Part 1: On the first day of this forum, the esteemed panelist watch an outstanding six year old go through his paces.  He shows great impulsion and acceptance of the bit, and they suggest working him twice a day for shorter sessions to increase his relaxation.  They discuss the issue of being behind the vertical.  He shows a great example of how his hind end reaches forward and under.

 

Part 2: Dr. Schule agrees that the relaxation is the main quality to improve on this excellent horse, and compliments the ability of the rider.  Mr. Steiner suggests this horse needs time before going to the five year old test.  There is a good discussion of the point system in Europe as opposed to the US. The next horse enters the arena, and they suggest long lining to increase his engagement. The use of the hind end of  the second horse is interesting to compare to the first horse.

 

 

Part 3:  It is also suggested that working on a circle will increase the engagement while being aware of the horse possibly losing their haunches to the outside.  To correct this, you can ask for a shoulder fore on the circle.  There is a great discussion of the cadence as opposed to a regular tempo for the five year old.  The first horse comes back, and shows more swing and relaxation.

 

Part 4:  They now move on to the six year olds. They talk about the use of the whip and how it can help with engagement with attention to controlling the outside  of the horse in the turns.  The second horse enters the arena, a seven year old working in a double bridle.  They suggest that she spend longer in the warm up and working more from behind before going to the changes.  They work on canter walk transitions with more reaction.

 Part 5:  They encourage the rider to keep this horse more forward, and do trot canter trot transitions where he is forward in the down transitions.  Watch for a good demonstration of how to create more reaction and forwardness. He becomes more engaged and responsive.  They next do walk canter walks.

Part 6:  They continue with the walk canter walk transitions.  When the rider is asked to flex the horse left and right while at a halt, he tends to move his haunches, showing tension in his body.  As he becomes tense, they go back to the posting trot with a soft hand to encourage him to lengthen his neck.  He has some shying issues, and they work through those.

Part 7:  With an improvement in the right bend, the horse tends to swing his haunches left.  At the walk, they work through this with an outside leg back, the bend to the right, and the left rein giving.


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The Trainers' and Judges' Forum on Developing Horses continues with Dr. Dieter Schule, Gerhard Politz, and Axel Steiner.  In this session they work with two horses on the walk, half pass, changes and half steps.  Watch for invaluable insight into what the judges are looking for in these movements!

 

Part 1:  Two horses start this session on Developing Horses. Gerhard Politz, Dr. Dieter Schule and Axel Steiner watch them warm up and offer suggestions for working on the walk.  They warn against a restricting hand, and with the mare, ask for the hind legs to be swinging forward more actively with bending hocks.

 

 

Part 2:  To improve the walk, they ask that the rider have her horse more active from behind. They suggest using shoulder in and leg yielding to improve the rhythm.  With the bay I1 horse, they ask for the neck to be lower for daily training so he can engage the back more and swing.  She is asked to keep him in front of the vertical.  In the trot half pass they alternate going straight with half pass.

Part 3:  They go back to the dark bay who is woking in the shoulder in.  They have her add a circle at E and a half pass.  Watch for a great discussion on what to strive for in the half pass. The bay horse works the canter, and they give her exercises for loosening the poll.

Part 4:  They talk about the angle of the shoulder in in the canter, and Mr. Politz finds that too much angle is not beneficial.  He asks her to ride the poll higher and the hind leg active, and as the canter improves they perform a single change.  The fours are straight and forward.  They go back to the dark bay and the canter half pass.   

Part 5:  When they go to the changes, they ask for energy from behind, using the inside leg to engage the horse more.  They give great tips for improving your score for the changes.   

Part 6:  Axel Steiner works with the bay mare on half steps to improve the trot.  Dr. Schule works with her from the ground, and they limit it to just a few correct steps, and explains how a ground person can make this easier.  He makes sure to allow the horse to stretch and relax at the end of the session.    



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