The Gifted Fund
Joann Messersmith
USDF Region 4
Building Blocks
I was elated when I found out I had been awarded a Gifted Scholarship from The Dressage Foundation,
making it possible to spend 5 days with my instructor. I would have a daily lesson on my own horse, and a second lesson each day where we would lunge, focusing on my seat and independence of the aids. This would be a unique opportunity, as in the area where I live there are not many dressage trainers, most are 3 hours or more away, and typically we only have weekend clinics. My goals were to have the time to improve my own position, and correct my own faults, while continuing to increase our impulsion and collection so we can continue to move toward a solid second level performance. It would be an important building block in my quest to continue to move up the levels.
The winter dragged by, as I was anxious to have this hiatus from the usual demands of a full time job, two school age children, our own horses, and volunteer work running local USDF/USEF licensed dressage & sport horse breeding shows. The last time I had been able to have more than 4 lessons in a week was years ago.
Finally summer was here, and July 23rd I set off to Priestfield West, a barn in Rochester, Minnesota, owned by Katie Minter Dykhouse. Katie is British Horse Society (BHS) certified, and fairly new to the US. We found each other at a show, and I immediately enjoyed the precision that Katie looks for in a ride, from correctness of the gaits, to the correctness of your position and aids as the rider. Claudia is from my area as well, and joined me in taking lessons for the 5 days at Katie’s. After about a 4-hour haul, we arrived, had a bit of time to settle in, and then lessons began.
The first ride on my own horse begins with an assessment of our current situation, as we have not had a clinic together in months. Shy is forward, but not as soft and chewy as we’d like. Katie comments that I am dropping my right shoulder, and contracting my entire right side. As she fixes my position, it actually feels uneven, and she needs to remind me when I become uneven. Obviously, I’ve been sitting like this long enough that it feels “normal.” We recognize that this is the ‘something wrong’ I have been feeling at home, but not able to recognize and fix. Later, walking in a parking lot, Claudia sees that I am walking unevenly, and even standing unevenly; Katie recommends doing some self analysis in front of a mirror, even mimicking the riding position to make sure my shoulders are level when I am not on a horse.
We also note that I am again falling in the habit of my leg not being active enough, and I must develop a more thorough connection from hand to the bit. While Shy is light in the mouth, some of what I feel is simply not enough connection. As we do some canter work, I am reminded that you cannot drive the horse forward with your seat until the horse steps under. Without stepping under, the leg will merely drive the horse down and flat. Leg first!
Feeling like we are starting on a tough note, I realize that we are both most likely not at our best after driving over four hours to get here. We end with a nice walk around the property, getting rinsed down, and a quiet conversation together as we walk out to the paddock that will be his for the duration of our stay. It’s nice to just to walk and talk to Shy, and not have to hustle off to do something else, and we enjoy just being together a bit.
My second lesson Wednesday was a lunge lesson on Katie’s horse Cozy. Immediately we note I’m sitting straighter, but that my hands still sometimes sneak down and back. We focus on influencing the length of the steps using only the seat, no reins. The use of your seat controls not only the rhythm, but also the length of every step. We shorten the steps, and then make them longer again. In the canter lunge line work, we revisit the issue with Shy, concentrating sending the horse forward off your leg before driving with your seat. We review that the hands are soft and giving, light and following, belonging to the mouth; the half halts come through small movements of the wrists and fingers, elbows weighted down, with the shoulders even.
In the evening, I start a lesson journal, noting what we have done and how it felt. Years ago, another instructor had me keep one, and in my busy life now, I have not been keeping lesson notes. As I write, I realize that process is helping me analyze the rides even when not with Katie, and not even on a horse. This is a habit I vow to continue when I’m back to my “normal” life, as it’s very useful.
Thursday Claudia rode over trot poles, and we discuss how cavelletti can get the horse swinging over the back more, more engaged. An excellent tidbit from her lesson was to think of pulsing on the reins like ABS brakes work, on and off.
During my lesson with Shy, we worked to increase the quality of the warm up, getting him looser and swinging more, stretching down, and unlocked at the poll, while still correcting my position. We moved on to doing the exercise of controlling the length of the trot steps through only the seat, no rein. As we assess my position, Katie sent Claudia for a bath towel. The rolled up towel was place under my thighs, and my stirrups were crossed over the horse’s withers. We worked to open my hip and keep me from gripping; there was a dramatic change in my left leg, but it took some time to work on my right side. This is an excellent exercise to review if your seat and leg are truly independent. Shy and I enjoy a nice walk around the farm to end our workout, good bonding time and a chance to reflect.
The towel exercise was a good lead in to my second lunge lesson, where we took a horse that is super reactive to the rider’s position; a slight change in my position created a huge change in the horse. The eye opener of this lesson was that I cannot grab with my hand to any degree when he goes into a driving or overly strong trot, and instead need to sit quiet and steady, making my positing languid, remembering the outside hand and leg contain. As always, we are looking at my position, and I’m reminded not to let my shoulders fall forward, and don’t collapse my right side. Katie mentions that slow exhales during circles can make tension dissipate, and we discuss the Pilates breathing exercises. After my lessons, Kt finds that we can take Pilates and yoga classes the next morning, and signs us up, letting us know that she will join us.
I spend the evening doing some review of the book, “The Balanced Rider,” thinking about the use of my core muscles, and finding a new massager for Shy, knowing he will appreciate a good massage after his hard work.
Friday’s yoga and Pilates classes are enlightening. I later find the breathing exercises in Yoga help dispel tension during my rides. There were also a number of very good stretches that help me find a true straight torso, with my shoulders level, and help me isolate which areas are contracting. I’ve briefly reviewed the book “Pilates for the Dressage Rider” before and found it to be enlightening, and am determined to study this more completely in the near future.
My third lesson on Shy begins on a wonderful note. He is much softer after his massage and delighted to be going out to the arena to work, diving at the bit as I hold the bridle out. He is much more relaxed and has better flexion in the poll today. The repeated themes come up, I still need to stretch up on the right side of my upper body, as my shoulder is dropping; my right hand sometimes is an issue, creeping up; and there is some tension in my neck and jaw, shown when I suck my chin in. I’m reminded to not move my lower leg too far back, only an inch or tow. It’s a very positive lesson, as I feel I’m developing more tools to deal with stiffness.
The lunge lesson was an intense concentration on my position, correcting the things that occur when I am riding. Swinging my head gently side to side, like saying no, unlocks and releases the tension I have in my neck & jaw. Shoulder shrugs and circles, and breathing, helps keep my shoulders back and relaxed, so don’t be afraid to do these things in warm up on your own. Katie urges me to continue to work to unlock my right hip and stretch tall through my upper body by using the yoga stretches.
Saturday was a great ride, feeling like everything fits together and has a purpose. Katie had warm up reminders for us, including to remember that the warm up walk work is a chance to get him softly following the bit, but don’t pick or nag, but make a correction, and if that does not unlock him at the poll, the hands do not need to be fixed, they can move to opening rein or raise the hand but don’t allow the hands to be fixed or stagnant. The walk warm up does not end until the horse is softly following. As we move into more of the lesson, Katie comments, “don’t accept mediocrity.” The ride becomes fluid and soft, and is one of the best I have had on him in months. I can affect his trot from my seat the way we have practiced, without blocking with my hands.
We move into more lateral work, and I’m reminded that the thigh, seat, and knee and calf can slide the horse over, much like the feeling of ice-skating. Our leg yield work improves the quality of the trot; this is one of the first times the leg yield has been correct and connected enough to help improve the quality of the trot work. Our shoulder in has come much more easily to us, and the leg yield has been an intermittent struggle.
We work on lengthening next, and Katie reminds me that your hand should catch the energy of the steps, through a small half halt, and the seat connects to the hind leg, sending it all forward again. I can feel him sitting down better now than I ever have before, and realize it’s due to my improvements. Our now ritual walk has me feeling melancholy that my time away is already so close to being over, and makes me realize why many trainers make large sacrifices to be in Florida for weeks every winter.
The second lesson Saturday was a real treat, a chance to try flying changes on one of Katie’s horses. Katie coaches me to sit BACK, don’t anticipate, and ride with an open chest/shoulders back, and do not allow the horse to push you forward, and don’t lean forward. Again the position is so much more important than the movement, even when challenged or uncertain, ride from the middle and allow the hand to below to the horse.
Sunday I have a lesson on Katie’s horse first, a horse that has competed second named Blaze. We work to make sure I am asking for a clear transition to lengthening or medium, not just developing the medium. This must now be a clear change. Again I’m reminded that the hand catches the energy of the steps, send it forward again with the seat and leg. We also worked on walk-canter-walk, having only two strides of canter. Working to have these canter strides clear, yet have the horse soft and round, Katie gave several excellent comments, including that you should ride this as if you are jumping up a step with both feet in the downward transition, and always have the leg on in any down transition.
My last lesson with Shy is a combination of some of me riding him, and then some of Katie. Katie repeats the adage that I should not accept anything mediocre, rather expect excellence. Instead of allowing the lengthening and mediums to build, work toward a clear transition, and make these transitions often within a gait when schooling. If he does not want to be soft and supple, ask stronger and get a response – do not allow an insufficient reply from the horse. She shows me a clearer picture of what my horse is capable of, and helps Shy understand what we want.
As I take a last walk around Katie’s farm, I cannot help but feel a bit melancholy, and think of the country song lyrics, “You’re going to miss this.” Oh yes, immensely! The week has been a series of building blocks that I know I will look back on and draw from in the coming months and years.
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