Proper training is the key to progress in equestrianism.
One of my favorite sayings is: "Practice does not make perfect.
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It is the right practice that brings you closer to perfection."
If you continuously repeat the wrong actions with your horse while expecting progress, you are not only training your horse incorrectly, but you are also engaging in behavior that is practically illogical.
Endless repetition of mistakes, along with the expectation of correct change, is a fitting definition of madness.
The meaning of this statement is that we must have a solid understanding of the correct principles of riding and horse training in order to practice them correctly.
If we do not have an image of the "ideal state" in our minds, we will not understand whether what we see is truly "relatively good" or not.
We know that we are not meant to reach "perfection" in this lifetime, but it is necessary to have that theoretical standard in mind to measure our progress up to today.
This requires a very clear understanding of classical theory; whether in dressage, cross-country, or show jumping.
The American Oxford Dictionary that I consulted defines "theory" as: "A set of principles on which the performance of an activity is based."
Again, the troublesome word "practice" comes up.
If we want to practice with the hope of improvement, we must know what to practice and how to practice it.
As a result, if our theory about training and riding is not completely correct, our results will not be satisfactory either.
In my travels to training clinics across the country, I am always carefully looking for deviations from classical theory or common and obvious mistakes.
Wherever I can, I try to correct them; not because I consider myself the sole source of this theory, but because my role these days — like many other coaches and trainers around the world — is to preserve these classical principles for future generations of riders and trainers.
François Robichon de la Guérinière, Gustav Steinbrecht, Federico Caprilli, Wilhelm Museler, Brigadier Harry D. Chamberlain, Bertalan de Nemethy, Jack LeGoff, George Morris.
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They lit this lamp.
We are merely the guardians of this flame.
I want to talk about some deviations from the classical form that I have recently observed in all three of our disciplines regarding the basic seat in dressage.
Since everything we do in the saddle should be based on dressage, it is better to first examine your body position in dressage.
The foundation of this position is the three-point connection between your seat and the saddle.
These three points are the two ischial bones and the pubic bone.
In the classical position, leaning on the tailbone is not considered.
Students have told me they are taught that since they must maintain a vertical line from the ear to the heel, their spine must also be "straight"; meaning there should be no curvature in the lower back.
However, a completely flat back is not the correct position, as it does not align with the natural shape of the human spine.
In a complete standing position, a gentle forward curve in the lower back aligns with the natural form of your spine, making it easier for you to maintain.
Moreover, a gentle curve in the lower back gives you the greatest possible range of motion.
This range of motion allows you to accompany your horse's movement without losing your balance from that of the horse.
This is important because all your efforts to achieve an independent seat are, in fact, an effort to create harmony and unity between you and your horse.
When you reach this coordination, your aids can start that long-term conversation with the horse; a conversation that you hope will lead to dressage in accordance with classical principles.
Regarding the aids, it should be said that your legs are the most important aid you have, especially at the beginning of your dressage work with your horse.
For this reason, you should pay special attention to the position of your legs.
Trainers who tell you to keep your legs parallel to the horse's side are only partially correct.
If you only rotate the sole of your foot parallel to the horse's body, your ankle will lock, as this position is not natural for the human ankle joint.
These trainers should tell you to rotate your thigh forward so that the entire leg, not just the sole of the foot, becomes parallel to the horse's side.
There are two reasons for this.
When you rotate your thigh forward, the flat part of the thigh rests on the saddle, not the rounded part of the back of the thigh.
This immediately makes your legs more stable.
In addition, by rotating the thigh forward, the position of your pelvis on the saddle changes from an "A" shape to an inverted "U" shape.
This position allows for a much closer connection between your seat and the saddle, which is entirely to your benefit.
When practicing these points, be careful not to push your knees into the saddle.
As an exercise for release, occasionally move one leg away from the side of the saddle; first at a standstill and later while moving.
In your initial attempts, you will not do this very well, as you will notice that your hip joint is completely stiff and tight.
At first, do not try to lift your leg too high; until your hip joint has gained flexibility and strength, you may experience severe cramping in the hip.
To be able to release and stretch your thigh from the hip joint, you will need a lot of stretching exercises, Pilates, and power yoga.
Alongside these, do not forget your best tool for cultivating a deep, confident, and independent position in dressage: riding without stirrups.
At first, the balls of your feet will be away from the horse.
Continue to stretch the hip joint, and eventually, you will see that you can ride with a parallel leg and a deep, effective seat.
Rhythm creates precision in jumping with the horse; the connection between dressage and jumping is so accepted that it can be considered self-evident.
But now that we are talking about both dressage and jumping simultaneously, let me ask you a question: if I tell you to "cross your stirrups on your training horse, go to a collected canter, and move in a diagonal line with a flying change in every stride," what would you say?
If you asked me such a thing, you would probably look at me as if I just crawled out from under a rock, right?
Then you would say you still cannot do this with your horse because neither you nor your horse has reached the level to execute the flying change correctly.
I always ask this question in my clinics, and when people give such an answer, I tell them they are absolutely correct; I then always add that the most important word in their response is "yet."
That you are not yet ready to do something with your horse does not mean that you will never be able to do it.
Instead of focusing on the things you still can't do, focus on doing the things you need to do correctly and properly now so that later you can do some things with your horse.
So let me raise this point about jumping with horses: if we agree that we shouldn't attempt certain things before we are ready, then why should we ask an inexperienced rider to "find the stride" to reach a jump?
When coaches tell lower-level or intermediate students to find the stride, they are actually putting them in a position to fail because these students do not yet have the experience to find the stride.
I do not see the role of a coach as telling a rider what they cannot do...
In my opinion, the role of a coach is to tell their student what to do now to reach the next level.
Collecting in dressage in the future is based on your current ability to ride on a 20-meter circle with a calm, balanced, engaged, and rhythmic canter.
Precision in jumping with horses in the future will be based on your current ability to approach the jump with a calm, balanced, engaged, and rhythmic canter.
There is no shortcut to achieving collected canter; just as there is no shortcut to developing precision over jumps.
Maintain the rhythm so that both collection and precision come naturally and correctly afterward.
Practice real cross-country skills. Finally, I want to say a few points about cross-country.
I find it interesting that eventing riders are willing to go to Germany and spend six months learning to do dressage correctly.
Then they spend a few winters in one of the sunny tours doing show jumping, with all the cost and effort that this entails.
But when it comes to practicing the part that carries the most risk, they seem satisfied to pass over barrels that get narrower each time at a slow canter in the middle of a grassy area and call it "cross-country practice."
This is not cross-country practice; this is show jumping over cross-country obstacles.
Undoubtedly, this is a necessary skill these days, but the main area of risk is not there.
Today, the greatest risk is in the simple obstacles that are placed in the middle of the field.
In my opinion, a true student of this sport should want to spend some time alongside riders and coaches who typically go at speeds much greater than what we ever try, galloping and jumping; and do so with relative safety.
The Grand National in England and the Hunt Cup in Maryland are two of the most challenging steeplechase races in the world and have held such a status for over 150 years.
However, in all these years, there has never been a human death in the Hunt Cup, and only one case has been recorded in the Grand National.
While these races are longer and horses jump higher and at greater speeds, they are safer than our sport.
If eventing riders want to be able to gallop between cross-country obstacles with a balanced canter and pass through them safely at speed, they need opportunities to gallop racehorses, practice with hurdle and timber horses, and learn proper riding with shorter stirrups.
Today, any skilled show jumping coach, if they see our supposedly experienced riders in the middle of the field with loose reins and standing straight in the stirrups heading towards a maximum oxer at Chaharnal, will be astonished.
I assure you that some eventing riders now ride in cross-country with stirrup leathers longer than show jumping.
In most sports, if you don’t know what you’re doing, there is always an element of danger.
If you want to become that complete and well-rounded rider you dream of, you must study every aspect of modern eventing.
If you ignore the classical principles, you condemn yourself to failure.
And if you only learn two of the three phases of modern eventing, you put yourself and — more importantly — your horse at risk of disaster.
This article was first published in the September 2009 issue of Practical Horseman magazine.
Source: Practical Horseman – Training