creating independent aids. Exactly the same for a horse. A horse that is being forced into a frame that is more advanced than it's development will hollow, stiffen, start "breaking at (usually) the 3rd vertebrae" or other evasions. Rider and horses will progress faster and with less resistance if allowed to be in the position they need to be in for their level of development AT THAT TIME and will eventually achieve the ultimate position.

I've trained with other trainers that have me sit the trot (endlessly it seems) but you don't seem to, why is that?

Another vicious cycle. In a perfect world a rider would learn to ride on a schoolmaster that has been developed CORRECTLY which to us would mean it has a great topline and is capable of keeping his back "up" so then the rider could spend a lot of time developing the skill for the sitting trot on a horse that will "allow" them to sit correctly and relatively effortlessly. Unfortunately this is not a perfect world and most riders begin on horses that aren't developed yet or developed incorrectly. This combination is certainly not insurmountable if done logically. This process should be symbiotic for the horse and rider. If an inexperienced rider sits the trot on a horse that is hollow to begin with it is uncomfortable and near impossible to stay relaxed (for horse and rider) The unavoidable progression is the rider gets more and more tense, the horse hollows more and more which then makes it worse for the rider which makes it worse for the horse, or the horse is asked to go slower and slower and is no longer being worked in any kind of gymnastic manner and does not benefit the horse in any way. Either way you look at it......vicious cycle. My approach is for the rider to begin sitting the trot ONLY when the horse can sustain the riders weight and balance without affecting it's own gaits and showing no signs of hollowing and resisting. Now the progression will not be a contradiction and will create a symbiotic relationship. Horse and rider are not being forced into positions that they cannot possibly sustain therefore not creating a situation that is detrimental to their progress. It now becomes a win-win situation because the horse can comfortably support the rider which in turn makes the trot easier to sit for the rider allowing the rider to stay supple.

I've been shocked and disappointed before when I find out that my horse who is supposed to be in full time training is being ridden by someone other than the trainer, or being lunged by grooms or simply turned out, is that the usual practice?

Not with us and never will be. Every time a horse is being handled by a person it is learning and developing habits that are correct or incorrect. It is either being handled in a way that aids its development or deters from it. It makes no sense to us to allow any kind of handling that is a contradiction to a horse's progress, for example lunging a horse with a halter that allows it to use the opposite set of muscles that you are trying to develop while riding (or lunging correctly).

Sometimes I see your horses being ridden behind the vertical, can that be good?

Horses are capable only of developing in stages and in the earlier periods they don't yet look technically correct but the only way to solve that is to ride them in a manner that will eventually allow them to sustain a more desirable frame. Horses can be behind the vertical for various reasons. We are often in the process of retraining (or redeveloping) horses that have developed this evasion of contact. Usually its because they have been previously been ridden from "front to back", sometimes its a conformation issue. Whatever the cause it has to be dealt with in a systematic process, and yes they will be in a less than ideal position occasionally but you have to ride the horse in whatever position the horse needs AT THAT TIME and sometimes that means the horse will go through stages that appear not "correct". What is important in all of this is the hindlegs. If they occasionally come behind the vertical this is acceptable if the horse is starting to come through, reach and bend his hindlegs, use his back then , and only then, will the horse start to become strong enough and accept the correct contact, and will no longer be "behind the vertical".

The last barn I was at insisted that I routinely have my horse's hocks injected. Is that part of your "maintenance" routine?

No because horses that are trained and developed correctly don't usually need them. I totally agree with the studies that have found the best cure is a preventative one. A person's money can be more wisely spent by finding a trainer that can progress a horse properly so the need of injections doesn't arise instead of trying every new cure on the market to "patch" a horse up. I'm certainly not saying that there aren't cases where some intervention may be necessary but we rarely have them ourselves. We've had horses brought to us that were deemed lame and were only usable because of their routine injections but are now drug free and sound. We are not trying to replace the advise of a veterinarian but in our experience a lot of hind leg "lameness" is often a lack of strength and a horse not connecting through the topline and what you see is an unevenness of the gait.

You claim to train in the Classical system but I'm not sure I know what that means. Is it different than "Modern" Dressage?

I'm not sure why there is a debate because if horses aren't trained and developed in a manner and system that ultimately leads to the lowering of the hindquarters due to the bending of the hindleg joints and carrying more weight behind coupled with the horse being supple and submissive, it just isn't Dressage. I would assume the debate comes from the fact that some Dressage judges are awarding horses that are hollow and disengaged, showing flashy front end action but with no engagement from behind. I can certainly understand the concern because it then begins to look like Saddlebred riding. It is a two sided coin. Major progress has been made in breeding and developing the "sport" horse. Horses that come with natural, enormous suspension and big moving gaits that with no training at all look magnificent......until they are asked to collect. Even these "super" horse won't collect, or especially piaffe correctly without being trained in the classical system, they simply slow them down and call it collection, even though they are hollow through the back and not lowering and bending their hocks and most telltale in the piaffe where they cannot hold the rhythm, the hindquarters simply bounce up and down with no lowering whatsoever and the transition usually suffer, becoming unbalanced and disengaged. The "super" horses that are trained "Classically" are stupendous. A perfect example is Rusty and Ulla Salzbarger, Goldstern and Klaus Balkenhol, horses that were trained by the late George Theodorescu, . So....on one hand the horseflesh is just superb.....on the other hand.....it is allowing "shortcuts" in the training of these horses (or no real training) and the price will be paid as the horse moves up the levels. Of course if Judges continue to award high marks to horses that are not truly doing Dressage then it will become the way of the future. It will no longer be a contest of which horse is the best trained, developed and is in true self carriage but a contest of the best bred, most flamboyant and most likely the costliest.

So to answer your question, my suspicion is that "Modern" Dressage would require you to have the "super" horse that you could "crank and spank" into a winner under some Judges who haven't read the guidelines from the Dressage Federation that claims to require engagement and impulsion.

My trainer insists that I only feed grass hay and almost no grain because my horse is too "high" and is too difficult to ride. My horse is quieter now but looks thin with no muscle. What should I do?

Get a new trainer. A person who feels they have the talent, expertise and know how to call themselves a trainer should not be starving horses into submission they should be training them. Even if a horse is difficult, making them weak isn't training, just like turning them out and exhausting them isn't either. No matter how difficult or "high" a horse is a trainer should know how to begin a process that will develop their minds while not depleting their bodies. Horses need to gain muscle to be able to perform the movements we are asking of them and to gain muscle they need to have a bit of surplus energy not a depletion. Neither should the horse be allowed to become too fat, this would also hamper their abilities. We are also careful not to let the horse become too fit (meaning on a cardiovascular level) until their level of submission is appropriate. It becomes a vicious cyle if you have to exhaust your horse into submission because the more they become fit the harder you have to work them to reach the same level of submission and you will find yourself with a broken down horse that still isn't trained. How can you possibly develop a topline if the horse isn't being fed enough to develop any muscle and if they aren't being asked to improve their carrying capabilites .

I see that you have access to riding trails, but do you actually use them? I have a FEI level horse and my trainer would never ever let me take him on a trail.

Of course we do but not in the stereotypical fashion of using your horse as a walking barcolounger. This is when trailriding is detrimental to a horses development not beneficial. Riders think that they are giving their horses a "day off" full of relaxation and reward by letting them hollow their backs and plug along. We take them out on a trail ride as a training exercise, improving their way of moving and keeping their backs up. It can be very beneficial, we work on the same principles as if we were in a ring. We do piaffe, passage, extensions, tempi changes, extended canter anything that we feel is appropriate at the time. Of course the trails we use have very good footing and we are careful not to put the horses in unsafe situations. Yes, the horses can become excitable but this too can be turned into a training opportunity, especially for the "spooky" ones. When horses have been developed correctly their rides aren't "work" that they dread, and ANY time a horse is being ridden, on a trail or in a ring, the same principles should apply, meaning we don't ride them to the point that they are not able to keep their backs engaged and working correctly.