Dressage for Dads is my way to help myself and other dads learn about dressage, learn about horses, and learn about daughters (or sons). My pseudonym, DDD, stands for Dumb Dressage Dad, because that is exactly how I feel most of the time. And while I'm learning, I'm continually reminded how little I know and how much more there is to learn. So if you are also a DDD and care to take this journey with me, welcome aboard.
Anthropomorphism - The attribution of human characteristics or behaviour to a god, animal, or object. (http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/anthropomorphism) Simply saying something like "that stupid chair" is interpreting these things in human terms. People can be stupid; chairs cannot be "stupid".
Saying "that is a stupid horse" or saying that "that horse did that on purpose so I would fall off" is the same thing. You are attributing positive and negative human behaviors and intentions to an animal. The intentions of the horse are not the same as the intentions of a human. The intentions of a human may be based on things like spite, hate, envy, etc. as well as love, empathy or compassion. Intentions of a horse are based solely on its evolutionary characteristics. Horses have evolved as prey animals. They are always on alert and have a strong "flight" response to perceived threats and harms. That is why a horse is likely to shy or buck at the slightest thing like a shadow on the ground, or a bird, or a sound. It is in their nature to be ready to flee in the face of danger or the unknown. The underlying intention of this behavior has nothing to do with the rider; it has everything to do with its evolutionary survival mechanisms.
So how does one deal with this? I have watched different people deal with this in different ways. One of the most common responses is to get angry and try to wrestle with the horse - pulling hard at the reins and kicking the horse (my daughter used to do this too). This may temporarily control the horse but what did this teach the horse? It taught the horse that it will be punished for doing something in which it has no control. It's the same as calling a dog that won't come. Once the dog finally comes, I see many people so angry that they beat the dog. What did that just teach the dog? It taught it that if it comes, it will be punished/abused. That is the complete opposite of the lesson that you want to teach your dog. This is also the complete opposite of the lesson that you want to teach your horse. For the dog, regardless of how angry you are, when it finally comes, you need to be full of praise and positive reinforcement (such as treats). This teaches the dog that to come is a good thing to be rewarded. That will make the dog more eager to come the next time. For the horse, it's the same thing. You need to reassure the horse that it has nothing to worry about. You need to continue as if nothing happened. By not acknowledging the fear response, you teach the horse that it can trust you. And trust is a much more permanent form of control than is anger. Remember, It is not a "stupid" horse or a "bad" horse for doing this. It is just a horse, doing what horses do. To say anything else is to attach human characteristics and intent to its behavior - anthropomorphism.
Help - our horse just had a bout of colic. The fun never ends...but what is colic?
Colic in horses refers generally to gastrointestinal pains. If that's all it is, then I get colic all the time! Simple relief for me includes some rather unpleasant noises and odors. For a horse, it's not quite so simple. I'm learning that Equine Colic can be a life-threatening situation. In fact, colic is the leading cause of death for horses.
Unlike you and me, horses cannot belch to relieve gas pains. Moreover, because of their deep chests, when a horse rolls in an attempt to relieve the pain, it could cause the intestines or colon to twist (torsion) - a similar thing can happen to large chested dogs too. This is a life and death situation that is usually solved through emergency surgery.
From http://equinegutflush.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/colicrxhorse.jpg
What is the cause of equine colic - it's largely unknown but the prevailing school of thought suggests it's generally a result of diet. Horses have evolved as grazers that require almost constant eating and food in their stomach. They were not built to digest the high protein, high carb diets many horses today receive (Note: view my previous post on equine dentistry and floating teeth, another consequence of the present-day equine diet).
Some horses are more prone to it than others. It is also more likely to happen when there is a change in food which is why most people change their horse's diet slowly. And it seems to happen more frequently during the change in seasons with large temperature swings.
To relieve less serious bouts of colic, horses are walked frequently day and night. When the vet came out to see my daughter's horse, he stuffed a tube down his nasal cavity to pour electrolytes and mineral oil into the stomach. And he did a rectal exam to clear out any fecal compaction (nice, eh!). They fed him only minimally for the next day or so and put some apple juice in the water bucket to entice the horse to drink more. They also put some apple sauce in the beet pulp and bran to get him to eat it.
While I haven't received the vet bill yet, I'm not looking forward to it. But it could have been a lot worse if the people at the barn didn't catch it as early as they did. My daughter had to sleep at the barn that night and walk him every two hours. Just think of how this prepares daughters for the real world.
Cheers,
DDD
Follow-up (April 15, 2015) - I received the vet bill for the main visit and a follow-up visit. While I have learned over the past to cringe when I receive mail from the vet, this one wasn't as bad as I thought. It was just under $350 for the two visits. Considering the vet had his arm up the horse's butt past his elbow, that seems like a small price to pay!
Second Follow-Up (April 27 2015) - This weekend the vet had to come out again - Yikes! The horse was dehydrated again. He was outside all day before my daughter had her lesson and the weather had gotten cold again that day. The large variations in the temperature at this time of year (and it seems especially drastic this year) affect eating and drinking behaviors. They suspect he didn't drink while he was outside because it had gotten cold and the water was frigid. So I'm certain there will be another $350 bill coming my way in a week or so. And while I may have indicated earlier that these bills are smaller than I expected (considering what the vet has to do), they are beginning to add up!!
My daughter spent her school break this spring down in Wellington, Florida. She went down to be a groom and stall hand for a nationally ranked dressage rider who is trying to qualify for the 2015 Pan American Games this July in Toronto. A holiday it was not! She was up before 6am to start tending horses and usually in bed by midnight after she finished tending horses. Only to repeat it again the next day...and the next. She had to go back to school for a rest. And, while she was absolutely exhausted, she had a great time and didn't want to come home. I guess that is what having a passion for horses and dressage is all about. What I found interesting though is the number of kids that are down there with their horses competing. They send their horses down with their trainer/coach around Christmas and fly down for the various shows to compete. The trainer/coach continues to ride and train the horse while the kid is back at school.There was a great article in the New York Times today telling the story about these young equestrian snow birds and how they commute down to Wellington from New York every weekend to ride (http://nyti.ms/1y9geFR ). Some of the kids that my daughter competes against during the summer have their horses down there racking up qualifying points. I'm of two minds on this. On the one hand, I think this is just another example of the ability to throw money at something to gain an advantage that most other kids won't get because their parents cannot afford the expense. But getting into this sport, you quickly realize that money buys advantage. And so, on the other hand, everyone is entitled to take every advantage they can in a competition (as long as it's within the rules - not like Lance Armstrong!). I'll let you decide for yourself as to whether you think this is fair or unfair. All I know is that my daughter is quite cognizant of the cost of the sport and that the depth of the well is not endless. She appreciates all that she receives and contributes all that she can. And she has not once complained that she is missing out. She was just grateful for the experience - that she could go down and work during what was supposed to be a holiday. I guess, as a parent, that's all I can hope for - and that will surely serve her well as she continues on her life journey.
Yours truly, DDD
Going to the show just adds to the adventure. You can pay someone to trailer your horse or you can trailer your horse yourself. It costs at least $100 each way but likely more to have someone trailer your horse depending on the distance to a show. If you're going to lots of shows, it's probably worth the investment to get a trailer. We bought a light European one, a Fautras (Fautras Horse Trailers). (Note - Even thought they are pricey, I would highly recommend the Fautras over other European trailers because they have two large doors in the front and a lifetime warranty on the floor. It also has a loading mechanism that allows for one person to load a horse. We really like ours - the Provan Premium - and selected it over others after our research.). The European trailers are more expensive but they can be pulled by a smaller vehicle. And since they have surge brakes, you don't need a truck with electric braking capabilities. But there are many types of trailers that are less expensive however you generally need a truck to tow them.
If you do trailer your own horse, you may want to look into travel insurance. One company that I'm aware of that specializes in horse travel is US Rider (note: they are available in both the USA and Canada). It's kind of like the AAA for horse travel to help out when you're stranded on the side of the road. They go so far as helping to secure emergency stabling. It is well worth the cost.
When you get to the show, you need a place to store everything you packed. The solution? A tack stall. Yes, that's right - paying for a second stall just to hold all the stuff the horse and rider needs because you don't want to be going back and forth to the truck and trailer (make certain you order this extra stall on your show application form - think about splitting it with another rider to cut costs). And now that everything is unloaded and the horse is in its newly prepared stall, now you can sit back and take a breath - ahhh, NO!! Now you need to take care of the horse since it just had such a long journey, go check in to the show office, sign in, get your bridle number (if you don't have a bridle number on the horse when it is outside its stall, you can/will get fined/penalized or disqualified), and then start to prepare for the show.
Okay, you've spent the time filling out all the show applications and spent the money for the show fees. Now the time is near and it's time to start getting ready and packing. The fun just never ends.
Packing is one thing. Packing for a horse and a show is something exponentially worse. There is much truth to the saying that "people have dogs; cats have people; and horses have staff" - holy crap!!!! We needed blankets for every potential type of weather, travel wraps, standing wraps, bell boots, halters, bridles, saddles, food, treats, hay...and more hay, stall shavings, electrolytes, grooming supplies, fly spray, stall fan, extension cords, and on and on and on. See the links below for a couple of examples of a horse show checklist to see what I'm talking about. .
A portable tack box or two helps to help keep things organized. We like the Stanley tool boxes as they have wheels and a handle and can take a beating.
And all this is just for the horse! We still have to pack for ourselves! The rider needs to remember boots, blazer, helmet, gloves, breaches (and something to wear over top of the breaches so they stay white for the show!), hair net, etc. And then clothes for other times especially if you're staying over night. And then food and beverages because the days at the show tend to be long. And remember to bring some comfortable chairs.
Finally, I would strongly recommend packing a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream for the morning coffee for those early mornings on overnight trips. It helps to temper the chaos of the morning activities for DDDs (dumb dressage dads).
Wow, who would have believed that signing up for a show would be such a headache...for so many reasons. The paperwork involved is insane and requires a full time secretary.
Every show releases their "prize list" which is the rules, regulations, and applications for their specific show. Some applications forms are 6 to 8 pages long to complete when you include the stabling forms. Multiple signatures and multiple association membership numbers are required from the rider, the coach, and the owner of the horse.
And don't forget to include copies of the Coggins test (for Equine Infectious Anemia), copies of the horse FEI passport (yes, an actual passport for the horse issued by the International Equestrian Federation! - or a Equine Canada or USEF passport - see helpful links) and copies of all association memberships for the rider, owner, and coach.
To make it even more interesting, we did one show in another country. This required a vet check within 10 days of import to ensure the horse appears healthy as well as dealing with various federal departments of agriculture and customs/immigration inspections.
Finally, when you're filling out the forms, don't forget to make hotel reservations. You need to do this early to ensure you get into a half-decent hotel. And trust me, this is important! We stayed in a real dump once and it made the show much less enjoyable.
Sorry for taking so long to post another blog...it's show season for the dressage circuit so it's been a little crazy! But it has given me gobs of material for new blogs. In fact, I have enough to do a 4-part series about the dressage show scene--One for the money; Two for the show; Three to get ready; and Four to go.
Part 1 - One for the Money
This is my first year on the larger dressage show circuit. In previous years, my daughter did local shows at the training and first level tests. Well, this year she moved up to the FEI Junior level and is trying to secure a position for the regional team for the North American Junior and Young Riding Championship (NAJYRC).
There are strict requirements on the number of national and international judges and their certification level for the test to be eligible for submission to qualify for the team so only a few shows are eligible. And show locations are by no means close by...and run over a number of days. (More on this in Part 2)
So it means traveling with rider, horse, coach, stuff, and more stuff, and even more stuff!! (More on that in Part 3)
The funny thing about all this is that an actual dressage test is only about 5 minutes long. And for a single show, my daughter rode 1 test a day across 3 days. That equated to about 15 minutes of "show time" or about $10,000+ per hour. Yes, that's right - roughly $3,000-$3,500 for the show. How can this be you ask. Well, let me tell you. First, there is the show registration that includes registration and show fees,and a stall for the horse and a stall for all the tack. That's right. A second stall just to hold all the stuff, and more stuff. And then there are two hotel rooms and meals for the family and coach. And since you have to be there a day before the tests for the "jog" (This is where the rider hand-trots the horse up and down a hard surface so an FEI official can assess the soundness of the horse. If there is any question, there is a vet present to do an inspection), you need to be there 1 to 2 days prior to the first test.
After that, there are coaching fees on top travel expenses unless you're lucky enough that your coach cuts you a break (ours did thank goodness).
Finally, there is also a trailer fee to get the horse to the show. And luckily we had our own trailer or it would have been much more depending on the distance to the show (the international show we did would have been around $1800 just to trailer the horse both ways as well as additional $100 vet fees for a health assessment and $15 agricultural import/export fees).
Once you get there, some places are so large that you may even need to rent a golf cart. We needed to do that for the show at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. It was easily a 25-30 minute walk from the stable to the riding arena. So add another $400. (But, as you can see, it's one nice venue for the kids to show!! - Yes this is the same venue as in the video above where the 2010 World Equestrian Games were held.)
So lets tally it up:
~$1000 show fee and registration
~$500 horse stall and tack stall
~$500-800 for two hotel rooms (trust me - you don't want to cheap out on these. We tried and paid dearly for it. At one show, we had to stay in a dump that should have been condemned!!)
~$350 food costs
~$300-400 in gas (or $600-$1800 in horse shipping fees)
~$400 golf cart (four person)
~$200 miscellaneous costs (shavings for the stall, road tolls, snacks, etc.)
~$115 vet assessment and agricultural import fees (international show)
So I would estimate a range for the cost of a show to be anywhere from $3,000 to $3500 or more if you also have to pay to have someone trailer your horse.
It's called the "Sport of Kings" for a reason. All of this just reaffirms my status as a Dumb (...and broke) Dressage Dad!
Everyone who likes going to the dentist please raise your hand…err,
your hoof. Well I don’t see any hands or hooves up (not surprisingly).
This was my first time seeing how horses get their teeth floated at the
barn. Wow, and I thought going to the dentist was rough on me. It’s a
whole different ballgame for horses. In the past, when I talked about teeth floating
, it was because someone really had to go to the bathroom – so bad,
their teeth were floating. Not anymore…now I have a whole new perspective on what it means to have your teeth floating.
Who knew that horse teeth, unlike people teeth, continue to grow for
the life of the horse. So horses have their teeth floated, or should have their teeth floated about once a year.
So what is floating and why is it necessary? In nature, as they grazed the teeth would wear
down as fast as they grew. So with grazing all day in nature, the teeth
generally stay flat. However, with today’s horses being fed special feeds such as grains and pellets,
their rear chewing teeth (molars) tend to get sharp edges when they wear down. And their teeth also don’t wear down as fast as they grow because they are not grazing (chewing) as long during the day and have less jaw movement when they chew feed.
The diagram shows what I mean about how molars wear down to produce sharp edges. The top molars get sharp edges on the outside against the cheeks while the lower teeth get sharp edges on the inside.
Uneven wearing of the teeth can cause all sorts of problems with eating and biting and digestion. And could even result in colic. But it can also cause problems riding because of the bit in the mouth. The horse may pull or tilt the head to the side when being ridden or may have difficulties in bending.
Below are both a before and after picture of the top molars of an actual horse that had its teeth floated. Note how the outside edges are sharp edges. Also see the hook on the front molar that can affect the bit in the mouth which could make the horse more difficult to ride.
Now that we know the what and why, how does the vet float a horse’s teeth? It’s an interesting process
and one that took me back a little when I watched it this week. With a cordless power drill (quite literally) and a diamond chip grinder (or
a manual float file - which is a simply a rasp on a long handle), the vet literally grinds (files) the teeth down.
But first the
anaesthetic…and then the vet attaches the speculum (brace) to keep the mouth open. The speculum goes over the front teeth and is attached to the horse's head with a harness. The vet turns two screws which opens the horse's mouth wide enough to inspect and work. It looks comfortable, doesn't it.
After attaching the speculum, the vet gives the horse's mouth a quick
rinse when the horse's head is down to get rid of food particles before the inspection. Notice the big syringe in the background being filled with water to squirt into the mouth.
Then using a rope and pulley system, the head is lifted and held in
position so the vet can have a close look at the teeth. Doing a hand and a visual inspection, the vet assesses the teeth,
looking for hooks, potential fractures, and any other problems.
Then it's to the drill assembly and the diamond chip grinding wheel. The wheel shown below is for the top teeth. In the next picture, the vet grinds down any sharp edges on the outside of the top molars. A different flat grinder wheel is for the bottom teeth. An assistant holds the tongue to the side so the vet can grind the lower teeth. After a final inspection to make certain everything is okay, the horse's head is lowered and the speculum is removed. The horse is given an hour or so to recover from the anaesthetic. Well, there it is. My first dental checkup...for a horse. The vet asked me if I wanted to stick my hand in and feel the molars but I declined. It was more than enough just having to help hold the horse's head and harness under the chin so it didn't slip. Besides, I didn't want to lose anything...
And I certainly lost more than enough having to pay for it... As always, DDD
Horses are very large animals that can do immense damage to both person
and property. And damage and injury can be completely unintentional on the part
of the horse or it may be purposeful. Everyone is aware of the potential for
injury in the event of a fall. As such, helmets are generally mandatory for
participation in most organizations and facilities and most also have riders
sign waivers. Just look at Christopher Reeves (Superman) who is a quadriplegic after
falling off a horse. And he was wearing a helmet!
Granted there is inherent risk in anything we do from driving in a car
to standing in a bathtub. But some activities are just inherently more risky
than others. Horse riding and being around horses is such an activity. Beyond
the obvious dangers such as falling off, there are several ways to minimize the
risk of injury.
Horses kick; horses bite; horses buck. Horses are just
unpredictable so you need to be cautious.
For example, open-toed sandals are not idea foot attire around the
barn. One accidental misstep by the horse and… Besides, horse manure and hay is
not all that comfortable between the toes. Also, when leading a horse with a
lead line, never wrap it around your hand because if the horse spooks and runs,
it could take you with it or give you a serious case of rope burn. You’re no
match for a 1200lb-1500lb+ animal.
But sometimes things happen even to those who are most careful. My
dressage daughter has had her fair share of events and I have had my fair share
of close calls that could have been much more serious. Below are a few examples
for thought. First, my daughter was bending over in front of her horse stall putting
his evening food down for later feeding. And the horse, trying to get her
attention, just nipped at her. Unfortunately, and completely by accident, the
horse caught her ear. Well the ear was cut and bleeding.
The doctor glued and
taped it. Fortunately, she was wearing a head band because it was a pretty cold
day or a doctor might have had to stitch it back on. But she's pretty proud of this "battle wound"!
Another time when she was seven, she was carrying a saddle and walking
beside a horse that was in the cross-ties. The horse cow-kicked her (kicked out
to the side), catching her leg at calf-level and giving her quite the bruise.
Luckily, it missed the knee.
Finally, I was helping to load a rather cantankerous horse onto a trailer
by tapping it on the rear end. Once on the trailer, I quickly closed the butt
bar and started closing the door. I was momentarily standing behind the horse at close
range – big mistake! The horse kicked out and, if I hadn’t had the door already
part way closed, it would have shattered my knee. Luckily, it just kicked the
door. I learned a very valuable lesson that day – if at all possible, never,
never, never stand directly behind a horse! One kick is all it would take.
So this is just a cautionary tale that people need to be careful around
these animals. A good dose of common sense will go a long way. But even with
that, sometimes, s**t happens. I guess that’s why we have insurance (horse,
injury and liability, health, etc.).
Unlike tests that we have taken in the past, a dressage test entails a
very specific sequenced pattern of movements, gaits and paces to demonstrate
the horse-rider team. Just like school though, tests are level-specific and
require movements appropriate for that level. The higher the level, the more
complex the movements required and the higher the expectation from the
judge(s).
But how are these tests marked? Dressage is not like horse jumping
where it is clear for all to see that you have a clean round under time or you
have one or more faults by knocking down a rail and/or being over time. In dressage,
just like in figure skating and gymnastics, scoring is based on a judge’s
perception and interpretation. As such, there is always a subjective component.
And as a DDD, I just hate the subjective nature of things because it is ripe
for favoritism and abuse. I’m not saying it occurs, but one never knows.
Moreover, there is always someone who disagrees with the judging…most often the
people who don’t win!
Scoring and judging is based on a fairly rigorous criteria
involving scoring of specific movements during a “test” evaluating the horse,
rider, and horse-rider interaction. The test is a set sequence of movements at
various gaits and paces moving the horse-rider team to various points in the
dressage arena. Tests vary across countries but there is an international test
standard for all those competing to be on a regional or national team to
compete internationally. These are set by FEI (see useful links). The test
difficulty in terms of movements and horse-rider interaction (see training
pyramid in previous post) varies across the level of the rider from beginning
(training level at local shows) all the way up to grand prix (FEI international
Olympic-level competition).
Since the FEI tests are standardized across the world of Dressage, it
is probably the best one to provide an example. The link below takes you to a pdf file of the Junior
Rider Individual FEI test. Or take a look at the picture below for one much more in tune with reality.
On each specific movement listed, the judge (or multiple judges as you
move up the training levels) evaluates it on a 10-point scale from poor to
excellent. Multiple judges are used at higher levels of competition to help to
further remove the potential (perception) for subjective bias in evaluation and
scoring. Because some movements are more difficult than others, they would be
given more weight in the scoring, for example, counted twice. This is listed in
the coefficient column of the sample test above.
In addition to scores for each movement, there are scores for the
evaluation of the overall ride, a series of collective marks.
The overall test score is the sum of scores for each movement and
collective marks once any weighting has been applied minus any deduction in
marks for specific errors made by rider and/or horse. This total is divided by
the total possible score to calculate a percentage score – the final score
(calculated to 3 decimal places). If there are multiple judges, then the final percentage
score is the average across all judges.
What is the judge looking for when assigning the score for each
movement? The following provides an example. It is an excerpt from the Dressage
Canada rule book on JUDGING A TEST as to what judges look for in the movements
at each testing level.
ARTICLE E 9.7 JUDGING A TEST
Judges are personally responsible for their decisions and
classifications. They may not take into account any advice or observations from persons who are not members of the ground jury or anything that they know beforehand about the competitors or their horses.
1. The mark for each movement should establish whether the movement is performed sufficiently (5 or above) or insufficiently (4 or below).
2. In a movement which must be carried out at a certain point in the arena, it should be done at the moment when the competitor's body is above this point, except in transitions where the horse approaches the letter from a diagonal or perpendicular to the point where the letters
are positioned. In this case, the transitions must be done when the horse’s nose reaches the track at the letter so that the horse is straight in
the transition.
3. If a problem appears once, it may be treated lightly by the judge;
if it
appears successively, it will be scored more harshly each time, i.e. nodding, stumbling, shying, etc.
4. Grinding teeth: If a horse is content and happy to work, then it is
not a
resistance and does not need to be penalized. If the grinding is caused by tension (stiff back, swishing tail, etc.), one must go down 1 point
on the quality of the movements and in the mark for submission.
5. Horses that get their tongues over the bit or perform with an open
mouth shall be marked down.
6. In the freestyle, the timing of the test begins in the first stride
after the
salute – which must be made inside the dressage arena and facing the judge – and ends after the final salute. The judging of EC freestyles begins at the move-off after the halt.
7. The judging of EC and FEI freestyles begins with the halt.
8. If an athlete at FEI Junior level or higher rides an FEI test in a
snaffle bridle, the judge must make a note to that effect on the test sheet.
9. No competitor can be required to ride prior to his/her scheduled
time,
however, as a matter of courtesy and to aid in the efficient running of the competition, competitors should be aware that they may be asked, with due notice, to advance their showing times.
10. All movements and certain transitions which have to be marked by
the
judge(s) are numbered on the judge’s sheets.
So this was my attempt, however feeble, to provide some idea of the
scoring and how scores are given. And since I’m still confused on all the
nuances that go into scoring, I remain:
Humbly yours,
DDD
Sources: Equine Canada/Dressage Canada - see useful links FEI - see useful links
While likely not the same as when the Toronto Maple Leafs
coach, Red Kelly, put pyramids under the players bench during the Stanley Cup playoffs in 1976 to
harness pyramid power and lead his Maple Leafs to victory, the dressage pyramid
is also a model for success and victory. (Author’s note: the Toronto Maple
Leafs have not won a Stanley Cup since 1967 – the longest drought of any team
in the NHL. So obviously it didn't work in hockey)
The training pyramid for dressage illustrates the building of
dressage skills for the horse and rider team. It is a useful model to show how
new skills build upon previous skills. As the team advances and works on more difficult maneuvers, they
build on the foundational skills at lower levels of the pyramid. Just like in a
pyramid, the advanced skills require a solid foundation on which to sit upon
and this can only occur with the mastery of the lower skills.
But as a DDD, it’s difficult to see the nuances of each of these
building blocks. So a “simplified” description of each working from the bottom
up is helpful. The next illustration of the pyramid helps to show the
positioning of the horse to help illustrate each level.
Rhythm
Rhythm, not to be confused with speed or tempo, is how the feet fall in
any gait. They need to fall in a specific pattern that was described in the
previous post “Going through the Paces”. The walk needs to be a 4-beat rhythm,
the trot a 2-beat rhythm with a suspension between each beat, and the canter a
3-beat rhythm with a suspension after the 3rd beat that counts as
the 4th (silent) beat. See the video of the song “We Will Rock You”
by Queen in the previous post. The USDF defines rhythm as:
“the characteristic sequence of footfalls and phases of a given gait.
For purposes of dressage, the only correct rhythms are those of the pure walk,
pure trot and pure canter (not those of amble, pace, rack, etc.) Not to be
confused with “tempo,” “cadence” or miles per hour."
The key to good rhythm is balance of the horse and the horse-rider
team.
Relaxation
When the horse is relaxed, the horse can work better because there is
little tension. The horse is able to move better and willingly “listen” to the
rider. The two components in relaxation, elasticity and suppleness, helps the
horse with its rhythm and its ability to move up the pyramid. Being relaxed allows
the horse to better meet the different paces in each gait, both lengthening and
shortening its strides as it moves through collected to extended paces while
maintaining its rhythm (elasticity). Bending (laterally – lateral suppleness)
and extending (stretching – longitudinal suppleness) allows the horse to adjust
gaits and paces and perform circles of different diameters while keeping its
rhythm.
Connection
Connection is the contact between the rider’s hands and the horse’s
mouth, through the reins and bit. It is not the rider pulling on the reins but
pushing the horse from behind onto the bit. It is not done through the hands
but through the leg and seat. The rider must be sitting correctly with arms
moving in time with the horse’s head. Since connecting is a push from behind,
not a pull on the reins, the horse will look compact or “rounded”, having a
higher frame from pushing from the rear.
Signs to look for to show good relaxed contact include the horse
chewing on the bit and the horse’s mouth being moist with saliva (dripping
saliva – kind of gross to me but…).
Impulsion
Impulsion is the pushing power, from the hind quarters. Normally a
horse distributes their weight about 60% front and 40% back. Good impulsion
tries to adjust the weight distribution closer to a 50/50, with more weight
than normal on the hind legs. This both develops muscles in the back end and
gives the horse the strength to push forward. One of the ways to work on
developing good impulsion is through “half halts”. A half halt is the rider
signaling the horse to slow or stop but then releasing before the horse does
so. This brings in the hind quarter down distributing more weight to it, making
the horse look compacted and “round” and coiling the horse like a spring with
the energy to explode forward.
Straightness
This means the horse’s ability to carry itself equally on both the
right and left side. Like people, horses are naturally stronger on one side or
the other. Essentially, it’s like “dog legging”, or where the back end of a dog
is slightly to the right or left of the front. If you have ever seen a dog
running towards you, it usually runs with the back legs a little off from the
front legs. You can see it in some cars and trucks that really need a wheel
alignment or have a bent frame. If the horse moves straight, then the hind
hooves track straight with the front hooves.
Collection At the top of the pyramid is the collection of the horse. It is,
essentially, the culmination of all the levels below. The horse is more equally
weighted, shifting more weight to the hind legs; the horse tracks straight; the
steps are shorter with more flashiness, height, and energy in the hind legs;
the weight shifts to the back making the horse more round, there is
more energy propulsion from the hind pushing the horse forward onto the bit;
the horse is balanced and relaxed as is the rider; and the rhythm of the gait
remains consistent in pace changes within gaits. Summary It’s an awful lot to keep in mind all at once. And as a DDD, I can't
really see all the nuance in the collection and the work that has gone into it other than the
ride looks very elegant, controlled, energetic and relaxed. It’s kind of like
how the US Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart defined pornography in 1964:
I shall not today
attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced
within that shorthand description ["hard-core pornography"]; and perhaps
I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it,
and the motion picture involved in this case is not that. (Justice Potter
Stewart, concurring opinion in Jacobellis v. Ohio 378 U.S. 184 (1964),
regarding possible obscenity in The Lovers. ) [Emphasis added.]
So you may not be able to point to the specifics of a good ride or a
bad ride, but you know it when you see it.
DDD
Sources:
Dressage Academy (see Useful Links) United States Dressage Federation (see Useful Links) Paul Gewirtz, "On 'I Know It When I See It'", Yale Law
Journal, Vol. 105, pp. 1023–1047 (1996)
Dressage movements are done in three different gaits, the walk, the
trot, and the canter. While even a dumb dressage dad can tell the difference
between these three gaits, there are simple cadence counts that can assist.
Moreover, there are also a number of paces within each gait that will make the horse/rider
appear to be moving slower or faster by covering more or less distance. I say
“appear” because regardless of the pace within each gait, the rhythm should
remain consistent (like a metronome). And rhythm is the foundation for all
dressage work as outlined in the dressage training pyramid (to be discussed in
a later post). Finally, throughout all gaits and paces, the rider and horse
must constantly show good balance.
The Walk
The walk is a 4 beat cadence, counting – 1, 2, 3, 4 – to follow the
steps. Starting with beat 1, the horse’s back foot is stepping into or ahead of
the hoof print left by the front foot on the same side. Beat 2 is that front
foot stepping ahead. Beats 3 and 4 are the same but on the other side.
There are four different paces within the walk: collected walk, medium
(or regular) walk, extended walk, and free walk. Remember that the rhythm
(tempo) stays the same; it’s just the distance covered, head and neck position,
and leg movement that changes.
The collected walk covers the least distance but shows much more action
in the joints (or flashiness). The back hoof should step into or just ahead of
the front hoof. And since less ground is covered, the movement of the joints is
much more pronounced, with more action in the hocks and higher stepping. The
neck is high with the head held vertical (an inverted V).
The medium walk covers more distance and shows less action in the
joints. The back hoof steps ahead of the front hoof mark. The joint action is
not as pronounced because the rider has to keep the same rhythm while covering
more distance. The neck is lower and the head is held in a more natural
position.
The extended walk covers the most distance and shows the least action
in the legs. The back hoof steps well ahead of the front hoof mark because of
the greater distance being travelled. And, accordingly, the flashiness is muted
because of the stretching required to cover more distance. The neck is held
lower, almost horizontal, almost horizontal as they cover greater distance.
Finally, the free walk is a relaxation walk for the horse that allows
the horse to stretch out the head and neck. The hind feet again well ahead of
the front hoof mark as the horse stretches. It is a good sign if the neck and
head are long and low as the horse stretches.
The Trot
The trot is counted on a 2 beat cadence, with opposite front and hind
legs. In between each beat is a slight suspension where all four feet are above
the ground. Like the walk, the horse and rider should show good balance and a
consistent rhythm within and across gaits.
There are 4 paces in the trot including a collected trot, a working
trot, a medium trot and an extended trot. Like the walk, the rhythm is constant
across all with differences between paces being in the amount of joint
movement, head and neck position, and distance covered.
While having similar paces to the walk, the only one that is different
is the working trot. This specific pace is more of a training pace for those
horses and riders who are not yet accomplished enough to do a collected trot.
It is the start of showing more flashiness in the hocks and joints. It also is
the beginning of showing more spring where the horse is pushing from its hind
quarters (impulsion – to be discussed in a later blog post).
The picture below provides a good illustration as to the distances and
joint movements of various paces in the trot. Notice how as the paces move from
collected to extended, the height of the step decreases as the length
increases. So with longer paces, the flashiness of the step with springy exaggerated
joint and hock movement gets less and less because they are covering more
distance. (Note that the diagram also shows the piaffe and passage – two movements
that are much more advanced and done by expert riders. These won’t be discussed
here other than the fact that these paces show the most flashiness and joint
action and cover the least ground. In fact, the piaffe should be done in a
stationary position with no to very little forward movement)
The Canter
The Canter is counted on a 3 beat cadence. But unlike a traditional
waltz that is actually 3 beats (3/4 time - think of a song like “Moon River”),
the canter has an extra 4th beat when the horse is in full
suspension (all feet off the ground) – a silent beat. So in fact it’s a
deceiving 4 beats (4/4 time –if you hum the opening of the song “We Will Rock
You” by Queen where there are 3 strong beats and a pause or silent beat making
it a 4 beat cadence).
The paces in the canter mirror the paces in the trot moving from
collected to working to medium and extended in both the flashiness of the joint
movement and distance covered. Like both the walk and trot, the horse and rider
should show good balance and a consistent rhythm within and across paces.
The principle difference of the canter from both the walk and trot is
that both walk and trot are unidirectional. The canter can be either a right
canter or left canter depending on the direction. The picture below shows a
right canter. Notice that in frame 2, the front right leg and left back leg
meet the ground at the same time. Moving from frame 3 to 4, the right front is
extended as the last step in the canter. The final frame is the suspension
where all four legs are in the air – this would be beat four in the cadence. So
to count the cadence of the canter, beat one would fall in frame 1 of the
picture, beat two would be frame 2, beat 3 would be frame 4, and beat four
would be frame six (the silent beat).
The canter can be changed from a right canter to a left canter and back
again. These would be a canter, a counter-canter, and lead changes. So how do
you know if the horse is cantering or counter-cantering? The last, extended
step (frame 5 in the picture) would be the inside leg. If the horse is
traveling clockwise, it would be the right leg. If the horse is traveling
counter-clockwise, it would be the left leg. And a lead change would be to
switch from right to left canter or left to right canter done usually when the
direction changes.
Sometimes a counter-canter is required in a test. This can be done by
not switching leads when the direction changes. It can also be done when doing “flying
tempies”. That is, when the horse switches leads during the canter in either 4
strides, 3 strides, 2 strides or 1 stride. The fewer strides between the
change, the more difficult and advanced the movement. Flying tempies are usually
done along the diagonal path from corner to corner of the arena going through X
(see previous post on Where the Hell is X???).
So we’ve covered a lot of ground in this post, no pun intended. Seeing
a walk, trot and canter may make it easier to understand the movements and count the
beats There are many videos available that can illustrate them. Here is a link
for one that I found that shows a trot and then walk and canter. It's helpful because it actually uses a metronome to show the constant rhythm in each gait.
I could have gone into significantly more detail on all gaits and paces with respect to head and neck position, the bit and rider, etc. But it's long enough already. For those interested, go to the USEF or EC websites (links in Useful Links section) and read the dressage rules. It is certainly reading for insomniacs. Also, the Dressage Academy has videos of all gaits for those interested.
Due to my last post of the oblivious draft and the anxious child, I
thought I would take a little time to discuss horse temperament and blood type.
No I don’t mean blood type as in A, B, AB or O. I mean blood type as a
subjective way to identify the temperament of the horse breed. Others also use
a scale from 1 (calm) to 10 (fiery) to categorize the temperament of a specific
horse or breed.
I think these temperament scales can also provide a useful way to
identify the temperament of the rider (the teenage daughter) and to help match the
rider and horse.
Horse blood types and temperament
Blood type is usually described as being cold, warm or hot. There are
also horse breeds that horsey people generally place into these categories.
Interestingly, these categories are also geographic. That is, cold blood breeds
are descendants from colder northern European and Great Briton climates. From
my previous post, you know that draft horses such as Clydesdales (the Budweiser
horses) and other working horses are considered cold bloods. Cold blooded
horses have a calm, unexcitable, and docile temperament.
Hot bloods descended from Middle Eastern desert climates. They tend to
be thin-skinned and fast such as Arabians. It’s no coincidence that today’s
thoroughbred race horses are descended from Arabians. Hot blooded horses have,
what some call, a fiery temperament.
Warm blooded horses are descendants of the mixing of cold and hot
blooded horse breeds. They were bred to try to capture the qualities of both
cold and hot blooded breeds. Many of these breeds have made excellent dressage
horses such as Trakehners, Dutch Warmbloods, and Hanoverians.
Please keep in mind though that these are average ratings for breeds.
The individual temperament of specific horses can vary greatly from the breed
norm.
Daughter Blood Types and Matching Rider to Horse
Anyone who has lived in a house with teenage daughters knows that they
are, more often than not, of the warm to hot blooded variety. As such, it was
to our best interest to try to find a horse with a calm temperament for
balance.
So when we were in the market for a trained dressage horse (school-master)
for our daughter, we narrowed it down to two horses, both from breeds noted for
being cold-blooded. The first was a Clyde cross gelding; the second was a
beautiful Friesian mare. But we quickly found out that the temperament of
individual horses can vary drastically from the average of the breed. On the Clyde
cross, when the rider made a mistake, the horse just remained calm, patient and
forgiving showing a very pleasing temperament. On the Friesian, when the rider
made a mistake, you could see the horse becoming visually agitated and
unforgiving. The tenseness of the ride continued to escalate frustrating both
horse and rider.
Don’t get me wrong. For the right person with the right temperament
(and training) that Friesian mare would have been a fabulous dressage horse. She
looked stunning in the ring. But it was more important for us to match the
temperament of the rider with the temperament of the horse to set them up to
succeed as a team.
So obviously we went with the Clyde cross. I’ll keep you posted as to
how it all turns out…fingers crossed!
DDD
Sources:
Draper, J. (2002). The book of horses and horse care: An encyclopedia
of horses, and a comprehensive guide to horse and pony care. New York, Barnes
& Noble, Inc.
Pickeral, T. (1999). The encyclopedia of horses & ponies. Bath, UK,
Parragon Publishing.
