NEW SERIES
FLATWORK l CIRCLES,SERPENTINES&TRANSITIONS
A grassroots event horse and his rider come under the gaze of rising dressage star Alex Harrison who is seeking to improve their performance during simple movements, including circles, serpentines and transitions
VANESSA WATSON TURNS up at Alex Harrison’s Chew Magna base on a rainy week day with a few issues running through her mind. Her gelding, About Time III (Ted), doesn’t have the best conformation, and he can be wobbly on the centre line. Vanessa, who also trains with Elizabeth Allen, started coming to Alex for assistance with test riding last November.
As she walks Ted into Alex’s outdoor arena, Britain’s youngest List 2 dressage judge instructs her to warm up.
“I warm up a horse for between five to 15 minutes, depending on the horse’s age. The younger ones don’t need to stretch for too long, while I like the older ones to warm up for longer,” he notes.
As Ted is eventing at BE100 level, the movements asked of him in the test aren’t very complicated and so Alex has been focusing on honing the basics, as well as working on consistency.
Once Ted is warmed up, Alex instructs Vanessa to trot a 20m circle.
“Try to make sure that you keep his head and neck in one place so that you can see the top of his bridle,” Alex tells his pupil. “Every time you change his speed make sure that you aren’t changing his frame.
“Now be braver and go more forward while squeezing the contact a little more (to help keep a connection to the bit and assist the horse in balancing himself). Think about closing your upper leg on the saddle to keep the horse thinking about waiting on your seat.
“Separate impulsion, balance and frame, and select which one you are changing. Think of the horse like a box — it has a front, back and two sides. When you send the horse on by using your seat and leg make sure that you’re not going to push him into more of a rectangle shape and allow him to go flat.”
