The Gifted Fund

Helen Ferguson

USDF Region 6

"Gifted" by the Dressage Foundation

The Gifted Fund Grant is a unique opportunity for an amateur to get concentrated training with her horse, and I am grateful to have been selected as the Region 6 recipient for 2007. I, like many amateurs, work full time, and feel lucky to get one lesson a week and ride 3-4 other times during the week. This chance to do 'immersion' training for a week was an opportunity not to be missed! Other than eating and sleeping, I lived at the barn for the week. I chose Dr. Thomas Ritter as my trainer, as I have been to several clinics with him, and often considered how much more I could learn if I could spend time at his barn in concentrated work. Thomas is exceptional at ground work and long lining, and both he and his wife, Shana, give lunge lessons on schooled horses. So my goals, besides improving my horse, Galahad's, work, were to improve my riding through lunge lessons and to learn how to do basic ground work. I have to say my goals were all well met, and I had the added opportunity to ride in a couple of quadrille practices.

Galahad and I arrive at Ritter Dressage in Goldendale, Washington, around 3 PM. After getting Gal settled in his stall, I watch a lunge lesson in progress.

Helen Ferguson

Thomas is talking about using your weight and how you sit to control the horse. He has the rider weighting different seat bones and riding with more or less weight on the thighs - nothing that can be seen by an observer but it obviously can be felt by the horse, as the transition from walk to trot is sometimes round, sometimes inverted, sometimes more sluggish - all from what the rider is doing with her seat. Hmm, this is interesting stuff. When that lesson is over and I think they must be done for the day, Thomas says he has one more horse to ride, then I can have a lesson. OK!

We work on suppling exercises, with a new twist - Thomas walks around with the lunge whip and if Galahad needs a little more impulsion, he waves the whip a little - it doesn't take much to energize Gal! We trace 10-meter circles at the walk around Thomas, with halts and walking turns on the forehand. First off one leg, then off the other, all working towards suppling the horse. Thomas makes me be very precise. 10-meter marks are all around the arena, sides and ends, and I need to be spot-on with where I touch the rail and cross the center and quarter lines. Then we start counter shoulder-in to regular shoulder-in, all to keep those hindquarters moving and get them more supple. First we did this exercise on the rail, then took it to the 20-meter circle. I had to keep being reminded that this is a shoulder-in, not a "haunches out" - my outside leg must control the haunches, then I bring the forehand in. Next, walking shoulder-in on the 10-meter square; first with just regular turns at the corners, then with quarter pirouettes at the corners. This one is tricky, as the weight needs to be on the outside for the shoulder-in but inside for the pirouette. And I need more reminders to use that outside leg to keep the haunches under control. Thomas calls it good for one day. Phew. Gal and I are both going to have to work hard this week! It's been a long day. By the time I settle Gal for the night, check into the hotel, get some dinner and turn the light out, it is past midnight.

Galahad gets some turn-out time while I watch Thomas teach and then ride. To watch Thomas ride is to watch a master at work. No matter what the horse does, Thomas' position doesn't change. And it is interesting to watch his use of the whip as he addresses a particular leg; he will put the reins in one hand and reach back to tap the hind leg which he wants to move. He can also reach behind his back and across the back of the horse and tap the other side! Shana is riding, also, and it is very pleasant to watch the two of them work, both riding Lipizzan stallions, both going through the basic exercises, occasionally helping each other or commenting on the work.

At 3 o'clock is my first of two lessons, this one with Galahad. Today we start with some ground driving. Thomas shows me how to hold the reins and whip to work the horse from a position next to the horse's shoulder. He does 'square' work of full pass and turns on the forehand, then moves down the rail doing walk-halt-transitions. Always tap-tap with the whip to keep up the impulsion. And keep the connection. Enlarge into the corners. Galahad isn't sure what they're doing, but he tries. Then Thomas lets me try it. Of course, as with anything new, I struggle. This is going to take some practice! I keep forgetting to keep the connection, keep the impulsion, to walk off and expect the horse to come with me. Then we put a lunging cavesson and side reins on Galahad and do the same work. This is a little easier on the ground person, as there is only the line attached to the cavesson, rather than two reins, to worry about. But still, body position and use of the whip are important and I get reminders often. Galahad finds this a little harder, as he has not been in side reins for several years. However, though he backs up a few times, he never panics. We work on getting Galahad to lift one hind leg. He has a lazy right hind, which he always likes to leave out behind, so we tap it so that he will move it. But then we also work on tapping the left hind, as he likes to weight the left hind and rest the (lazy) a hard time figuring out where his feet are with this one!

Then it's time to ride. I'm getting on a horse that is already warmed up, so we just pick up the reins and go. More suppling work. First 10-meter voltes, enlarging (leg yielding) for a stride or two on one side before returning to the 10M volte; this causes the center of the volte to move down the rail and around the arena. Then shoulder-in down the rail, halt in shoulder-in, full pass in a few steps, and trot off, still in shoulder-in.

Now on to a good preparation exercise for flying changes: in canter to the left, turn left at the 20-meter mark, walk at the center line, ask for haunches-in right at the walk, straighten, pick up the right lead canter. Repeat at the next 20-meter mark. We do a couple of serpentines of this, then Thomas calls, "flying change" instead of "walk." Oh ... OK. And a clean change happens! We repeat for a change to the other lead and call it a day.

In another hour, I have a lunge lesson on one of their horses, Andre. All I can say is, a lunge lesson on a trained horse is a very humbling experience. The horse tells on you! Every time I tighten somewhere or tilt forward or am somehow not in the correct position, Andre will halt! And he trots off without being asked when I make some error at the walk! Oh boy, an hour of this and I am toast. More tomorrow!

I get to the barn in time to watch the young horse session. Thomas, Shana, and Lisa, who helps work the horses, spend an hour riding together on horses that are just being started. I am very impressed by Shana's horse, which she says has been ridden only nine times. Lisa has her hands full with her horse; he did not want to accept the outside aids. Thomas is coaching her while riding his horse. Lisa eventually gets off and does the work from the ground, the same sort of work I was learning with Galahad yesterday. Eventually she gets back on and is more successful. At the end Thomas stretches his mare - this is the stretch they are looking for in the show ring! She goes down, keeping the balance and connection, does changes of direction and some other movements, and walks on, still stretched and connected. Lovely!

I am grateful to The Dressage Foundation and Carol Lavell for giving me the opportunity to improve my horse and myself. I am excited to continue in this new vein of training and take the results into the show ring later this summer.

Next, I have a chance to watch a couple of lunge lessons before my lesson with Galahad. These lunge lessons look more like mine of yesterday - the horses are once again 'telling' on the rider, and the riders are struggling with the same issues of tightness that I did. I feel like I'm not so alone anymore, we can all commiserate together.

Then Galahad and I are back with Thomas in the outdoor arena. We start by reviewing the work in-hand from yesterday. As I did not bring out the cavesson and side reins and lunge line, we practice the 'with the reins' version. This is harder on the arms, as I have to hold them up higher and they get very tired. (Note to self: things are brought for you or given to you on the first day; after that you better bring them yourself!)

Then it's time to mount up and ride. We start with trot work on 20-meter circles and voltes with halts and full passes to get Gal supple. Then on to canter work, which is easier for Galahad, and therefore more fun. The first exercise is a variation on the canter square -- the difference is in where the corners are. From a 20-meter circle at canter, starting at one of the touch points (where the circle touches the sides or the center line) I am to start riding straight lines with quick turns at each touch point. This helps lift the withers and encourage the horse to sit more. Then medium canter down the rail to freshen the gait.

The next exercise was really interesting. We started at the walk, doing haunches-in on the rail, then straightened by quickly bringing the forehand in front of the quarters. Repeat several times. Then after a 'straighten', do a quarter pirouette, go cross the arena to the rail, and repeat. After we get this down at the walk, we try it in canter. After we've done a couple of long sides at the canter, the next command is 'half pass'. Wow, this exercise has certainly set the horse up to do a good half pass! That is, when the rider does her part. I have big trouble keeping my weight on the left side in half pass to the left, so we had to repeat the combination a few times. That's enough for today.

After I hose Galahad off, get him settled back in his stall and eat a quick lunch, I have time to watch some more lunge lessons and quadrille work before my lunge lesson. Today we start out repeating some exercises from yesterday (at the halt) - bringing my legs up over the horse's neck (10 times - feel the burn) and stretching the quads - a neat trick when on the horse. I do them every day standing on the ground, but have a little more trouble on the horse. Then we added a hamstring stretch. Thomas said Shana really knows about exercises (on the ground) which target the muscles that riders use, so I may try to work with her tomorrow. We then repeat our humbling session, again with Andre tattling on me every step of the way. There is so much to remember! Turn your thigh in so the foot is parallel to the horse, stretch the knees down (it should feel like kneeling), stabilize the knee on the saddle, hug (but don't grip) with the calf, keep the lower leg back, but keep your upper body up and open, and do it without tipping your pelvis forward - I have real trouble with this one! Keep the pelvis neutral or back and stay open in front. And just when I think maybe I have it, Andre tells Thomas I don't by stopping. I feel a little better when Thomas tells me that the goal of most people having a lunge lesson on Andre is to do one circle at the trot before shutting Andre down, and I'm usually getting more than one before I shut him down. And I'm keeping it much better and for much longer than yesterday - progress. It's great to be able to do this repeatedly so many days in a row! Another late night (my lunge lesson was at 6) but at least tonight I am able to get dinner at the restaurant before it closes.

This morning, I hand-graze Galahad instead of watching the early riding. Turn-out is limited here; he has had about an hour in the round pen each day but otherwise when he's not working, he's in his stall. The round pen is already in use, so we graze down the pathway between the pregnant mares and the young studs. They all came up to the fence to greet us, but Galahad is more interested in the grass. By the time we wander back up and around the barn, the round pen is free, so I put him in it for a bit.

Our lesson today starts with work in-hand in the cavesson and side reins. This one is also going to take some coordination on my part. I need to go with him, not block him with my hand, but still have a connection so I can half halt him for the transitions. Thomas comes along behind with his lunge whip again, which helps with the impulsion. Then Thomas does some work himself with Gal while I watch, as he says Galahad needs to be quicker in his response to the whip. It is interesting to watch them work. Thomas knows just when to push and when to reward, and when to wait and allow the horse to figure it out. Similar to the natural horsemanship clinics Gal and I have been to: the people who do it all the time make it look easy, but when you try it yourself, you realize that timing is everything. Gal has such a good work ethic; I can tell he is confused at times, but he keeps trying, and Thomas rewards liberally. Then I get on, once again mounting a nicely warmed-up horse. (Note to self: I need to get some new equipment -- cavesson, side reins, lunge line -- so I can do this ground work at home.)

We start work today on a square, or rectangle, at one end of the arena - from the E-B line to the end -- because Shana is starting a young mare in the other end. Today is their first ride! Even though Shana has a helper, the mare still does not always go where they want her to, and we often have to stop our exercises to wait for her to figure things out and move to 'her' end again. Today (and every day, actually), we start simply - by riding the square at the walk, to help show Galahad the work area. Then we build on that. First we add 10-meter voltes in each corner. Then we add shoulder-in, haunches-in, counter shoulder-in, and renvers on each side, mixing it up. Then we add leg yield away from the wall, change the bend, and leg yield back to the wall on each side. Then leg yield away from the wall and half pass back; half pass away from the wall, leg yield back; half pass out, change the bend, half pass back; half pass out, go straight to the wall and change direction -- and we're still doing voltes in each corner! We are interrupted occasionally by Shana and the young horse. Then we move it up to the trot, and then canter, continuing to look out for the young horse! Then at the canter, half pass from the end (A/C) to the wall (E/B), push the haunches over before the wall, and -- the young horse having left the arena --continue down the rail in counter canter in renvers. Galahad finds this really hard when on the left lead, probably because I still have trouble keeping weight in the left leg and using it. So Thomas introduces a little exercise to help Gal's canter - in the middle of the half pass left, halt, full pass off the left leg a few steps, rein back a few steps, full pass off the right leg a few steps, and forward a few steps. Then pick up the canter again. Ah, much better. Enough for today. Time to get some lunch and clean my tack before the afternoon sessions start.

I watch Thomas and Shana ride, and watch a couple of lunge lessons. Then Shana and I spend a half hour on exercises off the horse before the mounted work. We choose a patch of grass outside, and have an audience of 5 pregnant mares while we work. We go through several exercises to stretch the muscles around hips, and a couple to open the upper body. They are killers. I need to add some of these to my regular routine!

Then I get on my new partner Demi, a Lipizzan mare, for the remainder of the hour. We never get out of the walk today. We work on keeping my pelvis in neutral - I keep tipping it forward - and on my not leaning forward, and hugging the horse with my calves, and controlling the horses speed with my seat - she is very sensitive! Another long day. Thomas and Shana are still working horses when I leave.

Today is the birthday of Averie, one of the working students. And Tribecca foaled last night -- a cute, strong little filly. The working students found her foaling in the mare pen when they were doing morning feeding. (She was still in the mare pen, as she hadn't shown any signs yesterday of foaling overnight.) And one of the other mares is trying to steal the baby! So they quickly move the other pregnant mares to the back acreage, move Tribecca and her filly to the foaling stall, then go catch the other mares and bring them back to their pen.

After all the excitement, the young horse session goes on as planned. The young horse school is interesting, and probably much like the young horse sessions at the Spanish Riding School. They start out with everybody lunging, then some did ground work while some mounted up. Lisa's horse is not as explosive as he was on Monday, at least not yet. Lisa works in-hand, leg yielding from the quarterline to the rail. This gives me an opportunity to see someone else do this work. Thomas coaches Ellen, another student, on counter shoulder-in, then they both come down the rail together in counter shoulder-in; this reminds me of pictures I have seen of the Spanish Riding School, with the gray horses lined up in shoulder-in. Thomas discusses rotating the pelvis when turning - something I need to think about, too. Thomas has everyone alternating straight lines with circles, moving their work all around the arena. It is good for the young horses to have to concentrate on their work with all the other horses around. Then they do follow-the-leader (I'm sure that is not the technical term), where they all follow each other in a line separated by two horse lengths. (As Thomas explains it, you should be able to see the fetlocks of the horse in front of you). This teaches the young horses to regulate their pace; in most cases, this means moving out more, as they all have to keep moving at the same pace as the lead horse. Thomas leads them on circles and serpentines and diagonals and shallow loops - all the basic Training Level and First Level geometry, but only at the trot. Just when I've decided that Thomas' horse looks like a wonderful ride, she stops, wheels around and won't go forward. That's the end of the single file work. The others quit for the day while Thomas continues with the mare until she is submissive and obedient again.

Then it's time for my lesson. Thomas says we will skip the in hand work today, to give Galahad a little break. Also, I have asked Sara Stafford, one of the working students who is also a photographer, to shoot some pictures of our lesson this morning (see the photo accompanying this article). We start with a 20-meter circle between E and B, once again starting simply and adding to it. First at the walk, then trot, then canter, we do shoulder-in on the circle for half the circle, then halt and do a walking turn on the forehand off the other leg to change direction. Go one quarter circle the other way, and repeat the walking turn on the forehand to change direction. So we keep moving around the circle, always changing direction at a different place. At the canter, things are happening pretty quickly! Galahad is showing more jump in his canter these days.

Next, we go back to the square we were on yesterday with a new twist - enlarge into the corners, then immediately after the corner, leg yield off the rail a few steps. Again, start in the walk, then go to trot, and canter. It's tricky at the canter to enlarge and then leg yield and keep the horse straight and soft and ... argh! Then add half pass from the center line to the corner and at the end really push the haunches over and enlarge into the corner. Galahad likes to leave his haunches behind as he gets to the rail, so I really have to insist that he move them over. Galahad's half pass to the right isn't very good today - he doesn't want to sit on the right hind and cross over with the left, so we work on that for awhile. On the quarter lines, we stop and execute some full pass left and reinback alternating, again suppling those hips; at X we halt and perform a full walking turn on the forehand off the left leg. Galahad's half pass gets better after each exercise. Maybe that's because I'm getting better, too - it seems like Thomas is not having to remind me quite so often to frame the right shoulder (don't let it fall out) and move the haunches in the turn on the forehand!

Then we work a little on half steps. Thomas has me full-pass Gal a few steps off the rail and reinback a few steps and move back to the rail, to keep changing his balance, while he encourages more activity behind with the whip. Gal is doing mini-levades and jumping around and it's a good thing Thomas is back there saying, "It's all good," with a smile in his voice; he says Gal is just trying to find his balance. I'm reminded again (and again!) to be soft in my seat and hips and hands and to not block him. Thomas said Gal showed a few good steps, though I wouldn't know it from where I'm sitting. We let Gal walk and think about things and then we repeat a couple of times and call it a day - WOW! Afterwards, I graze Galahad for a while out under the trees; it is not so hot today, and is very peaceful sitting on the grass, watching the mares and foals and listening to Galahad munch.

This afternoon, there is another quadrille practice. They are short a horse and rider, so I am invited to join them. Of course I accept! The only question is, which horse to ride - Galahad, or Ambrosia, who I was going to ride in a lunge lesson. I decide that Galahad will probably be stressed, and therefore reactive, at working in such close proximity to so many new horses, whereas Ambrosia has done this before and knows these horses. And everybody says she is easy and fun. So I opt for Ambrosia. (Sorry, Gal, but you already worked hard today.) It was fun, but demanding. First was dealing with five other riders in the warm-up. You would think, no big deal, there are often more than five horses in the warm-up at a show. But this is a little different. Everybody is using a lot of full pass and the other suppling exercises which I've been learning all week, not just circles and straight lines. So just when you think you have your pattern figured out, someone stops and does a full pass or some other lateral move. And I know Thomas likes us to ride precise figures, so I'm trying to do my voltes at the 10-meter marks, and otherwise be precise, turning at the letters and such. And almost running into people a few times! Fortunately, Ambrosia is very tolerant.

Once we start work, Thomas walks us through the pattern a couple of times, then we pick up the trot. If you've never done quadrille work or drill team work, you don't know how hard it is to keep your horse in perfect line with the others, for six horses to make voltes that are all the same size and end at the same time, to ride perfectly down the long side across from your partner so that you arrive at A/C together, and to have to be the 'hurry up' or 'slow down' person when you change from a single line to pairs or triplets. Luckily, I did some drill team work in high school so I have a fair idea of what is coming. However, Thomas also wants everyone to keep their horses up and engaged and on the bit - this is not just 'get through the pattern,' this is 'ride correct dressage as a team.' I get yelled at a few times to speed up or slow down or close up the gap or 'get her off her forehand!,' but all in all, I have a blast.

After we have put the horses up for the night, there's a birthday party for Averie with pizza and cake; this is a really fun and social group to be with. Afterwards, Shana and Thomas move last night's baby and mom out of the foaling stall and into the pasture, as another mare looks like she might need the foaling stall tonight. Thomas teaches one more lesson, but the rest of us call it a night. At least I've had dinner, so I don't have to find an open restaurant at this hour.

This is my last "Gifted" day. I get to the barn in time to put Galahad out in the round pen and watch the young horse school. Today is more of a mixture. Thomas and Shana are on young horses; the others are not so young, but they all benefit from the group experience. As usual, Thomas is coaching while he rides. Thomas' mare Millennia has some naughty moments this morning, stopping and wheeling and causing the other horses to be very backed off when they do their single file work.

Time to get ready for my last lesson. I ask Thomas to audio-record my lesson today, so I'll be sure to capture everything he says. I'm beginning to get information overload! We start with the work in-hand with surcingle, cavesson, side reins and lunge line. Thomas generates the energy from behind with the lunge whip, while I'm in charge of not letting Galahad run off and keeping him straight. Thomas is trying to get Gal to come more under behind and more up in front, to activate that lazy right hind and be 'hotter' to the aids. And it works. By the time we've gone around both directions, doing walk-halt-walk transitions, Galahad's up transitions are quicker and he is stopping with both hind feet up under him. Thomas cautions that this work is much easier with two people and I likely will not be successful at it by myself; also, it requires a straight wall, which I do not have at my arena, so this is not an exercise I can repeat at home. However I can do the suppling exercises in hand - full pass and turns on the forehand - making sure Galahad always crosses in front. (This sounds familiar, from my natural horsemanship training.) And I can work on getting him to be quicker in his response when the whip touches a leg and to bring that lazy hind under and stand on it. If I always insist he bring that leg up, in time it will become a habit. Thomas cautions that while Gal needs to be revved up, we never want to make him scared or defensive; he always has to have a place to go; I need to be careful not to block him in front. It takes tact to know when to push, and when to wait; I need to watch the horse, and be precise with my aids.

Then it's time to mount up. Once again, suppling exercises are the order of the day. We work on a 10M-meter volte exercise where I stop and full pass across the volte. The full pass should define the diameter of the volte, and each volte should be in the same footprints. This is HARD! Although we do this to both sides, this exercise is useful when the horse is falling out - then I should stop and do the full pass. We use figure 8's to move this exercise around the arena.

Next, we practice an exercise where we pick a particular foot to stop into. I half halt on the outside rein, and put slight weight in the outside stirrup when the outside front hits the ground once, twice, and the third time halt. Do a little full pass in and out, then stop into the outside hind; do a walking turn on the forehand to change direction, and repeat the exercise. And make a mental note which legs are easy and which give you the most resistance.

Now, the shoulder-in exercise. Shoulder-in down the rail, halt, full pass (in shoulder-in position) to the quarter line. Continue shoulder-in on the quarter line -- don't lose the haunches, they need to stay on the quarter line! -- and keep the same angle. And keep the same tempo. Halt and reinback in the shoulder-in position, and continue in shoulder-in. So much to remember! In the trot we try a slight variation - shoulder-in, then ride forward on the diagonal to the quarter line, shoulder-in, then forward on the diagonal to the center line, and again to the second quarter line. On this one, Thomas points out that I should be changing my weight (more outside for the shoulder-in, more inside for straight ahead) and Galahad should follow my weight. This is requiring both of us to be more agile.

Next, we do some half pass work; if Gal falls over the inside shoulder, stop and full pass. This is probably the biggest lesson I need to take away from this week - if the horse is not in balance, if he is leaning, pulling, or otherwise not correct, stop the exercise, do some suppling exercises, then continue with what you were doing. Onward with half pass. After half pass right from the corner to X, Thomas calls for a 10-meter circle left. Of course I go right ? Thomas explains that the circle left will continue to engage the same hind leg as he was engaging for the half pass - oh! Got it.

Another exercise is to half pass from X to the corner in trot, do a 10-meter circle in the corner and pick up the canter, staying on the circle. The circle requires that Gal sit down and balance himself and does not give the canter a chance to become flat.

Then we move to a 10-meter circle to the right at canter between B and X. Thomas pops directions at me so quickly I don't really have time to think, I just 'do' - shift weight to the right, enlarge from left leg to get left bend, think haunches-in, and ask for a change. OH! Another exercise for the flying changes. We go off for a few more exercises, then come back and repeat this one for a change the other way. And call it good for the day and the week.

Today I have another opportunity to ride in the quadrille, again on Ambrosia, which unfortunately means no lunge lesson. But the quadrille work is a good learning experience in itself. Today I think I do a little better at generating energy and keeping Ambrosia more up and connected; at lease Thomas does not comment on it as often. And with only four horses, we are a little more successful at performing our movements in unison.

Normally, there is a theory session after the Thursday quadrille practice, and tonight I am invited. But there is no theory tonight, only social time. A nice way to end the week.

I load up Galahad and go visit friends who live nearby. We spend a couple of hours trail riding on the high prairie, which is a great break for both Gal and me after our week of intense work. We return home on Saturday.

I thank Carol Lavell for setting up the Gifted Fund for amateur riders. I thank the Dressage Foundation for this opportunity to 'get away from it all' and just concentrate on my horse. It was a week I will always remember. I would encourage all amateurs to consider applying for a Gifted Grant; it is there for you. You might be pleasantly surprised, as I was, to be "Gifted"!

Gifted Fund Application

Applications for the 2012 Carol Lavell Gifted Fund, for training in 2013 are due in The Dressage Foundation office on or before September 15, 2012.
Application

Information - Read before completing application!