dressage schooling before a fitness [galloping] workout on the same day, especially before a three- or four-star event.
What specific aspects of the dressage training help you in the cross-country and jumping phases? GM: The transitions of extended to collected work in the
dressage ring helps with adjusting the stride length out on cross country. The cross country courses have become more technical and I find the half passes help in the quick turns as, for example, in a water jump. I think the stronger toplines developed from the dressage work also help in the show jumping arena, where the horses use their backs better. CF: Teaching your horse to be between your leg and
hand is to me vitally important. In other words, you can’t al- low your horse to get ‘behind your leg’ at all. ‘Go’ must mean go, both in the dressage ring asking for self-carriage and es- pecially on cross-country. In my teaching I find riders tend to ride with too much leg pressure which hinders a horse from staying in front of the leg. Cross-country uses the same aids and principles as dressage, just at five times the speed.
What’s the most difficult challenge of the three- or four-star dressage tests that you’ve had to overcome with your upper level horses? GM: The biggest challenge is what happens four weeks
prior to an important event where we’ve increased the amount of galloping and cardio work for the horses in order
to up their fitness. So then when you go into the dressage ring, it’s pretty difficult to ask for a relaxed walk when you feel a time bomb underneath you! The dressage work is much easier in the off season. CF: The walk is always the most difficult since your horse
is very fit and the atmosphere is electric. They often will jig in the walk, especially before you pick up your canter. The flying changes can be more difficult for some horses, as you need them to stay rounder and more supple while being naturally ‘up’ in the frame. Before a competition, eventers will make a big push to make their horses fitter. In that process, I find if I back off that work a bit two weeks before the competition, it gives their muscles time to repair and recuperate, knowing the event it- self will be another push. This kind of break can actually help the dressage performance.
Gina and S.V.R. Ron, a 15-year-old Silla Uruguay gelding, competed at last year’s Rolex Kentucky event.
Clayton and FE Bowman on cross-country at Red Hills Interna- tional in the CIC** where they remained at the top of the lead- erboard in all three phases.
Warmbloods Today 39
Shannon Brinkman
Sherry Stewart
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