The Rider February 2014

44/ FEBRUARY 2014 THE RIDER Palm Partnership Training™ Building a Partnership with your Horse

Dressage training for All Breeds and for All Disciplines, Part 6

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By Lynn Palm We will now complete

the instructions for riding Training Level, Test 1. Remember, these instruc- tions are for a test ridden in a standard (large) arena. Segment 8 is the begin-

ning of the exact same movements as you have just done to the left, except now they will be done to the right. In dressage, both sides of the horse are worked equally in order to supple and develop the horse equally on both sides. For Segment 8, at “A,”

you will do a transition to the working trot and con- tinue on to “E.” Anytime you use the posting trot, you must respect the cor- rect diagonal to be perfect- ly in balance with the horse. At “E,” you will begin

Segment 9, a 20 meter cir- cle to the right. Again,

good quality of the trot— impulsion and rhythm— and the roundness of the circle is most desirable. For Segment 10,

between “H” and “C,” you will pick up the right lead working canter. The judge is looking for the calmness and smoothness of the tran- sition and the quality of the canter—three beat, for- ward, rhythmic, balanced, and with lots of spring to the movement. Segment 11 is to circle

right 20 meters at “E” at the canter. This is followed by Segment 12, between center line and “B,” a downward transition to working trot. Do not forget to look ahead at the canter so that you have the correct timing of your aids to con- tinue to control your horse’s body alignment and balance. At “E,” look at the first one-quarter of the cir- cle. As you approach the

centerline, look at “B.” As you approach “B,” look for the spot between the cen- terline (3/4 of a circle) and “E” to do the downward transition to the working trot. You must be on your left diagonal at the posting trot.

You will continue in

working trot to “A” where Segment 13 requires a right turn onto center line and then a halt through the walk at “X” where you will salute the judge. In your relief that the test is over, do not rush your halt and salute—you are still being judged! You may then ride forward and thank the judge for his/her considera- tion, give your horse a big pet, and leave the ring at the free walk. Never stop showing your horse until you are all the way out of the judged arena!! Another great thing about a dressage show is

that you are given a specif- ic ride time. Show man- agers try to keep things on schedule, but things happen so your ride may be delayed. Or, riders ahead of you may cancel and you may be able to ride earlier. If you choose to go earlier than your designated ride time, make sure you and your horse are ready! If not, take your original ride time and be fully prepared! However, if you are ready to go earlier, be considerate to the other riders waiting and the judge and go earli- er.

Some of you probably

will want to work your way through the remaining Training Level Tests and continue on into First Level. You will find that the tests get longer, the fig- ures get more difficult, and there is more canter work. However, the common thread will be that rhythm, suppleness, and contact— the first three rungs on the dressage training pyramid that we have worked on— are the elements that are needed to be successful at both Training and First Level. In the next article, we

will move on to a new topic. I hope you have found learning about dres- sage for all breeds and all disciplines both fun and helpful in the development of your horse’s athleticism. My visual series, “Dres- sage Principles for the Western or English Horse and Rider,” will enhance this series of articles. Go to www.lynnpalm.com or call 800-503-2824 for more information.

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available for download free of charge for qualified facilitators interested in teaching a hands-on equine behaviour and safety clinic! Kind donations accepted at EquineGuelph.ca/donations/donate.php or 519- 824-4120 extension 54431. Following last year’s launch of the highly popu-

lar Equine Guelph Horse Behaviour and Safety two- week eWorkshop, this hands-on one day workshop is designed for horse people (ages 16+) who would like to learn more about the best practices for handling horses safely. This workshop is ideal for those new to horses including; new owners, new riders, mounted police units and first responders. With a clear goal of providing basic tools to help keep handlers safe around horses, Equine Guelph has developed this complete workshop kit intended for delivery by certi- fied coaches and horse industry professionals. The kit is available for free download on the Equine Guelph website. It is recommended facilitators take Equine

Guelph’s Horse Behaviour and Safety eWorkshop two-week online course before teaching this work- shop. Not only will this eWorkshop give facilitators an extensive repertoire for what is covered in the teaching kit but it also qualifies for Equine Canada coaches updating credits. The next offering is March 10 -23, 2014 for $75 plus HST. Ten sections will be covered: the horse in the wild - a herd and flight animal, the modern day horse,

how horses see, how horses hear, horse herd behaviour - how horses interact with each other and you, horse handling/approaching a horse, rider/helmet safety, trailer loading safety basics, safety around the barn and paddocks, and fire safety. “Learning how horses perceive the world around

them and how they use their bodies to communicate gives horse-handlers confidence and safe handling skills,” says course conductor Dr. Susan Raymond. Equine Guelph thanks Vétoquinol Canada Inc.

for sponsoring the Horse Behaviour and Safety eWorkshop and facilitator kit. Funding for this program was provided by the Cana- dian Agricultural Safety Association, which receives funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through Growing Forward - a federal-provincial-terri- torial initiative. Partners: Equine Hippique Canada, Kubota Canada, SSG Riding Gloves, Saddle Up SAFELY, System Fencing, UK Ag Equine University of Kentucky, UK Healthcare, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services AND all equestrian federations across Canada. Don’t miss out on the March 10th offering of

Equine Guelph’s Horse Behaviour and Safety eWork- shop! For more details about the eWorkshop or to learn how to host your own clinic contact Susan Raymond at slraymon@uoguelph.ca

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http://www.equineguelph.ca/eworkshops/trainer_kit.p hp

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