December 2015

The Half Halt
The Newsletter of the Central Vermont Dressage Association
,
President’s Message
Thanks to all of you for your support in
electing me president of CVDA. I have spent
three years as Vice President and am excited
to be moving up. I look forward to your ideas
and comments as I step into this new role.
Summer went by quickly and was very busy
for CVDA. We had great participation at
clinics and schooling shows. Critique days
were busy and everyone seemed to have
a positive experience. We helped Vermont
Dressage Days by becoming a sponsor, which
was successful and well-received.
Our annual dinner with George Williams
was a great hit. Over 60 people attended. I
heard many positive comments! Dinner was
delicious, the Silent Auction was plentiful and
profitable, and George gave a fabulous talk to
end the night.
We have secured dates for our schooling
shows and our two Critique Days for next
Table of Contents
President’s Message.................................................1
The Barn’s on Fire!......................................................2
CVDA Clinic with George Williams .....................3
Oh, What a Night! CVDA Annual Dinner...........4
Spotlight on Members: Mary Gulbrandson.....6
year. These will take place on May 7 and 8,
July 23 and 24, and September 25, and will be
held at GMHA.
We are looking into sponsoring Vermont
Dressage Days again. It is a big task to take
on a recognized show, so we are exploring all
the options. We are also exploring different
ideas and locales for Adult Camp. If you have
suggestions for clinicians, please contact us.
Thanks to all the fabulous volunteers and
members who work so hard to make CVDA
successful. We couldn’t do it without you! I
look forward to seeing and/or meeting you at
upcoming CVDA events.
And, finally, we invite you to share your
dressage adventures with the rest of us
though the Half Halt. Send us your stories,
articles, or pictures—we welcome your input!
Sincerely, Katherine Bruce
•
December 2015
Ida Norris: From This Point of View.........................7
2015’s Grande Finale: CVDA’s Fall Show...............8
A Horseman’s Duty to His Horse........................... 10
What I’d Call Critique Day....................................... 11
Dressage: The Intense Discipline......................... 12
CVDA, Inc. is proud to be a USDF Group Member Organization • All CVDA members are USDF Group Members
The Barn’s
O
On Fire!
n a crisp November day at Delaney Stables, in Brownsville, Vermont, we all gathered around
a circle of chairs padded with saddle
blankets, to listen to Fireman Chief Mike
Spackman talk about barn fire safety.
Chief Spackman began his talk with a
brief history of the West Windsor Firehouse and then went on to discuss the
primary concerns firefighters face on the
way to a call. He stated water accessibility is one of the first things they consider
as they approach the scene of a fire.
Next, they’ll want to know where the
electrical box is, and what kind of heating source exists at the structure they
are responding to.
Building materials are of great concern
to first responders. What material is
the roof made of? Is there insulation in
the building? Where is the mechanical
room, if there is one? (Did you know that
a metal roof can collapse in less than 10
minutes due to the expansion and contraction of metals, causing steel studs,
joists, and trusses to fall right out of the
roof?) We also learned that it could take
a fire engine up to 20 minutes to reach
the scene of a fire...you do the math.
by Malaena Agin
sure to keep them away from the structure. Another big hazard was the propane tank: did you know that the direction in which the tank faces might be
the difference between a loaded missile
projecting into your barn or away from
it? We talked about hay: the proper way
to store it, and how to check for heat inside the bales.
We noticed a door was locked from the
outside and decided quickly that, during
a walk-around, a firefighter would notice
this and open it as a means of egress.
Chief Spackman made a mention of
the bars on the stall windows and even
noted the propane tank next to the grill
adjacent to the building structure.
What steps do you take if you are faced
with a barn fire? Chief Spackman recommends dialing “911” immediately and
having a plan. Firehouses will work with
you to put a Pre-Fire Plan in place. This
simple data will help you prioritize and
categorize hazards at your barn, and will
also help you play out different scenarios you can then share with your staff (for
example, if a fire starts in your mechanical room, close the door to contain the
fire, call “911”, and begin your fire drill).
Chief Spackman also pointed out that
people (not animals) are the top priority. It is just as important to have a postfire plan as it is to have a pre-fire plan.
Some things to consider are: insurance,
temporary animal housing, and support groups in the event that you suffer a loss. There are resources available
to you, such as the Red Cross. Your local
firehouse can help make these arrangements, as can local horse associations.
The talk ended when Captain Ryan
Lather and fellow firefighter Bill Young
drove up to the barn in their shiny fire
engine and helped answer any last
minute questions. We learned a great
deal about barn fire safety through this
workshop, and we are grateful to Chief
Spackman and the Windsor Fire Department for their collective knowledge and
wisdom. We are just as grateful to Jill
and her Delaney Stables for hosting this
event.
If, at this point, you were hungry
or needed warm, Jill Delaney, our
wonderful host, provided hot coffee
and tea for everyone, and one of the
many wonderful community members brought cookies. With beverages in hand, we went outside to a
walkabout where Chief Spackman
proceeded to point out the many
hazards that may exist outside a
structure.
2
He pointed out dead leaves, shrubs
and cobwebs, and urged us to make
The meeting at Delaney Stables in Brownsville, VT.
If you would like a preplan or more
information about barn fire prevention and planning, you can contact
Jill Delaney by email at [email protected] or via Delaney Stables Facebook page.
About the Author: Malena Agin and
her husband, Cary, own and operate
the optical boutique “Eyes on Elm” in
Woodstock, VT. Malena started riding
at Delaney Stables in June and she is
excited to develop her horsemanship
and riding skills through opportunities like this.
CVDA’s Clinic
with George Williams
(All photos: Practice Effects)
Kathi Bruce at CVDA’s George Williams clinic, which was
held at her farm in Springfield, VT.
Suzy Fraser’s ride in the clinic.
George Williams.
Amy Plavin and her mare at
the clinic.
Weezie Duda and her horse at the clinic.
Lisa Mair and George Williams.
Participants at CVDA’s George Williams Clinic.
3
Oh, What a Night!
CVDA’s 2015 Annual Dinner
by Mikaela Stroop
O
ver 70 CVDA members gathered
at KJ’s Place in North Springfield, Vermont, on the evening
of October 24, helping to close out a
wonderful 2015 season. As people arrived, cocktails were served and hors
d’oeuvres were enjoyed. The room
filled with light chatter as friends and
acquaintances caught up with one another, while perusing all the wonderful
items donated to CVDA’s Silent Auction.
Getting together as many of our members as possible for an evening is what
makes our Annual Dinner so special,
and it was wonderful to have so many
familiar (and new!) faces in the room.
The Silent Auction featured many varied items, from Lisa Mair’s beautifully
painted dressage saddle, to jewelry,
saddle pads, leather halters and leads,
and gift certificates for private lessons
with some of the area’s top trainers.
Many people enjoyed the
quiet bidding “wars.” It was all
in good fun, of course, with
the knowledge that winning
pledges would go to support
CVDA’s educational efforts.
As bidding closed on auction
items, and guests enjoyed
the delicious meal catered by
Black Rock Steakhouse, the
real highlights of the evening
began. Cindy Cato recognized
outgoing president Lindsey
Quinn, on behalf of the Board
and members, for her work and
contribution to CVDA over the
last two years. Her work ethic and enthusiasm will be greatly missed, and we wish
her all the best as she turns her focus to
her family and her thriving business.
Lindsey then thanked Jane Rodd for her
contributions as both a board member
and a volunteer. As CVDA moves into the
2016 season, Jane will continue to support CVDA by helping to organize sponsorships for its three schooling shows.
Dinah Rojek and Louise “Weezie” Duda
were also recognized for their volunteerism, support and horsemanship
throughout the year. Dinah played
4
We were very fortunate to be able to enjoy George Williams as our guest speaker
at 2015’s CVDA Annual Dinner. (Photo:
©Practice Affects)
Platters and ribbons at the Awards Ceremony. (Photo: Mikaela Stroop)
Lindsey Quinn thanked Cindy Catto for all
her terrific work as CVDA’s treasurer. (Photo: Mikaela Stroop)
a significant role in this year’s Adult
Dressage Camp and brought not only
informative lectures and demonstrations to the group of campers, but also
her exemplary horsemanship skills.
Weezie was recognized as this year’s
Volunteer of the Year for all her hard
work at shows, clinics and banquets,
not only this year, but year after year.
Taylor Evans accepted her award from
Lindsey Quinn. (Photo: Mikaela Stroop)
Mark your calendars!
We look forward to seeing you
at CVDA’s 2016 Annual Dinner!
Andrea Hathaway was proud to take
home her 2015 Freestyle Award. (Photo:
Mikaela Stroop)
CVDA’s Year-End Champion Awards,
sponsored by Members Advantage
Community Credit Union, came next.
Congratulations to all our Year-End
Award Winners!
After a long but fruitful day of teaching
riders at CVDA’s last clinic of the year,
George Williams, USDF President and
highly-respected international GrandPrix competitor and coach, provided
Nicole Diana received CVDA’s 2015 Eventing award. (Photo: Mikaela Stroop)
Annabelle Gray won the Juniors Training
Level award. (Photo: Mikaela Stroop)
those attending CVDA’s Annual Dinner
with a wonderfully personal look into
his life growing up with horses and his
journey as a professional equestrian.
rific sponsors! CVDA’s Silent Auction
was also very successful, garnering
just shy of $3,000 for our educational
fund. We’re looking forward to 2016!
Overall, everyone
had an entertaining and very enjoyable
evening.
We are so grateful
to all of our ter-
Board member Janet Wells and outgoing president Lindsey Quinn
flank CVDA member Dinah Rojek, who was recognized for her volunteerism, support and horsemanship. (Photo: Mikaela Stroop)
Congratulations
to CVDA's 2015 High Score
Award Winners!
n Training Level, Junior
Annabelle Gray
n Training Level, Senior
Suzy Fraser
n First Level, Junior
Taylor Evans
n First Level, Senior
Mary Gilbrandsen
n Second Level & Above
Weezie Duda
n Eventing Division
Nicole Diana
n Freestyle
Andrea Hathaway-Miglorie
5
Spotlight on Membership
Mary Gulbrandson
Perkinsville, Vermont
I
consider myself extremely lucky for the
way I grew up; of course, we don’t realize things like that until adulthood! My
family had a “gentleman’s farm” in West
Woodstock and, luckily for me, both
my mother and one of my sisters loved
horses, so it was easy to start sitting on a
horse at an early age. I’m sure I am one
of the few people whose mother sometimes came by horseback to pick her up
at kindergarten!
My first instructor was Bob Lamb at Rolling Ridge (David Lamb’s father), and
the basics of “balanced seat” were the
theme. I would also often ride bareback
at home. I joined 4-H, and then in high
school also joined Pony Club, which was
extremely active at that time. I would
hack to GMHA after school on Friday,
stable overnight for Pony Club the next
day, and then hack back home when it
was done.
For college, I went to UVM, and the enticement from my parents to keep me
there was to also send my horse.
I participated in UVM Horse Club,
through which we managed our
own barn, held clinics, and started a Schooling Trials event. Frequent clinicians included Heather Davis and Jane Savoie. After
graduation I moved to Hamilton,
MA, working for a family’s private barn that included a couple
of hunters, a couple of youngsters, a broodmare, and a pony
for the kids. It was wonderful! I
was totally spoiled.
6
I started riding with Jan Conlon (she was Jan Schreurs back
then), and took advantage of every opportunity. I had a Quarter
Horse gelding who wasn’t much
to look at, but who was actually
pretty athletic. He was a project
horse who ended up eventing at
Training Level, showing Second
Level dressage, did hunter paces, hunter
trials, and occasionally hunted with Myopia. His brain was priceless—I sold him
to a novice rider who was known to hack
this horse down the road with a squawking macaw on his shoulder.
After selling my horse, I worked for a
brief time at Hamilton Farm, which was
one of the premier breeding facilities in
the country. I had opportunities to ride
and care for some very nice horses, as
well as learning more about breeding
and AI.
Jan Conlon then offered me a job at a
new farm in NH where she had recently
become manager. There were two Hanoverian stallions for a small breeding
program, plus boarders, working students, and lessons. I did some teaching
and worked a lot with green horses for
the four years I was there. Jan’s teaching
and training focuses on basics, with a
progression that always keeps the basics
in mind; I’ve kept the same philosophy.
My connection to CVDA started at the
very beginning (was it the late 1970s?).
I left the area for about 15 years and
re-joined both CVDA and GMHA in the
mid-1990s when we moved back to
Vermont. I served as CVDA Secretary
for several years and have undertaken
a variety of volunteer roles: managing
a clinic, a Critique Day, co-managing
shows, and a lot of scribing. For GMHA,
I’ve been a volunteer coordinator, fence
judge, ring steward, and have done a lot
of scribing. If you want to get me started
on my soapbox, just ask how I feel about
volunteering!
My husband and I live in Perkinsville, VT,
with two dogs and one cat, all adoptions.
Our list of “to do” tasks will probably outlive us, but we pick away at a variety of
indoor and outdoor projects. Another
regular volunteer project during the
past year has been helping to care for
the Arabians rescued last November by
Lucy MacKenzie Humane Society. It was
an incredible undertaking. One
of those horses stole my heart,
and, with Jean Sangdahl’s help,
I am now fostering a 25-year-old
mare, Iman.
I’ve boarded with Sue Berrill at
Greylock Farm since the 1990s.
I had been completely away
from horses for five or six years
and had recently moved back
to Woodstock when Jan asked
me to take an OTTB for a few
months while she was unable to
ride. Her scheme was diabolical.
Of course, as soon as I sat on a
horse again, I wondered how I’d
survived the last few years, and I
ended up buying him from her at
the end of the summer!
Mary riding Beaulieu’s Quo Vadis.
I’ve owned a couple of horses
during that time, and I’ve had opportunities to keep other horses
in work, (continued on page 10 ...)
From This Point of View...
by Ida Anderson Norris
W
hile I am judging competitions
and teaching clinics all over America, I see an epidemic of open hands on
the reins. Incorrect contact, of course,
can be blamed on a large number of
problems, but clearly one of the most
basic problems and easiest to correct is
that of the hand being “open”.
Obviously, riders need constant coaching from themselves and others to remind them to keep their fingers closed
around the rein until the correct closed
position in the hand is habitual. There
are, however, two very strong factors
that can make a dramatic difference in
successfully dealing with this problem
easily, and they are overlooked frequently. They are rein size and thickness
relative to hand size, and placement of
the rein through the hand.
Rein Placement
I always review rein placement in the
hand with riders. The reins must be
shoved up between the fingers until
they hit the webbing of the hand (the
skin between the fingers). If not in contact with this webbing, the rein is not
correctly placed in the hand. Your fingers should curl around the rein, with
Ida and Elton.
fingernails contacting the center of
the palm. I require all my riders to wear
gloves, but if you have long fingernails,
gloves are essential, because your nails
should touch the center of your palm. In
this position, the fingers form a column
around the rein, the rein crosses the pad
of the hand at the base of the fingers,
the thumb rests lightly on the top of the
rein, which flips over, forward and down.
Basically, that column of fingers “holds”
the rein.
are cotton and leather, or have small
strands of rubber woven in can help riders maintain
...continued on page 10
Secondly, reins and hands come in different sizes, a basic concern that is frequently overlooked. Many ride with the
hand open and the fingers uncurled but
their hands or fingers cramp. If the rein
is too large or too narrow, it doesn’t lie
comfortably in the rider’s hand. For example, I wear a size 9 glove. Half-inch
reins come standard on most snaffle
bridles. This size is not comfortable for
the snaffle rein for me, and will cause my
hands to cramp. Conversely, my petite
5-foot-tall student does very well with
half-inch snaffle reins, but she is uncomfortable with my preferred 7/8” reins.
She has trained and ridden horses
to numerous USEF/USDF awards.
She is a Grand Prix competitor, and
a Gold, Silver and Bronze USDF Medalist (and has trained all the horses
on which she received her scores).
She is the founder of The Florida
Dressage Experience Program, a European-style school for trainers and
riders, operating during the winter
in Palm City, Florida. She has trained
riders to numerous USDF medals.
Most folks have several styles and sizes
of reins around the tack room. Borrow
and try out a different size. It
is important to slide your reins
up into the webbing of the
fingers and experiment with
various size reins until you’re
comfortable. The thickness of
the reins may affect your feeling with them. For dressage, I
do not prefer rubber-covered
reins (they are not only thicker
but stiffer). Where they should
curl over and through my
hand, I find that the stiffness
adversely affects the relaxation of my wrists, as the reins
are stiff to manipulate. Reins
that have leather stoppers for
grips, are woven in texture,
About Ida
Ida travels throughout the U.S. to
give clinics and to judge. She makes
her living as a professional trainer,
judge, clinician and teacher. More
than half of her clients are professional riding instructors/trainers.
Ida’s background includes more
than five years work with renowned
German judge Frau Maria Zimmer,
five years work primarily in Portugal with Maestro Nuno Oliveira, and
eight years as a youth taking lessons
with Olympian Michael Poulin. Kathy
Connelly was instrumental in polishing test-riding skills at the FEI level.
Bo Jenå’s work with Ida has given her
an adept skill in classical long lining
while augmenting her FEI training.
Over the years, Ida has trained, competed, and taught in several countries, most recently at Flyinge AB
Sweden with mount “Lord Lakota”.
She is currently competing at FEI
levels with several horses that she
has in training. Ida and her husband,
Mark, live on their farm in Benson,
VT, in the summer and in Palm City,
FL, in the winter.
7
CVDA’s Fall Schooling Show:
2015’s Grand Finale
by Jane Rodd
P
art of CVDA’s mission is to promote “the art and sport of dressage by providing educational
and competitive opportunities to enhance the understanding of and appreciation for the discipline of dressage”. In
2015, CVDA more than fulfilled this mission, and the last of our three schooling
shows was no exception. From Introductory through Fourth Level, Mary Savidge
and Regina Cristo were treated to a wonderful day of judging beautiful horses.
In return, their constructive feedback
provided eager riders with a very positive learning experience and take-home
points on which to work.
It was inspiring to see so many people
having fun with happy, healthy horses of
all shapes, colors and sizes. Not only the
riders, but their families, friends, horse
owners, and helpers were laughing and
learning. Anyone who still thinks dressage is an elite sport has not yet been to
a local GMO show. Bay, black, chestnut,
dun, paint and grey, Arabian, Morgan,
Irish, Hanoverian, Oldenburg, Lusitano,
8
Beth Barna and Ballytiglea Borris at one of
GMHA’s events. (Photo: Nick Goldsmith)
Thoroughbred, 13 hands to 17 hands—
they were all there, and then some!
Rbbons were spread across the board,
proving that quality training is what
matters most.
Event riders were well represented. Beth
Barna came out on top, with all three of
her rides scoring over 69%! She was particularly pleased with her young horse,
Ballytiglea Borris, who is a 6-year-old,
imported Irish Sport Horse. Purchased as
a 3 year old by Geoff and Joanie Nicols,
Borris was started in Ireland by Vermont
native Kylie Lyman Dermody before being imported the following summer. He
began his eventing career with Ashley
Adams.
Beth laughingly told me a little about
him. “I got him last May (from Southern
Pines, NC). He’s never spent an entire
winter in Vermont, so we’ll have to see
what he thinks of that! He’s a good boy
who has been nicely started and just
needs some mileage. Anyway, despite
an early start and the chilly temperature,
both my boys (my other horse, Drop Kick
Murphy, aka ‘Murphy’, is an eight-yearold US-bred Irish Sport Horse I’ve had
since he was a four-year-old) were rock
stars! There was no talking to them for
Emily Kannenstine and Joc warm up outside the arena.
several days...they’re so vain! I was very
proud of them!”
Driving horse Battersea Toulouse (aka
Rudy), owned by Norma Katz, demonstrated just how versatile and trainable
Morgans can be. Rudy epitomizes all
that is good in the breed. His ‘“day job”
is to compete in driving trials. He and
Norma, under the tutelage of Robin
Groves, have won regularly this season in dressage, cones, and hazards
through Preliminary level, and they are
excited about moving up to Intermediate level in 2016. This winter, Rudy will
take a break before the thrill of sleighing competitions in the New Year
Rudy and trainer Jane Rodd scored
69.4% to take the First Level High Point
award. Norma elaborated on why Rudy
does ridden dressage: “My training
plan to encourage my horse to be better at carriage driving includes having
a dressage rider school him under saddle (usually once a week). Many of the
movements we want in driven dressage are more easily achieved or more
clearly signaled to the horse from the
saddle first, which enables me to get
better results in harness. Also, all the
canter work is terrific for conditioning. This past spring, Jane started riding
Joc as a baby.
Rudy and they get along so wonderfully that we decided to squeeze a
(ridden) dressage show into his competition schedule, and look what happened! I’m thrilled with the results—it
is lots of fun for me to see my horse
move other than from directly behind
him. We’re hoping time will allow us to
do more dressage shows next year.” Winner of the second level and above
high point award was long time CVDA
member and loyal supporter Emily Kannenstine riding her homebred PSL/HAN.
Fabian (‘Joc’) is the son of her Grand Prix
stallion, Tornado Da Raposa.
Emily tells us, “We started the season at
the CVDA May show doing First Level.
I had no idea what to expect, as it was
Joc’s first time in the competition arena,
but he was a superstar and tried his
heart out. He caught on so quickly that
we ended the season trying Third Level
Test 1. It was a bit of a push for him, but
we managed a good test.”
“It’s a very gratifying experience to
breed, raise, train, and show your own
horse. Even though Joc is now a grownup show horse, he still thinks he is my
baby, and lets me sit on his back and
rub his withers while he snoozes in his
stall as he did when he was a foal. I feel
so fortunate to have bred this sweet boy
and look forward to our future together,
as he will be with me always.”
High Point of the show was Helle Goodrich riding Zacko with 73.7%. At the
time I wrote this, Helle was at home
in Denmark, so she could not send me
a personal quote. I can report from my
observations that Helle is a beautiful
rider who has worked extremely hard to
develop a harmonious partnership with
Zacko, and they fully deserve every bit
of their success.
For many, this was the last show of 2015.
The take-home points gained at this
show will form the basis for winter training. Those heading south will hope to
return in the spring with progress made
and goals achieved. Those staying home
will do the same, albeit wrapped in layers or thinking things through by the
fireplace.
There are many roads to Rome, but we
all share a uniting goal: to be the best
horsemen and women we can be!
THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!
Chris Axten, Barb Goulette,
Celia Hoyt, Wendy Hunter-Higgins,
Amy Plavin, Becca Rice,
Terri Satterlee, and Mikaela Stroop,
and special thanks to VTC students:
Caitlin Bradley, Macy Fitzgerald,
Emelie Mello, Cassandra Oliver,
Megann Watkins, Kristen Smith,
Manna Vitagliano, and Taylor Rodick
THANK YOU SPONSORS!
Members’ Advantage
Community Credit Union,
Robin Neil, Jane Rodd, SK Saddlefit,
Strafford Saddlery, The Horseworks,
Trumbull Mountain Tack, and
Janet Wells/Saddle Fitting Services
THANK YOU
JOY!
For my wonderful year
of learning from you
and Wixen. Leasing
such a talented and
correctly trained horse
was an irreplaceable
experience.
Thank you
-PJ LaBerge
PJ LaBerge and Wixen FH, Owned by Joy Congdon, July GMHA 2015 9
The Horseman’s Duties to His Horse
Advanced Techniques of Dressage • Written by the German National Equestrian Federation
1. Anyone who takes charge
of a horse assumes responsibility for this living creature
entrusted to his care.
2. Management of the horse
should reflect the horse’s
inherent needs.
3. Whatever the horse is used
for, the utmost importance
should be attached to both
its physical and its mental
well-being.
4. Every horse should be treated with the same consideration, irrespective of its race,
age and gender, or whether
it is used for breeding, leisure or competition.
Mary Gulbrandson, cont’d from page 6...
10
5. Our understanding of the
horse’s history and lifestyle, and our knowledge of
handling and dealing with
horses, are part of our cultural heritage. They should
be safeguarded, and handed
down to future generations.
6. Contact with horses makes
a lasting impression and has
a character-forming effect,
especially on young people. These positive effects
should be encouraged and
built on.
7. The rider, who is the horse’s
partner, must submit both
himself and his horse to a
programme of learning. The
aim of this training is the
greatest possible harmony
between man and horse.
8. Use of the horse for competition or leisure riding, driving or vaulting must be in
keeping with its type, its ability, its training and its level
of fitness. Trying to improve
the horse’s performance
through the use of drugs or
unhorsemanlike practices is
unacceptable.
9. The horseman’s responsibility for the horse entrusted to
him continues until the end
of its life. Decisions must be
based on what is best for the
horse.
From This Point of View
including the lovely Chequers Superstar.
My lessons are too infrequent, but I ride
with Sue Berrill, with Jan Conlon, and
I’ve done some clinics with Cindy Sydnor
and Sibley Hannigan.
continued from page 7...
I am currently leasing a very handsome
five-year-old mare named “Q”, who was
generously offered to me by Tamarack
Hill Farm. She’s done a ton of hacking,
so she gives me confidence, and I feel
comfortable about bringing her along
with her flatwork. It seems like a lovely
match! With luck, we’ll be out and about
at CVDA shows next year. At her height
of 17hh, though, the small arena is going to feel really small on this mare!
If you have been experiencing contact
problems, consider experimenting with
different reins. Ultimately, keeping the
reins properly placed in the webbing of
the fingers, and selecting a comfortable
thickness and size of reins will help riders trying to remind themselves to keep
their fingers closed around the reins.
From this point of view, keep the rein in
hand...and remember: keep the bight on
the right!
shorter reins easily. Completely smooth
reins can also contribute to open hands
or cramping.
CVDA.org
...” ‘Classically correct’ is a
standard that holds up very
well indeed for virtually every situation. The masters
over the centuries have
seen your problems before,
and have probably made
the same mistakes you are
about to make. ..careful,
patient work is necessary.”
—“Dressage in Harmony”
by Walter Zettl
What I’d Call Critique Day!
by Mary Gulbrandson
A
fter managing the CVDA Summer Critique Day, I offered to
write an article for our newsletter. I wanted to share some of what I’ve
known, some of what I learned, and
some of the special moments of the day.
Criticism?
To call this a “Critique Day” seems like a
disservice. It implies criticism, which none
of us enjoy (we already have a twinge of
nerves in our gut!). However, it is one of
the most common names, and it’s widely
understood that riders have the opportunity to ride a dressage test, receive feedback, and work to improve their ride. In
my mind, I think of it as “Development
Day”. The primary focus is on the riders and horses: bring the green horse for
some laid-back public exposure, ride a
higher-level test and do a quality check
for readiness, work through nerves in a
non-competitive situation, etc. However,
opportunities for development are found
everywhere!
I intentionally recruited a mix of new
volunteers and veterans for the day.
Critique Day is the perfect day for us to
develop new skills and gain greater insight into this sport of dressage at the
local level. For CVDA, as a volunteer-run
organization, it is an opportunity to de-
Want to learn more
about showing?
Volunteer
at CVDA’s
SchoolingShows
Get the inside scoop!
velop the volunteers we rely on and to
maintain the energy and enthusiasm of
the group.
Rather than starting your career as a
scribe at a recognized show or event,
volunteer at Critique Day. Your judge is
also there to be a clinician, and the environment is one of learning. You scribe
for perhaps a dozen tests in your shift,
not 30, as you would for a show. There
is time to ask a question, get advice,
and observe what it really is like for that
judge in the scary booth at C!
We had new scorers for Critique Day, as
well. As riders, we blindly look at the
scores and the comments, but it’s a little
different to be the person adding up
those numbers, noting the coefficients,
and being in the hot seat when people
come in asking “Is my test ready yet?”
Try it!
Even as a manager, it is a day to develop
skills. As far as I know, we don’t have a
“policy” in place for what we’ll do in the
event of a thunderstorm, but give us a
few minutes and we’ll figure something
out!
Highlights of the Day
We added a new aspect to summer’s Critique Day. During the coaching session,
we asked scribes to write notes that were
then given to the riders along with their
tests. I learned this from a judge I scribed
for earlier this summer and loved the idea.
The notes could include certain phrases,
an exercise that was used, reminder of
priorities, test tips, etc. The feedback was
overwhelmingly positive, so I anticipate a
new tradition has been born; one of our
clinicians said she’s taking this idea back
to Florida!
As I walked by a ring, one rider being
coached suddenly realized the scribe was
standing next to the arena with pad and
pen. “Wow, you’re taking notes??!!” she
yelled with a big smile.
A trainer said this was a wonderful idea,
and then she stepped it up a notch further
and will have her students write the notes
in their own words and handwriting, as a
way to confirm the information and make
it their own. Great idea!
A woman who accompanied a rider told
me, “These Critique Days are the best. You
should do them all the time.”
We had someone scratch their ride, and
when the clinician was given a choice of
spending her extra time going for a walk to
the tack shop, sitting in the Visitors Center,
or something else, she said, “What I’d really like to do is spend more time with that
young girl who was just in here. We were
making progress, and I’d love to spend
more time with her.” The young girl, her
trainer, and her parents all readily agreed,
and that spare time was put to excellent
use. It doesn’t get any better than that.
I love to see people (and horses) as they
learn something. To see new scribes,
bright-eyed and enthusiastic, saying “This
was great!” makes it a great day for me, as
well. This is one thing that will ensure we
have more volunteers in our pipeline.
Critique Day?
No. In my mind, it is a Development Day!
Please note!
CVDA tries our best to include
as many member photos as
possible, both to illustrate articles and highlight events and
achievements. We also credit
the photographer when possible. We are unable to contact
you individually before using
your photo, however, so if
you would rather we not use
your unauthorized image,
please notify Lisa Geovjian
([email protected]).
11
Just saying...
Dressage: The Intense Discipline
Dressage riders may be more intense
than those in other disciplines, but they
do have their lighter moments... (many
thanks to Dressage Today magazine!)
Sometimes I feel as though my entire
dressage career is a blooper! I was taking a lesson with someone who was
investigating Linda Tellington-Jones’s
methods at the time and she taught
us an exercise to make horses more
aware of their whole body. She asked
me to touch my horse very lightly all
over his body. I touched between his
ears, his neck, the tops of his legs, and
his hindquarters, and when I touched
his croup, he clenched his tail down,
catching the end of the dressage
whip I was carrying and pulled it from
my hands. Of course, the whip smacked
him; he jumped and clenched harder,
giving himself a couple of really smart
smacks until he finally loosened his tail
with a series of wicked bucks. I guess he
got the idea to use his butt!
­—Sally Silverman, Pennsylvania
When I was a kid, I half-leased a wonderful pony named “Duchess”, a flea-bitten
gray Arab-Appaloosa cross. Back then,
Introductory Level had four tests of
which the last two had cantering. I was
so excited when my instructor said that I
could ride Intro. Test 3 at the next show.
Duchess and I practiced a lot and the
day of the show, everything seemed to
CVDA
c/o PO Box 3
S. Woodstock, VT 05071
CVDA Newsletter • December 2015
12
be going along smoothly. I was a little
nervous as Duchess and I came down
the centerline for Test 3. We halted at
X, proceeded to turn right at C and
ride a 20-meter circle at rising trot at
A. Just before Duchess and I reached
A, we picked up the right lead and
out the arena we went! I was shocked!
I turned Duchess right back around
and finished the test, but we were
eliminated. I was so embarrassed
and mad. I hopped off Duchess and
told her she was getting no carrots! I
found out later that, had we not been
eliminated, we would have gotten
first place. Off to the stable I went—to
give Duchess carrots, of course.
—Jaclyn Cash, Alabama