While auditing a gaited dressage clinic with Larry Whitesell, demonstrated three ways how rider position can effect the horse. The position of the rider’s hands, head, and arms can encourage the horse onto the forehand. And of coarse, I’m mortified that I’ve been guilty on all counts.
In Larry’s first demonstration, a woman volunteered to be the horse. She closed her eyes and held the bit in her hands while Larry held the reins. Larry repositioned his hand position from thumbs on top to a horizontal position (aka, puppy paws, piano hands). Without pulling on the reins, he asked her if she noticed a change and if so, what did it feel like.
The volunteer said, “It feels heavy.”
I was amazed how just turning the wrists from vertical to horizontal without pulling back on the reins could actually be felt as heavy through the reins! Larry said if hand position feels heavy to the horse, it can put the horse on the forehand.
In Larry’s second demonstration he changed his head position from looking ahead to looking down at the horse’s head. The volunteer had her eyes closed as she held the reins. Larry asked her if she noticed a difference and she said, “It feels heavy.” Again, I was amazed that the position of one’s head makes a difference to the horse through a loose rein contact.
Larry added that if you ride with straight arms, it also feels heavy to a horse and places them on the forehand. Wow, I’m guilty on all accounts and all at the same time! It’s no wonder my horse travels on the forehand.
Now that I’ve become aware of riding positions that are counterproductive to what I aim to achieve, I can become more intentional about riding with my thumbs up, arms at my sides with a bend at the elbow, and my head positioned up and looking ahead of where we are going.
I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
Lawn mowers, mosquitoes, flowering trees, song birds in chorus, and the return of hay fever—in March!
Midwest March heat melted previous high-temperature records. Perhaps the March heat is what inspired my mare’s record-breaking heat that showed up the day before our western gaited dressage demonstration this season.
Up until last year when she turned seven, Makana had been a saint 95% of the time. That’s when I began to notice a change in her behavior. Saint one day and erratic the next. It was nearly impossible to get her moving forward.
At first I thought it was my riding position, then I explored saddle fitting issues, tried some supplements, and changed her diet. The one thing I hadn’t considered was a change in her hormones, mainly because I can never tell when she’s in heat. She shows no physical outward signs.
Makana and I had a terrific time riding through the mild winter temperatures, until March, the day before our gaited dressage demonstration at the Western Dressage Clinic. The day before the clinic I had my record-breaking worst ride ever! Explosive, distracted, spooky, unwilling to turn or bend to the right, I couldn’t believe this was the same horse I had been riding all winter! Getting after her only made her behavior worse, so I asked for my saintly husband’s help.
Dan grabbed his helmet and said, “How about if I get on? I’ve never experienced what you’re describing.” He calmly climbed on and walked her around singing, “Rawhide.” Makana mellowed out within a few verses. Was it the song? Not likely, but my husband’s approach made a profound difference, and he taught me an important lesson. He patiently wooed Makana out of her frenzy by inviting her into relaxation. My approach of reacting to her behavior by getting after her only stirred her up more. Ding-dong!
So, at the Western Dressage Clinic, I didn’t sing “Rawhide,” but I did apply Dan’s approach as I dealt with Makana’s marishness and it worked. No explosions; no erratic behavior. My mare could have been more forward and paid a little more attention to me over that handsome demonstration gelding, but I didn’t react to her marishness by getting after her. I kept redirecting her to relaxation through long and low stretching, leg yields, shoulder-in, hauches-in, rein back, transitions between the working walk, flat walk, running walk, free walk and canter. In fact, we even rode through first level, test one!
The success of Dan’s approach really doesn’t surprise me. After all, he knows how to gently love me out of a rather marish day and turn it into smiles and sunshine.
Video: Western Dressage Demonstration: NWHA First Level, Test One
As a “thank you” gift from the clinic organizers, Makana received her first bag of “Mare Magic.” I’ve heard good reports and will keep you posted.
Driving to the Western Dressage Clinic on Saturday, May 24, reminded me of our Annual B.L.E.S.S. Your Horse Clinics in Proctor, MN because the dense fog gave me a viewing distance of two car lengths. Thankfully I had a passenger who knew where we were headed, otherwise I think my GPS would have made me more lost than ever!
Over fifty fun and friendly horse people came together for a wonderful clinic hosted by Enchanted Hollow Farm in Buffalo, MN and organized by Judy Conger and Gene Hacket which focused on the up-and-coming equine sport of Western Dressage.
After a morning of lively conversations, education, an informational overview about the WDAA, door prizes and lunch, we headed to the barn for an afternoon of riding demonstrations. Jan Halter showed her Second Level dressage gelding and how dressage has improved their partnership. I rode my TWH mare, Gift of Freedom through the NWHA First Level, Test One gaited dressage test after demonstrating first level gaits, lateral exercises, the power of “long and low,” and relaxation in bringing a gaited horse into a frame to begin four-beat gaited movements.
Afterwards, Jan rode her quarter horse through a western dressage test, and then dressage instructor Judy Conger coached two brave volunteers through the basics of western dressage on their horses. The “before’s” and “after’s” were inspiring. Both horses were jogging in a relaxed and round frame.
Gotta count my blessings. We received our first snow storm of the season—and it’s nearly spring! More often than not, the snow season begins in November and lasts until March.
In any case, I had a blast riding my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse Makana in the snow. We were practicing our four-beat flat walk, running walk and canter for the March 24, 2012 western gaited dressage demo held at Enchanted Hollow Stables in Buffalo, MN.
I am a huge fan of before and after. I love shows like The Biggest Loser and Extreme Home Makeover, because I love seeing transformation. So, at the end of each riding season, I like to reflect upon where my horse and I have been, how we have improved, and what we plan to tackle next. I believe that life is an ongoing journey of learning—even for older folk like me.
I came from decades of dressage riding a non-gaited horses whose head and neck remained stationary at the trot. Then I became acquainted with the exaggerated head and neck nodding, ear flopping, and teeth clicking of the naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse at a flat walk. Fascinating.
This brings up the BIG question: How do you ride a head-nodding horse with contact? Do I follow the natural head and neck motion with relaxed hands? Or do my hands remain fixed and the horse adjusts its nod? The more I sought out an answer, the BIGGER my question became.
Riding a horse with contact involves teaching the horse how to accept and follow the snaffle bit while the rider follows the natural head and neck motion of the horse. This takes a sense of feel, timing, and technique of the rein aids to maintain a soft dialogue with the horse’s mouth while moving the horse forward from the hindquarters, through a relaxed back, fluid shoulders, and head and neck of the horse to a dialogue of contact between the rider’s hands and the snaffle bit while at the same time following the motion of the horse in a balanced riding position. A well-fitting saddle that allows the horse to move freely and comfortably is also essential.
In dressage, riding on-the-bit and establishing a round frame are requirements, but according to the late Lee Ziegler, a well-known and respected gaited trainer and clinician, riding the Walking Horse in a round frame can produce fox trot and hard trot just as hollowness can create pace, step pace, and rack. Lee also pointed out aspects of conformation which relate to a horse’s propensity to pace, four-beat gait, and trot. In any case, Lee encouraged her students to ride their gaited horses in a neutral or neutral-slightly round position.
I’ve certainly witnessed the transformation of a pacey horse brought into a four-beat gait through a lowered headset and roundness, but if the latter is true, is it possible to ride a Walking Horse “on-the-bit” and in a round frame while maintaining a flat walk and running walk?
In May I audited Larry Whitesell’s gaited dressage clinic and asked him how to ride a naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse at a flat walk, on-the-bit without restricting the head nod. He said, “You can’t.” Larry went on to say that if a horse nods its head, it must be bracing its back.
Really? I explained that the head nod is a signature attribute of the Walking Horse, and Larry said that the energy of engagement needs to be expressed somewhere. I believe Larry has something to this–although it is not to silence my Walking Horse’s head nod–but that my horse may be bracing her back.
During the lunch break I asked Larry for feedback regarding a recent video of a First Level dressage test we rode. He said, “Your horse looks happy and is where she needs to be at this level, but your horse is on the forehand.” Video: First Level Test 1>
The forehand? Gaited clinician Gary Lane and a few Walking Horse friends had also pointed this out. So, what does it mean when a Walking Horse is “on the forehand”? Does this mean that my horse is too long and low? Do I need more forwardness? Certainly, we need more engagement from the hindquarter, but how do I achieve it, how do I capture it into the bridle, what does it look and feel like, and how do these questions relate to riding my head-shaking horse on-the-bit with an unbraced back?
I spent the riding season exploring answers to these questions. In April Makana and I were honored to be one of the demonstration teams for clinician Gary Lane at the MN Horse Expo. After he had given us an “A+” on our long and low work, Gary offered insights to help my horse get “off the forehand.” He asked me to raise my hands slightly, squeeze with my calves against the horse’s sides, and release my grip on the reins. This is what he referred to as a half halt, and it resulted in a more elevated head and neck, lightness of the forehand, and a deeper head nod.
In May, I brought these questions to Makana’s former owner. She has gone on to be a Cavalia-quality horsewoman with her PRE-Andalusian mare. She stopped by and provided a few answers to these questions. She has a wonderful blend of gaited horse training, classical dressage, and natural horsemanship application. She gave me pointers on forwardness, connection, and lateral exercises.
In June, Makana and I traveled to Proctor, MN with our questions to the B.L.E.S.S. Your Walking Horse Clinic. The clinician, Bucky Sparks, offered several answers which helped me get a feel for riding with contact in a round frame while allowing my horse’s head to nod. My horse had a noticeable over track and a four-beat flat walk. I was relieved to know that it is possible to ride in roundness without breaking into a hard trot.
Bucky also helped me teach my horse to bend through the ribcage while asking for shoulder-fore, shoulder-in and haunches-in. These bending exercises began to unlock her braced back and add to her roundness and contact on-the-bit.
I also realized that forwardness and rushing are not the same thing. Forwardness can help produce balance, but rushing will cause the horse to fall on the forehand. My horse had learned to evade stepping deep from behind by taking shorter and quicker steps. I have no idea what smooth gait she had invented, but it wasn’t a flat walk or a running walk!
By slowing Makana down, I am able to establish a deeper step under her body on a long and low frame. Then when the deep steps are established, I can slowly raise my horse’s head and neck while maintaining the same deep steps. Then I can transition to flat walk for a few deep steps and transition back to a deep stepping walk.
A couple weeks after that, I met the President of the Western Dressage Association of Minnesota at a women’s horse gathering. She grew up with Walking Horses, and she noticed that my horse seemed to stop with contact. Keeping my horse moving forward has been a big challenge. I just assumed I had a lazy horse. She encouraged me to keep my arms at my sides and open and close my fingers with each head nod. This encouraged my horse to nod as she moved forward into the contact.
Ah-ha, perhaps my closed hands had been cuing Makana to slow to a stop!
Then in October at a women’s horse gathering, instructor Judy Conger explored saddle fit with my horse. We switched from my gaited western saddle to her Black Rhino western saddle that has a dish-shaped tree and is more flared in front. To my amazement, there was a noticeable improvement in Makana’s willingness to travel forward and through the corners without stopping. My western saddle hindered her shoulder movement, especially in turns. I took this awareness with me and now place my dressage saddle behind my horse’s shoulders. This has also made a difference.
Finally in November, I audited a Biomechanics Clinic taught by author and clinician Mary Wanless. Watching this clinic brought the words of her book “The Natural Rider” to life. The practical take-aways have made a difference in my riding position which has impacted my horse’s way of going.
There were many transformations this riding season. Did I lose a hundred pounds or have to “move that bus”? No, but I’ve gained many transforming answers to the BIG question. And I’m happy to report that it is possible to ride a head nodding horse at a flat walk with contact.
I hope this is helpful. Let me know your thoughts by sending a message.
You must be logged in to post a comment.