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of information gathering. Notice patterns of when your horse speeds up or slows down, for example, or where he loses rhythm and balance even without the weight of the rider. Is he more stiff to the left or to the right? Is his focus on you or the horses next door? Is he relaxed and happy or tense and worried? This assessment allows you to cre- ate a tailored ride for that day, one that speaks to your horse’s current physical and mental state. The preservation of a horse’s dignity is to really “see” him on that particular day in order to create the dance together that allows him to best carry you.


“Being” versus “Doing” More often than not, most of us are chomping at the bit, ready to roll up our sleeves and get involved. We head to the barn and want to ‘do.’ We spend much of our time with our horses learning to sit on them, ride them, use them. Consider simply spending time with your horse, time to find out who he (or she) is as an individual. Horses, like humans, are creatures of habit. Watch and learn their pat- terns, their likes and dislikes. This requires calm observa- tion on your part. The power of observation is certainly not a new con-


cept. Its existence has been documented in texts ranging from the antiquities to modern research findings from new quantum physics. Yet it is frequently overlooked. All too often, people approach a horse with a litany of tech- niques or ideas about how they will interact. Your time with your horse will be much more effective, I believe, when you approach with a deep yearning to get to know him—his needs and his desires. I’ve found that too often people ride mindlessly or with


a prescribed test pattern in mind. If you begin with in-hand groundwork, it will guide you to safeguard his or her wel- fare that day because it allows you to create the best ride possible in your mind. Horse listening means that you see your horse as the individual he is at that moment because you’ve asked the right questions, such as, is my horse comfortable? Is he happy? Cultivating the skill of listen- ing while you’re still on the ground will also improve your listening skills while under saddle. Hence, your choices of exercises under saddle are guided by the information you’ve just gathered and they become for the horse and not against him. And that makes for a ride that whispers both elegance and fairness.


About Dr. Katsamanis: A native of Greece, Maria is a horse trainer and clinician. She holds a doctorate in clinical psy- chology and maintains an academic appointment at Rutgers Medical School and at her equine base in New Jersey. She co-authored the book, The Alchemy of Lightness (Trafalgar Square Books, 2013).


WWW.CHESHIREHORSE.COM available at


New USEF Dressage


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THE IMPORTANCE OF TONGUE RELIEF These new bits offer significant tongue relief to dressage horses,


allowing them to relax into the bridle, improving physical development and overall performance.


Warmbloods Today 37


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