Dark Horse Dressage
232 Highway 97b V0E1V3 Enderby, BC, Canada

As a rider, it is up to us and only us to facilitate the movement and uninterrupted flow of energy in the horse. So, how do we do that? We have learned that a ..."normal" position on the horse is undefined. As, according to yesterday's post, we must continue to be flexible and change our seat according to the needs of our horse at that specific point in time. There are 3 very clear positions that we can see in this video with Carl Hester coached by Jan Bemelmans. Position 1: A slight leaning forward of Carl's body Think about at what phase in the training you can see this and why might you use this position to help your horse? Perhaps to get him more forward or to get him to raise his back? Position 2: A vertical position. Vertical spring anyone? Position 3: A learning back in order to "capture the energy" and then release Link to watch the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qjc_ceHjpbs The sensitivity and tact of Carl's aids can almost be felt as you're watching the video. It is with these refined changes and allowances that come through in a flexible seat, that we can allow our horses to be in perfect harmony. Happy Riding! #dressursåklart #dressage #carlhester #dressagetips #dressagetraining #dressur #janbemelmans

Buck Brannaman said something I wrote into my clinic journal and have been mulling over a lot. A clinic attendant asked how many times she would need to correc...t something that her horse was doing. Buck said If you are asking that question it means you have already failed at this whole thing! It tells me and the horse you are putting mental limitations on how many times you are willing to correct it. If you find yourself asking how many times....... you might as well quit cause it means you aren’t willing to do whatever it takes to turn out a good horse. You have to be willing to do it as many times as the horse is going to do it and nobody knows how much that will be. Do it till it’s fixed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I have been finding this quote pop up in my brain in a lot of areas of my life lately. This is one of my favorite parts of riding and training horses. I find SO many areas where this journey is more about me and my character than about a step by step program for the horses. How often do I let my emotions take over and make me ask that question, how many more times will I have to......reassure the horse who spooks.........clean up the kids toys.......wash these dishes.......fold laundry........work thru a disagreement with my husband......correct that behavior in my kid......deal with a difficult go worker.......correct the buddy sour horse........remind the horse to keep out of my space.........fill it in with your own situation. Learn to recognize when you have set mental limitations and how that self sabotages your progress with frustrated emotions because it isn’t happening in your timeline. #horsemanship #personaljourney #selfdiscovery #emotions #limitations #timelines #selfsabotage #braingame #personalgrowth #buckbrannaman #clinicnotes

If the need for drama is your thing, avoid at all costs watching a dressage schooling session done reasonably well. "Why?" Because any decent trainer understand...s that if she goes out seeking tangible improvement, in any given training session, that she is playing with fire. "How is that?" Again, and it has taken many riders, me being one, years to comprehend the most important fact of all about schooling, teaching, training. "What fact is that?" That any truly visible improvement will arrive as the cumulative effect of many days, weeks, months of careful and gradually incremental schooling, and that on no given day should a trainer expect much. If you or someone you know needs constant affirmation to the question, "Is this better,?" you don't understand how it works. "How can I learn to understand that?" Think back on your first days in first grade. Compare what you knew then to what you know now. How long did it take? Did your teacher whack you for not improving instantly? No, she allowed you years to learn. On no given day did she expect you to make much change. Yet many riders want "right this minute" things that we allow humans huge amounts of time to grasp. If your goal is to become a good trainer, you must get a grasp on this most basic concept. If you don't, won't, or can't, you will never become as good a trainer as you might otherwise have become. It really is "that simple."

Ingrid Klimke tanzt durchs Viereck wie keine andere! Wir haben eine ganze Playlist mit ihren Dressur-Highlights zusammengestellt. Jetzt die Playlist ansehen...! watch.clipmyhorse.tv/Playlist-IngridKlimke-Dressur Nicht verpassen: Heute Abend dreht sich im ClipMyHorse.TV-Spezial ebenfalls alles um Ingrid Klimke in der Dressur - ab 19 Uhr einschalten! watch.clipmyhorse.tv/AllesueberIngridKlimke-Dressur

Merry Christmas!

Back by popular demand for today's #trainertuesday..MORE CARL! This beautiful horse is always "over the back". As you watch, pay special attention to what gives... Dances with Wolves the ability to be round, soft and collected yet active, all at the same time. In the full video, this can be seen both in the warm up and carried into the competition arena. He is clearly riding according to the training scale. And, the rider's seat, subtle aids, timing and micro-communication is simply outstanding and exemplary. This horse is showing high degrees of quality, not just fancy front legs. But yes, we see elevated and light movement of its forelegs. In Gustav Steinbrecht's Gymnasium of the Horse, the author states, "Freedom in the shoulders is to be found in the carriage of the neck and, consequently, always more or less in the hindquarters, since the forehand is able to find a reliable support only on the hindquarters." The model of collection seen here is "Relative Collection" - that the front elevates in direct relationship to how much the hind lowers. This is called relative collection. "Absolute Collection" is another model but highly undesirable and damaging to our horses. In this model, riders attempt to collect and elevate the forehand without the synergistic relationship in where shoulder freedom is dependent on engagement and bending of the point of the hind quarters (also usage of lower back and pelvis). Everything must always come from proper engagement of the hindquarters. Hence the term working your horse from back to front. Through this you will create the feather light contact and elevation and not the false lightness that come from absolute collection. When we reflect on a naturally athletic horse in nature using its naturally gifted gaits, we can see relative collection. A beautiful rounding of the topline where the hindquarters lower, the back is up and the neck rounds. What is the timing of this? Perhaps it starts with the lower back and pelvis? Similar to an athletic horse bucking, rearing or a natural display of piaffe or passage. In nature and in correct classical training, we see powerful thrust, beauty and power that nature gave these amazing creatures. Truly focus your training today on the power that lies within and allow it to release! Allow your horse's body to round in a way that is congruent to a horse playing in nature. Think pelvis! Happy Riding! Link to watch full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch

Turn up the volume to hear the coaching Carl Hester is receiving......

Guido and Jessica went from Dressage Training tests last weekend, to doing H/J fences this weekend! Day 2 of Dustin Goodwin Clinic was cooler than yesterday, and both horse and rider were amazing! Guido is such a talented boy!

Changing up the scenery.