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.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

The Dressage Show Season - One for the Money

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.

Example of a "Jog" at the 2010 World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Kentucky

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!

Cheers,
DDD

Friday, April 4, 2014

A Visit from the Dentist

Floating Teeth

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 


Friday, March 21, 2014

Risky Business

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.).

DDD

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

That Damn Russian Judge - Scoring in Dressage

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.
 
FEI Junior Individual Test




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

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Pyramid Power

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)

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Going through the Paces

Paces and Gaits

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.

(Source: USEF. (2014). Chapter on dressage division, Subchapter DR-I dressage governing regulations, pg. 8)

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).

(Source: USEF. (2014). Chapter on dressage division, Subchapter DR-I dressage governing regulations, pg. 10)

 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.
Cheers,
DDD

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Dressage or Cocaine?


There are many sayings regarding daughters and horses. And they all have a certain ring of truth to them.

My daughters have uttered these to me in the past:

Better the stalls than the malls.”
I would argue better than golf courses too.

It keeps your daughters busy, tired and smelling like horse shit.”
Ode de cheval – a fragrance that will keep most boys away.

 [Dressage is] “As addictive as cocaine…and twice as expensive
Nuff said!

 

 (Source: I have no idea. It was send to me by my DDDDD)

And the longer you’ve been in it, the more you will come up with yourself. For example, a few that I have come up with all on my own:

Horses teach girls how to handle large, dumb animals.”
A life skill that is certain to help them in the future (i.e. think marriage).

Instead of a 500-horsepower, 2-seater, red convertible, I spent all my money on a 1-horsepower, 1-seater, red convertible
So much for satisfying one’s midlife crisis!

Please share any you have in the comments below.
Cheers,
DDD

Monday, February 3, 2014

Matching Horse and Rider through Blood Types and Temperament

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.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

The Oblivious Draft Horse - Cartoon


One of my horsey daughters sent this to me and I enjoyed it so much I had to share. If you've been around those large draft horses (e.g., Clydesdales), you'll understand how big they really are and how oblivious they can be to small things.

For those of you unfamiliar with Fergus the Horse, I have attached a link to the website in my DDD links.

DDD

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Where the Hell is X???

We all know that X marks the spot. But what spot??? In a dressage arena X marks a very specific spot but one where no treasure is likely to be found unless you consider horse crap treasure (The amount I spend to have horse crap produced, perhaps it is treasure :s).

 But before we find X, we need to learn a little more about the dressage arena.

The dressage arena is where the rider-horse team play or perform their test. I didn’t know this but there are two sizes for a dressage arena – the short arena measuring 20m by 40m and the standard arena measuring 20m by 60m. Notice it is in metric (metres) as opposed to imperial (feet). I assume that must be traditional due to the French influence (Note – it was a Frenchman who created the metric system).

The standard dressage arena is separated into quadrants indicated by letters. Separating the 20m width in half are letters A (at the back of the arena) and C (at the front of the arena – where the judge sits). When the rider enters the arena for a test, they enter at A. The line between C and A is often referred to as “center line”.

The length of the arena is split up into various sections. B and E mark each side of the center of the arena. The length is then split up into twelve metre section moving from the center in either direction and marked by additional letters. After the final letters, there are six metres remaining to the end of each side of the arena (see the picture below).
 
(Source: Dressage Academy.  Retrieved Jan 30, 2014
from http://www.dressage-academy.com/dressage-arenas.php)

Okay, so after all that, where the hell is X???? There is no X in the picture.

X marks the center of the arena – half way between C and A and between B and E. Other letters have also been assigned marking the center distance between the twelve metre segments along the length of the arena. Between R and S is indicated by I. Between M and H is indicated by G. Between V and P is indicated by L. And between K and F is indicated by D.

So now we know where X is. But what I still do not know is why these specific letters? Perhaps someone else can help me understand. After all, I’m just a dumb dressage dad.

DDD

Welcome to my blog - Dressage for Dads

Welcome to my inaugural blog. I've never done this before so your patience is appreciated.

I figure a good place to start with this is to tell you a little about how I got to where I am today - a DDD (stands for Dumb Dressage Dad). And dumb in so many ways from horses to horsemanship to horse addicts. My daughters (now 18 and 15) have been riding horses for about 10 years. I blame my wife for this by wanting to live her childhood dream vicariously through our daughters. But that's all water under the bridge since I have now "bought in".

My daughters started taking lessons in Hunter/Jumper and Western riding. Getting a little more serious, they started competing in local shows and then leasing horses and finally owning horses. And unlike dogs and cats, accessorizing horses is an extremely expensive endeavour! It's called the "Sport of Kings" for a good reason.

My youngest daughter, about three years ago, decided she wanted to focus more on dressage to improve her equitation skills and has since gotten hooked. She has competed locally and nationally and wants to start competing internationally. As a dad, I guess it's better for my daughters to "be in the stalls instead of the malls" so I completely support it...and support it I do.

But dressage is an extremely complex discipline bereft with nuance and precision. So the more I learn, the dumber I feel. But I will try to pass on what I learn about dressage here for any other dads interested in learning more about it. Stay tuned...