Pasture Play for Dressage Horses

There are several camps regarding how dressage horses should be managed, both within the competition season and off season.   Opinions about daily routines for the dressage horse can differ from barn to barn, and within a barn, from trainer to trainer.

With show season on hold for Winter until next April, dressage horse owners in New England are faced with decisions in regards to things such as :

• Light (if any) work off season or keep in full training ?
  
• Long winter coat, partial clip, or full clip ?
  
• Shoes during off season or barefoot ?
  
• To turn out or not to turn out ?
  
• Turn out alone or with others ?
  
• Wrap in cotton wool or rough it ?
  
• ... the list of horse husbandry issues goes on and on.
  

For our horses, pasture time is a constant.   Whether winter or summer, show season or off season, they are turned out in small groups of equine buddies.   Clipping is kept to a bare minimum (bib clips).   Shoes are off for the winter.   And ridden work is kept fairly light, with focus on submission, response to aids, and lateral movement.

A couple weeks ago, just before our first good snowfall, we filmed some of the pasture play between two of our KWPN Dutch Warmbloods.   The dark horse is our Training Level competition horse.   The chestnut is a 3 year old who has just recently been started. This goofiness is a daily occurance.   We enjoy it, as it lets us observe how happy are horses really are day to day.   Yup, it's a dressage horse's life!     :-)

3rd Level Test 3 with Judges' Scores

The youtube video below shows Jeddien's test from the 2009 USDF Region 8 Championships held at the NEDA Fall Festival this past September.

With the sound turned up, you may hear the wind blowing, a train pass in the distance, a bit of audience chatter, and the bell of the judge in the next ring,... something which momentarily caught my attention during the half pass left.

The marks from both judges, scores ranging from 4 to 9, are provided throughout the video.

And yes, Jeddien's trot is not easy to sit, even for riders who are more supple than her 50 year old owner.   However, she makes up for that with the most willing attitude and excellent work ethic.   This horse really enjoys her dressage!

I hope you enjoy this!

TIP:   Double click on the image to see bigger higher quality video on YouTube.com

Let Me Sleep On It

Every time it happens, I am amazed.   You would think by now, after training dressage horses for 25 years, I would be used to it.   But that is not the case.   I am still impressed by this phenomenon.   And tonight, I again sit here thinking, "WOW !   How did that happen!?"

Piper Warrior, our 1997 Olympic Ferro x CandyBoy gelding, is basically a 70% Training Level / 63% First Level horse....   That's when he is not freaking out about judges booths, flowers, or oddly shaped pebbles.

When working at home, he is really good at leg yield, walk to canter, reinback, and shoulder-in.   A couple months ago, we played with travers / haunches in along the wall.   It was not pretty, but it was a start.   Taking it to the center line for half pass was quite unsuccessful.

Tonight, after a really good session of transition work, leg yield in walk and trot, and trot shoulder in, I gave the half pass a shot again.   I don't what I was thinking.   It is the normal progression of work with Jeddien, but this was Piper!

But sure enough, starting between the centerline and quarterline, I asked for half pass and GOT IT!   And it was satisfactory!   But why!?!?

This is the amazing thing about horses.   As ridiculous as it sounds, it seems like they actually sleep on it, thinking about the work presented to them, and getting their heads around it.   Really, it makes no sense!   Horses are not recognised as being deep thinkers.   And yet, over and over, I have seen this happen where the horse, when presented with new work, does not do well, but then goes back to his stable and thinks about it, and the next time out, does the work.

Impossible!   Or is it?   Do horses sometimes need to sleep on it?

Cross Training

Cross training.   That's the fancy term used these days.

Ever since I started taking riding lessons as a kid in 1971, it was apparent that the average riding horse should be trail ridden, worked on the flat, and jumped.   This, after all, was what they taught at Watchung Stables in Summit NJ where I rode for 3 years.   When we moved to Dunstable Massachusetts and bought our own horses, the same point was stressed in Pony Club and 4-H.   We were taught horses are versatile and can do lots of fun things.   And FUN is definitely what we had!



In England, where I lived, trained, and competed in dressage for 12 years, cross training was and continues to be the norm.   Even FEI dressage horses go for hacks, occasionally pop a fence, or even follow a hunt!

Those who practice natural horsemanship understand cross training, as well.   They believe that allowing the horse to dabble in different activities can broaden their horizons, help them grow mentally and physically, and further strengthen the relationship between horse and rider.

Our two dressage horses have always enjoyed trail riding and jumping.   Jeddien even earned a rosette at a fun day event at Merrist Wood College (in Guildford UK) for going clear over a full colored show jumping course.   Piper has also done a bit of jumping under saddle and truly enjoys free jumping.

This winter, Piper's work will alternate between dressage training sessions with me and jumping lessons with one of our grooms.   And so far, he is LOVING it.   In the spring, the plan is for him to compete in 4-H competitions with his new jockey and USDF dressage competitions with me.

And so, with fun new training plans underway, new colorful jump poles seemed in order.   Winter will hardly be bleak and grey in our indoor arena!

Dressage Radio

We get bombarded with so much advertising these days that it's no wonder if I missed ads for this entertaining and informative innovation:   Dressage Radio.

Today, while playing in Facebook, I stumbled upon the Facebook page for Dressage Radio.   So far, I've only listened to part of Episode 21, a recent interview with Isabell Werth.   But I heard enough to know I will be tuning in again.

With dressage activity quieting down up north, Dressage Radio will no doubt become a very welcome addition to the motivational toolbox, keeping the dressage fires burning during the months of winter.

Well done to Chris Stafford and Heather Blitz, and thank you to all the people behind the parent Horse Radio Network project.   Top marks!