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Let’s begin with a frame of reference, which is the object and general principle of dressage as stated in the Federation Equestre International rulebook: The object of dressage is the harmonious development of the physique and ability of the horse. As a result it makes the horse calm, supple, loose and flexible, but also confident, attentive and keen: thus, achieving perfect understanding with his rider. These qualities are revealed by: a) the freedom and regularity of the paces; b) the harmony, lightness and ease of the movements; c) the lightness of the forehand and the engagement of the hindquarters, originating in a lively impulsion; d) the acceptance of the bridle, with submissiveness throughout and without any tenseness or resistance. The horse thus gives the impression of doing of his own accord what is required of him; confident and attentive, he submits generously to the control of his rider; remaining absolutely straight in any movement on a straight line and bending accordingly when moving on curved lines. This walk is regular, free and unconstrained. His trot is free, supple, regular, sustained and active. His canter is united, light and cadenced. His quarters are never inactive or sluggish. They respond to the slightest indication of the rider and, thereby, give life and spirit to all the rest of his body. By virtue of a lively impulsion and the suppleness of his joints, free from the paralyzing effects of resistance, the horse obeys willingly and without hesitation and responds to various aids calmly and with precision, displaying a natural and harmonious balance both physically and mentally. In all his work, even at the halt, the horse must be ‘on the bit’. A horse is said to be ‘on the bit’ when the hocks are correctly placed, the neck is more or less raised and arched according to the stage of training and the extension or collection of the pace, and he accepts the bridle with a light, soft contact and submissiveness throughout. The head should remain in a steady position, as a rule slightly in front of the vertical, with a supple poll as the highest point of the neck, and no resistance should be offered to the rider.
Wow! Every time I read the rules, I am energized. It all sounds so beautiful. On that we can all agree, but what methodology do we employ? For the sake of this paper, let’s call the place we all want to get to – the description of dressage as stated in the FEI Rule Book – “Rome.” We have all heard that there are many roads to Rome, some bumpier than others. After more than forty years of training horses and riders, I have traveled many of those roads, and I believe that the road I am now traveling, though less traveled, is the most direct, and for the horses the most humane. The System has been responsible for my horses’ great athletic development and body confirmation. All my horses are well muscled. They have each developed a better top line, better position and symmetry of the neck, and a powerful hind end. The proof “is in the pudding”, so to speak. The System will do the same for your horse. Since my article that was published in the July 2000 issue of the Chronicle of the Horse, I have received support and encouragement from some very sincere and talented, and accomplished riders and trainers. Thank you for your encouragement and support.
Worse
than bumpy, some of the roads do not lead to Rome at all. Unfortunately,
some are attractive along the way, and only after many years do you find
that you have not yet arrived at your destination; however, there is
hope. For me my greatest joy and perhaps in retrospect, even my greatest
disappointment, happened in 1990. I won enough in the U.S. World Cup
League to represent the United States at the final in
‘s-Hertogenbosch, Holland. Sadly although I was honored to
participate, I cannot say that I had found Rome. My disappointment came
when I realized that you could make it that far, and still not
demonstrate the objectives that I so wanted to achieve. My horse was
such a wonderful soul to endure my ignorance. I was determined to find
the answer. I realized that my efforts might not be rewarded in the show
ring; still, I was determined to reach for purity. The horses I rode
were not big flamboyant movers. They were a real test for The System.
If my horses were able to perform as I had hoped then certainly more
talented horses could perform even better. I felt I had to go back to the beginning and find a new road. I had traveled a long way. It was a difficult decision, but I felt there had to be a better way, a more humane way, some way to train a horse without equipment and mechanical devices. Finally I took off the spurs. I started using a snaffle. Giving up on the “equipment solution” forced me to travel a different road. I revisited the classical method where I found encouragement and wisdom. . Prayer guided me on my lonely uncertain journey. I decided to let my horses be my teacher. I tried to put all preconceived ideas out of my head and just start to experiment with my aids to see how the horses would respond mentally and physically. I began to get the feeling of lightness to the aids, the self-carriage, the swinging back, and the engagement of the hindquarters-all the feelings I’d always dreamed were possible. Without realizing it I was developing The System.
THE
ORDINARY HORSE AS A TEACHER: I rediscovered the more classical approach. I began to experience what the masters must have felt. By ignoring the modality of the times, I now know why the poll needs to be the highest point, why the neck must be supple, and more importantly, I discovered for myself how to achieve it. Now my ordinary horses gave me no resistance. They were all more willing to give me what I asked in a gentle and compassionate way. I knew that my horse would not be as brilliant as the more talented horse, but then the more talented horse would not have been as good a teacher. I knew that if I could achieve what I desired on my horses, then certainly I could easily do it on one more talented. I also reasoned that most of us ride my kind of horse. If I could find a way to train the ordinary horse without the use of mechanical equipment then many horses would benefit, and perhaps live longer and happier lives. After all these are God’s precious animals. We all love our horses, and we all want what’s best for them. Soon I was able to acquire more of the energy, more balance, more suppleness, and more steadiness with less and less of the resistance that often comes when you begin to ask more “true” collection of the horse: the teeth grinding, tail wringing, pulling and whatever else happens when your horse is unhappy.
What is apparent to me is the following: 1. The quality of the sport horse is improving due to an increased attention to breeding programs. 2. The prices of these super movers are astronomical. 3. We have many very talented riders in this country and throughout the world. 4. The purity of the gaits and correctness of the self-carriage has been abandoned in favor of flashy movers. Many horses are either being ruined or not developed to their full potential because of unsuccessful training methods. The problem is that improperly trained horses lose the purity of their gaits. They develop major and minor resistances such as quitting, rearing, grinding their teeth, and wringing their tails. You have seen them, they are not happy with their work. It is not a thing of beauty to watch, and the gold standards set forth in the FEI rules are not being met. We see this happening to many horses, but they still receive good scores because they’re such magnificent animals. Their natural movement is so impressive that it gives them extra points, which in turn gives the rider or trainer a false sense of accomplishment. There are no rewards for proper training which will be exhibited in pure gaits, and proper collection. Horses are not being penalized enough for being over bent and behind the vertical.
Two years ago I earned my license to judge dressage. We were told that our main responsibility was to the sport. To me, the essence of the sport is the training of the horse to achieve the objectives set forth in the FEI rules. If judges do not severely penalize resistances and improper gaits and collection, and they enable a resistant, albeit a good-moving horse, to win over a correct, resistance-free horse that may not move as nicely, then dressage will be taken down the wrong road and will never reach Rome. The wrong road is one where shortcuts in training and force and “mechanical equipment” are used. When you look at a piaffer does it look like the hindquarters are on a trampoline? Or do you see a properly collected horse sitting and using his hindquarters with power? What if the properly collected horse is not elevating as much as the one on a trampoline? Do you say he needs more energy? Or instead do you appreciate how hard it is, and how much effort it takes to perform a correct piaffer? It will be impossible for some tranpoliners to ever achieve self carriage and collection, and they may never perform the piaffer in proper sequence and rhythm.
Many of the top competitors in the world have departed from the classical training method. This new approach puts the horse very deep, low and round to the extreme. I have tried and abandoned that method. We are seeing: 1. Very talented riders who despite the over bending can get the horse back up to some extent in the class. 2. Very talented horses that can do whatever you ask of them. 3. Very few make it to the top and rarely do we see the qualities that are contained in the FEI rules. 4. Most people are now copying these riders because they are winning. 5. Most dressage horses today have too-short over bent necks, lack of engagement, no lightness of the forehand, no self-carriage, and are resistant. 6. Many non-dressage equestrians hate dressage because it looks too forced, restricted, unnatural and heavy. 7. Many horses are ruined and given up on because they cannot conform to the riding-deep system Why do trainers over bend the horse? Well for one thing it’s a simple way to demand obedience. You see relaxed horses eating grass, but you don’t see them engaged when they eat grass. The premise is that you can make your horse relax and lower his head whenever you want, but one result of lowering the head is that the back comes up, and although the back comes up, it is improper. We want the back to come up properly. To do this the hind legs must step under the horse. The back then comes up correctly and softly, not because the head is between the horses front legs, but because the horse is using his hindquarters properly, and his back is raised while remaining soft to the seat. Let me explain. With the neck up in the proper position, and after the half-halt when the rider yields the reins, the back can soften and relax, thus encouraging the back to swing up, and down. If the neck is too low, or the face is behind the vertical, the back can not swing properly. This is because the back stays up but is being stretched from the front end which inhibits the back from swinging and further prohibits the hind legs from engaging. We then begin to see bigger spurs, people on the ground with whips trying to create collection, and finally severe bits because the horses neck by that time is so strong that one can not control the horse without mechanical devices. Riding the horse deep and over bent causes the hind legs to become sluggish - the exact opposite of what we want and need. The only time I stretch my horse now is after he has been properly worked. He then needs to relax and rest. All my horses are so much happier, more supple, less confused, more eager to work, and no need for double bridle or spurs. According to the FEI Rules the lively hind legs are the essential building blocks for lightness of the forehand and self-carriage. I maintain that this standard can only be achieved if the horse is using his hind legs properly, causing the hind end to become powerful. The object then is to ride the hindquarters. The System accomplishes this for me. I am looking to achieve clarity of the gaits, proper collection, lightness of the forehand and end up with happy horses.
I am convinced that any horse can better balance himself with his head up and the poll being the highest point. The problem is that to train using the more classical approach requires an understanding of the neck. I find that mostly all of the riders that I have worked with need instruction and practice to position the horse’s head and neck properly, and still engage the hind quarters. If you can accomplish this task, you will not need to rely upon more severe bits to achieve true collection. You will experience a soft and supple back that is easier to sit to and more comfortable, and finally your horse will be much happier and willing to work. The System – Understanding the Neck is a visual aid and description. In it I demonstrate how the half-halts go through the poll without lowing the neck or hollowing the horse’s back. You will see how I engage the hindquarters while the poll is as it should be, the highest point. The neck will be supple, the horse will be obedient and light to my aids, and I will have accomplished all this with a snaffle bit and no spurs.
If you are using spurs to train your horse, you need to ask: Why? Wouldn’t you rather train without them? Obviously the answer is yes, but very few, if any, trainers now would attempt to train a green horse to grand prix on a snaffle and no spurs. I start on my students by asking them to take off the spurs and double bridle. If you need them in the show ring, then use them; personally, I would like to see the requirement dropped for the use of spurs and double bridles. The reason why I ask that my riders abandon the spurs and double bridle is so that I can teach them the proper “feel.” Unfortunately, I would like to be able to set out a list of things to do but The System requires more. The proper use of the neck is critical to the achievement of proper balance and finally collection and extension of the gaits. To be clear, the video is a demonstration and you should not expect to be able to learn what took me many years to develop in a one-hour video. I have, however, had great success with good riders in a short time. Some have felt a difference in the first lesson, but to learn The System will take some time and patience. In the end you will be riding your horse without spurs, and on a snaffle, and you will love it.
The System will work but it’s not going to be easy. What I can say is that in the end, you will get to Rome and you will get there in style. Whatever method you are using now, you had better be prepared to take up riding very seriously if you intend to reach the Grand Prix level. I have personally trained several horses, eventually abandoning over bending in favor of the more classical positioning. At this point I believe that I have found what works for me, and I believe that I can make it work for any horse. Given a horse and rider with ability, any horse can be trained to Grand Prix using The System, and without spurs or other mechanical devices. Since I am dedicated to certain horses and individuals, I would not have the time I desire to take on individual students. I have always limited my teaching in favor of developing a better way to ride. Most of my time in the past has been devoted to my own horses. Recently, however, I have met a few talented and willing riders who have the thirst for knowledge that has inspired me. I have learned along the way that not everyone is willing to abandon the over bent method, no matter how flawed or unsuccessful. I certainly can understand why one might be hesitant to change, because I was also hesitant to change. Lately, I have had the privilege to work with some very highly motivated, talented and open-minded riders. Some took to The System like a duck to water. Others tended to be more circumspect. I can understand their reluctance to go through a challenging phase. When The System was being developed I needed courage and trust to pass through that challenging phase. I was riding in a totally new way. I had no way of knowing at that time how it was all going to turn out. I stuck with it because I had made some interesting observations. I engaged the hindquarters like never before. I was trying to create powerful muscular hindquarters. It worked . Those who entrusted their horses to me, and who believed me during the challenging phase, their horses are now looking and going so much better. Those who have stuck it out and put in the time and trusted are now reaping the rewards. To some people the neck is ugly if it is not very round, but I have come to the opposite conclusion. I believe we are not seeing enough well developed hindquarters and I believe I know why. Too often I have seen necks that are too round and short, producing hind legs that lack engagement, and hindquarters that show no evidence of powerful musculature. That is what is truly ugly. I can’t change your horse overnight, but I have had great success in almost every case. So far The System has been a total success. Even the most difficult horses respond. When The System is properly ridden, you will see a tremendous improvement in your horse’s physical appearance. If you have seen Doublet, a 15 year old, half-thoroughbred gelding that I have been competing at Grand Prix, you might think he is a stallion. In fact he has more muscle than some stallions half his age. The reason for this tremendous development in the hindquarters is that The System allows the horse to use himself naturally, and he is more willing to engage and work for you.
Some say that it "stretches and strengthen the muscles of your horses top line and crest. I disagree. Since I have been using The System, where the head is held in a classically elevated position and the hind legs are kept active and energized, I have had the pleasure of seeing my horses top line and crest grow. Since I have ridden both over bent for many years as many of us have and some are still doing, I can tell you of my own experience that over bending never put any muscle on my horses neck, or even more importantly their hindquarters. Sometimes the horse will come behind the vertical when he softens his poll, and he doesn't have enough engagement and balance. That's not a sin, but the solution is that you ride the hindquarters. That will give the horse enough of what it takes to perform correctly
Dr. Thomas Ritter on "The Bridge" According to Dr. Thomas Ritter the buzzwords, as he put it, “bridge” and “deep” in their physiological sense was that by manipulating the head and neck into a low position with active hands the back would work better somehow. But he found that the activity of the hind legs never entered the consideration, and the "bridge" (a newly invented term according to Dr. Ritter) did not refer to the classical swinging back, but to a back that was braced upward against the rider, because the horse was more or less compressed between the rider's hands and legs. On more than one occasion, when the clinician was pleased with the establishment of the "bridge", the impulsion disappeared, the hind legs became noticeably lifeless, and the rider seemed to be working harder and harder to keep the horse going, while the rein contact became heavier. In most cases, the poll and jaw never gave, but the base of the neck did. What is interesting in this context is that horses that are ridden deep with the "bridge" and a "non allowing hand" frequently have sore backs, whereas horses that are trained classically virtually never get sore backs. Riders of all ages have looked for shortcuts and tried to force the head and neck into a certain position with their hands, instead of gaining control over the hind legs through their seat and leg aids. Today, many trainers tell their student to shape the neck with their hands first, and not to worry about the hind end. That is the reason why so many dressage horses break down prematurely, and why there are so many rogue horses that would not put up with being "trapped" (the clinician's revealing words for her interpretation of a horse on the aids).
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Cathy Morelli Dressage, Inc Copyright 2008 |
