A three-stage system for improving riding in any discipline
Whether you are preparing for a hunter class, practicing a dressage test, or training for cross-country, the fundamental principles of horsemanship are always the same.
For an experienced trainer like Marcia Kulak, those principles can be summed up in three words: rhythm, track, and balance.
She said: «It’s like sitting in a car.
The car isn’t going anywhere unless you do something.
When you get on a horse, you have to take responsibility, and these three fundamentals are your responsibility every time you ride.
» Throughout a career that has taken her to five-star events in Kentucky and England, and to prestigious dressage and hunter/jumper competitions, Kulak has turned this philosophy into a training system that works across all disciplines and levels.
She emphasizes that the system is not complicated, but it is consistent.
And it is that consistency that gives horses and riders the confidence to succeed.
Starting with rhythm According to Kulak, the first responsibility of a rider is rhythm.
It may sound simple, but without a steady pace, everything starts to fall apart.
She explained: «Rhythm is simply the quality of the gait you are in, for the job you want to do.
Are the strides regular when moving away from the mounting block?
Is the trot on the center line steady?
It is your job as the rider to establish it.
» She often begins her lessons and training sessions with transitions.
She explained that frequent walk-trot-walk transitions encourage the horse to become mentally focused and move forward from the rider’s aids.
But she emphasizes that you should always clearly reward the correct response by releasing the pressure, and then quietly ask the same question again until a light aid from the rider produces a good response from the horse.
She added: «Until the horse is going in front of the leg and with a steady rhythm, there is no need to move on to more difficult work.
» Finding the track Once rhythm is established, the next task is riding on the track.
She said: «Think of your horse as a train car—long and narrow.
Your job is to keep that car on the rails.
» Even the simplest ride requires precision: straight lines that do not wander, circles that are truly round, corners that are purposeful.
She encourages riders to test themselves by riding a few steps off the rail, aiming toward markers inside the arena, or riding precise spirals.
She said: «Wherever you go, whether along the long side or on a loose rein, your horse should stay on the path you chose.
That is what keeps the partnership clear.
» Maintaining balance The third element is balance, achieved through the rider’s “position statement.”
She explains: «For almost every question you ask your horse, there is a correct position statement.
Learning through body language is built into the DNA of horses, so using the correct position statement is a vital part of effective, harmonious riding.
» She compares riding to yoga or Pilates, saying: «If your body is crooked, the exercise doesn’t work.
But if you are aligned—ear, shoulder, hip, heel—you can be effective with very little effort.
» From there, balance becomes awareness: knowing how the diagonal of your posting connects to the horse’s hind legs, or which leg leads into the canter.
She says details like these are what separate merely “moving around” from truly influencing the horse.
When the rider is balanced, the horse can be balanced too.
When the rider leans forward in the saddle, braces, or hunches, the horse loses clarity and confidence.
Why clarity matters Clarity is the golden thread that runs through all of Kulak’s training.
She points out that horses are prey animals and are highly sensitive to pressure and release.
She says, “If they can feel a fly land on their skin, they can feel the slightest change in your leg or seat.
But if the aids are inconsistent, some horses ignore them while others become hot and overreactive.
Either way, cooperation suffers.
” Her advice is simple: ask respectfully, reward immediately, and repeat until the horse understands.
“This is how trust is built.
This is how you progress.
” Bringing the principles to obstacles In jumping, Kulak notices that many riders let anxiety get the better of them and then abandon the principles.
Kulak says, “I see people panic about finding the distance.
They start kicking, pulling, and leaning—all things they would not do on the flat.
But if you have rhythm, line, and balance, the distance sorts itself out.
” She compares it to baking a cake: with the right ingredients, in the right amounts, and at the right temperature, the result is reliable.
With poor preparation, no amount of last-minute rushing will fix it.
Near the obstacles, she reminds riders to focus on the responsibilities they already know: maintaining the tempo, staying on line, and holding their position.
From there, jumping becomes an extension of flatwork, not a separate puzzle.
What is Kulak’s favorite method for applying all this?
Cavalletti.
She said, “Perhaps one of the lesser-known tools in riding, the creative use of cavalletti.
This method can help riders at any level improve their skills while increasing the horse’s success and longevity.
These exercises are not a substitute for jumping lessons and competition preparation; rather, they help reinforce training and develop skills without increasing the physical strain and mental stress that may come with it.
” She laughed and said, “I am the queen of cavalletti.
I use them every day and with every horse.
They are like Pilates: they make the horse’s body stronger, improve rhythm and balance, and increase the precision of leg movement—all without the strain and injury that come from jumping big obstacles.
” Marcia Kulak explains: “The beauty of cavalletti is that you can increase the challenge without increasing the height.
” ©Amber Heintzberger She emphasizes the importance of proper equipment and explains that light wooden or PVC poles can be dangerous.
If the horse makes a mistake, these poles can roll and cause slipping.
Instead, she recommends using heavy wooden poles made from 4x4 with beveled edges and placed on stabilizing blocks made from 2x4.
She said, “If the poles are secure, horses will use themselves better and be more precise with their footwork.
I want them to stay in place and not be moved easily.
» He points out that trotting poles in a straight line should be spaced between 4’6” and 4’9”.
cavalletti spaced 9’ apart can be used at a walk, trot, or canter.
The poles can also be set on a curve or slightly raised.
To mimic narrow fences in cross-country, you can practice over cavalletti that may be 4’ wide.
The variations are endless!
Be sure to measure the distances regularly with a tape measure to maintain accuracy.
Kulak says you can walk out the length of a 12’ pole to learn your stride length, which is useful when setting up exercises and when a tape measure is not available or when you are walking courses and need to quickly assess the distance between fences.
He explains: “The beauty of cavalletti is that you can increase the challenge without increasing the height.
This builds confidence, precision, and power in both horse and rider.
Working on poles and cavalletti is vital for the mental and physical improvement of both horse and rider.
Developing confidence over the fences starts with proper setup so that confidence and rideability are well established.
Anxiety tends to reduce the quality of performance in both horse and rider, so minimize that risk with measurements that are safe and friendly so that both are ready to face more difficult questions.
” Marcia Kulak demonstrates work on poles.
©Amber Heintzberger He adds that distances may need to be adjusted based on your horse’s size, training, and experience, and it is important to get advice from a qualified trainer to make sure you are doing the work correctly.
He also likes to incorporate a small jump with cavalletti on either side and to keep the horses adaptable by changing the fillers.
He says moving the poles around the arena prevents the horses from getting too comfortable.
“Even experienced horses look again when something is placed in a new spot.
It’s good for them.
” Creating daily habits for Kulak, the message is simple: ride with purpose every day.
He said: “Those responsibilities—rhythm, line, balance—are not just for clinics or shows.
They’re for every ride, even if you only train at home for 40 minutes.
If you practice them daily, they become habits.
And when they become habits, you can count on them under pressure.
” That’s what gives horses consistency and what keeps partnerships strong.
He said: In all of these exercises, if you make a mistake, it usually won’t be very dramatic.
Kulak continued: “I can’t stress enough that you should use your creativity in changing the exercises and moving them around to build your horse’s confidence and your own confidence.
When you move these things to different places using different materials, the goal is for your horse to get used to it and gain confidence.
When the horse understands what you expect of him and you do your job as a rider, everything comes together.
That’s when the magic happens.
” About Marcia Kulak Marcia Kulak.
©Amber Heintzberger Marcia Kulak, with unique experience in riding and training, has competed at the five-star level in eventing, been shortlisted for two Olympic Games, and trained with some of the leading names in various disciplines including Jack Le Goff, Mark Phillips, Anne Kursinski, Sue Blinks, Ruth Hogan-Poulsen, Ali Brock, and Beezie Madden, as well as the natural horsemanship experts John Lyons and Louis Wood.
She has also contributed to the sport through management and volunteer efforts, including serving on the USEF eventing selection committee.
Today, she runs Kulak Equestrian near Saratoga, New York, and in Wellington, Florida, and works with a wide range of students.
Source: Practical Horseman – Training