Annie Morris' 2010 Olympic Dream Trip Journal

We began our journey together in JFK, congregating from all over the country: Mimi Stanley from North Dakota, Brian Hafner from Wisconsin, Christine Stephenson from California, Kristin Schwaegerle from New Hampshire, Ann Guptill  (the primary chaperone) from Connecticut, and myself from just north of NYC.  We were there with a purpose, having walked away from our busy schedules to immerse ourselves in the German training system by observing the top riders in the country (and the world) at their home barns.  The group was four of the top young riders in the country who had filled out a rigorous application for the program in a year of record applicants.  I am a young professional and assistant trainer to  Lendon Gray in NY and Ann a professional as well as faculty member of the USDF Instructor Certification board.  We became close friends, spending the night all together in the airport lobby (mechanical troubles), but we were back on track the next day and on our way to Frankfurt.
    In the morning, after having  spent the night in Frankfurt, we began our trek to Schafhof, the gorgeous stable of Ann-Katherin Linsenhoff.  Our first impression was of the phenomenal landscaping and the beauty of the barn.  There were flowers and trees arranged in a way that would put most botanical gardens to shame!    The interior of the barn was a museum covered in plaques from generations of riders and a shadow box in the indoor filled with memorabilia of the first trainer there, Mr. Lorker.  We got a tour of the barn from Mrs. Linsenhoff's step son, Mattias Rath and then sat to watch the riding going on in the indoor.
    Klaus-Martin Rath is the head trainer, and he spent most of the time in the middle of the indoor with a long piaffe whip offering advice and occasional ground support to his son and the bereiters (working students).  There was obvious love towards the horses in everyone's attitude, praise and sugar were used lavishly.  The horses were of international quality, and the training impeccable because of the systematic approach used in teaching the horse the basics from green broke to FEI.  For example, every horse was warmed up low and loose, not pushed too fast in the beginning but only developing the rhythm of the walk, trot and canter as well as relaxation in the muscles (including swing over the topline) and mind.   Younger horses would exclusively work on this with simple figure (circles, diagonals).  The upper level horses would take a break after warmup and then proceed to school some more collected work, but they would continue to refresh the basics with walk and stretch breaks in between.  The horses developed more collection and brilliance as they were schooled but maintained the rhythm and relaxation.  With Klaus Rath as the eyes on the ground, he gently guided each horse and rider combination to avoid them moving in the wrong direction in their session or getting into an argument.  We were even lucky enough to see him get on one of the international horses and with his precise timing and deep seat see him improve the engagement of the hind legs.
    Working within this supportive environment it was clear how Mattias Rath developed his picture-perfect seat and tactful aids.  I would describe him as very vertical and flexible in his position, moving vertically like a spring with the horse in relaxation and allowing the horse to move absolutely freely beneath him.  Even more impressive was that one horse he chose to ride without stirrups, always striving to improve his seat!
    Other tidbits that added to the experience of this barn were the cute and well-behaved dogs that roamed freely through the arena as everyone rode, seeing Ann-Katherin Lisenhoff, a three-time Olympian and daughter of an Olympian, teaching a lesson to her daughter, and the cute silver tray of beverages and snacks for the riders to enjoy throughout the day.  What an environment to ride in!
    From here we went north to Munster where we would be staying for three nights.  Ann and I tried to entertain the young riders, but as they fell asleep from the jet lag we spent the time entertaining each other looking into the countryside for the occasional “schloss” (castle) and plentiful windmills.  We named our GPS Rhonda, named our rental VW van Bunny (although she was more of a tortoise), and told goofy jokes. We made it to our hotel and proceeded to explore the beautiful town.  The food was great everywhere we ate during our stay and there was a particularly tasty ice cream parlor that was very popular in the unusually warm weather.  Cruiser bikes were the preferred mode of transportation within Munster.  They proved to be especially efficient in rush hour traffic when the cars were at a standstill as the bikes zipped on by.
    The next morning we visited  Michael Klimke, son of the famous Reiner Klimke.  He spends his mornings training in the same barn as his late father and his afternoons working as a lawyer in Munster.  Jim Kofford, his assistant trainer and barn manager, is from the US and they were both very welcoming.  We got to see the two of them riding beautifully trained horses (the barn had a majority of Grand Prix horses) and alternating as each others' eyes on the ground.  The fairness and the general positive attitude toward the horse again stood out in my mind as I watched.   Mr. Klimke was also very organized and systematic in his training, retaining and refreshing the basics as he challenged his horses for more collection.  I was impressed by the quality of the stretching as well as the piaffe during the rides!  He was particularly tactful in knowing how far to push a horse and when to back off that the horse was learning and improving and not becoming dull or tense.
    In the afternoon we headed to nearby Warendorf.  We visited DOKR, the Olympic training facility and although there was nothing specific going on that day it was exciting to see such a state- of-the-art facility dedicated to equestrian sports.  We went to a nearby tack store then to the Westfalen State stud around the corner.  There was a practice going on for a 12 horse quadrille where riders of all levels daringly guided stallions of all ages through some tricky movements.  It was definitely interesting to see, in some cases maybe too exciting, and the horses were spectacular!
    The next day we visited Ingrid Klimke (daughter of Reiner Klimke) in the morning.  She is an international Dressage and Eventing competitor, and her barn had famous horses from each discipline.  She was a fabulous hostess, she taught for our benefit her lessons in English and demonstrated for us all her favorite caveletti exercises.  Her horses had excellent basics as well and were very fit from all off her cross training work (even her dressage horses jump at least once a week).  She talked to us about how every horse she rides, no matter what age she is planning the ride around what will train the horse for the future success in the Grand Prix.  She showed us a particularly fancy young stallion and during her ride she would occasionally canter over four raised cavaletti on the curve of a circle to improve the focus and the engagement of the hind legs.  My main impression was of her problem-solving ability to improve her horses without being strong in her aids.  For example, the cavaletti made the horse figure out for himself how to engage and push and she used them to refresh those qualities during her ride.
    Mrs. Klimke did the most cross training of anyone we watched on the trip.  Aside from the caveletti and jumping, she also did a lot of hill work with her eventing and dressage horses.  She was also insistent that all her horses, even her show horses and her stallions, received turnout.  Both Michael Klimke and the trainers at Schafhof have a galloping track that they use for conditioning.  Mr. Klimke also was discussing how the movements can also be schooled on the track and how the different environment would often inspire the horse.  Those barns also had turnout, but at Schafhof the focus was not just that the horse gets out of the stall during the day but that they are moving properly so besides just turning the horses out they hand-walk them for 45 minutes twice per day (the horses in Klaus Balkenhol's barn do the same).
    In the afternoon we saw the barn where Helen Langehanenberg trains.  Her horses were in the newest barn and indoor we had seen.  The arena was huge and filled with natural light and the roof was covered with solar panels.  She was riding while we were there and we saw some amazing horses, including a three-year-old mare that caused our group to literally take a collective gasp when she started to trot.  The horses she rode all conveyed a sense of lightness and ease of movement.  She had such a soft seat and attitude around the horses yet was very effective.  The upper level horse she rode for us warmed up relaxed and stretchy, and as she put her together she began to powerfully spring off the ground and yet maintained the relaxation.  Again, everything systematically built upon the strong basics (those Germans are onto something...)  It was beautiful to watch her ride.
    For the weekend we traveled to the Rheinland Regional Championship Horse Show.  There were two dressage rings, one show jumping ring and also vaulting, and even though that doesn't sound too big it was a huge social event.  There were people of all ages, their significant others and families all watching and cheering the rides.  Vendors were set up for tack and food all over the grounds including a Haribo Gummy cart with all different gummy things (a German staple).  For the dressage the most memorable thing was the quality of the training of the horses.  For example, there was a junior and a young rider championship and you could just see that the horses were well schooled for the work.  Not that there weren't mistakes, but the basics were absolutely solid.  It seemed standard to move up the levels on a schoolmaster to solidly learn the requirements and build confidence.  The classes were large, most with 10 or more.  There was a FEI pony class and the ponies were fancy and cute but with brains like horses in the sense that they remained very level headed and rideable even though they were all ridden by young children.  The most interesting class to watch was the Junior Rider Test.  A group of ponies and horses of all different breeds and qualities, many in Vienna reins, are ridden by children between about 6 and 14 do a sort of equitation class.  They stay in order with one horse distance between in the walk and trot, and then they canter separately.  There were apparently 400 juniors trying out in the region, and forty at the show for the championship that they narrowed down to eight. They received a score form 1-10 and the judges commented on the position publicly at the end.  The whole program was sponsored by Nichole Uphoff.  The girl that won received a 9.5 out of 10, and she rode with a textbook classical position.  The emphasis put on correct equitation made it clear why Germany has some of the best riders in the world!
    The next two days we spent with Klaus Balkenhol and his family at another gorgeously landscaped barn in Coesfield.  We got to see his daughter, Anabel, ride some very talented horses and again we could see that the horses were brought up through the levels, whether they were four (they don't ride three-year-olds)  or going Grand Prix, with absolutely solid rhythm and relaxation.  There was less stretching than at the other barns, but the swing through the back was still a priority.  Everyone rode with help from the ground from either Klaus Balkenhol himself or Judith, his wife.  Also available was Guenter Seidel, who was getting around with crutches after his recent accident.  In fact, we had the distinct pleasure of watching Mr. Balkenhol ride Mr. Seidel's horse, U2.  “Come to Klaus', fall off, then Klaus will ride your horse,” Guenter Seidel joked.  To see Klaus Balkenhol schooling the Grand Prix and making it look effortless was inspiring.  He had the right feel and timing to influence the horse perfectly.
    There were some distinct differences I noticed being at the barns in Germany versus the ones I know in the US.  First of all, the horses have massive forelocks because they don't cut the bridle path.  They cut the mane with scissors instead of pulling it so it is thick and they can make fewer golf-ball-like braids as opposed to many smaller ones.  Every weekend there are several options of shows nearby to compete in.  You can apparently give the secretary a heads up maybe the month before the show, and then the day before just call him and let him know which horse you want to enter in which class.  The times are posted early in the morning so just show up and ride.  The classes are cheap, something like $20 at a regular show and there is prize money so you have the opportunity to make money or at least break even.  Also, whenever anyone introduced a horse to you they mentioned his or her bloodlines.  Whether you are walking through a barn or listening to the announcer at a show you can keep track of any qualities you recognize in certain lines.  It is clear the breeding has been organized for many generations and that the Germans are reaping the benefits of impeccable crosses.  The overall quality of the horses was astronomical.
    So we made our way to the last barn in Paderborn where Hubertus Schmidt trains.  It was a very rural area but thankfully Ann and Brian knew enough German to get us by.  We dove past many farms on the way to the barn where there are 65 dressage horses.  Schmidt has his bereiters riding many of the horses and even his Grand Prix horses are kept in condition by the students while he trains them tunes them up before the shows.  He shows two horses Grand Prix two weeks apart and rotates through his Grand Prix horses.  His seat is arguably the most classical of all and he has trained numerous horses to Grand Prix.  I specifically remember him riding a piaffe on the center line and when he wanted to activate the horse and the only aid I noticed was he clicked his tongue and the horse double timed the rhythm.  I want to cluck like that!  Hubertus watched the students and when he rode his wife Doris would come and coach him.
    He was the most systematic of all in his training, and I could see the same proven pattern in every horse we watched.  He walked, did warm-up trot and cater, then after a break proceeded to the trot work.  He began finding a swinging collected trot, riding shoulder in then half pass and some mediums or extensions.  After another break he would do the canter work, with swinging collected canter then half pass, zigzags, pirouettes, then the changes (some mediums in between).  After the next break he did the piaffe and passage work.  He did everything in a way to explain it to the horse but also in a way to practice for the order of the test.  He was not rigid in his methods, he did whatever the horse needed, and even with his variations you could see the obvious progression and how every movement would build upon the previous one to improve the horses' gaits and the quality of the collection.
    We spent the ride back to the airport trying to collect our thoughts and organize all the amazing sights we had witnessed over the course of the last several days.  Some of us were glad to be almost home where “sparkling mineral water” was not confused with “water.”  Others were looking forward to eating something besides German and Italian food (we found a whole bunch of authentic Italian places, but how much cheese does one really need in a week?) We all were ready for a soft bed.  We discussed the training scale in many ways, and tried to ingrain the beauty of it in motion for our lives after the plane ride home.  I know that this trip, thanks to the Dressage Foundation, has made a difference not only in the lives and training of the six participants but also in our home barns and states.