The Gifted Fund

Laura Serkes

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Our pilgrimage to "dressage camp" with Kathy Connelly began with an eleven hour drive from VA to MA - summer vacation traffic was not a help on our designated route. Thankfully we had Sunday to get settled in and let the horses relax before the lessons began on Monday. My friend, Melissa Palmer, and I headed north with our horses in tow with great anticipation for a week long immersion in dressage fun. I had the good fortune of riding with Kathy in a 2 day clinic in the summer of 2007 and the summer of 2006. It was scary how much she remembered about both Rosenstolz (Rosie) and me. For example, she remembered Rosie had a very good walk and that I had a not so very good habit of flattening my left hand.

Laura Serkes

Our goals for the week of training were:

• Overall - improve Rosie's self carriage and frame - together we�re learning how to move into the FEI world. I�d never ridden above first level before Rosie and Linda Konigsberg (my trainer/friend) came into my life. Rosie and I met when she was a rather exuberant five year old - she is now ten years old and can still be exuberant/have strong opinions but also has a great work ethic and desire to please. Thankfully, I enjoy her strong opinions so we make a good team. Though the basics are all there, thanks to Linda's watchful/knowledgeable/experienced eye, we've been trying to go for more brilliance/expression. We're currently showing Fourth level/Prix St. George and need to accomplish this self-carriage/brilliance thing to truly be ready for the increased expectations of the FEI ranks.
• Specifically - improve the flying changes/tempi changes and improve the trot extensions.

Notable Quotables/Kathy comments from throughout the week:

• Think twice, ride once
• No loitering in the walk
• Take your time
• First thing you should think about is the horses natural rhythm
• Be an equine metronome
• It's small things that make an "S"
• Everyone should be able to get "Ss" on every center line, walk pirouettes and halts (barring a mistake)
• Walk pirouettes - keep same rhythm in pirouette as in walk, keep bend through to the end
• Look at your dressage tests - read every block and judge's comments and think through what you need to do to bring each score up 1 pt.. this is how people get scores in the 70s
• Straightness gets the engagement you need - shoulder fore all the time for their hips to be straight, shoulders should be positioned to the inside through all transitions (up and down)
• They can't be through if they're not straight
• There is one degree of straightness - everything else is some degree of crooked
• I believe in lots of suppling in the walk
• When you turn, the poll shouldn't go lower
• The key to good flying changes is 1) the canter is straight and 2) the canter is through
• Downward transitions - snowflake landings
• Use a quick leg to keep throughness
• You will succeed when the foundation is there
• Do this as if this is your only chance to do this right
• Lift up and sit in - ride forward from your thigh and seat to the contact (especially for flying changes)
• Four parts to the canter pirouettes: 1) preparation for the pirouette (collect three strides), 2) pirouette (3-4 strides for 1/2; pirouette), 3) preparation for the departure (collect three strides), 4) depart pirouette
• Before the flying change - think 3, 2, 1, change
• Body position - keep your elbows down, push your belly button towards your belt buckle

Specific Exercises:

• Halt, immobile and attentive and on the bit (20-30 seconds)
• Walk half pass, halt, walk (shoulder fore), half pass, halt, walk half pass - from the center line
• 360 degree turn on haunches in walk
• Deep slow trot - forward slow, NOT pulled back slow
• Trot, walk a step, trot, walk a step, trot... stay positioned to the inside and bring horses shoulders up
• Trot up center line, ten meter circle left at x, ten meter circle right, trot up center line (maintain the rhythm throughout)
• Ultra collect the trot, walk, ultra collected trot, walk
• Use renvers in trot and canter to get more suspension and power (not too much bend)
• Collecting exercise to improve medium/extended trot - renvers on circle in trot, then medium/extended trot across diagonal or down long side
• Balancing exercise for medium/extended trot - passage type trot through short side and half of diagonal - then medium/extended for second half of diagonal, back to passage type trot through short side
• Lots of 10 meter circles - use inside leg to keep rhythm
• Counter canter on quarter line - renvers
• Counter canter down long side, 10 meter circle, medium canter down long side in counter canter, collect, 10 meter circle, counter canter through short side, same on next long side
• True canter, 10 meter circle with counter bend - stay on outside rein and don�t let haunches fall in
• Ultra collect in canter - up to the bridle, NOT back to the hand
• Canter 6 strides, walk, canter 6 strides, walk - closing the hind legs up to the bridle
• Canter 6 strides, walk, small trot steps, walk, 6 steps canter, walk, small trot steps, walk, 6 steps canter
• 3 loop serpentine in canter - when heading from wall to center line do 10 meter circle (counter bent), flying change or simple change on center line, when heading from wall to center line do 10 meter circle (counter bent), flying change or simple change on center line
• Another flying change exercise: M to E - at M counter bend 10 meter circle right, short diagonal to E, 3-2-1 change at centerline, E to F - at E counter bend 10 meter circle left, short diagonal to F, 3-2-1 change at centerline... stay straight before, during and after the change
• Another flying change exercise: on long diagonal - lets say you start on the right lead, 10 meter circle right (staying counter bent through circle), flying change on diagonal, 10 meter circle left (staying counter bent), flying change on diagonal, 10 meter circle right (staying counter bent) and so on as space allows...

Most of these exercises were meant to help us improve the quality of the gaits and to get Rosie more collected and uphill in her frame - once this was accomplished the movements were all higher quality in their execution.