Dressage: It Rhymes with Massage
By: Anna Blake
– Horses have been a key part of our culture ever since they civilized us centuries ago- in everything from transportation to agriculture to art.
Why do horses do it? Why do they volunteer to be with us? What is in it for them?
This is what I know about horses: They live in the moment, and don’t ponder history, or care much for psycho-babble. They certainly don’t wax philosophical. They like to leave that for us big brains who think too much, but frequently miss the obvious.
The obvious is what we experience watching a horse at liberty. Young horses live in the now, almost exploding with joie de vivre, a carefree celebration of being alive. But I see it in my decrepit grandfather horse as well. His nose sniffs the air, and his improbable legs pound the earth as he gallops off, flashing his tail. Even now, he feels a shadow of his prime, the strength and power that his muscles once held. It might be what humans envy most- that glory that a horse feels in his own body.
And that free feeling is what we strive to feel in the saddle. Horses will perform through intimidation, and sadly there are no shortage of riders who bully their horses into submission, but the joie de vivre is sacrificed.
I know I use this quote way too often: “For what the horse does under compulsion… is done without understanding; and there is no beauty in it either, any more than if one should whip and spur a dancer.” Xenophon, 430 BC.
What if an arena ride had the effect of a massage for a horse? Wouldn’t the rider feel great too? That was last week’s post and this week, I’ll share a recipe for that good ride.
Phase 1: Walk on the buckle 10 minutes, no contact, allowing the horse to look around and warm up the joints. No dawdling, this is a forward, swinging walk.
Phase 2: 10 minutes of stretching at the trot and canter, working 20 meter circles, with steady rhythm in transitions. Stay safe, but resist contact a while longer. Every snort or blow gets praise.
Phase 3: Take a walk break again, about 5 minutes, on a long rein. Remember release=reward.
Phase 4: The working phase is about 20 minutes. School at the level of your horse: Slowly pick up contact and start with transitions between gaits. Don’t over drill, give lots of walk breaks so the horse can relax and think about what he is learning.
Phase 5: Cool down and stretch from a light posting trot down to a walk on the buckle- 10 minutes or so.
It’s a simple recipe. I don’t think it has any ingredients that you wouldn’t already have in your cooking repertory. Actually, I borrowed the recipe from Dr. Reiner Klimke- it was his method for riding horses of any age or level. Then I added some spices of my own.
But that’s the point, most riding sounds simple. But simple is not the same thing as easy, and sometimes following the steps doesn’t get the same result for every cook using the same recipe.
“Cookery is not chemistry. It is an art. It requires instinct and taste rather than exact measurements.” -Chef Marcel Boulestin. (Just like riding.)
With that in mind-I will give you a few cooking tips for your ride.
First, remember you LOVE to cook. (Okay, this is all analogy, I hate to cook, but I do love to ride.) Attitude is everything for a successful ride, give positive cues and focus on the good parts. If you get into a routine of constantly correcting- that’s nagging, and you’ll be a giant, but dull pain on our horse’s back. So cook/ride with patience and love, nurture your horse and ride with a happy seat.
Use your timer, don’t guess when it’s done- in the oven or in the barn. Barn time is an altered state. Usually we lose time; we blink and hours have passed. Or we go too fast, meaning we rush ahead before our horse is fully warmed up. Go slow, literally look at a watch- 10 minutes is way longer than you think. If you ride to music, you can count songs, but discipline slowness. Let your horse tell you when he is ready.
Be creative. You might need to change things up. I am riding a young horse right now; she is energetic and can lose confidence on a long rein. So I negotiate with her, sometimes I need to cut the work into small bite-sized pieces so my horse can chew them thoroughly.
If it doesn’t turn out, try again. If your horse needs to be bullied into work, its time to reevaluate. Make sure he is sound, and then try a different approach. Resistance only trains resistance.
No substitutions. Forward is the answer. Balance, rhythm, and ultimately obedience, all come from fluid, forward movement.
You are what you eat. Fast food can be fun, but a gourmet meal is art that lifts the horse/rider senses and nourishes the soul. Ride deliciously.
Anna Blake, Infinity Farm.
