Lunging: Enhancing Ride-ability and Teaching Balance

The auction arena during horse presentations 

After one month at the Hannoveraner Verband in their pilot Rider Exchange Program, I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to work closely with very talented young horse riders and trainers. The past two weeks at the Verband have revolved around the Elite Auction. On Saturday night, after the two weeks of preparing and presenting the horses for potential buyers, the auction took place. And while the entire process was exciting and interesting, I have been thinking about a very obvious, yet helpful tool that has been aiding in success for these youngsters: lunging.

Lunging has always been apart of my program at home. I have had it ingrained in me from the start that proper ground work, including good lunging, teaches the horse respect and relaxation while allowing them to find their own balance without a rider. Since working at the Verband, I have found that there may be no more important tool for working with the young horses then productive lunging. 

Many have the misconception that horses go on the lunge line to buck, play around, and run full speed to be tired out. Others dislike lunging because they think that horses are being forced into false frames causing them discomfort. However, neither type of the above methods of lunging are truly effective for the horses. Of course there is a time and place to let them play, but they must understand that lunging comes with good behavior. Horses are not allowed to get out of control and pull the ground person over, and it is the responsibility of the handler to keep the horse engaged and listening as if they were riding. 

With young horses especially, lunging is a useful tool that is multifaceted. It is helpful to understand that the horse has many of the same problems on the lunge line that they have under tack, and many of these issues can be improved on lunge. 

This is why my rider Juliane (Jule) Kunze-Bretschneider and I work out a plan for each of the horses, including the most effective method of lunging for the individual. Some horses are worked more over the back then others, some need transitions, and some must be worked in a more open frame. In each case, it is critical to analyze the behavior and confirmation of the horse to create a flexible plan that may change day by day. We use lunging as an extension of riding to enhance our work under saddle, always keeping in mind that the principles of the training pyramid apply to establish our primary goals: rhythm, looseness, and contact. Thus, enhancing ride-ability, teaching balance, and preparing the horse for a productive ride with lunging is aiding many of the young horses at the Hannoveraner Verband and setting them up for success!

Want to learn more about the Hannoveraner Verband or the Rider Exchange Program? Check out their website at 

http://www.hannoveraner.com

Interested in reading more horse blogs? Check out Horse Junkies United where I am a guest blogger! 

http://horsejunkiesunited.com

Having a Plan

Another week has come and passed at the Hannoveraner Verband. We have experienced new and exciting things nearly everyday, from visiting high-end breeding facilities and watching stallion testing, to visiting the horse museum and site seeing to learn more about German culture. But, my main take away from this week is an underlying factor that is a huge component in the success of training any horse; you must have a plan.

Visiting a small breeding operation 

Unlike in the United States, horses are a part of the German culture and a serious profession. Becoming a professional means understanding that there is a basic way to start and train a horse that establishes fundamental principles, no matter what the discipline. There is a high stress on the training scale and an in-depth education of the rider off the horse. Each week we have theory sessions revolving around correctness of training and basic gaits to enhance our riding abilities. Each horse we get on we focus on attaining rhythm in relation to looseness and contact while always keeping in mind that our positions impact the balance of these young horses. It is critical that we maintain correct posture while following the gaits of the horse to allow the natural movement without restriction.

A slide from our theory lecture

I am extremely grateful, not only to our Program Director Daniel Fritz, but also to Juliane (Jule) Kunze-Bretschneider, the rider I am an assistant to for these two months. Both of them have been so insightful in teaching me how to be effective and productive on the young horses. 

Each day I am reminded by Jule that I must have a plan in my head. Each horse I rode this week was a bit difference, but understanding their mentality, confirmation, and way of going was key to putting the horses in good balance in order to develop confidence and strength.

A wonderful 3-year-old Dancier mare Jule and I are preparing for the Elite Auction

Having a plan with black and white riding and frequent rewards keeps the message clear to the horses while remaining fair. Jule stresses that the horses must have feed back from the rider to understand they are doing the right thing. She often tells me to pet the horse on the inside hand or to "give him air", and expression she uses when she wants me to give the reins. I find this act as a reminder to give the horse a reason to breath and relax so they can further develop trust and confidence in the rider.  

Whether I need to ride the horses with the neck up and out with an active hind leg, use frequent transitions to encourage him to step into the contact, or ride a bit deeper to get the horse's back up, having a plan in mind for the individual and proactive riding is making the difference for these young horses. In the end, we hope to make them feel organized, interested, and prepared to excel in their work not only today, but in their future training. 

Want to learn more about the Hannoveraner Verband or the Rider Exchange program? Check out their website at 

http://www.hannoveraner.com

Not Your American Stable: My Journey to Germany

The four exchange riders, Maren Reinbold, Caitlin Kincaid, Jessie Nemzoff, and myself outside the Verband

I have had the amazing opportunity to join the Hannoveraner Verband as a member of their pilot Rider Exchange Program for 2016. Through their selection process, four riders, Maren Reinbold, Caitlin Kincaid, Jessie Nemzoff and myself have joined in Verden, Germany as young assistant dressage and jumper riders to expand our knowledge of training, managing, and presenting young horses. 

After week one working as an assistant rider at the Hannoveraner Verband, I feel that I am becoming a part of the Verband team. Good riding of these outstanding young horses, keeping the barns clean, and working to make upcoming auctions successful is in mind each day. However, what is most refreshing thus far to me as an American rider is the effectiveness of the stable's operation and the closeness within the team. 

Riders, grooms, and stable hands gather each morning at 7 to clean the barns... Together. After the horses are fed, straw is added to stalls, and barns are swept, we collectively go across the street to have breakfast and coffee together. 

Each day at the Verband I am learning, but each day I am also appreciating the barn culture here. We are all working hard to do the best in every aspect, whether it is tidying up or riding the loveliest young horse. No one is too good to grab a broom and sweep, and no part of the horse management is more important than the next. Rather, great pride is taken in all aspects, producing well rounded horses and an efficient barn. 

The young horses are being ridden or worked nearly every day in a forward thinking program that is creating equine partners that are brave, confident, and eager to please. All the horses work well in the arena with many other horses and are social because the riders instill in these youngsters that there is no need to worry. 3 year old stallions ride calmly in busy arenas with distractions at the Verband and so can any horse with the proper management and exposure.

 Photo by Caitlin Kincaid

So, although I have been here just a week, it is evident that the friendly atmosphere of the Hannoveraner Verband and their dedication to correct horsemanship is what creates their success worldwide... And the happy horses here think so too!

Want to learn more about the Verband or the Rider Exchange Program? Check out their website at http://en.hannoveraner.com

  

Christine Traurig Lessons: January 24, 2016

Gabrielle

During this lesson we allowed her to get tension out of her body by moving forward on the straight line following the track of the fence line in the outdoor arena. Gradually we added ten-meter circles in at the ends of the arena. The most important message from the lesson is that Gabby must remain obedient. I find this true in all aspects of her training, that she must remain attentive at all times and engaged in her work.

Christine emphasized that while working I have the ability to have my calf on her. With an inability to use the leg, the rider looses influence over the horse. We worked on using the calf in a secure way, by applying pressure that she then would yield to. Because we desired relaxation from this sensitive, hot, mare, Christine made it very clear not to apply the leg in a kick or a bumping motion, but in squeezes of the calf. 

Anytime that Gabby had a distraction that produced a reaction that took her away from work, I was instructed to keep my hands low (especially the outside one) and keep my calf on. Christine reminded me of the importance of the influence the outside rein can have when placed on the whither. For this reason, I held my strap with the outside hand during the warm up to ensure the rein was low and steady.

We also worked on the quality of the trot. Christine constantly reminded me to ride on and more forward into a steady accepting contact in which the mare then began to relax her neck and back. Working on the longside and along the track allowed my inside leg to have a positive effect of engaging the inside hind leg without the outside hind stepping outward, cultivating an improved connection in the outside rein.

Upon finishing the ride, I was told to continue to push the mare. In this set of work it is extremely important to maintain quality and enthusiasm. With the goal of Grand Prix, riders cannot forget this, as the last movements of the test are an extension and a demanding centerline of passage and piaffe. If the horse has the tone set from the beginning that they must exert the same effort that they began with, the final leg of the Grand Prix test in the future will be that much more successful. Good riding is not just about riding in the moment to improve the horse, but implementing positive reactions and ideas that will influence future training. 

Adagio

While Adagio was quite on edge for his lesson, the work was extremely beneficial to gain suppleness, thoroughness, and relaxation. We immediately began working on a twenty-meter circle at the trot. Using the outside rein to influence the shoulders in a shoulder in positioning, Christine had me supple him in the ribcage from my inside leg. On the open apart of the circle we would rehearse the shoulder in feeling while pushing the haunches to the outside of the circle with a strong outside rein in the sitting trot, and on the closed part of the circle in the posting trot we would allow him to straighten and move on. This allowed him to focus his energy on me, loosing his back, ribcage, and neck. I could feel as I worked through this and gave the inside hand that he stretched into the contact and relaxed his back. Working the lateral work along side transitions within the trot combines to create great suppleness and attention in a simple way that the horse understands. 

In the canter we rehearsed the same exercises, with an emphasis on the transitions between medium and a more collected canter on the circle. With a great degree of inside leg on initially, gradually I was able to gain the suppleness around the inside leg. Adagio then began to release his back and neck as we worked through the transitions. Going forward and back is not a matter of obedience for him, but an issue of suppleness. The transitions exists with or without the proper usage of his body and this is the most important reason to practice the transitions with an active inside leg from me to engage the inside of his body to produce the qualities of throughness and bend.

Then we worked the mediums and extensions down the long side with ten-meter circles at the end of the long side. The circle encouraged him to stay through his body and improved the balance of the canter. Also helpful was the use of shallow leg yields, all for the same ideas, but also to improve the straightness.

Finishing the ride, Christine has me work on traver on the circle around her. Taking the throughness of the back and ribcage that we created with the transitions within the canter, we collected him and gradually decreased the size of the circle. The most important aspect of this exercise for me to remember is to keep an active inside leg on for the bend and engagement. It is not enough to use the outside rein and leg to turn and forget the inside of the horse’s body. The quality of his pirouette work has improved greatly over time, and I could really feel a great degree of sitting and suppleness that was the product of the work previous in the ride.

I loved listening to Christine explain the principles that I needed to exhibit while riding. She talked much about the quality of all three gates, making sure that the walk is forward, attentive and marching. That during all work the rider must have control of the horse’s poll, not in a dominate way, but that the rider knows what the poll is doing and has the ability to position it. Not to say that the horse cannot stretch, but that the rider never looses the ability to have influence, a principle that applies to the horse’s entire body, keeping him attentive, respectful, and relaxed in work. I cannot wait to improve this week and prepare for more instruction.