Report 2006 - Global Dressage Forum

Table of contents report 2006
DAY ONE:
1. David Hunt, introduction
page 2
2. Richard Davison, more room for discussion
page 2
3. Hubertus Schmidt, clinic on Fabio
page 3
4. Dr Rico Schuijers, lecture on sports psychology
page 5
5. Monty Roberts, first time ever for a dressage audience
page 7
DAY TWO:
6. Dr Andrew McLean, the new frontier of horse training
page 9
7. Mariette Withages, analysis of the judging at WEG
page 12
8. Dr Rene van Weeren and Sjef Janssen,
do biomechanics back specific training methods?
page 15
9. Sjef Janssen, influencing the horse’s performance
page 17
10. Anky van Grunsven and Sjef Janssen,
practical session with Painted Black
page 18
11. Selection of articles in the international press.
Page 21
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1. David Hunt
Introduction
This year has been the best year for dressage that I have ever seen. 45.000-50.000 spectators
watched the grand prix special and the kür at the World Equestrian Games. It would have been
more but there were no more seats in the stadium. We saw unknown combinations jumping up to
the top bracket. Three different individual horses won each class. We owe a great thanks to our
judges – when horses went well, they were marked accordingly.
The three different winners were not all trained on the same system. With reference to the riding
low, deep and round (LDR) debate, there was too much heat last year on that subject. We cannot
dictate which system, you as riders should prefer. But there is one key thing – the welfare of the
horse that we must never move away from.
Riders have to produce what the FEI requires – those are our guidelines and what we work to. As
trainers we are pushing for openness – the sport has moved forward because all parties are so open.
This is the most important lead for this years Global Dressage Forum.
2. Richard Davison
more room for discussion
The program committee, chaired by drs. Joep Bartels of the Academy, has introduced more room
for discussion this year. We will have a panel discussion after every clinic and you will have the
opportunity to ask your personal questions after every clinic and lecture in ‘Questions Corner’.
We have representatives from practice and science, and also some very interesting outsiders, as we
want to mix different opinions and look from different angles. We also have invited some
representatives of the press, who will be invited to some of the panels.
The program committee feels that we have a top program this year, with some world famous horse
people. In creating the program, we have taken into consideration your remarks in last years
questionnaire. We are able to present this high class program, as we have got the support of our
sponsors. We would like to thank them for their great support:
IDTC, Dutch National Federation, KNHS (NED), Eurocommerce (NED), Family De Deken, MSP (BEL)
Group Mrs L. Marriott (GBR), London Outpost (GBR), Equine Elite (NED), Mrs L. Sonnenberg (SUI),
Family Bechtolsheimer (GBR), dressagedirect (NED), Lambert Geerkens (BEL).
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THE FIRST DAY 30 OCTOBER 2006
3. Hubertus Schmidt
Clinic on Fabio
I have produced more than 30 grand prix horses in the last decade. I will ride Fabio, a seven-yearold Westphalian gelding by Piccolo. I also ant to introduce my wife who is my “eyes on the ground
and a vital part of the team”.
Hubertus’s comments
• I try to follow the German cavalry school – its traditional, but I think it’s still 100% up to date.
It’s a good system for non-professionals too.
• The warm-up is very important – stretch the horses into the bit with flexion to make sure the
horse is loose in the muscles, back and neck. This is true whether the horse is a Grand Prix
horse or a five-year-old. Not every horse who can stretch down is 100% loose in back. But
horses that can’t stretch down are not loose in the neck.
• I work on flexion from the beginning. Use the corners (quarter voltes) to get the horse loose
on inside and outside rein. This is very important for the later movements when you need
bend (half pass). Some horses swing well on a straight line, but horses must also be able to do
that on a non-straight line (half-pass)
• The training must be as easy as possible for the rider and the horse – I don’t just train for the
6 minute test.
• Fabio does not have much show experience. I’m using medium walk whilst loosening him up
laterally. This is mixed up with working trot on large circles with a soft inside rein and steady
contact to the outside rein. In the warm-up trot I want to make him swing in the back but I’m
not looking for cadence.
• Transitions working trot/canter work well with him. It’s important that the horse does not get
hot and run away. I want to relax the canter and push it to make the strides as long and as
“up” in front as possible.
• Collection: from behind start to make him swing to collect him. He is too hectic but I want to
push him a bit more from behind.
• If the horse is loose and on the bit, then it’s easy to collect him.
• Next step is shoulder-in and half-pass: not only do I want to teach this movement but they are
good exercises to improve the gaits. The shoulder should be free, the horse should be
swinging and he must be steady on the outside rein.
• In between this, I put in some medium trot to keep him onward bound.
• Allow him plenty of rests in walk on a long rein before starting each section of work.
• I work in canter half-pass before I work on the pirouette. Even with a Grand Prix horse, I will
do a working pirouette first to check his stride.
• I prefer to do pirouettes on a straight line or circle. I never do them from travers.
• After the canter the trot is better – Fabio is now swinging well through the back.
• I ask for collected walk near the end of the session.
• Even if I know he’s a little too onward-bound, I’ll try to make the changes really big. For
Grand Prix we need the horse to want to be big. He gets better and better with the changes.
• If he is trotting this well, then passage is just a slightly shorter trot. At seven years I start with
the half-steps.
• I do piaffe and passage at end of a session with young horses. The horses know that it’s
coming. But it’s not real piaffe steps –just playing, and suppling. Also when they are young its
fine for them to move a little bit left or right.
• I know a lot of riders like to do piaffe in-hand – I prefer to be on the horse. I activate him
using the whip and not the leg – with too much leg it can push the hindlegs too far under the
young horse.
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Panel discussion:
Beth Baumert, Kyra Kyrklund, Henk van Bergen, Stephen Clarke, David Hunt,
Richard Davison:
Stephen Clarke: My impression is that this is a top class young horse with huge ability. It’s
wonderful to see such a position in the saddle of influence and relaxation. The quality of the horse’s
gaits is great and he has an instinctive desire to go forwards which will be vital for the later stages.
Henk van Bergen: Hubertus’s riding is like a dream – when you are young you dream that one day
you will ride like that. There is total communication with the horse at all times.
Kyra Kyrklund: I think it’s the best horse I have ever seen you on. Communication and positivity –
you really like your horse and I like that.
(journalist): You showed power without compromising relaxation at all.
Hubertus Schmidt: As well as bending you need to be able to make them really straight. After
flexion I am able to keep them straight. But the difficult thing is to keep them loose in movements
like the half-pass.
Richard Davison: Any areas of concern?
Stephan Clarke: Interesting to listen to top riders on a horse – the amateur rider possibly misses
that the horse needs to be 100% in front of the aids – the top rider takes that for granted. But
sometimes the amateur tries to do the work deep and low and then can’t get the horse up again as
it was behind their leg before.
Hubertus Schmidt: Yes, that’s why the warm-up must be of good quality – makes the horse ready
for the collected work. It’s important not to make too many compromises in the training.
Henk van Bergen: We hear a lot about different riding systems – what is classical dressage? What
we saw from Hubertus is classical.
Hubertus Schmidt: We should be careful using the word classical. I like them to be supple and
through, but you can get through several different ways – some times you have to be a little harder
with spurs or whip or make them deeper. But must only do it for a short moment — to correct.
Kyra Kyrklund: How long you have been riding this horse and when do you normally start riding
youngsters?
Hubertus Schmidt: normally I start riding horses like him at five, Prix st Georges at 7. At 8 I start
Grand Prix work.
Beth Baumert: You are amazing at keeping balance with power. What do you think about people
who get good marks for extensions in competition when the horse’s back legs are trailing?
Hubertus Schmidt: I’m quite happy with what I get. I’m not happy with judging when they don’t
make a difference between a good piaffe and a bad piaffe in the same test. We need very sensitive
and hot horses. Positive tenseness is very important - its needed for very good passage and piaffe.
But it’s a thin line before it gets too tense.
Stephen Clarke: I agree, sometimes one can have two piaffes and it feels clearly better to the rider
but they end up with similar points for both. Visual impression can be different from the feeling. As
judges we should always try to be a bit braver — going higher when a movement is good and lower
when it isn’t.
David Hunt: You’ve used the word “Pulling” during your clinic– this can make some dressage some
people freak out. I was encouraged to hear that you need to have a pull on the reins to take you
forward. Your version of a light contact is a horse in perfect balance.
Hubertus Schmidt: When I say pulling – it must be nice in hand – comfortable – as soon as it gets
uncomfortable that is too much.
Kyra Kyrklund: Yes, there is a big difference between the contact that takes you forward and the
contact that goes against you.
Question from the audience: When you’re using the whip to activate the piaffe – are you not afraid
horse won’t do it in arena.
Hubertus Schmidt: But I just tap with my whip – with the whip it’s easier to make them quicker, if
you use your legs they can get slower. Use whip and allow them forward and then come back to the
piaffe. That way they never get desensitised to the whip. Piaffe from the ground can be dangerous –
– the horse knows too much what he has to do when the trainer is next to him on the ground. That
can go wrong, when the horse only piaffes well for a rider in the ground position, not anymore when
he is in the saddle .
Richard Davison to Arthur Kottas: You’re an expert on work from the ground – is it dangerous?
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Arthur Kottas: There are many ways to Rome – his way is to teach horses from the rider’s point of
view – I have taught horses in-hand.
Richard Davison: Does in-hand work have a weakness?
Arthur Kottas: I would say if you make the horse listen only by the whip and spend too long on inhand work without rider then there could be problems.
Question: We can hear Fabio’s teeth grinding. Is that a problem?
Stephen Clarke: I can almost guarantee we are asked about this on judges’ courses (and tail
swishing). In an ideal world, we don’t want to see horses swishing their tail or grinding their teeth.
We heard Hubertus horse grind his teeth – but in a test I could go conveniently deaf at that
moment. Horses are not machines – their reactions are real. But when we see stiff horses, hanging
on rider’s hands, refusing to go forward, anxious expression on their fact, of course we will mark
that down. But we have to ask: is the horse truly tense and resistant or is it a momentary thing?
Mariette Withages: Your collected trot on Fabio was still a big movement – can you explain that to
those people who think collected trot is a small movement?
Hubertus Schmidt: collection for me means self-carrying – light in front and taking weight behind.
For me that was not too much forward for him – he’s a big mover. In the collection he was always
uphill, self-carriage and taking weight behind, but they also have to cover ground.
Jennie Loriston-Clarke: I really appreciated your transitions, every time the horse oozed forward
or came back, there was no shortening in the neck or resistance in the mouth.
4. Dr Rico Schuijers
Lecture on sports psychology
If you are riding a test, don’t think of the past or the future – they are distractions from what you
want to do. You must be busy with the task at hand.
Sport psychology studies thoughts, emotions, and the behaviour of human beings in sport settings
Mental training – systematic learning of mental skills and methods with the aim to improve
performance
Mental guidance – influences aspects of elite sports such as choice, relationships, personality and
mental training. Relationships – a lot of young riders between 16-19 years quit the sport.
Mental preparation: what happens directly before the competition. (I know athletes who are really
sick two weeks before the competition.)
What is mental toughness?
Suggestions:
- The ability to do one’s utmost under pressure
- Coping with fatigue
- Perseverance
- The ability to cope with the pressure of success – ie this is one of the pressures that
someone like double Olympic gold medallist Anky van Grunsven has to cope with
- If you make a mistake – you are able to forget it immediately and think forward
- Being able to cope with failure -I’ve worked with riders whose horse has gone lame just
before the Olympics and have to deal with that.
- Some riders may also have to cope with humiliations by their coach. Often coaches are very
experienced riders but have not experience of teaching or coaching.
- Riders also have to cope with humiliations by other athletes. If looks could kill there would
be a lot of deaths in the warm-up arena
Fear of failure – the training level should be higher than the competition level
Rider also has a lot of influence on horse nerves.
When there are strong changes in a performance, the cause is usually mental.
Motivation, tension and concentration
It is important as athlete and trainer/coach to have insight in how motivation, tension and
concentration influence performance and how these can be influenced and trained.
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When athletes have a number in their head – for example a percentage that they want to score in a
dressage test, then they don’t ride as well as when they don’t have a number in their head.
Optimal performance model
The rider is in the ideal performance state which comes from dedication, belief and connection.
It comes about through a process which takes into account individual characteristics and experience
– insight by the athlete – mental skills and personal control and use.
The ideal performance state - features
- Short period of time
- Focus of attention
- Automatic movements
- Here and now
- Control, self-confidence, no fear
- Alertly relaxed
- Fun
Mental skills to develop
- Goal setting
- Breathing, relaxation, activation
- Imagery
- Concentration/attention
- Thought control
Practical demonstration mental skills: Laurens van Lieren
With Dutch team rider Laurens van Lieren Rico sets the task of throwing 10 coins into a hat from a
set distance – Laurens wagers that he will be able to get 6 out of the 10 in the hat.
At his first attempt he gets 3 out of 10 in. Then, Laurens focuses on the way his arm has to move to
get the coins in. At his next attempt he gets 7 out of 10 in. “I got out of my head any thoughts
about how many I needed to get in and focused on the feeling instead,” explained Laurens.
So it is better to focus more on the process goals than on the results.
Self Control
An athlete has the self knowledge and mental skills and uses these in sport setting
He/she is able to do the right thing in the right way.
Circles of attention
1 me and my task
2 direct distractions (temperature, circumstances)
3 is/should be comparison
4 win/lose
5 consequences of winning/losing
6 what am I doing here?
Goal – recognise when you are being distracted by 2-6 and get back to 1
Ways to motivate
1 Donkey method – carrot and stick
2 Stork method
3 Cause-result reversement “If I have a better horse then I will perform well”
4 Motivational package
5 Choose riders
Goals
-
result goals ie winning or qualifying
performance goals such as time, distance, objective points, subjective points
process goals such as how I ride, technique
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Practical demonstration: Olympic archer Wietse van Alten
Sydney Olympic bronze medallist in archery, Wietse van Alten, joins Rico to demonstrate how if an
athlete can learn to control stress then he will make good decisions. He is hooked up to a bio
feedback device. It shows that he can slow down his breathing and heart beat rhythm with the aid
of certain exercises. Dressage and archery have similarities as they require a high level of
concentration. It was proven that your tension/stress level changes can have an influence on the
feeling of the horse.
Discussion
Imke Schellekens-Bartels: The amount of time you need with a sports psychologist depends on the
person you are and what help you need – 8-12 hrs is a basic level which allows you to find out what
to work on. Breathing is very important – at Aachen there was an enormous screen and you could
see your own face – I concentrated on my breathing and getting back into may comfort zone and
then I felt great. It’s important to get to the point in training where you know how you should feel
and how to influence your feelings to get to that feeling. When I worked with Rico we discovered
that my dad [Joep Bartels] could have a negative influence on my performance – I was distracted by
him being in the warm-up.
Joep Bartels: I’m a high energy person and when my wife Tineke was competing I had to be there
to make her energy increase as she is a very relaxed person– we complemented each other. But
Imke and I are both very high energy and that can lead to a negative result. I’m a trained
psychologist, but I needed the eye of an outsider to see what was really happening.
Mariette Withages: Is there a role for psychology in judging? There’s an idea that the judges are
“cold-blooded types with hearts of stone” but were under a huge amount of pressure – beyond what
the public thinks. The main pressure comes from our concern to be fair to the riders – so we need a
very high level of concentration. We all have different ways of dealing with those pressures
Rico Schuijers: True stress has an influence on perceptions and decision-making – you can see that
in a sport like chess. I have a colleague who worked with people who are referees and umpires at
Wimbledon and in football – mental training and sport psychology is being offered to them.
Mariette Withages: Should judges learn to help themselves with breathing exercises, as you have
shown and learn to avoid distractions? Is there an ideal performance state for them? Do they need
to know themselves? For example, some judges are better at big competitions and other judges are
better at less high-profile competitions where they are not under so much pressure. Perhaps there
should be a judges’ programme similar to those for athletes?
Audience question: How do athletes get the right balance between adrenalin and concentration?
Rico Schuijers: If adrenalin is too much and the judge athlete is troubled by it then that should be
looked at. You need to have an optimum relationship between arousal and performance. For that
you have to find out individually where the optimal state is.
5. Monty Roberts
First time ever for a dressage audience
This is the first time I have ever spoken to a dressage meeting of any kind. I feel a little like a fish
out of water. But since I was four years old and showed my first horse in competition, I have held
the theory that a horse is a horse.
Horses were here for 47 million years before human beings were around. Then we come along and
suggest that we have a problem horse – for 47 million years problem horses didn’t exist. Am I
inferring that all horses are wonderful? No. We need to realise that we are the problem – the
question is, “how do I change me to make my horse better.” I’m 71 now and have worked with over
6,800 horses. I’ve learned more since 1989 than I learnt in all the years before.
Three things stood out when I watched Hubertus Schmidt ride – he was having fun – if you are
working with horses and not having fun – change it. He knew how to relax himself so that he could
get his horse to synchronise. Also he made it look easy – because he’s doing it right.
The lighter you can be, the lighter the horse can be. In any discipline, whether its dressage, show
jumping or racing – I want my horses to relax.
When you strike a horse for pain it is counter productive – there’s no problem with tapping a horse
to motivate him.
7
You should be very careful when you talk about classical/traditional riding. That suggests you should
freeze it, leave it and don’t learn, don’t go forward.
I’ve learned more since I was 54 than all of the rest of my life. I want every student to be a lot
better than I am. Our obligation is to get our students to our level with their minds open so that
they can improve.
We all want less wastage in horses. Virtually everybody in this room can raise their hand to say
they’ve messed up horses. I’ll be the first to admit to it.
When we form a partnership and we deal with the horse’s issues, that’s when we get good. Each
horse deserves the right to go where he is — they do not have to submit to your immediately saying
“you have to work to where I am”. Each horse needs discipline and boundaries. If we went to the
extremes of some of these animal activists, all our horses would be dead in two weeks.
Practical demonstration
During a practical demonstration with Mandy, a spooky Dutch Warmblood mare who is also difficult
to load, Monty worked her in a round pen and showed that he could make her more trusting by
testing her — in this case by running a stick covered with a plastic bag over her body and removing
it when she stands still. Monty: “Horses are brilliant – if we get it right and praise them at the right
time. Mandy is training the stick how to go away. When the stick goes away it is not predatory.
Trust is an essential element of working with your horse — without it you won’t get a breakthrough
performance. Standing still is an art that is absolutely essential in the art of training dressage
horses. Go to where your horse is, and work towards where you want your horse to be.”
Loading Mandy
Monty uses folding fences to close the backwards escape route and a pressure halter.
“There are people that tell you get to a whip behind them but we’re going to close the back door
on Mandy and let her find her own way in. Then I’m going to work so that her feet learn how to
come up in the trailer – she’s had a traditional halter on and been able to fly backwards – we must
be able to control reverse. “She isn’t easy – as she resists the halter it gets smaller and as she cooperates it gets more comfortable. “Repetition is your greatest friend, but when your work is
wrong, repetition is your greatest enemy. Afterwards the owner also takes her turn to walk Mandy
into the trailer.
Panel discussion
Andrew McLean, Anky van Grunsven, David Hunt, Bernard Maurel, Richard Davison
Richard Davison: how does Monty’s methods relate to Grand Prix horses?
Anky van Grunsven: This was the first time I’ve seen Monty – I recognise a lot of what he does –
primarily repeating until you get right answer from the horse. If you get the correct answer – its
important the horse understands that he is being rewarded. Monty, you really try to understand the
horse – especially with the plastic bag – I didn’t think the horse would improve so fast.
Richard Davison: Is there anything Monty’s said that could help you with Salinero?
Anky van Grunsven: Salinero panicked in the prize giving at WEG – but he’s not used to 50.000
spectators. In certain situations it can be so fast, he’s changed in 2 sec and there’s nothing you can
do about it. Having to face that many spectators is a situation for which it is very difficult to train.
Monty Roberts: I agree at that moment you just had to cope, but if you had prepared for that
moment as much as you might have, you could have got him ready .
Anky van Grunsven: how?
Monty Roberts: Practice with a sound recording of spectator noise. I’ve seen those recordings do a
lot of good as training tools. Teach him to learn to stand while the tape is playing and there’s a
chance he will improve.
Bernard Maurel: I’m very impressed. This is the first time I’ve met a living legend or maybe, a
magician. When you say the classical masters are wrong, do you think you are classical?
Monty Roberts: I am a fan of classical, I am a fan of Rembrandt — a picture of him hangs in my
office. I love the classical aspect of dressage – but it should not be frozen in time. Dressage is not
perfect, just like nothing is perfect. There might be a better way around the corner. There are
things about dressage that I would change and there’s things about western riding that I would
change.
Bernard Maurel: What would you change?
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Monty Roberts: I wouldn’t change that much – but I wouldn’t have the piaffe. It’s a bit like the
Western wild horse race, that should be out. As should the Palio. When I watch dressage and I see
the consequences of the training for the piaffe, I’d take it out.
David Hunt: We have seen a brilliant horseman with so much experience in the handling of horses.
We all watched Hubertus this morning – this audience will go home wanting to ride like Hubertus, I
worry some people will go home with a plastic bag and try to ‘tame their lion’ — but they’ve not got
a round pen or the experience.
Monty Roberts: If you don’t feel safe with it, don’t do it. I have done many demonstrations in front
of audiences with just a couple of minor accidents.
David Hunt: – I have not criticised you. But how dangerous is it for the average rider to try to
emulate you?
Richard Davison: Andrew McLean are you a convert?
Andrew McLean: I see good horsemanship and parallels with good horsemanship. Monty removes
stick at exactly the right time. In the round pen and with the plastic on the end of the stick, what
he’s doing is good “operant conditioning”. But I worry – with the round pen work, are some horses
so fearful that they won’t come back in the end?
Monty Roberts: The round pen isn’t a magical place. If the horse doesn’t come back, it’s the person
who doesn’t understand the language.
Andrew McLean: Your timing is perfect, but you’re not explaining what you are doing.
Monty Roberts: My body language is commensurate with the language of the horse.
Anky van Grunsven: Timing is the most important thing. How do you teach somebody that has no
feel for timing?
Monty Roberts: You do have to repeat, and to work. Ultimately you have to think timing and be
timing. I’m better now than I have ever been.
Henk van Bergen: Do you believe in rewarding horses with sugar?
Monty Roberts: I do not believe in feeding horses from the human body. That’s just training them
to bite you. Marking good behaviour with a food is a fallacy.
Monty Roberts sums up: My way is the best way for me today. if you show me a better way that will
be my way tomorrow.
THE SECOND DAY, 31 OCTOBER 2006
6. Dr Andrew McLean
The new frontier of horse training
How horses learn
• What I’m going to talk about is really a re-organisation of things you already know.
• Learning is one part of a many-pointed star – conformation, temperament, rider psychology and
skills, history etc
Horse psychology is a repackaging of old knowledge.
• People often find knowledge hard to come to if they don’t receive it in a format they understand.
• In the past, trainers learned their trade by trial and error
• When we don’t achieve success with horses, it’s not because they are bad – something is wrong
with our interactions with them.
Can we accelerate learning?
• Not beyond the optimal level of the horse. But generally we’re not achieving optimal levels.
In training we have to take into account:
Ethology (natural behaviours)
Psychology (learned behaviours)
A horse is very much a symptom of the owner.
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Horses and cognition (mental ability)
Cognition – horses don’t have dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This is the reasoning brain region that
humans have. It allows humans to
• Seeing into a situation
• Deceiving the deceiver (Very good horse trainers sink knowledge into their sub-conscious)
Although horses cannot reason they have other features
• Horses have remarkable memories – even with no practice and no thinking about it
• Horses also can’t look into the future or the past. It’s every zebra’s fate to be mauled. So think
how nervous it would be if it was constantly worrying about this thing which will happen in the
future
• Therefore it’s not suitable for the horse to be able to think about these things all the time. The
horse lives in the here and now
• Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is the area where humans develop manias and psychoses
These differences do not devalue the horse
• Overestimating a horse’s mental ability is just as bad as underestimating it
• Humans think in words – but horses don’t have words
Learning theory can be broken down into:
• Habituation – desensitising to stimuli
• Operant conditioning – trial and error, reward and punishment
• Classical conditioning – associations
• Shaping – progressive building
Operant conditioning
Positive reinforcement
Used with animals at liberty like dolphins
In equitation: used when aids are light, patting etc
Negative reinforcement (don’t think of this as a bad thing) its just subtraction
• Removing pressure in training in ridden and led animals
Using pressure-release:
1 Target response
2 Increase pressure to motivating level
3 No reductions in intensity or frequency
4 Immediately release pressure at desired response
Result:
With this responses soon come from light signals rather than heavy ones
And bear in mind that horses are very good at forming habits and they like to form habits.
Endless amounts of things you can teach a horse – Marthe Kiley-Worthington (an equine ethologist)
showed that she could teach a horse 300 different voice commands.
Shaping – forming neural pathways
There are seven steps
1 A basic attempt
2 Immediate response, lightness
3 Speed control
4 Line control
5 Outline (head, neck, body)
6 Impulsion/Engagement (legs +head, neck, body)
7 Proof
The Aim – consistency of response from the aid
Having complete control of the horse’s legs – leads to correct outline
Optimal conditions
One response per aid
A response can have many aids
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Separating the aids
Proportions of aids
Avoid and delete flight responses
Hollow running – inverse relations between high levels of adrenalin and learning
Delete then repeat aid
Clear signals
An animal’s world is full of competing stimuli
Training involves removing most of the effect of the outside world on the horse’s mobility and
replacing this control with the aids
Calmness is in proportion to the degree of control of the aids
Consistency – gives the horse control of its world
When pressure is applied inconsistently
• Behaviour will be different
• Chronic stress
• Learned helplessness – caused by unrelenting pressure leads to the horse not willing to try new
responses. Less aggression, dullness, internal gastric changes
• Wastage – in study of 3,000 horses, 66.4% were sent to the abbatoir for inappropriate behaviour.
So, is there something going wrong in the way people are learning horsemanship?
Self-carriage
• Is it a forced response or learned response?
• See self-carriage in horses with very good trainers
• The trained horse should go on his own
• Überstreichen – releasing the reins for two strides to prove the horse can maintain his training
(rhythm, straightness, outline). We need to be constantly rewarding the lightness and the selfcarriage we see.
Practical demonstration with a five-year-old stallion
The horse is Aachen, owned by Imke Schellekens-Bartels, Jacques Marée and Tim Coomans. Andrew
demonstrates the importance of teaching the horse to step back.
• Having control over the legs hastens habituation
• If you become a master of the legs – can do things he doesn’t like – do a step back – becomes more
important that the mane pulling
• Zero tolerance to him leaning on the handler
• Aiming to increase the challenges for the young horse so he can do these things – but my principal
only learn about his legs – in beginning
• Horse becoming much calmer – starting to understand the ground rules
Panel discussion
Imke Schellekens- Bartels, Hillary Clayton, Kyra Kyrklund, Monty Roberts, Richard
Davison
Richard Davison: Does this type of training have a place in dressage?
Kyra Kyrklund: If you can’t do it slow, can’t do it fast. If a horse doesn’t understand A and B, it
can’t understand words either. The more I have learnt about horses, the more I go back to basics.
Even with experienced horses, I start with really basic things every day when we begin work.
Imke Bartels: I think I do exactly the same type of thing when I am riding him. Same consistency –
aiming at a goal have to know what you want him to do. Horse gets into the right reaction more
quickly.
Richard Davison: Would you do similar work from the ground – now you’ve seen this demonstration
from Andrew?
Imke Bartels: I asked Andrew to help my grooms – make them conscious of what they are doing
when they lead the horse.
Richard Davison: Seen a lot of lovely things. Have you heard or seen anything that worries you or
that you disagree with?
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Hilary Clayton (vet and scientist): I didn’t see anything to be concerned about. But the point I
would like to bring out – in working with this horse – there was a lot of contact with the horse’s
mouth. We all accept that the horse’s mouth is very sensitive. We have this fear that because its
sensitive it’s very easily damaged. Our hands are sensitive but we can do a handstand and yet that
doesn’t compromise the hand’s sensitive feeling. In my studies, the highest tension I record on the
reins is when the horse does it himself. But the horse can come back immediately from that and be
sensitive to a light aid. I don’t have a problem with the pressure being high for a short period.
Monty Roberts: I really appreciate McLean’s clinic. To think that science and horse psychology are
becoming important. I love he’s saying “reverse” is an important thing. This horse was beautiful but
incredibly badly behaved. The sensitive part of his mouth is precious. When you desensitise that
area it doesn’t come back. I would rather see the horse with a halter rather than a bit and bridle.
Also I do care where the head goes – that’s where the brain goes.
Andrew McLean: I wouldn’t ever be able to do what I do if Monty hadn’t come before me, it’s the
horses and not the humans who hold all the answers. In terms of the pressure I agree – we want to
train lightness. But when the horse leans on the bit there’s no difference to whether you lean –
signal to slow the legs – more the horse leans, the worse his mouth becomes. But it is possible to retrain mouths and make them lighter.
Mariette Withages: What you said is music to my ears. If we translate this into training, what you
showed is actually classical – logical and following nature and this is the way we also want to train.
Learned helplessness – after the research on hyperflexion, we are in the second phase now and we
are planning a one year research project on learned helplessness.
Monty Roberts: I accept that completely but in my world the horse would not have a bit in the
mouth – I say there’s a better way.
7. Mariette Withages
Analysis of the judging at WEG
This year dressage made history. There was an enormous crowd at the WEG. There were more
spectators for the freestyle than for the show jumping in the last three Olympic Games.
There were several late horse replacements. Don Schufro was replaced by Blue Hors Matiné. Most of
the replacing horses got unexpectedly good results.
The three-medal formula was a good development for our sport – for each test we got a champion
and in each test the rider and horse had to give the best of themselves. At each stage the
combinations started from zero on the scoreboard. That meant that more countries had a chance to
be in the medals. The program committee and I have selected the following combinations to be
evaluated:
1. Andreas Helgstrand / Blue Hors Matiné
2. Bernadette Pujals / Vincent
3. Isabell Werth / Satchmo
Andreas Helgstrand and Blue Hors Matiné showed exceptional passage and piaffe to take first place
in the grand prix.
Mexican Bernadette Pujals and Vincent gained the heart of the public with their changes which
were full of expression, and three very correct places.
In the Grand Prix Special Salinero made mistakes and Isabell Werth’s ride on Satchmo was the
revelation of the class. I have seen Isabell arguing with Satchmo in the past but now things seem to
have changed for the better. I’ve seldom seen them so relaxed – the trot half passes gave me
goosebumps.
The electronic scoreboard showed the score per judge and also the average score and the score to
to beat.
The freestyle was magical — Andreas and Matiné enchanted with spectacular piaffe and passage
Isabell played it safe – newly gained confidence of Satchmo was the most important thing to her.
In their Esprit de Chanson Anky van Grunsven and Salinero showed harmony and excellence.
We did not get one word of criticism of the judging at WEG– a sign of good judging.
Top riders could get good scores and unknown riders got good scores.
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Analysis of the judging
The Grand Prix Special tests of Bernadett Pujals/Vincent and Isabell Werth/Satchmo and Andreas
Helgstrand/Matiné are shown to the audience – who were asked to mark them.
Mariette Withages:
• Extended trot – Satchmo’s is the best, but he is behind the vertical so he got 8s – despite that he
got the best score of the three.
• First half-pass – Isabell’s was the best – 9s but still picky details about contact and collection – we
would argue about a 9 or 10.
• Passage – the actual marks for Isabell are 8s and 7s; Bernadette all 7s; Matiné got 9-8-9-8-9.
• Second half-pass – Isabell’s is the best, more 9s than 8s; Vincent got 7s and Matiné received 7s
• Extended walk
Birgit Popp (journalist): I didn’t like so much Satchmo’s extended walk – it could have been more
relaxed. Vincent’s walk could have been more active. I liked Matiné the most.
Real scores – Matiné got mainly 7s but Isabell got a slightly higher average.
Stephen Clarke: For me, Bernadette’s walk is hurried and Matiné could have had considerably more
ground cover. Isabell’s is the best of these walks.
David Hunt: The walk is a very emotive subject. When I judge young horse classes, judges are
obsessed with the walk. Judges give a young horse a life sentence when they see a suspect horse.
But we have just seen three top horses none of which got an eight in the walk. So is the mega walk
an essential quality to the Grand Prix horse? We’ve seen correct and true walks but not bigger.
Mariette Withages: Very few horses produce 9 and 10 in walk. The O judges made an evaluation a
few years ago to find out which pace is given fewer 10s – it is the walk.
As a result we have been discussing the criteria. We’ve found a few horses which are worth the 10
and the 9 and they look completely different.
Imke Schellekens-Bartels: I think its very difficult to teach a horse to piaffe out of a big walk – a
walk somewhere in between and correct is very helpful.
Mariette Withages: As judges we are not looking for big walks – we appreciate what we got served.
Piaffe
Mariette Withages: Vincent – got 6s and 7s. He was stepping down and had one double beat on the
right leg. His score would have gone down even more if the irregularity was seen throughout the
whole piaffe.
I think Matiné would feel more comfortable if she could go forward a little bit more in the piaffe.
Fantastic horse but young – but she shows signs that her back is not strong enough.
David Hunt: At a championship like this I sit and watch in distance But when see what the judges
saw– the pattern becomes clearer. I loved Vincent at WEG but looking at the video today I am not
happy with the contact or the mouth – in that piaffe he was ‘chunking’ on the bit. How much did
the judges take that into consideration?
Mariette Withages: It was taken into account in the marks of the movement and in the submission
mark at the end. I did not like this piaffe — the stallion wants to escape and dive. From the stands
you don’t see it as much, though.
Birgit Popp: In her collected walk before the piaffe, Isabell’s walk is getting hurried – which mark
was that reflected in?
Mariette Withages: Transitions can be tricky to mark. They can be unclear, too late, too early – do
you punish it twice?
Stephen Clarke: The main thing is that we need to be careful not to punish twice for one problem.
In this situation it was the collected walk itself that was the problem. It was related to the
transition, but the transition itself was fluid. The first part of the collected walk was good, but as
she came towards the transition, it became hurried. The scores ranged from 8 to 7 and still the
transition was rewarded.
Birgit Popp: I was a little surprised at the high score for Matiné especially in the piaffe and passage.
The elasticity was not good enough. She has wonderful potential but it’s not exactly what we want
to see.
Mariette Withages: When I mention “spectacular”, it doesn’t mean ideal or relaxed or free of
tension. If this horse gets a stronger back in the future, it will be better. Andreas even said in the
press conference that when he goes home he will work on basics. But his other horse was replaced
by Matiné at the last minute.
Bernard Maurel: We are always looking at good carriage – but she was searching so much for
contact – it became a little unsteady in front. We’re not just looking at the legs.
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Stephen Clarke: We have to be a bit careful here. We’re talking about the technical aspects of it
but as the judges we appreciated the mental side too. Matiné was the most willing horse and always
smiling – has to be worth something that she so much wants to do the work She was never against
the rider.
David Hunt: To be a judge you have to be evasive – what did you give this chestnut horse Vincent
with the mouth issue? How many times was it punished and how strongly and where?
Bernard Maurel: It was written many times on the judging sheets – marks going down one point per
movement. With his energy, if he was quieter in the mouth he would have had better marks.
The submission marks were:
Matiné 87898
Vincent 66667
Satchmo 98988
The two time changes marks were:
Satchmo 88887
Vincent 78888
Matiné 88887
Delegate on two-times: I don’t like the hind legs of Satchmo – not coming in big strides and he is
short in the neck.
Mariette Withages: But Matiné’s tail is swishing.
Delegate again: Vincent is the best .
Wim Ernes (judge): Vincent is doing changes with a big stride, uphill and coming from behind – but
he could be a little more steady in the mouth. But you can give an 8 three times for three different
reasons.
One tempis:
Vincent 89888
Satchmo 87877
Matiné 87778
The audience and the judges both felt that Vincent’s were the best one-times.
Brentina
Astrid Appels (journalist): You say there were no complaints about the judging at WEG but Brentina
was lame and scored over 70% in the grand prix.
Mariette Withages: There were no complaints about the judging. Judges don’t judge on the basis of
riders’ reputations.
Stephen Clarke: It’s really unfair to say that. The mare for sure had some slight irregularities in the
extended trot. But to say the horse was lame is unfair. Her weaknesses were scored lower. Maybe
you feel stronger about it – that’s how we saw it and were there to mark fairly. You were unfair
about a wonderful horse and rider.
Astrid Appels: That is exactly the type of diplomatic explanation I’m talking about.
Stephen Clarke: There were elements of the test that were very high scoring. The canter,
piaffe/passage and transitions were very good. Our job is to score every movement how we see it
presented in the test as fairly as we can. Sometimes we make a mistake – ‘look at David’s [Hunt]
tie’.
Astrid Appels: If she was only slightly irregular, then why was she pulled out of competition after
the Grand Prix?
Stephen Clarke: The rider for sure felt that the horse was uncomfortable in the extended trot and
so she decided not to take the risk of continuing.
Brigit Popp: In general, I agree with Stephen and my question is: Are you expected to ring the bell
or not?
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8. Dr Rene van Weeren and Sjef Janssen
Do biomechanics back specific training methods?
We are convinced that biomechanics are concerned with the question — how does the horse work?
Anky and Sjef are training for gold, using – successful but not uncontested — the LDR low, deep and
round (rollkur) method.
Low, deep and round (LDR): a little history
LDR is used in lots of disciplines and all kinds of levels of deepness. It’s been used by champions
including Nicole Uphoff, Isabell Werth, Margit-Otto-Crepin and Anky van Grunsven.
It still seems to be an issue in the dressage world, but a lot of the other disciplines don’t have an
issue with it.
LDR: Theoretical background
The current concept of the way the whole of the horse’s back works is the “bow and string” concept
— the whole system is under constant tension.
The muscles of the back run higher than the vertebral column.
Effect on the head and neck
• When the neck is stretched down, the ligament over the back is flexed
• When the neck is up, the back hollows
LDR: how it is used in practice — by Sjef Janssen
Daily routine is very important for the competition horse. Grooms are the most important people
and will work in the correct way under the rider’s and trainer’s guidance. The horse are turned out
every day with a pony. Stallions or precious horses getting hand-grazed.
It’s very important to get the horses outside as much as possible. We don’t leave horses in the
stable for 23 hours and then train the hell out of them for 1hr – that’s how they get injured.
They are also hand walked twice a day at least –mostly on the concrete. It’s important to get them
out of the stable as much as possible
We also use a horse-walker. I don’t like it that much, but it can be good for quiet horses
Another part of the daily routine is hacking in walk. It can be integrated into the warm-up and
cooling-down.
It’s very good for the horses psychologically to be out of the stable.
External consultants are also important to ensure the horse’s overall well-being. The home vet,
farrier, dentist, physio, nutritionist and chiropractor — used under vet guidance — are all very
important.
Teaching/learning process by Sjef Janssen
We use a combination of classic and operant (co-operant) conditioning.
LDR is a tool not a system. It’s just one piece that we use in our overall training.
Warm-up
We use lots of transitions between the paces and within the paces.
There are periods of walk and trot with long and low neck this can be over poles too.
We look for a nice forward canter in light seat with low neck. But beware that the horse doesn’t fall
onto the forehand, so don’t do it for too long.
Give the horse many breaks with complete freedom to stretch.
It’s important not to over-train three and four-year-olds.
NB Always adapt to the mental and physical capabilities of the horse. Have the courage to step back
a step and give him a break.
Transitions and collection is the next step. Need to get him responsive to small and subtle aids.
Degree and variety of transitions is also very important.
The specific low movement – low deep round outline in the piaffe – have to be very brief, very short
and very energetic – if the hind legs are trailing it’s very counter-productive
Then reward with a forward canter or trot – light seat and stretch down
Also exercise in normal upward frame – variability within exercise is important.
To get he horse balanced in an upward frame – speed control is a basic request.
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Cooling down – very important – can be a rotated version of the warm-up still need to use a little
trot and canter.
The horse must feel good when he goes back to the stable.
Van Weeren – studying biomechanics
Three universities, from Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands combined efforts to run a
research project. Initiator was a German Professor, dr. Heinz Meier. We studied the effect on
biomechanics of six positions of the head and neck of the horse, and used a gait analysis system and
a treadmill with inbuilt force plate.
We studied seven top level dressage horses at Grand Prix level who were all accustomed to
instrumented treadmill. Included were:
12 cameras to capture all sides
Six different head/neck positions with and without the rider (own rider)
Head positions
1 free or natural
2 competition position
3 competition with the nose behind vertical
4 low, deep and round (LDR) position
5 neck very upright and nose in front of vertical
6 neck and head extended forward and downward (long and low)
We measured the motion and the force
• Focused on the motion in the back and angular motion patterns
• Range of motion – up and down mainly (to the sides and rotation
• Stride length
We found:
• reduction of range of motion in mid-lumbar region in positions 2 and 5 — therefore both reduce
the swinging motion of the back
• Increase in motion in last part of withers and in the entire lumbar region in positions 4 and 6
• Limbs –hindleg brought more forward in position 4 (LDR)
• Stride length decreased in positions 5 2 3 4
Conclusions
• The head and neck position has a significant effect on equine biomechanics, both in the unridden
horse and when ridden
• The very upright position 5 heavily affects locomotion, therefore it can effect limbs
• Hyperflexion position (5) affects normal locomotion too. It gives a large increase in the elasticity
of back, therefore there is no reason to condemn position from a biomechanical point of view. It’s
a useful training aid but whether its beneficial depends on who is doing it, and how etc.
• Therefore we need to look at things other than biomechanics to see if position 5 is justified
The use of LDR (position 5) – Sjef Janssen
• The horses are gradually adapted to this position. We don’t go very deep with younger horses. The
use of LDR depends on the physical and mental state of the horse
• LDR is good for horses with connection problems, dominant horses, horses with concentration
problems, train muscles for more self-carriage (use in combination with transitions), to improve
elasticity etc.
• No pulling – work with a resistant hand inch by inch. Don’t do it for too long
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• Variability of practice. We use LDR in short sequences – length to be decided by horse – the rider
must listen to signals and make it work.
• LDR is being used correctly when you can move into and out of it without resistance. The way we
train horses is not a blueprint for everybody.
Benefits
Connection
Physical – train whole horse
Mental
Disadvantages
Copying
Unfamiliar
Not a blueprint
Conclusion
Sjef Janssen: There is still confusion about LDR. I consider it as a useful tool. I accept the fact that
we have a role model – trainers and riders are responsible for communicating LDR to people
accurately. I feel in the last half-year that dressage people are getting a different attitude –it’s not
a case that only one system is right. But the horse should always feel happy.
Discussion
Kyra Kyrklund: how were the horses measured in the study trained?
Dr van Weeren: They were all trained differently. There was some difference in the ease in which
they attained the positions.
Kyra Kyrklund: how deep and round were they in position 4?
Dr van Weeren: Position 4 not excessive but more or less as shown in picture
Audience question: How long held in those positions?
Dr van Weeren: 20 seconds for the measurements, but the horse could be in that position for up to
10 minutes. (The full studies are available in the Equine Veterinary Journal Number 36)
Andrew McLean: It would be possible to take the horses’ blood –to check cortisol and prolactin
levels and also use a heart rate monitor – key indicator of stress.
Dr van Weeren: There has been some work on heart rate variability measurements in this position –
it could be expanded, though.
9. Sjef Janssen
Influencing the horse’s performance
Before Anky and I will give our demonstration I would like to explain some of my thoughts on
coaching and training. In training horses and riders many aspects are involved, such as:
• Coaching methods
• Physiological training methods
• Mental strategies
• Biomechanical aspects
• Nutrition
• Veterinary assistance
• Sport technical assistance ie video analysis, special saddles, farriery
The process of learning
• Imitation
• Habituation
• Classical condition
• Operant conditioning, trial and error
• Shaping
Enhancement of the coaching process
1 how the coach relates to the rider
• body language
• feeling, seeing, hearing
• personal learning programme
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• preference behaviour pattern
2 the coach relates to the horse
• body language
• feeling, seeing, hearing,
• facial expressions
• auditive, noise
3 the rider relates to the horse
• body language
• facial expression
• auditive, noise
• response from aids
4 the horse relates to the rider
• stimuli/aids
• body language
• response
• sensory (smell)
5 The rider relates to the coach
• body language
• feeling, seeing, hearing (communication)
• preference behaviour pattern
• competence
Tools for the trainer
The coach evaluates the combination of himself, horse and rider in the broader perspective
The coach has to be practical and results orientated — fulfil the need for a system - as well as well
prepared and showing confidence
Conclusion
Tailor made coaching and training is the key to improvement of performance.
10. Anky van Grunsven and Sjef Janssen
Practical session with Painted Black
Anky van Grunsven rides Painted Black who has had a week off as a resting period after an
international competition in Denmark last week, so he isn’t in great shape but should cope with the
basic foundations of the system that we will show you here. The horse we were planning to bring
has a slight injury.
Sjef Janssen: We do a lot of flexion to one side and keeping horse straight – it come down to speed
control.
Every horse is different and will give you different information – he is the decision-maker.
I totally disagree with uberstreichen – two strides is not confirmation that the horse has selfcarriage – it should be at least a circle.
When Anky feels he’s too heavy – she makes him a little rounder. When he’s let out and can
becomes lighter then you are on the right track.
Anky van Grunsven: Timing is a gift but you can work on it and develop it. Monty Roberts, it is too
bad you want to have the piaffe out.
Monty Roberts : (watching Painted Black in piaffe): I am an outsider when it comes to dressage but
I believe some things should be changed. I said that no discipline is perfect and there are things I
would take out of dressage. The tapes we saw today proved conclusively that horses are aggravated
by the piaffe. I think horses don’t like piaffe. But, I would mark this horse higher in the piaffe than
the horses on the screen.
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Panel discussion
Andrew McLean, Hilary Clayton, Kyra Kyrklund, Kirsten Niemann, Richard Davison
Richard Davison: Is there anything in that demo that you didn’t like or agree with or wouldn’t use
Kyra Kyrklund: I don’t personally use rollkur. Anky has a lot of feeling. But how much does her
ability have in her success?
Anky van Grunsven: I know that I have good feeling for timing and horses. But I’m 90% sure I would
not have been as good as I am without the system, that Sjef has talked about. My horses are on the
aids and very elastic and it gives you the last couple of percentage points to get ahead of the
others. I was a Grand Prix rider before I started using this system – but it helped me to get that
extra advantage. I’ve been helping students as well and they’ve been successful with it. But we
must all understand – not everybody is capable of doing the same thing.
Richard Davison: Why not use rollkür?
Kyra Kyrklund: I don’t use it as I don’t understand what benefit you really get from keeping the
head that low and that restricted. I prefer to ride more in a German way of riding. I think that a
system shouldn’t be evaluated only on how the top horses and riders go in that system. I also want
them to be quick, have control and good length and speed of step. Maybe I haven’t had horses
suitable for that type of training. I’ve had Swedish and Danish horses – maybe they are different in
conformation.
Richard Davison: Kirsten what problem does St. Georg have with this way of training?
Kirsten Niemann (journalist with St. Georg): Yesterday we saw Hubertus – he has the same aims –
what you want to get in end is the same. But it’s the way they go about it that is so different –
makes so many people engage in discussion.
Richard Davison: With respect – what does your magazine represent?
Kirsten Niemann: For me it’s very difficult to understand how it’s possible to ride with so much
weight in the hand. Anky’s horse was several times, for periods, behind the vertical.
Anky van Grunsven: He wasn’t behind the vertical for long periods of time. My horse is not strong,
he’s very soft — my goal is to have him as soft as possible.
Kirsten Niemann: I thought the horse looked strong in the hand. Sjef says that you are a rider that
rides more with the hand than the body.
Sjef Janssen: I cannot listen to selective ears and so I will not comment.
Richard Davison: Is there anything you’ve seen that you didn’t like?
Hilary Clayton: As usual I am not going to answer this question. From the pieces of research I’ve
done putting horses into a deep, round position – I know you can’t just force them there – it’s a bit
by bit thing that the horse has to agree that he’s going to go there.
Richard Davison: Sjef explained that it’s very progressive.
Hilary Clayton: I’m making the point that putting the horse into a very flexed position is not
something you do by force.
Anky van Grunsven: Yes, force has nothing to do with it. I have to do it with feeling and timing and
not by strength.
Kyra Kyrklund: I also don’t believe that you can pull in the horse’s head
Richard Davison: We’ve heard mention that Werth and Uphoff use it and the Germans invented it.
Are you still worried about the “strength” issue?
Kirsten Niemann: I didn’t mean that the rider was being nasty to the horse. But she was using the
hand a bit and had the horse behind the vertical a lot of the time.
Richard Davison: So the use of deep and round is not offensive to the horse.
Kirsten Niemann: It doesn’t have to be offensive to the horse, it depends on how it is used.
Question from the audience: She saw too strong contact in the hand – as a result I saw you many
times out of the saddle when doing transitions?
Anky van Grunsven: Sometimes he gets a little too strong, and I need to use a little more rein –
dream of everybody to have the horse the whole time right. But I’m also pregnant and my belly is
really in the way.
Birgit Popp (journalist): In the training today, in all the halts he was behind the vertical and his legs
were not closed behind; they were trailing. Is learned helplessness a tool in your system?
Sjef Janssen: Are you trying to ask is this something that we use? That would be total surrender –
are you trying to say that’s what we want?
Andrew McLean: Learned helplessness is a general psychological term. I’ve seen nothing that looks
like learned helplessness here.
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But, here, we are looking at a new system – we must not sit on our hands and say everything is
already known. What I see is nothing very problematic. But we have to be careful. It’s important for
the welfare of our sport.
Jennie Loriston-Clarke: I think we’re getting into stupid, muddy water. I’ve judged Anky riding this
horse and given her high scores. The whole horse is coming out and saying “yes, mum I’m happy to
do what you want him to do”. I would like to see a little more reward, but the horse is happy and
working forwards on the aids and doing a jolly good job. So what are we all fussing about?
David Hunt: I totally agree with Jennie – we have seen two world class riders showing us everything
– not holding anything back. I find it insulting that a German woman pretends it doesn’t happen in
Germany. You have made it personal and its very insulting.
Kirsten Niemann: I didn’t want to make anything personal – it was not my aim. I didn’t compare
Anky and didn’t say she is the only one doing this.
Beth Baumert (journalist): I want to agree with Jennie and David — what we’ve seen is the best in
the world. I’ve never done a training article with Anky and I want to find out how she does this.
Birgit Popp: All my articles started with Rembrandt and Gigolo. I also want to point out other
pictures with Anky.
Anky van Grunsven: The only reason that we do this is that we try to explain what we do. Your
don’t have to do it – we think every horse and rider has to find his own way. But if we can help with
then we would be very happy.
Richard Davison: We could continue for a long time with this highly interesting discussion, but we
are out of time. We wanted more discussion this year and that’s what we have got. I would like to
thank Anky and Sjef and all the riders, trainers, judges and scientists, who have contributed to this
fantastic Forum. I also would like to thank the International Dressage Trainers Club and the
Academy for organising, and the sponsors for supporting this sixth Global Dressage Forum.
Editor:
Editorial assistant:
Seamour Rathore
Esther Tacken
20
Hubertus Schmidt (above) rides the 7-year-old Rhinelander gelding Furst Fabio (by
Fidermark) at the Global Dressage Forum. Richard Davison (top) acted as moderator.
Sjef Janssen (center) and Mariette Withages (bottom) were speakers.
The Bartels’ Academy in the Netherlands once again welcomed the
dressage community’s best and brightest for the annual seminar on
dressage training.
By Beth Baumert • Photos by Dirk Caremans
I
f everyone agreed with everything, it would be a very dull
place,” says David Hunt, president of the International
Dressage Trainers’ Club (IDTC), in his opening address to the
sixth Global Dressage Forum. No one knew at the time that
there would be plenty of healthy and sometimes contentious
disagreement at this year’s forum. But after all, the forum is supposed to be a melting pot of ideas contributed by the world’s elite
dressage riders, trainers and judges, such as Kyra Kyrklund,
Moderator David Hunt and panelist Beth Baumert.
Hubertus Schmidt, Anky van Grunsven, Sjef Janssen, Jo Hinnemann, Stephen Clarke, Bernard Maurel, Henk van Bergen, Mariette Withages and dynamic moderator, Richard Davison.
Extraordinary Riding
The first clinician, German Olympian Hubertus Schmidt, was beyond reproach. There was no one who was not in awe as
he rode the extraordinary 7-year-old gelding Furst Fabio (owned by Cesar Parra). Schmidt explains his daily routine as he
rides: First, he does a medium walk and makes his horse loose sideways with some leg yield. Then he stretches in the
posting trot on big circles. He explains that he is trying to make the bend soft in each direction and put his horse onto
the outside rein with a long neck in both directions, as well. He frequently repeats that he is looking for swing on
straight lines as well as in easy lateral work. He says that when the riding is good, it should look easy for both the rider
and horse. Indeed, this looks easy, and the rhythm and the balance make this performance the epitome of dance.
Schmidt’s wife, Doris, is on the sidelines, as usual, as her husband’s watchful eye on the ground. She tells him that Fabio
is getting a little hectic. It doesn’t look that way to us. Her comment is a reflection of his strict standards for relaxation.
Now we can see that Fabio speeds up a little bit, and Schmidt uses a soothing tone. Whereas he wants swing, he
doesn’t want too much power that might invite the horse to get strong and lose his relaxation. He frequently pats
Fabio on the outside of his neck and the horse stretches a little more.
After a few minutes, Schmidt gives his horse a short walk break, but he retains his soft connection and keeps working him. Schmidt will do many of these short walk breaks. Favio never feels stressed. Next, they do trot–canter transitions. He comments that he wouldn’t do this if his horse were too hot. He still doesn’t want too much power. The
rhythm is clock-like. Schmidt uses the term “pull” in a positive way. He always wants his horse to draw on the reins in
a forward-downward direction without getting heavy or running away. He does shoulder-in a few times to the left and
only once to the right, because it is the horse’s loose side. Now the horse’s gaits are becoming extraordinary and it looks
January 2007 Dressage Today 35
Hubertus Schmidt
shows Fabio’s active
and relaxed piaffe.
This kind of harmony
is the ultimate goal.
so easy! He shows us the working pirou-
lower the neck, which will give the rider a
never focus on points, percentages or win-
ettes and half passes of this 7-year-old.
rounder back to sit on and more access to
ning. What should we focus on? Rico asks
Although the horse is reaching forward-
the hindquarters. We all hope to preserve
Laurens to focus on the feeling of his
downward, he is very uphill. Schmidt
this remarkable demonstration in our
arm as he tosses the coin toward his
comments that from this good trot, he
minds forever. Dutch trainer Henk van
cap. He gets almost every coin in the cap.
can easily passage from a half halt. He
Bergen wraps up everyone’s feelings by
Now we’ve seen that it pays to focus on
shows us, and it looks extremely easy.
calling it a “dream come true.”
“process goals” rather than “result goals.”
Rico promises us that if we focus on
During the next walk break, Schmidt
explains that he usually starts the half
The Psychology of it All
our feelings, we will be felt by the horse,
steps in preparation for piaffe with 6-year-
Dr. Rico Schuijers was one of the most
and he proves it as he shows us similar
olds, then they do Prix St. Georges at 7
popular speakers at the 2005 Global
studies that have been done with horses
and Grand Prix as 8-year-olds.
Forum, so he was invited to come back
and humans together. Studies indicate
again this year. No one can pronounce his
that horse and human actually synchro-
Fabio knows the routine, and he starts the
last name, so we all call him Rico. Many
nize physically. The bottom line: When
half steps by himself. Schmidt comments
people in the audience have obviously
you operate “below your neck”—without
that he likes to think of the piaffe as trot
enlisted his help in developing the mental
too much thinking—your horse feels you.
on the spot. He uses the whip a little to
toughness that is necessary to become an
Here lies the difference between the good
make him quicker and a little hot. He
elite athlete. The program is even more
riders and the great riders.
likes the whip more than the leg, which
interesting this year.
When Schmidt picks up his reins,
Next, Rico introduces us to the Dutch
can sometimes make the hind end come
Rico enlists the help of Dutch team
archer, Wietse van Alten, who won the
too much under instead of just creating
rider Laurens van Lieren and asks him to
individual bronze medal in the Sydney
the desired activity. Fabio’s piaffe is
toss 10 coins in his baseball cap, which lies
Olympic Games. He proves his abilities by
extremely active and relaxed.
on the floor only a short distance away.
whizzing an arrow painfully close to those
He’s challenged to get 10 out of 10 but, of
of us in the front row. It smacked cleanly
too soon for everyone. This harmony
course, poor Laurens misses the first one
into the bull’s eye of a target across the
between an extraordinary horse and his
and his goal is already lost. In the end, he
room. Rico wants to be able to measure
elegant rider is surely the ultimate goal.
gets four in the cap. Now Rico encourages
when Wietse’s head and heart are in a bal-
We are encouraged to ask questions but
Laurens to set a more reasonable goal.
anced state, so he is rigged electronically.
there’s not much to say. Someone asks
Laurens decides to make his goal six out of
We can see on the monitor when a task
what one might do to help the amateur.
10, so he’s a little more motivated, and
(such as counting by 13 in English) takes
Hubertus urges riders to always be able to
scores five. The point of this exercise is to
him out of this balanced state, and we can
Schmidt’s demonstration is over much
36 Dressage Today January 2007
ested in how horses learn. McLean says
that the best time for humans to learn is
1 through 5 years. That window for horses is between 3 and 4. He points out that
the cognitive abilities of horses differ from
those of humans because their brains
don’t have a prefrontal cortex for reasoning. They are totally incapable of seeing
into a situation. They are incapable of
deceit. They cannot reconstruct scenarios
but, on the other hand, human information stored in the brain can be corrupted,
whereas horses have perfect memories.
They have no sense of time. This is why
humans can develop manias and psyFrom left: Monty Roberts, Dr. Hilary Clayton, Kyra Kyrklund and Imke
choses, but horses don’t because they
Schellekens-Bartels discuss the issues that affect the modern dressage horse.
have no anxiety about the future. “How
awful it would be for a zebra to know
he will be mauled at some point in his
see his recovery, or return to the “zone,”
Roberts asks the mare to back up fre-
future,” claims McLean who then tells
which takes 15 to 20 seconds. Rico sug-
quently—an essential skill in horse han-
us that virtually all of them do meet this
gests that dressage is a concentration
dling. “When he owns reverse,” says
demise at some point. Horses only know
sport much like archery, and we can see
Roberts, “then he will use it against you.”
about the here and now.
that feeling decreases as thinking increas-
But, if you can back up your horse readily,
es. There’s a good argument for memoriz-
you own reverse, along with the ability to
how horses learn and how riders can
ing that test!
make your horse stand still and go for-
develop responses to very light aids. He
ward. “Standing still is an art that’s essen-
concentrates on the basics: Go, stop, turn
tial—it’s a sign of cooperation,” he says.
and go sideways. He discusses “learned
An American Horse Tamer
Next, Monty Roberts, America’s own 71-
In keeping with the previous program
McLean goes into great detail about
helplessness,” a state in which the horse
year-old horse whisperer shows the mostly
with Rico, Roberts assures us that he is
has learned not to respond as a result of
European audience his knack for listening
keeping Mandy’s pulse low. Initially, he
unrelenting pressure or pain.
to horses. He shows video footage of
prevented her from going on the trailer at
“breaking” horses the old-fashioned way.
least a half dozen times. They got to the
tion with a beautiful but unruly young
The film is graphic and offensive to many.
base of the ramp, and he backed her up.
stallion. The principles aren’t very differ-
There is a lot of grumbling and, on the
“Repetition,” he says, “is your greatest
ent from those of Monty Roberts. This
other hand, lots of spontaneous applause
friend when you’re doing things right,
colt wears a bridle, and he has been
from the Roberts supporters. Then he
but your worst enemy when you’re
pulling his handler around the arena.
demonstrates his techniques with a Dutch
wrong.” In the end, Mandy trots on the
McLean notes that this pulling has dulled
mare, Mandy, who is spooky to ride and
trailer dozens of times. People are
his “stop button.” For the time being,
won’t get on a trailer. Roberts uses a halter
impressed. David Hunt comments that
McLean doesn’t care what the horse does
that gets smaller with resistance and larger
everyone will go home wanting to ride
with his head, but he wants to get control
with cooperation. In his makeshift round
like Hubertus Schmidt, but he is a little
of his feet. He wants the horse to follow
pen, he gets to know Mandy. He frightens
concerned if people without the horse
his strides with his legs, as he will eventu-
her with unruly plastic bags on the end of
sense and fine timing of Monty Roberts
ally follow the rider’s seat when being rid-
a stick, an umbrella and a tarp that she’s
go home and try “to tame their little lions
den. He stops the colt and backs him by
supposed to walk on. Before long, Mandy
with a plastic bag.”
tapping this leg and then that leg with his
McLean does an impressive demonstra-
whip. He prefers to work with the legs
is traipsing over the tarp and standing like
a statue in the face of all frightening
The Science of Learning
because this part of his body has less histo-
things. Next, she is ridden by Roberts’
Andrew McLean of the Australian Equine
ry. Then the horse listens to the rein signal
assistant, and the trailer is made ready.
Behaviour Centre (aebc.com.au) is inter-
rather well. McLean notices that one front
January 2007 Dressage Today 37
scientist and expert in
equine biomechanics.
It was he who helped present theories to the FEI
during the hyperflexion (or
Rollkur) horse-welfare investigation. The question was:
How does the horse work?
As early as A.D. 130, the
workings of the horse were
compared to an arched
roof. Later they were considered to be like a bridge,
and the current concept
likens them to a strung
Anky van Grunsven rides Painted Black, a
bow. Janssen gives a little
9-year-old Dutch stallion in a long frame
of the history of “low, deep
(above) and in more collected work (left).
and round” (LDR, another
word for hyperflexion)
training, including factors
leg makes more mistakes than the other.
was even bigger than for jumping at the
that determine flexion and extension of
As he gains control over the legs, the horse
last Olympic Games.” She recounts the
the back within the bow-and-string con-
learns to stand still and he becomes calm.
standing ovation for the Freestyle that
cept. The weight of the horse’s guts—
was like “a roaring hurricane” during the
along with the force of gravity—make the
last three rides.
horse’s back prone to being hollow,
McLean encourages the horse constantly: “Yes you can,” he says. “No creeping forward.” Again, we are seeing the
“The judging was also a world record,”
Janssen says. This is accentuated by the
importance of the handler being able to
she adds, “as there was not one word of
addition of a rider. Janssen adds, “The big
ask the horse to step back readily. “If you
criticism toward the judges at the press
back muscles run over the vertebral col-
don’t control it, he does,” says McLean.
conferences.” Withages shows us videos
umn, and if they are tense, they make the
He explains how these methods help
of Vincent, Satchmo and Matine in the
back even more hollow. The abdominal
develop zero tolerance for heaviness in
Grand Prix Special, and forum partici-
muscles shorten the string and round the
the hand. Then he does a stride-altering
pants were each given a copy of the test
back. Other factors cause hollowing of the
exercise. They do tiny steps–big ones–tiny
and asked to judge the rides. Following
back: The moment when the front leg
ones. The horse is interested in the work.
the judging session, all three horses were
comes forward and the moment when the
McLean encourages the audience to mas-
shown in tandem and the judging was
hind legs move back.”
ter control of the legs, which may help
reviewed. Many thought that Matine was
the horse that is afraid of the clippers,
not developed enough to earn the scores
detail about the different effects of the
for example.
she received but, in general, there was
positioning of the head and neck. Their
much agreement. The question arose:
studies tracked flexibility in the back and
WEG Judging
Why don’t we see more walks with scores
mobility of the limbs as horses worked on
Mariette Withages, chair of the FEI
of 9 or even 10? Withages quotes former
a treadmill in different positions: in free-
(Fédération Equestre Internationale)
FEI Chairman Eric Lette, saying that the
dom (used as a reference position), in the
Dressage Committee, leads the discussion
extended walk should move like Marilyn
competition position, in a competition
on the analysis of the judging at the
Monroe. “Personally,” she says, “I think of
position with the nose behind the vertical,
2006 World Equestrian Games (WEG).
a great walk as having movement like a
in the LDR position and while the horse
Members of the judging panel Stephen
panther, and you don’t see it that often.”
was stretching. They also studied the horse
Next, Janssen and van Weeren go into
that is falsely elevated in front.
Clarke and Bernard Maurel are there to
help. Withages says, “Dressage made his-
Sjef Janssen’s Training Program
tory—quality-wise, judging-wise and pub-
Sjef Janssen, husband and coach of Anky
tion of the horse’s head and neck have a
lic-wise. None of us knew we would see
van Grunsven, took the stage with Dr.
significant effect on equine biomechanics.
the largest audience ever. The audience
René van Weeren, horse surgeon, research
Specifically, hyperflexion, when done
38 Dressage Today January 2007
The studies concluded that the posi-
of an uproar. Janssen says there is no
horse mustn’t think for two or three sec-
blueprint to tell people how to use it. He
onds but show an immediate reaction.
concludes that there are many systems for
Sjef emphasizes the moment when
training horses, and that he is not trying
you “drop” the aids. The horse should
to convert riders to his. “Only one system
maintain the same frame and speed until
is good,” he says, “and that is the one the
you tell him to do something different.
horse is happy with. Only one thing
Theoretically, the horse should keep doing
counts—the welfare of the horse.”
the same thing forever but, practically, at
Next, Janssen talks about coaching and
gives us far more information than we
least for one circle or long straight line.
The focus was not on LDR but on
can absorb regarding how a coach influ-
incorporating it and showing a variety of
ences performance and the processes of
frames. The horse should always be able
learning and how the coach, the horse
to go immediately to a competition frame.
and the rider influence one another. He
“If he can’t—if he stays curled—you’re
discusses body language, facial expres-
in [trouble],” says Sjef. “Your tool is
sions, auditory stimulation, smell, feeling,
not correct.”
seeing, hearing, personal learning pro-
Next, they work on collection; they
grams and preference behavior patterns.
do a little more canter with more engage-
He has studied muscle activity in Anky
ment. Anky makes him wait at a certain
and compared it to that of Isabell Werth.
speed. Painted Black is not allowed to take
The information is a bit overwhelming
over. She rocks the horse back and makes
but good food for thought. They are Sjef’s
him wait for her. After a walk break, they
Anky van Grunsven rides low, deep
coaching tools regarding Anky “I have to
do an extreme bend to one side in shoul-
and round while flexing left.
be very practical and result-oriented,” he
der-in, and they play with speed—a little
says. “I need to show confidence and fulfill
faster and then slower. They do this often
correctly, can increase the range of motion
Anky’s need for structure. Only when there
as a preparation for the half pass. After
in the horse’s back.
is a real need to make a change would I
another walk break, they do working
break her concentration and discuss it.
pirouette. In preparation, they do a
Janssen uses LDR as one of many tools
for horses with any of the following:
Today, Anky rides Painted Black, and
slight shoulder-fore in working canter
• Horses with connections problems
they begin with a walk on a long rein.
and make a circle of about 10 meters.
• Horses that are dominant
Then they do trot rising with a long neck
They make sure they can stay on that
• Horses with concentration problems
that reaches out to light contact. They do
before making it smaller. After the work-
• Horses that need to train their
this for five or six minutes, and then she
ing pirouette is sitting a little bit, Sjef
canters in very light, almost half seat. She
insists that they come out of it in a very
doesn’t want him too forward and down-
forward medium canter, yet another exer-
ward but she wants that tendency. They
cise in speed control.
topline muscles for better balance
• Horses that need to develop suppleness and looseness
However, he qualifies it, saying that
LDR is not for young horses, and he
would never use it in some situations. It is
are concerned about using up too much of
the horse’s energy.
They go right to work on “speed
The forum ends with some crude and
accusatory questions. A German journalist
accuses Anky and Sjef of having horses
never used with a pulling aid but with a
control” and rating exercises. She wants
with “learned helplessness,” and another
resisting aid and then only gradually built
the horse to be waiting to go forward at
accuses them of pulling on the horses’
up. When it is used, it’s for short periods
any moment, so they do sequences of
mouths. An IDTC member responds with,
of time, and varying the frame with quick
quick transitions within the gait. Anky
“How dare you, a German journalist,
transitions and powerful hind legs is the
says it’s particularly important that she get
make such comments!” And then he sug-
key to success.
speed control and variation in transitions
gests that all is not always well behind
for horses with lack of concentration. She
closed doors in Germany either. Olympian
that they can be copied by people who
is very clear that the reaction must be
Kyrklund politely says she doesn’t use
don’t have the sensitivity and experience
quick until she gets acceptance of the aids.
LDR and still doesn’t really understand it.
to use it, and since most people are unfa-
This keeps the horse handy and in front of
A few others smooth things over, but the
miliar with it, it has caused somewhat
the leg. When you put the legs on, the
forum ends with electricity in the air!
The disadvantages of the system are
40 Dressage Today January 2007
Fagligt Global Dressage Forum 2006
På rette spor igen
Efter et par år med stram
FEI-styring af seminaret, Global
Dressage Forum, kom debatten
i år tilbage på sporet, så man
igen fik mulighed for at diskutere
dressurrelateret stof i et frit
og åbent forum
Tekst og foto: Jytte Lemkow
D
Da Global Dressage Forum blev oprettet
i år 2000 var ideen at samle trænere, rytFor nogle danskere er GDF blevet til en tradition, hertil hører Camilla Lunderskov og Jørtere, dommere, avlere og andre med spegen Hvenegård medens Anke Ter Beek var med for første gang selv om det foregår i henciel interesse for dressur fra hele verden
des hjemland Holland.
for at udveksle ideer, træningsmetoder,
bedømmelser og meget andet dressurrelateret stof i et frit og åbent forum. Det
skulle som noget nyt sammenlignet med fulgt. Det betød at man var vendt tilbage man inviteret repræsentanter både fra ”hyalle andre seminarer ikke være forbeholdt til en mere åben, og derfor ikke altid ublid perflexionisterne ” og fra den mere konen lille gruppe insidere og underlagt FEI’s debat, hvor mange flere kom til orde, og servative og traditionelle lejr, og ligesom
sædvanlige styring. Her skulle ordet være dem der turde og ville kunne få sagt det i 2000, var det den traditionelle træningsfrit og meninger skulle kunne udveksles på de gerne ville. Rent fagligt vil Global teknik, der gik af med sejren.
tværs af faggrupper
Dressage Forum
Forummets første programpunkt var
og uden politiske Hubertus Schmidt: Ikke enhver 2006 også stå som tyske Hubertus Schmidt, VM holdguldog taktiske hensyn.
det måske hidtil vinder fra Aachen, der om nogen er reDenne strategi lyk- hest der kan rides frem og ned er bedste, i hvert til- præsentant for det traditionelle. På den
kedes også til fulde løsgjort, men kan den det ikke, så fælde på linie med pragtfulde tidligere Bundeschampionatsdet første år, men
det første som var vinder, den syvårige rheinlænder Fürst
som årene gik tog er den ikke løsgjort
en rigtig aha-ople- Fabio, viste og kommenterede han fra
FEI, som selvfølgevelse.
sadlen, hvorledes han varmer op, rider
lig var repræsenteret, mere og mere styrinde indledende øvelser som forberedelse til
gen, især personificeret i formanden for
de senere mere vanskelige på en ekstrem
dressurudvalget Mariette Withages. Alle Rollkur til debat
sympatisk måde, som ikke kun var spil
de kursusdeltagere, der betalte dyrt for at Den debat som savnedes så voldsomt ved for galleriet. Den røde tråd i hans ridning
være med, blev efterhånden reduceret til sidste års forum, hvor bølgerne jo interna- er den ægte løsgjorte hest og vigtigheden
blotte tilhørere behandlet med en lidt ned- tionalt gik allerhøjest omkring de kontro- af selv midt i en svær øvelse som fx en
ladende attitude, á la; ”Vi alene vide”.
versielle og yderliggående træningsmeto- arbejdspiruette, hvor han følte at hesten
Ligesom arrangørerne gennem årene der, som i sin ekstremform især praktiseres forsvandt lidt ovenud for ham, at kunne
har lyttet til deltagernes ønsker via et eva- af de hollandske dressurryttere ”Hyper- lægge den ned igen, men vel at mærke
lueringsskema om, hvilke personer man flexion of the neck”, blev i år ikke forsøgt stadig med aktive og indundergribende
gerne ville gense, eller hvem eller hvad undgået. Tværtimod. Ligesom i år 2000, bagben så hesten får strukket og hvælvet
der ikke burde gentages, var ønsket om hvor den internationale debat var langt sin ryg og derfor ikke kommer på forparat reducere FEI’s indflydelse i år blevet mindre forbitret og anklagende, havde ten. Stor applaus til Hubertus Schmidt
38
ridehesten-hippologisk
h
12 / 0 6
sport i dag befinder sig er det ikke længere
nok at være fysisk dygtig. Også det psykiske spiller en kæmpe rolle.
Monty: Fjern piafferne
Førstedagen sluttede af med ingen ringere
end selveste Monty Roberts. Efter at have
vist nogle gruopvækkende videoer af hvorledes man brækker heste ind i Amerika,
men desværre også i mange andre lande,
selv i dag, med så megen vold og brutalitet, at man tror det er løgn, demonstrerede
han med vanlige ord og gerning hvor let
selv ekstremt sky og adfærdsvanskelige
heste kan gøres tillidsfulde og adlyde.
Hans arbejdsmetoder er og bliver dybt
imponerende, og hvor vil man ønske at
mange flere heste nyder og vil komme til
at nyde godt af hans viden og hans eksempel end de 6.800 heste han siden 1989 ved
1.700 demonstrationer har haft i hånden.
Med sin udtalelse om, at hvis han kunne
bestemme, så ville han fjerne piaffen fra
Forummets bedste indslag var Hubertus Schmidt som på den herlige Fürst Fabio ikke
alene demonstrerede hvad en ustresset, løsgjort og alligevel spændstig dressurhest er,
dressuren, fik han sat rigtig røre i andemen også hvad harmoni og gensidig tillid er.
dammen. Monty Roberts påstod at i ingen
anden hestedisciplin skæres der så meget
tænder, som netop i
som vi aldrig har set på en bedre hest, for formår eller ikke
dressursporten, og at
Andrew McLean: Når adrena- indlæringen af piafdet velvære hans smukke ridning efterlod formår, havde han
af harmoni, smidighed og gensidig tillid også taget en af
for mange heste
linet stiger, så nedsættes hestens fen
mellem rytter og hest.
de unge hollander så stressende, at
evne til at lære. Først når man kan han ville anslå, at de
ske holddeltagere
Laurens van Lieren
dressurøvelser
kontrollere hestens ben, kan man øvrige
Fra praksis til teori
med for at demonet program indeholkontrollere dens sind. Heste kan der, ville blive forDen hollandske sportspsykolog Dr. Rico strere, hvorledes
Schuijers med speciale i sportsgrene, der man kan påvirke
bedret med mellem
lide at få indlært nye vaner
kræver stor koncentration, er tilknyttet en idrætsmand til
20-30% hvis piaffen
det hollandske dressurhold. Han havde så at bringe sig selv i
blev fjernet!
stor succes med sit indlæg i 2005, at han den bedst mulige mentale tilstand for at
var blevet opfordret til at komme igen i opnå den størst mulige fysiske kontrol.
år. Med illustrative eksem- For at kunne styre sin nervøsitet, og for Tydelige kommandoer
pler gjorde han rede for at kunne koncentrere sig 100% skal man Vi har måske i Europa lidt den holdning,
sit arbejde og sine ideer. også kunne styre sin puls, altså sit hjer- at fordi det er her ridekunsten er opstået,
Foruden at udsætte kur- teslag. Hvorledes det gøres og hvorledes så er vi overlegne på alle de områder der
susdeltagerne for nogle man via computere kan aflæse det, de- omhandler hesten. Men især de seneste
praktiske eksempler monstrerede den hollandske OL-medal- år og ikke mindst gennem Global Drespå koncentration, jevinder i bueskydning Wietse van Al- sage Forum, har vi fået øjnene op for, at
og hvad hjernen ten med al tydelighed. På det høje niveau der fx både i Amerika og så langt væk
Rico Schuijers:
Hvis kroppen
tager over, så
stopper evnen
til at tænke
klart
Den traditionelle måde at ride en hest frem ...men denne position synes mange
hverken er acceptabel for hestens
og ned på, som alle kan acceptere...
fysik eller dens psyke.
ridehesten-hippologisk
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12 / 0 6
39
Fagligt Global Dressage Forum 2006
teren Imke Schellekens-Bartels unge lovende hingst Aachen, som er noget af en
lømmel at trække med, demonstrerede
Andrew McLean selv, hvorledes han griber et sådan problem an, og han var kommet på arbejde!
WEG Aachen
Som noget nyt var der i år indført et særligt ekspertpanel, som skulle kommentere samtlige
indslag. Dets sammensætning varierede noget fra emne til emne, men i princippet var det
sammensat af en international træner, en international rytter, en international dommer,
et medlem af pressen og nogle gange af en videnskabsmand eller særlig specialist. En
anden nyskabelse var et ”spørgehjørne” hvor alle der havde indslag i den efterfølgende
pause stod til rådighed for spørgsmål, som måske ikke var så almen interessante.
også altid interessant at få en forklaring
på, hvorfor ting og reaktioner er som de
er. McLeans budskab var som Monty Roberts’: at ved at behandle heste med forståelse for deres fysiske og mentale muligheder og begrænsninger, og ved at skabe tillid,
når man langt længere end ved at bruge
magt og vold. Men man skal være klar
og konsekvent i sine kommandoer, både
kropsligt og verbalt. En veludført handling
skal øjeblikkeligt belønnes, hvad enten det
er gennem en hjælp, fx tøjle eller schenkel, som ophører med at indvirke, eller ved
med stemme og kærtegn at lade hesten forstå, at den har gjort, hvad man ville have
Monty Roberts er altid en stor oplevelse
den til. Hestene bliver utrygge, hvis ikke de
– engageret, let forståelig og enkel i sine
kan læse vores ”sprog”. For at anskueliggøre
budskaber.
sine synspunkter omkring kommunikation
med et væsen, som ikke betjener sig af ord,
som Australien befinder sig mennesker, og som har en anden begrebsverden end
som er i besiddelse af enten en stor prak- vi, sammenlignede McLean sine studier
tisk kunnen såsom Monty Roberts, eller af heste med den viden som legendariske
som har en dybtgående videnskabelig bag- Helen Keller fra USA forsynede verden
grund ofte kombineret med praksis. Sidst- med. Hun var født både blind og døv og
nævnte gælder for zoologen Dr. Andrew derfor også stum, og som følge heraf, hverMcLean, der er leder og initiativtager til det ken havde en begrebsverden eller sprog.
største australske hesteadfærdscenter. Han Kun gennem sin personlige hjælper Anne
indledte andendagen
Sullivan, der viste sig
med et ikke helt let
at have en fantastisk
Monty Roberts: Tillid er altaf- indlevelsesformåen,
tilgængeligt oplæg,
da det indeholdt
gørende – vold er aldrig løsnin- og som var usædvanmegen videnskabelig tålmodig, lykkedes
gen. Repetition er din bedste det at kreere et komlig terminologi, og så
på engelsk naturligven (hvis du gør det rigtigt!) – munikationssystem
vis. Lidt kort fortalt
med Helen Keller.
repetition er din værste fjende Derefter kunne der
kunne han videnskabeligt fremlægge beføres en dialog med
(hvis du gør det forkert!)
viser på meget af det
hende, og hun endte
som Monty Roberts
med at tage en univerhar lært sig blot ved at betragte heste i na- sitetsgrad, og fik, trods sit svære handicap,
turen. Men så snart noget er videnskabeligt et meningsfyldt liv og kunne belære andre
undersøgt og begrundet, synes mange, at ud fra sin unikke og tragiske situation.
det ligesom får mere værdi, men det er jo
Med datteren i huset, landsholdsryt40
ridehesten-hippologisk
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12 / 0 6
Næste programpunkt var evaluering af
VM i Aachen under Mariette Withages
ledelse, som udtrykte stor tilfredshed med
dommernes arbejde der. Evalueringen bestod i at tilhørerne fik mulighed for at
bedømme tre ridt fra Grand Prix Special
og til derefter at diskutere deres afgivne
karakterer med nogle af de dommere, der
virkeligt havde dømt.
De tre ryttere var overraskelserne i
­Aachen: Bernadette Pujals fra Mexico
på Vincent, Andreas Helgstrand på Blue
Hors Matiné og vinderen af klassen Isabell Werth på Satchmo fra Tyskland.
Sportspsykologen Dr. Rico Schuijers
brugte bl.a. den hollandske landsholdsrytter Laurens van Lieren til at
demonstrere hvad mental fitness betyder for fysisk udfoldelse.
Med datteren i huset, landsholdsrytteren Imke Schellekens-Bartels unge
lovende hingst Aachen, som er noget af
en lømmel at trække med, demonstrerede Andrew McLean selv hvorledes han
griber et sådan problem an, og han var
kommet på arbejde!
Vi danskere undrede os over, hvorfor af mange, er fysisk skadeligt for hestene.
stjernen over alle stjernerne i Aachen, Ma- Udgangspunktet for gruppens studier, var
tiné, skulle vises i det program, hvor den at fastlægge hvilken indflydelse hestens
gik dårligst! Forhåbentlig var der ikke no- placering og bøjelighedsgrad af halsen har
gen bagtanke med det!
på dens bevægelseskapacitet, både med og
Da alle tre ridt var set enkeltvis, blev uden rytter. De foreløbige resultater af denogle af øvelserne vist samlet på én skærm, res undersøgelser blev allerede bragt ved
og det var interessant, og gav anledning det seminar som FEI så sig nødsaget til at
til en del debat. Desværre var der sat for holde i Lausanne i februar i år. Var man
Dette kalder Sjef Janssen selv ”Low and
lidt tid af til dette
ikke allerede inde i
deep”, andre kalder det Rollkur, og inprogrampunkt.
dette tema var Dr.
Sjef
Janssen:
Vores
metoder
er
ikke
ternationalt er man enedes om udtrykDer kunne have
René van Weerens
ket ”Hyperflexion of the neck”.
for alle heste. De må kun bruges
været diskuteret
indlæg både en
meget mere, og
og lidt kedelig
af virkelige kendere, og kun i korte stor
dommerne kunne
mundfuld at sluge.
intervaller(!!). Vi påbegynder
yderligere have
Det var en direkte
fået en fornemgentagelse af inddem ikke før hesten er 6 år,
melse af at tilskuslaget fra Lausanne
og kun meget gradvis
erne ikke godtager,
med alle dets måhvad som helst fra
linger af 7 heste
deres mund. Den af dommerne, der slap med seks forskellige halspositioner spænbedst igennem diskussionerne var britiske dende fra at gå med løftet hoved (gå imod
Stephen Clarke, som med diplomati og biddet) til den stærkt sammentrukne og
velvalgte ord kunne give mange accep- lave position kaldet Hyperflexion of the
table begrundelser for dommernes syns- neck. Forskergruppens foreløbige resultapunkter.
ter viser, hvad de fleste dressurfreeks alDet er noget helt nyt at en dansk rytter
lerede ved: at giver en hest ikke efter og
er med i en evaluering af en stor ridestiver sig i ryggen, så har det en negativ
begivenhed – her VM i Aachen sammen
Anky på arbejde
indflydelse på dens bevægelsesapparat. Er
med mexicanske Bernadette Pujals og
Sidste programpunkt som nok var tiltænkt det modsatte tilfældet bliver hestens betyske Isabell Werth.
som forummets hovedattraktion, viste sig vægelser større og mere rummelige. Disse
at blive det stik modsatte.
målinger viste også, at der tilsyneladende
Den nykårede verdensmester i kür, ikke videnskabeligt er belæg for, at den ek­ tureret og led under, at Anky ikke kunne
Anky van Grunsven og hendes mand og streme placering og bøjning af hestehalsen høre ham, og at hendes graviditet nu er
træner, og ligeledes Hollands landsholds- skulle være skadeligt for rygregionen, men så fremskreden at maven er i vejen. Man
træner Sjef Janssen har siden den massive på linie med den klassiske søgen frem og havde direkte ondt af hende, at hun havde
kritik deres træningsmetoder har været ud- ned skulle den give lidt øget rygaktivitet stillet sig til rådighed under de omstændigsat for, ikke mindst i den internationale og bedre travbevægelse. (Målingerne er heder. Demonstrationen Anky lavede med
hestepresse, fornuftigt nok valgt at stå of- kun foretaget i skridt og trav).
Krack C kommenteret af Kyra Kyrklund
fentligt frem og forklare og forsvare deNu er der mig bekendt ingen der kritise- på Vilhelmsborg var langt bedre!
res arbejde. Til det sidste havde de valgt rer hyperflexionisterne
Dommer Vim Ernes: Vi
Dr. René van Weeren fra Uttrecht univer- for at deres metoder
Negativ stemning
sitetet til at stå dem bi. Han er medlem skader hestenes ryg.
gav alle tre heste 8, men
af den internationale faggruppe, som vi- Det er påvirkningen
Det ekspertpanel som
af forskellige grunde
denskabeligt skal forsøge at klarlægge, om af hestenes halse, men
efterfølgende kommen”Hyperflexion of the neck”, som påstået især deres nakker, som
terede samtlige indslag
denne unaturlige og ubekvemme position under forummet indeholdt i dette tilfælde
kunne forårsage, der bekymrer modstan- bl.a. en journalist fra det tyske hesteblad St.
derne, og måske allermest den mentale Georg, som var dem, der startede hele forvirkning, man kunne frygte denne totale dømmelsen af Rollkuren. Det resulterede i
dominans og markante indskrænkning en skarp og til tider ubehagelig debat, som
af hestens synsfelt kunne have. Så skud selv Kyra Kyrklund, som paneldeltager ikke
forbi Sjef Janssen, selv om det var fint at kunne ændre på. Hun var på ingen måde
høre om opbygningen af jeres træning, fordømmende overfor hyperflexionisterne,
den daglige omsorg af hestene, som ingen men gav tydeligt udtryk for det, som vi er så
vist tvivler på at de får, og hvorledes du mange der mener, at hun simpelthen ikke
som træner bygger din undervisning op forstod denne træningsform, og ikke fandt
både i praksis og teori. Heller ikke ”live” den nødvendig for at få løsgjorte, lydige og
demonstrationen hvor Anky under Sjefs samlede heste. Det var synd, at et ellers rigDr. René van Weeren som skulle stå Sjef
anvisninger red Painted Black, som mange tigt godt forum sluttede af i en negativ atJanssen bi i hans forsøg på at overbefik lejlighed til at se for nylig på Vilhelms- mosfære. Havde man sat Hubertus ­Schmidt
vise kursusdeltagerne om det uskadelige
borg, formåede vist at hverve mange nye som sidste programnummer havde det
i hans træningsmetoder.
h
tilhængere af deres system. Det var ustruk- modsatte været tilfældet!
42
ridehesten-hippologisk
h
12 / 0 6
GRAFIKER: KH
Fagligt Global Dressage Forum 2006
Uitleg van het
wegnemen van
alle blokkades
met deskundig
laag, rond en
diep van Anky
van Grunsven en
Painted Black.
GLOBAL DRESSAGE
FORUM 2006: JOIN
t e k s t : C L A A R T J E VA N A N D E L
f o t o ’s : D I R K C A R E M A N S
DIT JAAR KENMERKTE HET GLOBAL DRESSAGE
FORUM BIJ DE ACADEMY IN HOOGE MIERDE
ZICH DOOR EEN GROTE OPENHEID EN VEEL TIJD
VOOR DISCUSSIE EN VERDUIDELIJKING, OOK
NA AFLOOP IN DE SPECIALE ‘QUESTION
CORNER’. BOVENDIEN ZAG DE GOEDE WAARNEMER DE NODIGE OVEREENKOMSTEN TUSSEN
DE VERSCHILLENDE CLINIC-GEVERS. EEN
CONCLUSIE: JOIN UP!
�����
18
Het Global Dressage Forum (GDF) is bedoeld als jaarlijks treffen van de internationale juryledentop, Grand
Prix-ruiters en andere dressuur-geïnteresseerden.
Richtingen en ontwikkelingen in de dressuurwereld
worden aangestipt en bediscussieerd.
Het Duitse gouden teamlid Hubertus Schmidt maakte
alle aanwezigen op het zesde GDF als opening ‘lekker’
met zijn indrukwekkende demonstratie van fijn paardrijden met een zevenjarige Rheinlander Fürst Fabio
(Fidermark x Worldchamp), die in het bezit is van de
������
Columbiaanse GP-ruiter Dr. Cesar Parra. Hij bena-
�������������������������
drukte het belang van een goede warming up met
ontspanning en souplesse en vertelde kleine blokkades
in zijn rijden al voordat je ze kon zien. Schmidt heeft de
afgelopen tien jaar meer dan 30 paarden tot internationaal Grand Prix-niveau getraind en gestart op niveau.
En uiteraard speelde nog steeds het ‘laag, diep en rond’
rijden, het hotte dressuuritem van vorig jaar, een rol.
Het blad Sankt Georg stelde deze wijze van trainen
ongeveer gelijk met dierenmishandeling. Het GDF kon
daar deze editie niet omheen. Net de week voor het
forum kwamen de Sankt Georg en Anky van Grunsven
tot een schikking en is de rechtszaak van de baan.
De publieke discussie werd op het Global Dressage
Forum nog wel even gevoerd, zij het met enige terughoudendheid van de kant van Sankt Georg, die
komende maand een rectificatie publiceert. Eerst had
Dr. René van Weeren van de universiteit in Utrecht de
resultaten van een onderzoeksproject van de universiteit van Zürich toegelicht, waarbij het effect van
verschillende halshoudingen in de training en in vrije
beweging werd vergeleken. Het onderzoek toonde aan
dat er één halshouding echt slecht is voor de regelmaat
en souplesse van het paard: die waarbij het paard het
hoofd erg hoog draagt en ‘tegen de hand is’.
Het gaan van het paard waarbij de halshouding van het
paard specifiek ‘rond en diep’ is, bevordert de souplesse
en de elastische beweging van het paard, uiteraard mits
goed toegepast.
Sjef Janssen en Anky van Grunsven gaven daarna een
�������������������������
UP!
dezelfde betrokkenen als in januari bij het FEI-hoofdkwartier in Lausanne over het thema ‘laag, rond en
diep’. Kennelijk is zij voorstander van - nog een laatste?
- onderzoek.
JOIN UP
Opvallender dan de praktijkdiscussie over het trainen
waren eigenlijk de overeenkomsten die zich op andere
gebieden voordeden.
De charismatische paardenpersoonlijkheid Monty
Roberts hield met zijn 7 jaar het publiek volledig
gevangen met zijn presentatie. Zijn waarnemingen van
paardengedrag in wilde kuddes en zijn waarnemingen
van het ruwe letterlijk ‘breken’ van paarden om ze
zadelmak te maken, hebben geleid tot zijn inzichten in
de wenselijke communicatie met paarden. Voor Monty
Roberts was het de eerste keer om voor een vakpubliek
dressuur te staan. Voor het dressuurpubliek was het
waarschijnlijk de eerste keer dat ze filmbeelden zagen
van de ten hemel schreiende ‘breekmethodes’ om wilde
paarden zadelmak te krijgen, tot bloedens toe.
In plaats van kracht, geweld en intimidatie, gebruikt
Roberts de methode van de ‘join up’ om paarden aan
zich te binden. Zoals een paard door de dominante
merrie weggestuurd wordt van de kudde en pas in de
veilige kudde mag terug komen als hij kauwt en likt,
een teken van onderwerpen, zo stuurt Monty Robert
een paard dat zadelmak gemaakt moet worden of dat
gedragsproblemen vertoont van hem weg. Hij doet
dat met handgebaren en een lijn, in een kraal. Nadat
het paard liet blijken dat hij eigenlijk niet meer weg
wilde galopperen door het kauwen en likken, benaderde Robert het paard en keerde hem zonder hem aan
te kijken de rug toe en liep weg. Het paard volgde hem
als een schoothondje… Daarna was niets meer een
probleem: rijden, openklappende paraplu’s, een blauw
plastic op de grond, inladen in de trailer. Aarzelde het
paard, dan liet Robert het paard achterwaarts gaan
Toen de tweede dag van het Forum werd geopend door
de Australische wetenschapper Andrew McLean, was de
join up-methode van Roberts herkenbaar in hoe McLean
over het leren van paarden sprak. De principes van
operante conditionering, het trainen met druk en beloning, werden uit de doeken gedaan. En voorgedaan in
de rijbaan door de hengst Aachen en Imke SchellekensBartels. McLean deed voor hoe Aachen leerde onberispelijk stil te staan aan de hand. Bewoog de hengst, dan
werd hij met een zeer licht tikje van de zweep tegen een
been achterwaarts gemanoevreerd. Stond hij stil, dan
ging de zweep weg. Precies ditzelfde had Roberts de dag
ervoor gedemonstreerd toen hij zijn proefpaard wende
aan eng ritselend plastic: schrok het paard niet, dan
ging het plastic weg. Schrok hij wel, dan bleef het plastic
hinderend aanwezig, net zo lang totdat het paard het
accepteerde als een ongevaarlijke omgevingsfactor. Lees:
net zo lang totdat het paard accepteerde dat de menselijke persoon in zijn nabijheid de leider is.
Ook de openheid die aan de licht kwam bij de evaluatie
van het jureren op de WEG 2006 in Aken, was plezierig.
“Er zijn vele manieren en redenen om tot die acht voor
de piaffe te komen bij de totaal verschillende uitvoeringen van de paarden Satchmo, Matiné en Vincent”,
benadrukte Mariette Withages. Ook weer een join up
dus, een elkaar treffen en ontmoeten: verschillende
typen paarden, verschillende trainingsmethodes maar
hetzelfde cijfer. Join up: een mooie boodschap om mee
door te gaan.
�����
�������������������������
Fijn en gevoelig
paardrijden van
Hubertus Schmidt
en Fürst Fabio.
������
�������������������������
19
GLOBAL DRESSAGE FORUM
E
praktijkdemonstratie van deze manier van rijden. Anky
deed dat met de KWPN-goedgekeurde Painted Black,
die recent in Aarhus 75% bij elkaar liep in de Grand
Prix. Anky en Sjef benadrukten zoals steeds de afwisseling en variatie in training en in hoofd-hals-houding,
en het eerste belang van tempo-controle dat Anky met
haar training voortdurend nastreeft. In de discussie
na het rijden botsten de meningen van het duo met de
vertegenwoordigster van Sankt Georg. Zonder publiek
schudden betrokkenen elkaar na afloop toch de hand.
Eigenlijk was het de Finse Grand Prix-amazone Kyra
Kyrklund die de mening van velen het best verwoordde:
“Ik begrijp het meerdere nut van het zo rond en ver
diep doorgebogen rijden zelf nog steeds niet, ik kan
geen resterende blokkades in mijn paarden voelen en
daarom rijd ik zelf op een andere wijze laag en diep.
Maar ik zie ook niet waarom dit rijden mishandelend
zou zijn, als het zo deskundig wordt toegepast.” Kortom,
leef en laat leven. FEI-dressuurvoorzitter Mariëtte
Withages beloofde overigens een tweede seminar met
Global Dressage
Forum
Małgorzata Hansen
Fot. Dirk Caremans (www.hippofoto.be)
▲Prezentacja
i wykład
dr. Andrew
McLean.
Trudno uwierzyć, że to było już kolejne, szóste spotkanie w Hooge Mierde,
w ośrodku jeździeckim Jeppa i Tineke Bartels. Co roku zjeżdża się tam ponad
pięciuset ludzi z całego świata (tym razem czterdzieści kilka krajów miało swych
przedstawicieli), aby wziąć udział w dwudniowym programie, który obejmuje
demonstracje czołowych jeźdźców i trenerów, a także wykłady różnych specjalistów, których badania czy sfera działania łączą się w jakikolwiek sposób z dyscypliną ujeżdżenia.
I tak tym razem, na wyraźne życzenie
ubiegłorocznych uczestników, powrócił Rico
Schuijers, holenderski psycholog, zajmujący się sportowcami. Mimo, że podstawowy
wykład był powtórzeniem z poprzedniego
forum, słuchało się go z dużym zainteresowaniem, jako że do jeździectwa psychologia dociera bardzo powoli i wiele podanych
wiadomości jest zupełnie nowych. Ciekawe
są także cytowane przez Rico „prawdziwe
historie”. Jedną z nich osobiście opowiedziała jego podopieczna, Imke Schellekens–
–Bartels, która, jak sama stwierdziła, dzięki
Rico zajęła siódme miejsce na Olimpiadzie
w Atenach. Praca z nim pozwoliła jej zidentyfikować największy stresujący czynnik
przed startem, a była nim… obecność jej
własnego ojca na rozprężalni! Odkąd ojciec
nie ogląda przygotowania do startu, rezultaty Imke są znacznie lepsze. Oczywiście, takich stresogennych czynników jest znacznie
więcej i nie wszystkie da się wyeliminować,
ale wiele z nich dałoby się usunąć, gdyby
zawodnik miał większą świadomość swego
22 Świat Koni
stanu psychicznego i umiał zidentyfikować,
które z nich są usuwalne. Pewnie dlatego
uczestnicy forum, a są to głównie trenerzy,
jeźdźcy i sędziowie, są tak bardzo ciekawi
tego znacznie bardziej wnikliwego podejścia do psychiki zawodnika. Wiadomo, że
stres powoduje obniżenie sprawności fizycznej, ale sposoby jego pomniejszania są
znane tylko nielicznym i to bardzo ogólnie,
kiedy diabeł leży właśnie w szczegółach,
czyli indywidualnym podejściu.
Fascynujące były proste praktyczne
ilustracje, jak na przykład bieżący wykres
tętna i ciśnienia krwi u zawodnika, którego poproszono o głośne wyrecytowanie
tabliczki mnożenia: 1 x 13, 2 x13, etc, etc.
Szybkość i gwałtowność reakcji organizmu
na psychiczną presję, nawet najmniejszą,
jest zadziwiająca.
Jeśli Hubertus Schmidt odczuwał psychiczną presję podczas swej demonstracji
w pracy z 7-letnim Fürst Fabio, to dobrze ją
ukrywał. Myślę jednak, że dla tak doświad-
SPORT UJEŻDŻENIE
czonego zawodnika nieformalny występ,
nawet przed tak znającą się na rzeczy publicznością, to małe piwo.
Hubertus powiedział: – Postaram się
wam opowiedzieć, co robię, dlaczego i jak.
To nie jest mój system, staram się pracować
według skali ujeżdżeniowej.
Schmidt rozpoczął od rozgrzewki:
– Ona jest niesłychanie ważna, rozciąganie
i poprzez rozciąganie wchodzenie w kontakt. Relaksacja, rozciągnięcie, rozluźnienie
w kontakcie z ręką, elastyczność. Najważniejsze, to zacząć z kompletnie rozluźnionym koniem. (…) Pierwsze 10–15 minut
jest takie same, czy to będzie pięciolatek
czy koń Grand Prix. Jasne, że zależy to
trochę od sytuacji i od konia. Ale koń, którego nie mogę rozciągnąć w grzbiecie,
nie będzie rozluźniony, nie da się u niego
osiągnąć prawdziwego zgięcia szyi i głowy,
dobrego kontaktu na zewnętrznej czy wewnętrznej wodzy. A to jest tak ważne dla
chodów bocznych, ponieważ bez uprzedniego rozluźnienia, nie ma mowy o utrzymaniu kadencji przy zejściu z linii prostej.
Hubertus, pracując z Fürst Fabio, mówił dalej: – Nie wystarczy pracujący grzbiet,
do tego musi dojść właśnie kadencja. Koń
nie może uciekać, bo wtedy nie może się
rozciągnąć i nie mogę użyć popędzających
pomocy, a ja chcę ich używać.
I jeszcze: – W rozgrzewce niepotrzebny jest impuls, ale rytmiczność, elastycz-
chowany (i przez to wiodący bezstresowy
żywot), to koń, który nauczył się reagować
prawidłowo na nasze sygnały. Ja idę, on
idzie, ja staję, on staje, biorę go za nogę, on
ją podnosi. Do wychowania konia potrzeba
konsekwencji w pracy z nim, i dużej dbałości o bezpieczeństwo. Na tym polega dobre
obchodzenie się z koniem.
ność i przepuszczalność. Ważne jest także,
aby koń chciał schodzić w dół (żucie z ręki
– przyp. autora).
Demonstracja Hubertusa pozostawiła
po sobie wrażenie niesłychanej harmonii.
Jego koń był tak prawdziwy w poszczególnych reakcjach na pomoce, a także w pójściu do przodu, jak tylko można sobie to
wyobrazić. Widowni w Hooge Mierde trudno
zaimponować, ale tym razem dało się odczuć admirację, jeszcze zanim rozpoczęły
się komentarze po zakończonej demonstracji.. Rzadko widzi się tak piękny popis
jazdy, ale i też rzadko widzi się konia z tak
wielką elastycznością, swobodą chodów
i lekkością. Fürst Fabio (po Fidemark), wyhodowany w okręgu reńskim w Niemczech,
należy do kolumbijskiego jeźdźca osiadłego
w USA, dr. Cesara Parra. Należy mieć nadzieje, ze Hubertus Schmidt utrzyma tego
konia w swojej stajni. Jeśli tak się stanie, to
za dwa, trzy lata czołówka światowa będzie
musiała się trochę przetasować.
Trzecią „gwiazdą” pierwszego dnia był
Monty Roberts. Muszę przyznać, że znając
scenariusz jego występów, jako że miałam
okazję oglądać je kilkakrotnie, oczekiwałam
kolejnego z umiarkowanym entuzjazmem.
I zanim zagorzali zwolennicy metod naturalnych rzucą na mnie klątwę, spieszę
dodać, że nie istota rzeczy irytowała mnie
zawsze u Monty’go, lecz tworzenie nowej
religii z czegoś, co dla każdego koniarza
z prawdziwego zdarzenia było i jest rzeczą
oczywistą, plus cały ten łzawosentymentalny PR, w którym Monty celuje. Nie mogłam też nigdy zrozumieć, dlaczego to takie
ważne (w europejskich warunkach), żeby
konia zajeździć w ileś tam minut, co złego
w uprzednim lonżowaniu, spokojnym przyzwyczajeniu do siodła, etc.?
No i mile się rozczarowałam tym razem, bowiem Monty wspomniał swego tatusia tylko dwa razy, do demonstracji miał
poczciwą, aczkolwiek mającą swój rozum
klacz, której największym problemem była
jej właścicielka, która rzeczonej klaczy pozwoliła wejść sobie na głowę i obyło się bez
ekspresowego zajeżdżania, bo kobyła miała już w tym doświadczenie, natomiast nie
była przekonana o celowości wsiadania do
przyczepy. Siła jej przekonań nie mogła być
zbyt duża, bo łatwo zmieniła zdanie. Ale do
tego niepotrzebny był Monty, wystarczyłby
ktoś znający się na rzeczy.
Za to Monty mówił (i to mówił mądrze
i ciekawie) o swych doświadczeniach z podróży po świecie, o tym, jak wiele podczas
nich się nauczył. I powtórzył rzecz najważniejszą, z którą każdy prawdziwy koniarz się
zgodzi, bez względu na to, jaką dyscypliną
się zajmuje: konie same z siebie nigdy nie
są trudne: konie stają się trudne przez nas.
To my kreujemy trudności i kłopoty u koni
– brakiem zrozumienia i właściwego podejścia. Jak mówi Monty, konie są na tej ziemi
dłużej od nas i jakoś nigdy nie miały ze sobą
problemów! Wszystko zaczęło się od nas.
Co nie znaczy, że mamy im na wszystko pozwalać: konie muszą znać granice, co
im wolno i czego nie wolno. Koń dobrze wy-
Oprócz Monty’go, na Forum wystąpił
inny behawiorysta (co za okropne słowo!
Dlaczego, na przykład, nie używa się określenia specjalista od zachowań zwierząt?).
Był nim Australijczyk, dr Andrew McLean, naukowiec zajmujący się psychologią
koni, a ściślej wprowadzaniem naukowych
podstaw do treningu koni. Jego CV rzeczywiście wskazywało na dużą aktywność
zawodową i różnorodność zainteresowań.
Niewątpliwie jego wiedza teoretyczna jest
rozległa i usystematyzowana, szkoda tylko,
że jest mało przystępna dla zwykłego śmiertelnika. Wykład roił się od bardzo trudnych
i niezrozumiałych wyrazów, co byłoby bardzo na miejscu w gronie szacownych akademików, natomiast adresowany do grupy
praktyków, nieco chybił celu. Sądzę, że nie
jestem odosobniona w pewnej podejrzliwości, co do przydatności tego typu przekazu.
Kiedy dr McLean obwieścił zgromadzonym,
że konie nie posiadają dorsolateral prefrontal cortex wyobraziłam sobie reakcję swoich uczniów, którym oznajmiam, że koń nie
posiada przedniego płata czołowego (bo
to chyba tak się przekłada na polski), a co
za tym idzie – nie ma zdolności wyższego
poziomu myślenia …???....
A nie można po prostu
powiedzieć, że koń
nie potrafi myśleć
abstrakcyjnie?
Nie potrafię zro-
◄ Kolejna
gwiazda
tegorocznego
GDF - Monty
Roberts.
▼ Hubertus
Schmidt
podczas swej
demonstracji pracy z 7-letnim Fürst
Fabio.
Świat Koni 23
zumieć, dlaczego naukowcy muszą używać takiej napuszonej nomenklatury na co
dzień.
Andrew McLean przeszedł ewentualnie do części praktycznej, dostawszy do
ręki pięcioletniego ogiera na ogłowiu, który
wyraźnie nie miał pojęcia o dobrych manierach, natomiast doskonale już wiedział, że
jakiekolwiek homo sapiens na końcu wodzy
po prostu się ignoruje.
Być może obecność Monty Robertsa
na widowni speszyła nieco prelegenta, bo
sprawiał wrażenie nieco zagubionego i zamiast pracować z tym konkretnym koniem
w tej konkretnej sytuacji, usiłował przekonać słuchaczy, że najważniejsza jest, jak
się wyraził, kontrola końskich nóg. Żeby to
udokumentować, usiłował zmusić konia do
stania w miejscu, pukając go batem po każdej nodze, która się poruszyła.
Koń nie był trudny, chodziło wyłącznie o nauczenie go grzecznego chodzenia
w ręku, ale nasz behawiorysta nie potrafił
go skłonić do szanowania jego własnej
„przestrzeni życiowej” (ogier deptał mu po
nogach), nie wziął poprawki na to, że koń
był szarpany za pysk przy próbach opanowania jego wybryków i nauczył się już
usztywniać szyję i szczęki. Dalsze szarpanie za wodze mogło już tylko pogłębić to
bardzo niekorzystne zjawisko (niekorzystne, bo koń będzie się bronił przed wędzidłem także, kiedy będzie jeżdżony), a także
mieć fatalny wpływ na chody konia, głównie
na stęp. Widać to było zresztą już podczas
demonstracji, kiedy „zwalnianie” konia powodowało zakłócenie sekwencji kroków
stępa.
Być może mam wygórowane wymagania, ale nauczenie jeźdźców, czy w ogóle
kogokolwiek zajmującego się końmi, wła-
ściwego do nich podejścia i ich traktowania
jest dla mnie absolutnym priorytetem, głównie ze względów bezpieczeństwa, nie mówiąc już o tym, że inaczej nie ma co mówić
o współpracy, czy to z ziemi, czy z siodła.
Koniowi nie wolno ignorować człowieka, ma
go uznawać i szanować. I to trzeba koniowi
przekazać, umiejętnie się do tego zabierając.
Jeśli któryś z moich praktykantów po
miesiącu pracy wykazałby się takim brakiem wyczucia sytuacji jak Andrew McLean,
uważałabym, ze niczego go/jej nie nauczyłam.
Popołudniową część drugiego dnia
Forum zainicjował dr Renè van Weeren,
z wykładem zatytułowanym: Czy biomechanika popiera specyficzne metody treningowe? Wykład ten poprzedzał sesje z Sjefem
Janssenem i Anky van Grunsven.
W tym miejscu trzeba wspomnieć w kilku zdaniach o krytyce, z jaką spotykają się
niektóre metody treningowe Sjefa w wykonaniu Anky i dyskusji, w której na pewno nie
powiedziano jeszcze wszystkiego. Chodzi
oczywiście o osławiony już Rollkür, przechrzczony później na hyperflexion. Obecnie
jedynie politycznie poprawne określenie to
LDR (Long, Deep and Round, czyli długo,
głęboko i okrągło). Jak go zwał, tak go zwał
i tak oczywiście mamy do czynienia z tym
samym zjawiskiem.
Sejf i Anky doskonale zdają sobie sprawę z nie zawsze pozytywnych opinii o ich
metodach, krążących w świecie ujeżdżeniowym, doświadczywszy także i publicznej
krytyki, nic więc dziwnego, że na ten temat
przyjmują postawę, którą można określić
jako agresywno–defensywną. Szczególnie
Sjef, który jest mózgiem i motorem w tym
duecie, wyraźnie cierpi z tego powodu.
Ponieważ Global Forum, z wielu powodów, bardzo się nadaje do kształtowania
publicznej opinii, nic więc dziwnego, że Sjef
już po raz drugi wykorzystał tę okazję do
udowadniania swoich racji. Będąc trenerem
nowej generacji, która docenia korzyści, jakie mogą przynieść jeździectwu badania naukowe, chętnie podpiera się stwierdzeniami
akademików. Na swe pierwsze wystąpienie
na Forum, zaprosił terapeutkę z uniwersytetu w Utrechcie, która potwierdziła, że zaokrąglanie grzbietu konia jest korzystne dla
jego pracy pod siodłem.
Tym razem to Renè van Weeren miał
usankcjonować prawidłowość treningowych
metod Sjefa. Podsumował on wyniki badań,
próbujących zbadać wpływ ustawienia głowy i szyi na pracę mięśni grzbietu. Z całym
szacunkiem dla uczonych, nie trzeba chyba
specjalnych testów, aby zauważyć, że zadarta głowa czy wysokie i bardzo krótkie
ustawienie konia powoduje kurczenie się
mięśni grzbietu, zwłaszcza w odcinku lędźwiowym, zaś opuszczona szyja i głowa
sprzyjają rozciąganiu mięśni grzbietu, czyli
są zjawiskiem korzystnym.
Czy szukanie argumentów w bardzo
uproszczonych eksperymentach, przeprowadzonych w warunkach mających niewiele
wspólnego z rzeczywistością, jest najlepszą
drogą do przekonania krytyków? Trochę
w to wątpię, szczególnie, kiedy praktyczny
pokaz, z Anky w siodle, wzbudził wewnętrzny opór w wielu obecnych LDR, był zademonstrowany w półekstremalnej formie.
Cóż, nie dało się oszukać podświadomości, która sama porównywała pracę Anky
z obrazem jeżdżącego poprzedniego dnia
Hubertusa Schmidta. Kontrast był uderzający, nawet dla kogoś nieznającego się na
rzeczy. Nawet, jeśli Anky pokazała ewentualnie piękny pasaż, piaf czy ciąg w kłusie,
nietrudno było zdecydować się, którą drogę
chciałoby się wybrać..
Mówi się, że czasem cel uświęca środki. I tak, w pewnym sensie jest na pewno
w casusie Sjefa i Anky. Bez LDR nie byłoby
takich sukcesów, z tego prostego powodu,
że Anky nie panowałaby nad swymi końmi.
Już widzę święte oburzenie u grona jej
wielbicieli! A jednak, jeśli się przeciwstawi
jej warunki fizyczne typowi koni, na których
jeździ (duże, utalentowane i szalone – cytuje jej własne słowa), doda do tego dążenie
do zajmowania stałej pozycji na samym
szczycie, to widać, że te parametry są trudne do pogodzenia.
Anky jest kreacją Sjefa, o czym zresztą
sama mówi: – Bez niego byłabym pewnie
jeźdźcem Grand Prix, ale na pewno nie
miałabym takich sukcesów.
I ma zupełną rację. Wielkość Sjefa
Janssena polega na tym, że potrafił połączyć swą podstawową, klasyczną wiedzę
z nieortodoksyjnymi środkami, aby móc
osiągnąć pożądane efekty, mimo trudnych
24 Świat Koni
SPORT UJEŻDŻENIE
uwarunkowań. Ale zanim zaczniemy rozważać te ostatnie, pamiętajmy, że podłożem
sukcesów Sjefa jest doskonałe przygotowanie koni. Klasyczne przygotowanie:
nie ma w nim żadnych tricków, bo być nie
może: bez skali ujeżdżeniowej nikt jeszcze
konia dobrze nie wyszkolił. Tyle, że dla
niektórych jest to już proces odbywający
się poza ich świadomością. Sjef jest także
trenerem bardzo nowoczesnym w swoim
podejściu do konia, trenując go jako atletę.
Jest także godny podziwu w swym pędzie
do wyszukiwania i wykorzystywania nawet
najmniejszych okruchów informacji, często
z zupełnie innych dziedzin, do udoskonalania jeźdźca i konia.
Sjef musiał wynaleźć sposób, aby
te tak pobudliwe, nerwowe konie, które
z natury reagują ucieczką na wszelkie sygnały jeźdźca, dały się jakoś opanować.
Wiadomo, że tego typu konie wymagają
najwięcej łydki, nie mocnej, ale takiej,
która im cały czas towarzyszy, daje im
oparcie, uczy akceptacji jeźdźca. Do tego
potrzebne są nogi, które tego konia mogą
fizycznie „objąć”. Nie ma mowy, żeby osoba postury Anky, z wąską miednicą i lekko
zbieżną postawą kolan była w stanie to
zrobić. Ten stan rzeczy będzie miał wpływ
także na pracę ciałem, bowiem pozycja
w strzemionach nie będzie tak mocna,
jak by się chciało, a bez tego nie da się
wytłumaczyć prawidłowo koniowi, żeby nie
uciekał, żeby „czekał”. Nie da się także
dostatecznie zachęcić konia do użycia głębokich mięśni brzucha, aby mógł podnieść
grzbiet. Te trudności łatwiej sobie zobrazować, wyobrażając sobie małą dziewczynkę
próbującą objąć olbrzyma w talii. Będzie
dobrze, jeśli w ogóle ją zauważy! Trzeba
więc wymyślić sposób na to, żeby olbrzym
zwrócił uwagę na dziewczynkę i pozwolił
się prowadzić. Rollkür jest właśnie tym
„czymś”. Rodzajem przywoływania psa do
nogi, podkreśleniem hierarchii, fizyczną
i jednocześnie psychiczną półparadą.
Ale to jeszcze nie koniec…. Spróbujcie
przyłożyć brodę do piersi tuż powyżej miejsca, gdzie łączą się obojczyki, naciągnijcie
dobrze szyję: co dzieje się z ciałem? Kręgosłup się naciąga, mostek się cofa w stronę
łopatek, nawet brzuch się wciąga, co nieco.
Czyli dokładnie to samo, co w przypadku
konia, który przyjmuje prawidłową posturę
ciała zaokrąglając grzbiet, i „rosnąc” z przodu. Koń w takim położeniu nie może ani ciągnąć, ani oprzeć się na przodzie. Jeździec
ma szansę, rodzaj „oddechu”, kiedy może
konia o coś poprosić, coś mu wyjaśnić.
Z czasem koń uczy się, że ma utrzymywać
taką postawę ciała przez dłuższy czas,
mimo podniesionej głowy i szyi.
.
Jest jeszcze jeden aspekt Rollküru
(trudno, pozostanę politycznie niepoprawna!): na którego temat trudno jest dyskutować, jako, że jedyną stroną, która mogłaby
potwierdzić lub zanegować te spekulacje,
jest sam koń. Niemniej wydaje się on ważny
dla jego dobrostanu, dlatego warto się nad
nim dobrze zastanowić. Jak długo mogliśmy
wytrzymać z brodą na piersi, bez uczucia
zmęczenia i ewentualnie bólu?
Niedługo, prawda? Mało tego, ta pozycja w jakiś sposób utrudnia oddychanie
i dopływ krwi do mózgu – odczucia bywają
różne: słabości, dezorientacji, lub tzw. „odjazdu”. Czemu koń nie miałby tego odczuwać podobnie?
W tym kontekście łatwo sobie wyobrazić, że zastosowanie Rollküru może pełnić
rolę kary, a przyzwolenie na wyjście z niego
– być dla konia formą nagrody. Zwłaszcza,
że przy ekstremalnym zaokrągleniu, koń
jest także pozbawiony możliwości używania
wzroku – oczy mają bardzo ograniczoną wizję, co też wpływa na niego deprymująco.
Wydawało mi się zawsze, ze trening
ujeżdżeniowy buduje u konia pewność siebie, poczucie własnej wartości, a przez to
koń czuje się bezpieczniej, bardziej swobodnie. Mam wątpliwości, czy stosowanie
Rollküru na co dzień nie ma przypadkiem
odwrotnego efektu, prowadząc do gromadzenia się negatywnego napięcia, czyniąc
konie niepewnymi i płochliwymi. Obserwując
konie poddawane tym praktykom, zauważa
się różne symptomy stresowe, wymowne
dla każdego, kto umie je odczytywać.
Tu dochodzimy do jednego z fundamentalnych zagadnień ujeżdżenia: dobre
napięcie kontra złe napięcie. Czy umiemy
zawsze rozpoznać, które jest które? Pamiętajmy, że całkiem możliwa jest sytuacja,
gdzie uzdolniony koń będzie się lepiej ruszał w złym napięciu, niż mniej uzdolniony
w dobrym.
To, co pokazuje Anky van Grunsven
pod okiem Sjefa jest swego rodzaju fenomenem. I fenomenem powinno pozostać,
o czym powinni pamiętać wszyscy, którzy
chcieliby się zapuścić w tą samą stronę. To
nie jest sposób jazdy, który nadaje się do
powszechnego naśladowania. Podziwiać
tak, zachwycać się – jak najbardziej, bo
kiedy wszystko gra, to nie sposób pozostać
niewzruszonym, ma się wrażenie świadkowania czemuś wyjątkowemu. I tak w istocie
pewnie jest.
▲Sesja
z Sjefem
Janssenem
i Anky van
Grunsven.
Czasem tylko zdarzy się moment,
gdzie zamiast kolejnego ciągu czy pasażu
przyciągnie nasz wzrok wyraz oczu czy pyska, „gęstość” ciała, lub inne subtelne znaki
mówiące, że ta wspaniała ekspresja ruchu,
którą tak podziwiamy, ma swe źródło niezupełnie tam, gdzie być powinno. I to powinno
nas nieco zaniepokoić.
Świat Koni 25
REPORTS
Dressage Global Dressage Forum
From join-up to neck frames
and ‘parking’, there is much
to debate at the 2006 Global
Dressage Forum, says
Seamour Rathore
H
OW horses learn influences the way we
train them. This was the recurring theme
of the 2006 Global Forum held at
Academy, Holland — the base of
dressage’s Bartels family.
The 400 delegates expected action
and the forum did not disappoint. With a menu
boasting horse whisperer Monty Roberts and
Dutch supremos Anky van Grunsven and her
trainer/husband Sjef Janssen, the scene was set.
International Dressage Trainers’ Club chairman
David Hunt opened the forum by praising this
summer’s World Equestrian Games (WEG).
“We saw unknown combinations [including
Mexico’s Bernadette Pujals and Vincent] jump into
the top bracket. Three different horses won a class
and they were not all trained on the same system.
The judges are to be thanked for rewarding the
best performances on the day,” he said.
The forum could not move away from the
ongoing rumblings, first sparked by a feature in
German magazine St Georg in August 2005,
about the use of the method “deep and round” as
a training tool.
In their typically open and commendable
fashion, Anky van Grunsven and Sjef Janssen
A question of timing
Painted Black: willing and happy to go for Anky van Grunsven (who is pregnant with her second child)
Andrew McLean: “If you have control of the legs , you can persuade him to do things he might not want to do”
.
78 HORSE & HOUND 9 NOVEMBER 2006
8www.horseandhound.co.uk/competitionnews
DRESSAGE
presented their system, which includes deep and
compromising the horse’s relaxation.
round — also known as hyperflexion of the neck or
“Every time the horse oozed forward or came
rollkür — among many other techniques. But the
back, there was no shortening in the neck or
duo failed to win round some doubters.
resistance in the mouth,” said international judge
Several top trainers offered vocal support and
Jennie Loriston-Clarke.
scientist Dr Rene van Weeren presented
biomechanical research suggesting that low,
Mental training of the rider
deep and round did not compromise a horse’s
SPORT psychologist Dr Rico Schuijers
movement. A more problematic position is when
demonstrated psychological training of the rider
the neck is upright
to improve performance.
accompanied by the nose
He said: “When we see
behind the vertical, he said.
strong changes in
Equine behaviourist Dr
performance, the cause is
Andrew McLean, having
usually mental.”
watched Anky train Painted
He explained the ideal
Black, said he saw nothing
performance state, which
wrong with the horse’s
involves mental skills
Dr Rico Schuijers
disposition or willingness to
including goal-setting,
on how to improve performance
work. When prompted,
breathing and relaxation and
rider/trainer Kyra Kyrklund
imagery. With the help of
said that she did not use this tool, as she did not
Olympic archer Wietse van Alten, he showed that
understand it.
breathing techniques can improve performance.
This issue left open the question of how much
Another demonstration with Dutch team
longer Anky and Sjef will continue to step up and
member Laurens van Lieren showed that
freely explain their system, given the reception
concentrating on the process of an action rather
they encountered from some delegates.
than the goal of the action — Laurens had to
throw 10 coins into a baseball cap — can
Master of communication
produce a better performance.
HUBERTUS Schmidt, the most prolific producer
of grand prix horses — more than 30 in the past
decade — offered an insight into his system.
“I follow the German cavalry school,” he said.
“It’s old and traditional, but I think it is still 100%
up to date and suitable for non-professionals.”
He underlined the importance of the warm-up
and encouraging the horse to stretch into the bit.
“You must start with a very loose horse. Not
every horse who can stretch down is 100% loose
in his back. But any horse who can’t stretch down
cannot be loose in the neck and back,” he said.
“The training must always be as easy as
possible for the rider and the horse. In the
warm-up trot, I want him to swing through his
back, but I’m not looking for cadence.”
Moving on to discuss piaffe and passage, he
said that if the trot is of good quality, then passage
just becomes a slightly shorter trot.
The discussion that followed praised
Through the round pen: Monty Roberts displays
Schmidt for the power he created without
impeccable timing — but is it easily emulated?
When we see strong
changes in performance, the
cause is usually mental
Show time
Hubertus Schmidt
on Fabio, who
“oozed” forwards
and backwards
without tension or any
shortening of the neck
How to ‘park’
DR McLean reminded delegates that the way a
horse thinks and learns is different from humans.
While having remarkable memories, horses do
not have the powers of reasoning of a human.
8www.horseandhound.co.uk/competitionnews
WEG analysis
THERE was a frisky session analysing the
judging at WEG. Delegates were invited to
score the grand prix specials of Andreas
Helgstrand (Blue Hors Matine), Bernadette
Pujals (Vincent) and Isabell Werth (Satchmo)
with the aid of DVD playback.
The audience pointed out that Vincent’s
changes were the best of the three horses. The
scoring sheets showed that in both the two-times
Vincent achieved the same score as the other two
horses (four eights and a seven) and in the onetempis Vincent scored four eights and one nine,
compared with Satchmo and Matine who each
gained three sevens and two eights.
There was some discussion of Matine’s piaffe
and passage — which has been widely praised as
incredibly expressive.
German journalist Birgit Popp said Matine’s
scores for piaffe and passage surprised her, as the
horse’s elasticity was not good enough.
“She showed wonderful potential, but it is not
exactly what we want to see,” said Birgit.
Mariette Withages, dressage committee chair,
countered: “When I say spectacular, that doesn’t
mean ideal or free of tension. If the horse gets a
stronger back that will improve elasticity. Andreas
said in the press conference that once back at
home he would be concentrating on the basics.
You have to bear in mind that she is still young
and was a last-minute substitute.”
Stephen Clarke added: “We have to be a bit
careful not to talk just about the technical aspects
of a performance. We judges appreciated the
mental side, too. Matine was the most willing
horse and always smiling. It has to be worth
something that she so much wants to do the work
and was never working against the rider.” H&H
.
9 NOVEMBER 2006 HORSE & HOUND 79
Pictures by Dirk Caremans
IT was showman Monty Roberts’s first time
addressing a dressage audience and he delivered
the observation that piaffe should be removed
from dressage tests: “It aggravates the horses
— I’m an outsider, but that’s my view.”
He gave a practical demonstration of “join-up”
and loading a spooky horse. But several delegates
felt he did not provide enough explanation of
what he was doing.
David Hunt (to Monty Roberts): “We all watched
Hubertus this morning — this audience will go
home wanting to ride like Hubertus. But I worry
that after watching you some people will go home
with a plastic bag and try to ‘tame their lion’. But
they don’t have a round pen or the experience.”
Monty: “If you don’t feel safe with it, don’t do it.”
Dr McLean went on: “Your timing is perfect, but
you are not saying that is what you are using.”
Monty: “My body language is commensurate with
the language of the horse.”
Anky van Grunsven: “Timing is the most
important thing. How do you teach somebody
who has no feeling for timing?”
Monty: “You have to repeat and keep working at it.
You have to think timing and be timing. ”
Clear signals are vital for horses: “Training
involves removing most of the effect of the outside
world on the horse’s mobility and replacing this
with this aids,” said Dr McLean. “Consistency
gives the horse control of its world.”
He warned that when pressure is applied
inconsistently it will have an effect on the
horse’s behaviour, can cause chronic stress and
ultimately result in “learned helplessness”, where
a horse is no longer willing to try new responses.
He called for a self-carriage test in the horse,
saying: “The trained horse should go on his own
— releasing the reins for two strides proves that
the horse can maintain his training [rhythm,
straightness and outline]. We should be constantly
rewarding the lightness and self-carriage we see.”
During a practical demonstration with a twoyear-old stallion, Dr McLean underlined the
importance of teaching the horse to step back or
“park”. He asked the horse to move a leg back by
tapping it on the knee until it responded.
“We’re aiming to increase the challenges for
the young horse. If you become a master of his
legs, you can persuade him to do things he may
not initially want to [moving backwards instead of
barging into a handler, for example],” he explained.
HORSE INTERNATIONAL
IT’S GOOD TO TALK
Photos Dirk Caremans
The 2006 Global Dressage Forum by Karen Robinson
Monty Roberts, Dr Hilary Clayton and Kyra Kyrklund manned one of several panel discussions held at this year’s forum.
I
N his welcoming address at
the sixth Global Dressage
Forum, president of the
International Dressage Trainers’
Club David Hunt quoted a line
he had recently read on his way
to the gate at Heathrow: “If
everyone agreed with everything
then the world would be a very
dull place.” Over the following
two days, his statement would
prove an appropriate precursor
to the most exciting, not to
mention controversial, Forum
so far.
Approximately 350 riders, trainers,
and judges from 25 countries had
the chance to both witness and
debate what they saw and heard at
Academy Bartels in the Netherlands
on October 30 th and 31 st. The
organizers had clearly listened to
criticism that last year’s forum didn’t
provide enough opportunity for
dialogue. Emcee Richard Davison
said in his opening remarks: “This is
the ‘new look’ Global Dressage
Forum. People want more time to
debate the real issues that concern
us all.” In addition to the panel
discussions that followed most
presentations, the speakers were
available to answer questions oneon-one after each session, during the
break. While all the presentations
held interest and merit to varying
degrees, it was the final session that
provoked more than mere discussion.
Sjef Janssen’s lecture and Anky van
Grunsven’s demonstration of the
low, deep and round method ended
in flared tempers on both sides of
the fence.
No Argument Here
The forum opened with a presentation
from Hubertus Schmidt, indisputably
one of the world’s most successful and
prolific trainers of Grand Prix horses.
He gave a thoughtful introduction to
his training approach, alternating
specifics with more philosophical
reflections. The warm up is, for him,
the single most important part of the
ride. “It’s hard enough to keep the
horse relaxed,” he explained. “So it’s
important to get relaxation at the
start.” He chose to demonstrate his
methods with Furst Fabio, a seven
year old Westfalian gelding that
belongs to his student Cesar Parra.
He talked continuously to the
audience as he warmed the horse up
and made his way through his usual
set of exercises for a small tour horse,
with a bit of piaffe and passage at the
end. His style was both methodical
and sympathetic. Breaks were fairly
frequent, as were verbal rewards and
pats. Hubertus explained that when
he gave a short break he would
usually keep the horse on a contact,
giving him a loose rein during longer
breaks. His advice to riders was:
decide to either keep the contact or
give it away completely in the breaks,
but not to have something in
between.
Following the presentation, the panel
was asked to comment and question
Hubertus on what they had seen. There
was virtually no criticism and not much
said, other than general admiration for
his gift as a rider. Kyra Kirkland, invited
back as a panelist after an overwhelming
response to her presentation last year,
simply commented: “it was all
communication and positive-ness.”
Stephen Clarke asked a question about
the repeated emphasis that had been
made on keeping the horse in front of
the leg. He wanted to know what
Hubertus would say about the common
problem that amateur riders have in
keeping their horses going forward.
There was not much of a reply, which
may be due to the fact that Hubertus’
expertise lies not with teaching
intermediately skilled amateurs, but
top riders and top horses. Asked about
different training methods, he replied:
“I think there are a few different ways
to come to the point. Anything extreme
is only good for a moment, to make a
correction – extremely low, high or
sideways.”
Optimizing
Performance
Dr. Rico Shuijers, a sports psychologist
who has worked with Olympic
athletes in other sports besides
dressage, was back again for the
second consecutive year.
continued on page 24
Hubertus Schmidt: “The warm-up is the single most important part of the ride.”
23
HORSE INTERNATIONAL
the environment. Her response that it
was pretty much impossible to
reproduce the atmosphere of an
audience of 50,000 spectators didn’t
seem a valid argument to him. He told
her she should buy a CD with
recordings of applause on it.
At the beginning of his presentation
Monty admitted that he had “never
spoken to a dressage group of any
kind, so I feel like a fish out of water.”
But at the end of the evening he
declared that piaffe should be removed
from dressage entirely. “Piaffe isn’t the
Palio,” he said, “but I see the
consequences and the training of the
piaffe. I think if you took it out, you
would see all other work improve
twenty to thirty per cent.” The next
day during her demonstration, Anky
stopped after a nice bit of piaffe from
Painted Black and said to Roberts,
who was in the audience: “It’s a great
feeling, the piaffe. It’s too bad you
want it out.”
WEG Judging
Evaluation
Sjef Janssen.
This time, he brought along an Olympic
medal-winning archer to demonstrate
the use of heart rate monitors in
teaching athletes to use breathing and
mental concentration to improve
performance. Bringing the theory
home in a more practical way, he did
an exercise with Laurens van Lieren,
the youngest member of the Dutch
WEG team. It involved throwing coins
into a hat on the floor. When Laurens
focused too much on getting the coin
in the hat, he was less successful than
when he concentrated on the movement
of his arm as he threw the coin. Dr.
Schuijers said that when dressage
riders fixate on numerical goals, like
scores and placings, they are less likely
to achieve than when they think about
the process of riding itself. The theory
is similar to that of seventies sports
psychologist Tim Gallwey in his book
The Inner Game of Tennis, but Dr.
Schuijers applied the theory to
dressage, which made it both
accessible and meaningful to the
spectators.
a horse trailer for its owner was, by
the end of the half hour session,
obedient, trusting and loading into the
trailer set up in the arena.
Unfortunately, some of the comments
that Monty made along the way didn’t
sit easily with many people. Anky van
Grunsven was one of the panelists
following his presentation. Monty had
evidently heard about her terrifying
runaway in the prize giving ceremony
in Aachen. He repeatedly assured her
that the situation was avoidable with
the right conditioning of the horse to
Monty Roberts
Monty Roberts may be the world’s
most famous horse whisperer, but his
style of delivery to the human audience
at the Forum was anything but subtle.
His handling demonstration in the
round pen would not have been a great
revelation to trainers who have a good
grasp of horsemanship and common
sense. However, he was impressive in
that he yielded quick results: a spooky
mare that refused outright to load into
24
Anky van Grunsven with Painted Black.
It was the session that had many
people rubbing their hands in
anticipation: a chance to put the
judges on the spot about their scoring
in Aachen. Stephen Clarke and
Bernard Maurel were the only two
members of the five-member Forum
panel who had actually been judging
at WEG. Stephen Clarke made most
of the comments during the session.
With the use of video, the audience
was asked to judge the Grand Prix
Special tests of Isabell Werth, Andreas
Helgstrand and Bernadette Pujals; the
three tests were then replayed
simultaneously so that the individual
movements could be compared. What
became quickly clear to David Hunt
and others who had watched from the
stands in Aachen, was that the close
up view afforded by the video was
quite different to that from the distant
position of the stands. Predictably,
there was much questioning of
individual marks, and no real
consensus at the end of most
discussions. Belgian journalist Astrid
Appels challenged the jury to justify
having given a score of over 70% to
what she described as a lame Brentina
in the Grand Prix. Stephen Clarke
responded: “The mare had for sure
irregularities in the extensions. But I
think to say the horse is lame is really
unfair.”
This session could easily have gone on
for days. The politics of judging
dressage, real or perceived, are best
addressed through dialogue among
the interested parties, and those were
all present at the Forum. Unfortunately,
time was limited, and the session was
over before many would like to have
seen it end. Mariette Withages, who
presided over the whole discussion,
was perhaps not an ideal mediator, as
some of the questions directed at the
judges got no further than her, though
she was the Technical Delegate at
WEG, not a judge. If the organizers of
the Forum respond as well next year
as they did this year to the requests of
the participants, it is likely there will
be more time dedicated to this kind of
session.
Hot Topic Gets Hotter
Last but far from least, the presentation
on the training methods of Sjef Janssen
made for a climactic finish to this
year’s Forum. It began with Sjef giving
a joint presentation with Dr. René van
Weeren, who was one of the vets
involved with the FEI’s research into
HORSE INTERNATIONAL
the impact of riding horses very low
and deep in the neck. Anky then rode
the nine-year-old stallion Painted
Black in a demonstration of the
method. She had originally intended
to ride Krack C, but Sjef explained
quite honestly that Krack had not
seemed to be 100%, so they brought
the younger stallion instead – even
though he was quite fresh from a week
of holiday after showing in Sweden.
The terms rollkür and hyper-flexion
were not used much by the speakers;
they used the more descriptive ‘low,
deep and round’, which has lent itself
to the acronym LDR, and may
ultimately be the name that sticks. Dr.
van Weeren explained the results of
the research that was done on seven
Grand Prix horses, both mounted and
unmounted, on treadmills. The
purpose of the research was to test
how range of motion and force (of
hooves on the ground) are affected by
the horse’s neck position. The overall
conclusion was that a high neck
position restricts range of motion, but
that a low neck position, either with
the nose ahead of the vertical or
behind, does not. The research did not
include studies on how different neck
positions affect horses from a
behavioral perspective, though
Andrew McLean pointed out that it
would be quite possible to do such
tests. It was indicated that a behavioral
study may be forthcoming.
Anky, whose pregnancy was visibly
apparent, rode Painted Black both in
the deep frame and also in a show
frame, moving easily from one to the
other and back again. Communication
between her and Sjef was slightly
hindered by the fact that they couldn’t
hear one another’s comments due to
the way the sound system was
arranged. Nevertheless, one point they
made was that they were willing to
demonstrate and explain their
methods in public. The debate that
followed started innocuously enough,
but quickly became heated. Richard
Davison asked pointed questions of
the panelists, starting with Kyra
Kirkland. She answered that the
reason she doesn’t use the low and
deep frame was “because I still don’t
understand it. I don’t know what
benefit keeping the head that low and
restricted has. It clearly works for you.
I don’t think any system should be
evaluated according only to the top
horses, but how does the normal horse
work in it.” She said that she
appreciated the obvious success that
resulted for Anky, adding that “I think
we are looking for a lot of the same
qualities.” Also on the panel was St.
Georg magazine journalist Kerstin
Niemann. Richard asked her to
comment on her magazine’s opinion –
a question she at first tried to dodge,
Dr Hilary Clayton, Kyra Kyrklund and Kerstin Niemann.
and then suddenly answered with a
sharp criticism. “We have heard the
same aims from Hubertus and Sjef
yesterday and today. It is the way, that
is so different. My point of view is that
it is for me very difficult to understand
riding with quite a lot of strength in
the hand. I have a lot of respect for
your success. What I see is that the
horse is very strong in the hand, and
not just for twenty seconds, but
longer.”
Anky’s response, to what much of the
audience saw as a personal attack,
betrayed more than a little anger.
“Strong? I would never say he is
strong. He is very soft. I think if you
saw that it was strong, then I would
ask you to have another look next
time, please.” The journalist then
responded with what was either a
misunderstanding of something Sjef
had said earlier about Anky’s
preference behavior program (which
describes a person’s personality type)
or a deliberate misinterpretation. Sjef
saw it as deliberate, and withdrew
from the discussion, saying “I don’t
discuss with selective hearers.” The
entire room was by now taking sides
as the debate continued. Birgit Popp,
another German journalist, asked
Sjef and Anky if “learned helplessness
is part of your system?” The term
‘learned helplessness’ had been
described by Andrew McLean as a
withdrawal response that horses can
have when exposed to unrelenting
pressure. The horse learns not to
respond to pressure or pain, instead
becoming dull, passive and unwilling
to try. Andrew himself jumped in and
answered the question. “I wouldn’t
think what we are looking at is
anything like learned helplessness
here. We must not sit on our hands
and say that all is already known.
What I see is not problematic; the
horse didn’t look heavy to me. We
need to be interested in new
techniques and research.”
Jennie Loriston-Clarke waded into
the fray in Anky’s defense. “I think
we are getting into a bit of stupid
muddy water here. I’ve judged Anky
on this horse and given her some
pretty high marks. I think this horse
comes out saying ‘okay mom, let’s
work’. He is happy, working forward,
on the aids. I only would like to see
during breaks that he would be able
to let his head out a bit more. But
she’s doing a jolly good job, so what’s
all the fuss about?” David Hunt
concurred, but went one step farther.
“I totally agree with Jennie. We have
seen two world class riders showing
us everything and not hiding
anything. I find it very insulting that
a German would be here criticizing,
when we know that the Germans
behind closed doors ride horses much
deeper than this, and ignoring it.”
Richard Davison did his best to wrap
the session up tidily, but the room
was positively buzzing with hundreds
of conversations as people filed out
for their final catered meal of the
Forum. It is a credit to the Bartels
family, to the presenters and panelists,
and particularly to the trainers who
openly shared their methods, that
such a frank discussion could take
place. It is interesting to note that the
most aggressive questions came not
from riders, but from journalists. It is
of course in the very definition of
journalism to scratch beneath the
surface, but it is also with the
journalists that the responsibility lies
to take things at face value and report
as fairly as possible.
Just as the past forums have evolved,
there will no doubt be still more
improvements to look forward to next
year. The 2007 Global Dressage
Forum is sure to be at least as exciting
as this one was. Anky’s final
comments exemplify the purpose of
such an event. “The only reason that
we do this is that we try to explain
what we do in the hope that people
understand. We don’t think you have
to agree or do it, we think every rider
has to find his own way. And if we
can help that we would be very
q
happy.” Top dollars at Equine Elite Auction
Now in its second year, the Equine
Elite Auction that took place the
weekend preceding the Global
Dressage Forum at Academy Bartels
in the Netherlands far exceeded
even the organizers’ expectations.
“To be honest, I was extremely
surprised,” said auction organizer
Craig Rawlins in reference to the
nearly three million Euros fetched
by the 37 horses at this year’s
auction. Rawlins, along with partner
Diederik Wigmans, has taken a
direction with the auction that he
hopes will make it not only unique,
but also unsurpassed world wide. “I
want to have the biggest auction on
the planet,” says Rawlins, brother of
British dressage trainer Dane
Rawlins. “Most importantly, I want
the quality of horses to be world
class.” The top priced horse at this
year’s auction was the three year old
Willow, who sold for 310,000 Euros
to Lieke Zonnenberg of Switzerland.
The young mare by Florett As
(Florestan) will go into training
with Imke Schellekens-Bartels.
Rawlins says that the auction isn’t
just about selling horses for top
dollars. “This is a shop window for
us, not a money maker,” he says.
His goal is to develop the auction
into an event that has a reputation
as much for its entertainment value
as for its quality of horse flesh. To
that end, the auction opened with a
group of singing disco dancers in a
fifties convertible jiving to “Disco
Inferno” for the sold-out audience
of 1,000.
In a departure from standard auction
procedure, detailed vet reports
including x-rays are published right
into the catalogue. While nearly all
the vet reports were close to flawless
this year, there was one standout:
Dolce Vite, a three year old stallion
by Diamond Hit and out of a Sandro
Hit mare. His report indicates
Osteochondrosis (OCD) fragments
that have been removed from one
ankle. “We allow one horse with a
‘dent’,” explains Rawlins, in order
to lend credibility to the many clean
reports. Dolce Vite’s dent apparently
did nothing to deter the bidding,
which eventually settled at an
impressive 115,000 Euros.
25
See you next year on
29 – 30 October 2007
www.globaldressageforum.com