The Aspirant Guide to Classical Dressage

Follow Lydia Rose’s Training of Indie                                           Post # Two

Indie’s owner came to visit her to see how the training was going.  Lydia free lunged her, then lunged her with tack and side reins, then worked  her doing Piaffe.  Then Lydia brought her at the bleachers and had Kaylee sit on her and pat her rump and move all over with her legs and then  Lydia repeated the Piaffe work with Kaylee on Indie’s back.  Lydia and Kaylee had already spent time gradually getting her used to a rider just sitting on her.  Then I put Indie on a lunge line with Kaylee on her back at the walk.  Indie has become attached to Lydia, so she walked ahead of Indie so she  would feel secure.  We only did a very little so she wouldn’t get too nervous.  She was soooo good.

Her owner was pleased and proud of her horse. In the short time that she has been in for training (a little over a month), Indie has gone from a horse with no knowledge of what was expected of her, wild eyed and high strung, to a horse with calm attention and pride in herself and her work. We were so proud of Indie as well.

Indies training is following Book Three, “Backing the Young Horse”.

The Aspirant Guide to Classical Dressage

Follow Lydia Rose’s Training of Indie                                 Post # one

Indie, a Clydesdale cross with Dutch Harness, came in for training on Nov. 29th 2012, as a three year old that hadn’t had much handling.  That was a little tricky in the beginning, with her 16’2 hh stature with larger than usual bone structure.  Her nerves were on high alert, which resulted in passage, three feet into the air as her natural way of going.  It took a couple of hours loading her onto a trailer, and once arriving at Isaac Royal Farm, she decided that the cement floor in the isle was alive and the stalls just didn’t look like home, so we let her spend the night in the indoor arena, since the events of the day seemed to have been a little traumatizing.

Training began with teaching her to lead and respect Lydia’s space without stepping all over her feet, that needed patience and a time frame, along with lessons in free lungeing at walk, trot, and canter upon command.  Later Lydia introduced the saddle during her training sessions.  Once that was working well she added the bridle.  Once she was accustomed to the bit and allowing the bridle to be put on without resistance we added long, side reins during the free lungeing phase.  Lydia took each step slowly, giving Indie time to think about what was being asked of her and time to make decisions. When training horses, slow and patient is the only way to progress quickly.   That brings us up to Dec.22, 2012.

Saturday Dec. 22, 2012:

Lydia just finished working Indie, and her amazing touch with a young horse worked its magic as usual.  Today she put Indie on the lunge line for the first time.  She kept the long, side reins attached and it worked without incident.  Lydia only asked for walk and trot as this was a new introduction.  She quietly worked on the line responding to each command with ease and grace.   Indie’s high-spirited nervousness has settled down to quiet concentration, led by Lydia’s calm spirit in her classical approach to training.  We will keep you updated each week with Indie’s progress.

Students Make Progress

Saturday morning was so successful.

Robin was able to take her trot work to another level, she was able to lift and lead her horse to lightness, and suspension in her extended trot. (Rather than driving).  We were both high as kites.  So spectacular!
Caitlin was able to yield her young horse on a circle and yield him down the long side off the inside shoulder for the first time and ended her lesson by taking off her saddle and bridle and rode him free without his tack. They are wonderful together.
Kaylee did perfect one tempi changes on Victress.  First time she asked was a couple of weeks ago and they were perfect and I let her try them again and once again they were perfect.   Pretty good since neither horse or rider had ever done them before.  Kaylee listens carefully and works to get it right.  Such a good student.
Angela and Tonka have a wonderful Piaffe, they are really dancing together these days.
Chelsa rode Tonka and did an amazing job bringing him through the back. She sits perfect in her own balance making it easy for a horse to understand her.  Great Day!!

Balance and Communication with your Horse

True balance is necessary for clear communication between you and your horse.  When communication is not clear it is always the fault of the rider.  When there is confusion, the rider must go back to the basics and analyze her balance to sort out the problems.  Riding can be a paradox of contradictions and without an unbounded consciousness of your body movements on top of a bouncing moving horse it isn’t possible to communicate clearly.  A good trainer will learn to go with the flow of her horse,  feeling his signals.  Usually letting go will create a quiet space for both of you to reconnect and begin again.  Doing less usually gives you more.  It is necessary to maintain a self critical attitude all the way to Grand Prix.

What is Classical Dressage

 What is Classical Dressage  Series # One

Classical Dressage presents a horse and rider in perfect harmony with ease and grace.  The question is how is this accomplished?  In order to have a quiet graceful connection with your horse you must first figure out how to handle the motion of the horse.  Riders will handle the motion in many different ways. You will see riders sending it up through the body to a bobbing head, others will send it wiggling through the spine, others will take it into the hip and flip the hip.  All of these methods of dealing with the motion of the horse will shed it at the end of its rippling journey through the body, but it doesn’t present a Classical picture of graceful balance.  In order to present a classical picture you need to shed the motion down the thigh and out the knee, or allow the motion of the horse to fall your thigh and drop out your knee.  Also your connection with your horses mouth must be soft, yet asking and giving.  Whatever aids you choose to use must be invisible.  Thus a horse and rider with a Classical Dressage appearance.

All horses are trained in Classical Dressage the Aspirant Way at Isaac Royal Farm.   Each rider, rides her horse with a classical seat of elegant balance.  This technique allows you to become one with your horse and ride through the levels of dressage with ease and grace.  It creates a talented rider that can feel what her horse needs.   Carolyn Rose has written a series of books that explain this Classical Training technique in detail.

A Students Prospective from Kaylee Clark

I am enjoying the summer training season.  Even though I am schooling my main horse, Victress, Prix St George, I start many young horses under saddle.  Carole says I”m very good at it since I have no fear and don’t care if I get a buck or a rear.  They actually come so rarely that when it happens it makes me laugh.  Carole says that’s why the horses don’t get upset because I think it’s fun.

Guest Blog: Student Rider

Fun times as always at Isaac Royal Farm!!  This afternoon we had Robin on Rory and I was riding the delightful Tonka, a Belgian Morgan.  Tonka is patient to new riders to a point and then he shows his mischievious spirit and wants to make sure that you are paying attention.  Today he galluped right past the bench and down the ramp toward the stalls…..Carole was yelling “Duck!!!” which I did and we turned right around and got back out there (gate closed this time!).  Tonka didn’t notice that I was wearing my “This girl don’t take no bull” t-shirt – aha!

Robin got some excellent training under he belt on her half pass and ended the day Two Steps Forward!!!! Little victories seem big and always celebrated in our little dressage community.  This day today in Maine is to die for – about 70 degrees and a light breeze blowing.  As I put Tonka out to pasture Sandy and BethAnne were working on their horses.  This is the life! Yeehaw.