INCREASING PUSHING POWER:

“A problem in the front is a problem in the back,” repeats Carlos.

Improving the horse’s engagement is to improve the pushing power from its hind legs. The more the hind legs reach under the horse’s belly, the more the back lifts, rounds and pushes forward over the back, neck and into the bit.

If you have had the comment ‘more engagement’ on your test sheet, you are not alone. As a young horse, Falcon needs to learn to push from behind and be allowed to lift his back and take the contact forward.

Through the use of (even more) transitions on a 20-metre circle, including trot-canter transitions in medium paces, Falcon extended the reach of his hind leg progressively through repetition – the result: his balance noticeably improved, he closed behind in the downward transition and maintained the correct frame.

Carlos noted it is essential for Francesca to lighten her seat for the horse to lift its back during the transition .

Improving

Horses take time to build strength through their backs, so with time and correct training basics, we enable them to maintain balance for longer durations and through increasingly difficult transitions and movements – all while carrying the weight and movement of the rider.

In preparation for the transition, Carlos told Francesca to sit to the trot well before the transition to walk so that the horse does not associate the rider going from rising to sitting trot as the aid for stopping. When the rider sits, the horse must keep going for as long as the rider wants. As the rider prepares to walk, they should lighten the seat, allowing the horse’s back to lift under the rider’s weight. This, in turn, increases the range of the hind leg coming under the belly, optimising engagement.

Simultaneously, the horse’s neck and poll should be positioned a little deeper so the back does not hollow. Carlos explains, “We must think about the neck having two separate hinges, one at the poll and one at the wither. We can influence the angle and flexion of those two hinges in isolation of each other”.

Once Falcon becomes more engaged, he swings through his back, in an uphill frame.

Leg yield was introduced to encourage more engagement by crossing the hind legs. On the K-G and F-G diagonal lines, Carlos wanted to see Falcon moving forward and sideways in trot, parallel to the long sides of the arena. The aim for leg yield and, later, half-pass in trot is to maximise the ground cover of the horse’s pace in an uphill frame; going right, the left hind leg lifts and steps across in front of the right hind leg, and the longer the reach of the step, the greater the ground cover, and the greater the cadence and lift of the forehand. The shallow diagonal in this exercise allows Falcon to maintain the elements of the training scale he has begun to grasp (rhythm, suppleness, contact, impulsion) and progress towards developing those that still lie ahead of him and his rider (straightness and collection).

If the connection and pushing power are improved, what do you get? You get throughness, balance and ultimately, collection.

Transitions improve contact and pushing power (engagement). The result? The horse takes weight from the front to the back and increases the power from the hind leg, which in turn, lifts and lightens the forehand.

This cycle of energy is moving through the horse’s body continuously, allowing the horse to swing with impulsion and produce cadence, collection and greater activity of the limbs. The rider can be balanced and discrete with their aids. This is the goal of dressage – to execute difficult movements in perfect balance and make it look easy!

An analogy flies off Carlos’ tongue, which is worth thinking through as it relates to riding in balance. “It is easy to drive a Ferrari fast, but it is difficult to drive a Ferrari fast on the road”.

A balanced rider is important for the development of a young horse like Falcon. Carlos commented that Francesca sits very well, especially for a tall person with a long body. Carlos said he often sees tall riders having a tendency to collapse at the ribcage, which can impact a horse’s balance and straightness.

At the end of her session, Francesca could feel more swing through Falcon’s back and noted his contact had improved significantly. The disconnection at the beginning had transitioned (pun intended) into a true connection that improved engagement, throughness and balance.

And with that, Falcon and Francesca were equipped with a new, indispensable tool that, when used frequently, correctly and repetitively, is highly effective in building the early foundations of your dressage horse - perfect transitions. C