What are some of the best "pearls of wisdom" you have gained from dressage lessons or other

[Mukluks]

I recently had my first dressage lesson in many years with my OTTB, Angel. I’d like to start her at intro, maybe training in our summer dressage series. We have had dressage lessons here and there over the years from a dressage trainer and an eventing trainer. In my first lesson, we worked on bending my horse on a circle in the direction of the circle and counter to the circle. It was fun and I think I was getting it. Trainer complemented me on having light contact with Angel. Of course what else can you do she is a sensitive red headed OTTB? A key phrase was outside connection, inside flexion.

So what are you working on/learning in dressage?

[BrendaJane]

the horse gets breaks - the rider doesn’t. even (or especially) the walk still require an active rider

[MadTrotter]

My first dressage epiphany, age 13.

Coming from hunter trainers who didn’t mind heavy on the forehand as long as the head is down…my first dressage lessons consisted of trainer telling me to stop picking the horse up and helping him carry his head. Stop trying to fiddle with his headset. Just gently urge him on and reward any attempts at contact.

So what if it felt like he was going to fall forward, he really isn’t, he must learn to carry himself. It took about a month, but he did indeed learn how to sit back and use his core for balance instead of leaning on my hands.

[netg]

There’s an ongoing thread you may find useful

Random training tricks you’ve learned

I have never been amazing at walk pirouettes, especially with my Iberian youngster who has one of those big walks that can get lateral when he’s tense. Recently I’ve started trying them right after playing with our half-steps/ early stage piaffe - suddenly the collected walk with four beats and non-sticky, yet not huge, walk pirouettes are 100% easier!! The piaffe seems to make him “remember” his hind legs in the walk and keep it active without tightening the back. I stumbled upon this breakth…

[sascha]

“If you don’t love the day to day training, you shouldn’t be training dressage.”

This was not directed at me. The meaning for me has morphed over the years though to a more live and let live attitude and less of a finger pointing (original meaning) at those people who just show up and ride their trained horses or engage in less that perfect techniques to get their horse’s through a test.

[eightpondfarm]

it’s sort of a double edged sword when you’re training with a coach. On one hand, i’m learning what works with what on my mare and she is striving to understand what i am asking. Just as i am seeking to understand what my coach is asking ME to do. I’m in the middle. Learner and teacher. A conveyor of information. When i think of it this way, life in the saddle seems less frustrating. I do rather like following orders instead of making up a lesson-plan. But i still wish to understand the whys of things. So i question…something i allow my horse to also do. My horse gets to ask questions.

[Jealoushe]

The slower you go, the faster you get there - nothing is more true than this statement!

Always follow the training scale, when in doubt, back to the training scale. The training scale holds the answers to all your training dilemmas.

[luckycricket123]

@Jealoushe

The slower you go, the faster you get there - nothing is more true than this statement!

True in so many contexts, but this is exactly what I think of when it comes to trailer loading lol

[joiedevie99]

Mistakes are where the training happens.

I had (have) a habit of riding around like I’m showing all the time. I band-aid, cover up, fix, etc. so the picture keeps looking good. None of that creates a learning environment for the horse. I had to learn to embrace the moments where things fall apart.

[sascha]

@joiedevie99

I had to learn to embrace the moments where things fall apart.

Ooo, this reminds me of one of the best, most long-lasting quotes I was ever given, “Sometimes you have to get the job done. You can’t always look perfect.”

[sweetsalute]

@luckycricket123

True in so many contexts, but this is exactly what I think of when it comes to trailer loading lol

Ohhhh yes. I learnt that one many years ago when my previously easy to load pony decided she wasn’t having it anymore. Any attempts to force her on, making her work if she refused etc did absolutely nothing. What did work…was asking her to go on, standing and waiting while she pulled back and had her tantrum, then asking again. Turns out zero reaction from me had her quickly figuring out she was wasting time and effort. Haven’t had a problem since!

[SusanO]

I was auditing a clinic with Arthur Kottas. A rider was having problems with her horse spooking and was telling him " My horse won’t do this" blaming the horse for the problems. Don’t ever do this with a clinician - i.e. blame the horse. That won’t go over well. Believe me.

So he said - "the rider is afraid of the horse. The horse must love you. In order to do that the horse must respect you and trust you. If the horse does not respect you then it will not trust you. " So I started to think about my quirky problem child and this resonated that maybe part of the problem was respect issues. When I was working with her I needed to insist that she pay more attention to me and less on the birds in the pasture or whatever she thought was important that day.

[sorrelfilly721]

Ask the horse with your leg and then let the horse do it. Stop nagging. “What?? Take my leg off?” It works and the movement is much smoother.

[sascha]

@sorrelfilly721

Ask the horse with your leg and then let the horse do it. Stop nagging. “What?? Take my leg off?” It works and the movement is much smoother.

THIS! I cringe every time I see one of those “More leg” memes. It should be more response to leg, but most people think of it as more strength of leg. The only thing we should need strength of leg for in dressage is to keep our legs reasonable quiet and in place.

[PaddockWood]

My most recent “pearl” was learning to apply leg until my horse seeks the bit and then release that pressure. It was like finding the buried treasure versus pulling on the head which solves nothing - horse inverts, drops at the base of their neck, is unhappy and you ride into a hole. Having them stretch into the bit begins up the stairs to what is possible. And a magic carpet ride.

They are happier, I’m happier and everything is beautiful from a biomechanical and emotional perspective.

[Jealoushe]

I think those memes are more “more leg” because many riders think they have their leg on and in fact, don’t lol I was one for many years!

[Gardenhorse]

I have no idea where I read this quote by Nuno Oliviera but it was transformative for my canter work. I do still have to remind myself of it often:

“We must slow the canter by the waist, not by the hands," said Nuno.

[SuzieQNutter]

@sascha

@joiedevie99

I had to learn to embrace the moments where things fall apart.

Ooo, this reminds me of one of the best, most long-lasting quotes I was ever given, “Sometimes you have to get the job done. You can’t always look perfect.”

It looks ugly before it looks good.

They need the confidence to go forward.

[endlessclimb]

I think this is more in H/J land. The “more leg” leg is more of a “support the horse to the base, keep him straight between leg and hand, and don’t pinch with the knee, keep your base of support low”. One just takes longer to type/say lol.

Along the lines of someone else upthread “you have to let the horse make mistakes in order to fix them.” IE: don’t micromanage every single second. Sure that makes for a prettier ride, but it doesn’t do anything for self-carriage and it pisses lots of horses off.

[sascha]

My point was that so many people interpret more leg as if leg is already there and you just get super strong with you leg, that is “more leg.” It ain’t. I have encountered a ridiculous numbe3r of people who interpret it this way.