Kristi Newman, an Equine Canada Level 1 coach and trainer at Silver Fox Farm near Whitby, ON, knows that scenario all too well. Although she now competes in dressage, she evented for many years, has re-trained a dozen off-the-track Thoroughbreds, and several of her students are eventers. Here are tips from Kristi on how to deal with a tense horse before and during dressage – and how to manage your own stress.
Often when a horse is tense, it’s because a rider is tense. A lot of event riders are very busy in their heads, thinking about the cross-country course or a dozen different things. With dressage, you have to be so quiet in your head. You have to learn to think in the moment. If you are tense, your horse picks up on it. You can only control yourself.
1. When I am getting ready to show, I need to be in a quiet space and need low energy around me, and low-energy people. If I’m around high-energy people, I’ll start to get more energized and tense.
2. A horse needs to have some basic tools installed before you take him to an event, including steering well in both directions and being capable of a little shoulder-in or leg yielding. The lateral work breaks up the tension in the back and in his muscles. Practicing turns on the forehand at home is really useful in teaching a horse to move sideways from the leg.
3. I do exactly the same warm-up routine at an event as I do at home, and this is especially helpful with high-strung horses or off-the-track Thoroughbreds so they know the routine and what’s expected of them. Don’t use the whole warm-up ring; use a half or quarter and choose a corner to work in. Many riders get caught up in going with the flow of the other horses, but choose a small area for your warm-up if you have a tense horse. Try to begin an hour before you go into the ring.
4. If you have an OTTB, warm up to the right first, as Thoroughbreds race to the left and going to the right is a little harder for them and they have to listen. Don’t go left until they are warmed up.
5. I don’t start a warm-up by walking a Thoroughbred or high-strung horse, as they have trouble containing their energy. Start with trot circles. Do some leg yielding and shoulder-in on the circle, shorten and lengthen stride. Once your horse is responding well in the trot, you can canter, asking for some lateral work and shortening and lengthening.
6. Thoroughbreds have so much energy, so you want to put them to work properly and channel it into a useful direction. Trying to slow them down by pulling on them if they are getting quick is a losing battle. You have to ignore it if they are acting up and try to get them to refocus with circles and lateral work.
7. Once they’ve settled in the warm-up, I’ll take a bit of a walk break before I go into the ring, and when I’m called, I will trot around the perimeter until it’s time to begin the test. If you’re nervous, think about some advice from Jane Savoie, who suggests smelling the air or thinking about how the reins feel in your hand.
8. Break your ride down step-by-step, and think of prepping for the next movement. If your horse gets tense, he’ll probably press against your inside leg, so ask for a slight leg yield or shoulder-in and push him off the leg. He may try to cut in around corners to, so push him off your inside leg coming to the corner.
9. In the ring, I combat nerves by counting the rhythm. If it’s posting trot, you can count up to eight as you go up and down, then start again. It helps keep you in the moment. If your horse bucks or breaks into a canter from the trot, it’s just one movement. Don’t get flustered, just carry on.
