Dec. 2015 Issue_ August 2013a 2015-11-23 5:17 PM Page 42 42/ DECEMBER 2015 THE RIDER Equestrian Dreams hosts clinic with Jacqueline Brooks


By Gemma Young Recently I attended a clinic with two-


time Olympian Jacqueline Brooks that stood out – it was a proven example of what dres- sage done well does for both horse and rider. The clinic was hosted at Equestrian


Dreams near Milton, ON – a beautiful and friendly facility owned and run by dressage coach Debbie Dobson. All levels were gen- uinely welcomed from some hunter/jumper riders new to dressage to I1 and Grand Prix competitors. A variety of horses participated in the


was true: - We don’t pay enough attention to the rhythm (but we all think that we do). Jacqui focused on balance and confidence as the


clinic – OTTBs, Draft Crosses and imported Warmbloods at varying levels, a true focus on dressage for every level. Regardless of the levels the following


ance and we know what we are about to do next – the speed and direction we will be moving in next. I would say my horse is well balanced, not to GP level but basically well balanced but do I realize how the ten- sion in my forearms and hands can impact her forward movement and upset that bal- ance? - Focusing on our horse’s shoulders can help us avoid the trap of being in a ‘fake’ frame. You know the type - the frame where the horse has his neck nicely bent over but is hollow and strung out behind. The frame where his back has not lifted to carry us more easily. The frame where we are influ- encing them back into a frame rather than riding them forwards and softly containing the energy with our elbows but not holding the frame together (see self-carriage for more info). The shoulders should feel like they ‘lift’ slightly BUT with the energy coming through the back and not being


Meredith Risk riding her I1/GP Horse - Hera, Jacqueline Brooks with Owner/Coach Debbie Dobson


answer the questions, watching the clinic was as much a learning experience as riding in it.


son, who organized the clinic, was pleased with how the day went: “It was encouraging to see how much, and how quickly, every horse/rider combination improved just by focusing on the basics of rhythm, balance and contact. It just goes to show that every


Equestrian Dreams owner Debbie Dob-


horse – no matter the breed or level of train- ing – can benefit greatly from correct dres- sage work.” Dobson is looking forward to bringing


Brooks back to Equestrian Dreams for another session in the New Year, as well as welcoming former USEF National Dressage Youth Coach for a clinic in April. I look forward to attending.


Sale Horses Estralita (Rider Emily Schenk) and Sara (rider Debbie Dobson)


cornerstone of all other pieces of dressage. If we cannot establish a good rhythm how can we ask for balance? If we cannot adjust the rhythm consciously and deliberately - not just when it is ‘too fast/slow’ then other movements become significantly more diffi- cult-to impossible. - Elbows – if you bring your elbows back to collect or slow your horse (in conjunction with your seat, leg aids) then the forearms, wrists and hands remain soft. If you bring your hands back then the forearms, wrist and hands tense and become rigid upsetting your horse’s balance. - Most of us don’t have a fine enough under- standing of how what we are doing affects our horse’s balance. Not our fault really, unlike our horses we don’t have the experi- ence of having someone else affect our bal- ance – we are responsible for our own bal-


pulled backwards from the front. The Grand Prix and I1 horses were


thankfully showing less of these issues but the corrections were still the same. For a horse which tended to add flying changes randomly - riding the shoulders more and focusing on the position of the shoulders before a change was added prevented the impromptu changes. Another Training Level horse which


was particularly fast in the canter demon- strated a second-level smooth, steady and active canter after focusing on improving balance by establishing and adjusting the rhythm in small increments. Notable as well was how Jacqueline


interacted with the many auditors (almost 50, a great turnout for a dressage clinic these days) . Thanks to her detailed explanations, approachable demeanor and willingness to


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