POINT OF VIEW “Even if a horse can move well, if his body doesn’t re-
ally allow him to work correctly it can be very difficult to bring that horse up to the high levels,” she says. She also notes talent only goes so far if a horse is not a willing part- ner. “When it comes to rideability and temperament, I like to have a feeling that the horse wants to work with me,” she says. “A lot of people are look- ing for three amazing gaits when they are buying young horses. But good movement and talent are not enough if the horse doesn’t like to cooperate with his rider.” When analyzing a horse’s po-
tential, she says, “A very good canter and walk are the two most important gaits, as trot can al- ways be improved a lot with good, correct work. Very often horses that just started working don’t really show their walk under saddle, so it’s important to see how they walk in-hand too.” She reminds anyone considering the potential of a
basic exercises to help her young horses work correctly. “Transitions are very important for young horses be- cause they help them find their balance and develop more power,” she says. “Trot-canter and canter-trot transi- tions are great to get young horses well balanced and re- ally make them carry themselves.” “A lot of bending and bend-
“Training them too hard and pushing them just so I can get good marks in Young Horse shows is bad for the future of the horses and doesn’t benefit their training.”
changing exercises are also very important with young horses,” she continues. “Moving big with quick hind legs doesn’t benefit anything if the horse is stiff, not supple. Small circles, broken lines and serpentines are very good ex- ercises to help encourage a young horse to be supple and work through the body. After the horse
young horse to think long term, since young horses are still developing in both mind and body, and to remem- ber that correct training can improve both. “Again, I’m not putting so much focus on Young Horse classes, thinking more about the future, so as I mentioned before in most cases trot is easy to improve,” she adds. “Sometimes a young horse may have too much en-
ergy, be overly sensitive and a bit spooky; but if I have the feeling that with training I can build trust with this horse and learn how to channel the extra energy in a good way, I would for sure consider working with this horse. With good work and patience this type of horse can develop to be very good for the higher levels, even if their time as a young horse is a bit difficult.”
Her Training Style In training, Laura likes to take her time. She focuses on
is in good balance and straight in his body, leg yielding is a good way to get the hind leg active and to teach the horse to really bend with his body around the inside leg and accept the inside leg aid.” Laura advises riders considering entering a Young
Horse competition not push their horse too much at this level. “Some horses need more time to develop and trying to over push a horse and show his maximum potential when it’s too early, physically and mentally, can only lead to problems in the future,” she says. It is also important that a rider have the skills neces-
sary to develop a young horse correctly. “If a rider doesn’t sit well on a horse, he will only disturb him and the horse will not be able to really show his talent,” she says. “Of course sometimes with the young horse the rider must use a more clear aid than with an experienced horse, but the rider’s position must still be correct and as close to perfect as possible. A horse can perform well only if he is happy and comfortable.”
In the Ring Young Horse championships are a great learning experi- ence for riders and spectators alike, Laura says. “It is really amazing to see how many talented horses there are today and to keep up to date with what’s going on in the breeding world. Riding there is always a great way to get to know other riders from around the world and to meet new people.” “Most importantly, it’s fun riding [in a championship]
with my horses. It doesn’t matter if they perform to their best or not, I simply feel proud that I can ride them in those shows and put all my trust in them when we are trotting into the big arena.”
40 November/December 2017
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