Did you know each time you ride, you are training your horse? Did you know dressage means training of the horse AND rider? Dressage for the rider teaches you how to train your horse. That’s why dressage for the rider is dressage for the horse.

Here’s my story…

Why Dressage for the Rider?

By Jennifer Klitzke

Just after purchasing my first horse in 1988, a fellow boarder gently asked me, “Who are you going to take lessons from?”

In ignorance I replied, “Why take lessons when I own a horse!?”

Back then, I thought lessons were for horseless people looking for an opportunity to ride—not for people who own a horse.

Then my kindhearted boarder friend invited me to watch a nearby dressage show. “Dressage? What is dressage?” I asked.

We arrived at Brightonwood Farm just in time to see Kathy Theisen riding a horse named Bullwinkle in a dressage performance to music. Kathy and Bullwinkle danced as one to the rhythm of a waltz, skipping along the diagonal in flying lead canter changes and soaring across the arena at an extended trot. Smiling the entire time, she rode with effortless finesse. Her rein, leg, seat and weight aids were so seamless, I couldn’t understand how Bullwinkle knew what to do, as if he read her mind. I get goosebumps every time I tell this story. This was my introduction to dressage. I wanted a relationship with my horse like Kathy had with Bullwinkle and I wanted to learn how to communicate with my horse as one.

That moment I realized the importance of lessons: the importance of consistent communication with my horse through my reins, legs, seat and weight to the degree it becomes barely noticeable. There was clearly a better way to interact with my horse than “kick to go” and “pull to stop.” No wonder my boarder friend asked me about lessons—no joke, I needed them!

Dressage is a French term for the training of the horse AND rider

Dressage teaches the rider how to lead the horse into:

• Relaxation (of mind and body) for the horse and rider; a relaxed rider leads a horse into relaxation of mind (more focus and less anxiousness) and directs the horse into relaxation of body (reducing tension leading to pace and hard trot)
• Balance (more evenly over all four legs); the rider learns a balanced ear, shoulder, hip, and heel riding position over the horse’s center of gravity and leads the horse into a position of balance where the horse is light to the hand, stepping under the belly more than disengaging behind the tail with the hind leg steps; and developing the chest and shoulder muscles to lift the wither, head and neck
• Rhythm (steady, even tempo, stride length, and consistent head nod)
• Connection (acceptance of a light snaffle bit contact as the rider learns to follow the horse’s natural head and neck motion)
• Forward movement without rushing
• Symmetry (even flexibility and strength to develop an ambidextrous horse)
• Collection (developing more carrying power from the hind quarters while engaging the chest, shoulder and abdominal muscles to lift the wither and back)
• Quality smooth gaits: A consistent dressage program develops the horse’s full range of motion for quality smooth gaits on cue and long-term soundness

Dressage for the rider teaches how to communicate with the horse

Dressage teaches the rider a consistent communication system with the horse through effective use and timing of rein, leg, seat, and weight aids. This communication system can be taken beyond the arena to the trail, cow sorting pen, trail obstacle course, jumping fences, or show ring.

Dressage for the rider teaches balance

Dressage teaches the rider a balanced riding position over the horse’s center of gravity. This helps the rider be an easier load to carry for the horse and for the horse to find its balance with the rider’s weight.

Showing dressage

A great way to confirm the rider’s and horse’s training is by showing dressage. A professional judge evaluates the horse on rhythm, relaxation, connection, forward movement without rushing, straightness and collection, and the rider’s position and effective use and timing of aids. Scores of 60% and above confirm the horse and rider are ready to move to the next level of training. Feedback from the judge offers areas to improve upon.

A naturally gaited horse learns dressage through an educated rider. Taking lessons with a professional dressage instructor is a great place to start!

Why I take dressage lessons

Each time I schedule a lesson, my dear husband asks, “You’ve been riding for over 30 years, why do you need to take more lessons?”

There is always something more to learn with dressage and I am a life-long learner. That is why I love dressage so much. Each horse and each stage of training offer something new to learn.

• Mastering the relaxation of my mind and body to lead my horse into relaxation of their mind and body
• Becoming a more balanced rider over the center of gravity of my gaited horse so that I am an easier load to carry
• Developing more finesse as a rider to minimize the extraneous movement and unnecessary cues for clearer communication
• Learning to ride from my core for more stillness without tension
• Coordinating my rein, leg, seat and weight aids at the proper timing of the horse’s movement for clearer and consistent communication
• Developing a better feeling of right and when to make adjustments to my position or cue my horse
• Advancing in my level of skill with my gaited horse to learn counter canter, flying lead changes, canter pirouette, counted walk, piaffe, jambette, Spanish walk, and more

I’ve been taking lessons since 1988 and am thankful for those I have met along my dressage journey with my gaited horses: Jennie Jackson, Linda Kaye Hollingsworth Jones, Larry Whitesell, Jennifer Bauer, and Bucky Sparks. These instructor/trainers have been instrumental in helping me achieve quality smooth gaits using dressage.

French dressage for the gaited horse

In 2014, I began studying books and videos about French dressage from Masters Philippe Karl and the late Jean-Claude Racinet.

French dressage teachings have challenged and transformed my dressage paradigm with concepts like:

• Separating the hands from the legs, so I am not saying “stop” and “go” to my horse at the same time; and no more driving my horse forward using my seat and legs into my hands
• Light to the hand and light to the leg taught me that I don’t have to drive my horse forward
• “Ask” the horse versus “make” the horse taught me a new paradigm of partnership and becoming a trusted leader
• The importance of teaching the horse to relax its mouth, lower jaw, and poll for relaxation of the body leading to quality smooth gaits
• Training the horse from a balanced position into a release of moments of stretching vs predominantly riding a young or green horse in a long and low position on the forehand. By training a horse from a balanced position there is no retraining later. Over time the horse’s quality of balance will improve as the horse develops strength and flexibility. Moments (not miles) of stretching are great with lots of transitions between moments of balanced work released to moments of stretching and back
• Teaching the horse to carry its own head and neck and not lean on the rider’s hands; the horse’s head and neck are raised high enough to be light
• Implementing lateral exercises and rein back sooner than later at a SLOW deliberate walk (small slow steps are encouraged) to develop symmetry; lateral exercises and rein back can be introduced in hand before saddle training begins; even though these exercises are introduced at Second Level, they offer great benefits to the horse to begin these flexibility exercises sooner; many dressage riders don’t show and most riders who do rarely show beyond Training Level

Read more: Can German and French Dressage Co-exist?

Are you on this dressage journey with your gaited horse or thinking about giving it a try?

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