I regularly ride my dressage horses out on the trail. Not only does it benefit them mentally, it also benefits them physically in different ways. I believe varied training benefits every horse, regardless of discipline. This is something I use trail riding for.
On the following pages, I tell you about some of the ways you can use the energy and fresh air of the open country in your training to give your dressage horse motivation, strength, and expression when ridden in the arena. Riding out will also benefit his composure and nerves. And riding on different surfaces—sand, grass; dry, muddy—will improve your horse’s balance and surefootedness.
The hills, undulations, hollows, and slopes can improve your horse’s physical suppleness and use of his back.
You can also work on changes of pace on hills, and use gravity to help you develop extension and collection. Riding downhill has a collecting effect and gets the horse to shift his weight onto his hindquarters without you having to do much. You will notice how riding your horse up a steep slope strengthens his musculature much more effectively than riding on a level surface. Moving off perfectly manicured ground and venturing onto forest tracks or uneven hillsides with roots, branches, or puddles will not only make your horse more surefooted and agile, but also more alert and therefore more accepting of your aids.
I know that dressage riders in particular will have to steel themselves to do this out of fear that their horse will trip or injure himself if the footing is less than perfect. But, however counterintuitive it may seem, the more I ride on different surfaces—including uneven ground—the more surefooted my horses become. Trail riding supports the horse’s overall training and suppleness.
Exercises Out On The Trail
I also practice dressage movements when out riding, on slopes or in fields. This places new kinds of demands on the horses, but they tend not to notice the exertion as much because they are busy thinking about their surroundings, the ground beneath their hooves, and the horses in front of or behind them, when we are in a group. All these different stimuli help each horse become calm and well-balanced, and the environment gives his movements impulsion as if by magic.
Lengthened Strides
LENGTHENED STRIDES IN TROT
Riding lengthened strides improves the basic gaits. Energetically pushing off creates expressive, ground-covering movements. Lengthening the stride works better out on the trail than in an indoor or outdoor arena because the horse’s movement already has more impulsion.
The rider must prepare to lengthen the trot stride using half-halts to gather the hindquarters underneath the horse and coil the horse’s body like a spring. Forward leg aids in combination with an allowing hand create energy that is released in the form of ground-covering strides that are full of impulsion, but still controlled.
When lengthening the stride, make sure the horse’s back is relaxed and his rhythm is maintained. As a rider, you will notice as soon as the horse tenses up, because you won’t be able to sit the trot as easily. If that happens, I recommend riding the lengthened strides while posting, as this will activate the hindquarters more and take strain off the horse’s back at the same time. Give it another quick try and bring the horse back. Then try sitting the lengthened trot again, and notice the difference.
Showing impulsion in lengthened trot strides in a field. (We inspected it for holes and tractor tire tracks first.)
The aim of lengthening the stride is to achieve medium or extended trot. The rider must make sure the horse steps evenly into the bridle and stays straight. The horse’s stride lengthens when his hindquarters push more powerfully and his forehand moves more freely. The horse should remain in self-carriage while clearly lengthening his body, with his nose slightly before the vertical. The poll should still be the highest point.
Even snow doesn’t stop dressage training. It gives horses an extra boost that I can make good use of for certain exercises. Like cavalletti training, work on slopes, or riding in water, riding in snow works and strengthens muscles in the whole body. But don’t overdo it. Horses find moving in deep snow strenuous. You shouldn’t ask too much of your horse, even if you are both having fun. Ride lengthened strides in short bursts, and don’t forget to take the necessary breaks in walk to recover.
Freudentänzer: Firlefranz shows off springy trot strides in deep snow.
LENGTHENED STRIDES IN CANTER
If your horse is relaxed and in self-carriage in working canter, increase the pace over a short distance by lengthening his strides into medium canter. You are asking for longer, more ground-covering canter strides. The movement should be uphill, with the croup low rather than flat. This is normally achievable in a dressage seat, but your upper body shouldn’t be too far back. However, you can also ride an active working canter and lengthened strides in a forward seat. From experience, I have found that you can ride bigger, more ground-covering movements in trot and especially in canter if you have the chance to incorporate loosening the horse up through lengthened strides in gallops outside the arena. Everything is easier and comes more naturally on the trail because the work is better suited to the horse’s nature as an athletic animal
Flying Changes
My young horses normally learn flying changes during their winter work between the ages of five and six. Learning flying changes is an important training goal for most horse sports, and I need to spend a lot of time on it. Some horses take a little longer to grasp the correct flying change, and I must be patient, careful, and precise when teaching it. I can only start playing with tempi changes once the single flying change is firmly established. Franziskus learned flying changes very quickly, and tempi changes are often a highlight of his dressage performances.
I only ride lead changes out on the trail when my horse has mastered them in the arena. Out on the trail, I can make use of the dynamic movement, increased ground coverage, and greater impulsion to improve the flying changes.
Franziskus does a good uphill flying change.
WORKING ON FLYING CHANGES
The canter must be collected enough, and the horse must respond promptly to subtle aids for a simple change before you can start trying flying changes. The easiest way to work on flying changes is as follows: In the arena, go onto a circle at A or C, and ride a figure eight so you are always riding the flying change over the centerline. I like to ride flying changes facing a mirror so I can see whether the horse is straight and whether his forehand and hindquarters are in line. I gradually reduce the number of walk strides in the lead change until I’m down to just one. The horse’s canter must be collected, and he must canter on in response to subtle aids. Ideally, he should feel like he wants to go into canter again. I then leave out the walk stride and give the aid to change. To do so, I shift my weight onto my new inside seat bone, move my inside leg forward and my outside leg back, and give with my new inside hand to encourage the horse‘s new inside hind leg to step under.
Every time a change is successful, I come back to walk and praise the horse. I’d advise having somebody on the ground who can spot a correct change, so you praise the horse at the right time. When the change wasn’t good, I just ride on and try again when the horse is responding well to my half-halts.
Here’s another option for working on flying changes: Start by riding a few simple changes on a circle, such that you change into counter-canter on the open side and into true canter on the closed side. You should only really need one stride of walk for the change. Always ride the change in the same place to make it easier for the horse to understand the exercise. After a few simple changes, leave out the walk stride and try a flying change from counter-canter into true canter. You need to activate the hindquarters, collect the horse, and give the aids for the change clearly.
When teaching a horse flying changes, it’s sometimes advisable not to ride the changes one after the other too often, as this can make sensitive horses nervous. It’s better to work on some other exercises to get the horse listening to the rider’s aids again. Then go back to practicing the changes, this time somewhere else. With overeager horses, it can help to ride without spurs so you can use the flat of your calf more effectively. If you have a clever horse who anticipates the aids, it’s important to give clear aids at the correct moment to get the timing right. I also like to ride flying changes without stirrups from time to time because it enables me to drive with my seat and use the flat of my calf more effectively.
If the horse becomes tense after the change, I can either relieve the tension with some lengthened strides on a straightaway or come back to walk and praise the horse.
FLYING CHANGES OUT ON THE TRAIL
As the horse is learning the flying changes, I must give the aids more clearly; only later on will they gradually become invisible. A change can only be as good as the collected canter that comes before it. Once a horse has mastered the flying change, he needs to learn to wait for the aids for the change and not anticipate. That’s why I ride changes in different places and on different lines, including on the trail. The horse’s canter should be collected, uphill, in front of the aids, and in an even rhythm.
In between the individual changes, I need to keep cantering forward and releasing the horse’s impulsion at the right time to maintain the quality of his canter. Out on the trail, I make use of natural paths and always ride clean flying changes before a bend in the trail. This is a fun way for horses to learn, and it mimics what they would do in the wild without a rider. When you manage a good change, end your training session there. I like to stop on a good note before practicing again the next day or the day after. It’s especially important to let the horse have a good stretch in canter after this exercise. I then come back to rising trot and let the horse stretch all the way down, until my reins are at the buckle. He should still be moving forward actively. I come back to walk and give the horse lots of praise.
Finish at the Right Time
For training to be successful, it’s important to notice when your horse is starting to max out his strength and stamina. When riding out on the trail, remember that the horse’s increased desire for forward movement can sometimes conceal diminishing energy. Know when to stop.
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