bridge connecting back and front, the hind legs will do one thing and the forelegs another. “You have to connect them without going too fast, keeping the rhythm, keeping the hind legs active, pushing over the back to the contact. How do you do that when you can’t just get on and go?” asks Maria. “Patience. They will be strong everywhere else, but you have to spend time building the back.” It has been said that Iberians are born with piaffe and passage in their blood. However, as with any horse, the connection from the hind end over the back to the mouth should be confirmed before moving to these upper level movements so easily offered by the collectable Iberians. “Unlike an unconfirmed Warmblood, the unconfirmed
Iberian can have extravagant movement without its back,” Allison explains. “He will do piaffe, passage and flying changes like a hammock. But to train the horse optimally, you have to be certain that their athleticism and willing- ness is not masking the lack of correctness. They are so smart and willing and comfort- able and fun that you have to make sure that there aren’t holes in the training. You have to say ‘thank you so much for offer- ing that but are you truly over your back, truly into the bridle, truly in self-carriage, not just offering [your] talents as they came onto the earth?’” “I have gotten horses that are said to be [going] Prix St. Georges with piaffe and passage and I can’t even get a half halt,” Allison continues. “Slapping the move- ments on these horses is really easy. But you have to be certain you are doing them as one piece and connected. Because of their generous disposition, it’s our job to deal ethically with that willingness. I have a hard time when I see a seven-year-old doing Prix St. Georges. Just because they are willing and they can, doesn’t mean you do.” Maria agrees that when you start to feel they are
mentally prepared, can “sit” more and the back comes up under your seat, and stays through, then the movements just come. Iberians might progress more slowly than Warm- bloods in their early training, but once they are ready they progress more quickly than the Warmbloods do. However, both trainers caution, the ease with which the Iberians can make themselves look tucked up and built up can be deceptive.
CONTACT “The Iberian stallions have huge necks and it’s hard to make the poll the highest point,” Maria says. “They are so flexible and can collect so easily that it’s easy for them to come off the bit and for the neck to look short. It’s the back. As soon as they start coming through the back and pushing, their connection can be as good as any.”
48 January/February 2018
“My clients are not allowed to say ‘my horse is soft like
butter in my hands,’” she jokes. “We do not want our horse soft like butter in our hands. I would rather have that hard butter you get in really bad restaurants.” “We know that if you have a soft connection and all of a
sudden you throw it away, he’s going to fall on his forehand. With PREs, if you move through the levels too quickly, they will be behind the bit and rely on their balance behind but not going into your hand. Then it’s impossible to get good movement and changes. It’s a horrible feeling,” she continues. “He should be balanced on his four legs, but with that
little connection that allows him to stay balanced. I want to feel something in my hand almost too strong. Then when you start transitions and balancing them on the hind legs, they will naturally come up in front. The contact will stay stable and get a little softer and you can keep that feel in your hand. I want a steady, solid conversation with my horse. You need to enforce in the training that they accept the contact. If you look for self-carriage before they learn to go over the back, you have huge problems.”
Maria Lithander on her own Barbara HGF, a 2009 Andalusian mare by Bolero CXLVIII. They showed in Intermediare I and Prix St. Georges last year.
IMPULSION “Our job as trainers is to be sure that the expression is not offered without impul- sion. That’s where things start to fall apart. The back isn’t as strong, the gait isn’t as pure,” Allison warns. “Generally, Iberians don’t have as great extended gaits, but that’s changing with selective breeding. High knee action can extend, can go out to a beautiful expressive gait. With Warm- bloods, you create energy and then direct it. With Iberians, you contain energy and then direct it.”
“With relaxation and strength, the Iberian develops into
a more competitive mover. Warmbloods come out with big movement, but you need to create energy and balance. Warmbloods have working, collected and extended gaits, and less variety within that. Iberians can have several differ- ent trots. You have to figure out which you want (it’s a bless- ing and a curse), and then be able to maintain the rhythm and quality. There is a tendency to get more animated in the front and then you have to make certain that their impul- sion matches their expression, where the hind legs match the front,” she adds. The sensitivity and generosity of the Iberian overachiev-
ers requires riders see clearly what they are being offered. “The difficulty in riding them is going too far,” points out Maria. “They try so hard that if they feel they are being treated unfairly, even being asked too many times when they have already tried as hard as they can, they will shut down. With a Warmblood you can usually make mistakes or go a little too far or ask for more. They’re pretty much fine with
Lily Forado
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