Assessing the Young Dressage Prospect

No one knows how far a horse will go in its competitive career until it actually gets there – and has the ribbons to prove it.

Still, there are early clues as to a young horse’s dressage potential. To help identify them, Horse Sport called on Dutch dressage phenomenon Anky van Grunsven. Van Grunsven found her famous partner, Bonfire, when he was two-and-a-half years old. Together, they went on to win the European Championships, brought home gold and silver medals from the 1994 and 1998 World Equestrian Games, and captured the individual gold medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. More recently, she has been campaigning jumper-prospect-turned-dressage-star Salinero – individual gold-medal winner in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, and part of the bronze-medal team effort at the 2012 London Olympics, who originally came to her barn as a six-year-old.

“When I look at horses, I’m always thinking FEI,” says van Grunsven. “Do they have what it takes to make it to that level?”

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A good first impression

“I first look at the complete picture. Do I like the colour, the shape? Do I feel drawn to the horse, kind of fall in love with it?” she says. “At two-and-a-half, it’s difficult to see if a horse has talent for grand prix, but I knew even then there was something special about Bonfire.”

Correct conformation

Every horse will have conformation weaknesses to overcome. In a young horse, these may seem especially pronounced. Growing horses are frequently high behind and their balance and ability to step under with their hind end will change as they mature. In Germany, arguably the epicenter of sport horse breeding, there are no formal evaluations or classes for yearlings or two-year-olds for this reason.

Look at the overall horse, advises van Grunsven. ‘Is the horse built in a correct way? Okay, maybe one thing is not good enough. His leg is too straight, or his toe turns out a little – but the horse more than compensates for it in other ways. No horse is perfect.’

Collectability

“One horse I bought had a crooked hind leg. I thought it was under itself so much by nature, it would be able to collect more easily. But it ended up being difficult to collect because the hind leg was under too much,” admits van Grunsven. “A hind leg that is too straight you can get away with if the horse uses it in the right way. How the horse moves is more important than how it’s built.”

A brisk walk

A good walk is a distinct four-beat gait. It should be relaxed, active and ground-covering – but not too ground-covering, says van Grunsven. “I don’t like a big walk. You want enough walk, but if it’s too big, it’ll be slow and difficult to collect when you get to the upper levels. Two feet is enough. Four feet can be too much for grand prix,” she says.

An active trot

Of all the gaits, the trot is the most adaptable. With a decent mover, training can produce the trot of a dressage horse, says van Grunsven.

Many trainers look for suspension and reach (the ability to cover ground) in the trot. Lift in the legs and the ability to take that lofty movement forward is what enables horses to perform the gymnastic moves of dressage. A trot that is too up-and-down is termed “passage” (i.e., not ground-covering enough) and one that is not springy enough is called flat.

Van Grunsven focuses on athletic ability and power before movement. “I want to see power from behind and an active hind leg. I like to see that the horse doesn’t have just one trot. Does it have a big trot, a small trot? I want them free in the shoulder, too. But always, always active behind,” she explains. “Bonfire had a lot of knee action and a fast, very active hind leg.”

Adjustability in the canter

Ideally, dressage horses should possess good suspension and adjustability in the canter. They should be able to open up their canter and to shorten the stride; to go from driving with their hind end to sitting on their haunches. The canter should be round and ‘uphill.’ The horse should be light in the front end and active in the hind, stepping under with good articulation or bending of the hock joint.

In a young horse, look for a natural aptitude for these skills. “The walk and canter you can’t change, so it’s important the horse does it well naturally,” says van Grunsven. “The canter shouldn’t be too big and slow. But too fast is not good either in a young horse. Look for something in the middle.”

“The horse should demonstrate self-carriage in all gaits,” she adds.

Broke to ride

FEI judge and former USEF technical advisor Anne Gribbons assesses young dressage prospects in the paddock. “When the horse gallops forward and then suddenly stops, I want to see that he uses his hind legs to balance the rest of his body. When he canters and comes to a wall or has to stop and turn, then I want him to sit and almost slide stop, like western horses. I love it when they just twirl, do a rollback and go the other way,” she writes in Dressage Today.

Van Grunsven, on the other hand, prefers to see horses under saddle. “All my horses look really bad in the paddock. Bonfire looks terrible loose!” she laughs. “I really want to see them move under saddle.”

Willingness to go

Temperament is one of the most important factors to evaluate in a young prospect. All the talent in the world won’t get you far on a horse that isn’t willing to go, or on one that is a poor personality match for its rider.

Consider which temperament best fits your personality and riding style. A more sensitive horse may be more forward-moving, but more difficult to relax, whereas a more laid-back horse may require work to develop impulsion.

“I like really sensitive horses, but [they must be] very honest. They can be fast and spooky, as long as they want to do the job,” says van Grunsven. “Bonfire is spooky, but he always wants to be his best. He’d get nervous because he didn’t want to make a mistake. He tries to please. A horse that is too cool is not good for me.”

Is he right for you?

Do you have the skills to hazard a guess on unproven potential, or will you be better served by a verified campaigner? “I don’t think amateurs should buy young horses,” cautions van Grunsven. “They should buy easy, trained horses that will teach them how to ride well. It’s difficult to train a young horse up in a good way.”