Volume 14, Issue 6
www.azdressage.org
June, 2014
Now for Part Two of my Charlotte Dujardin Symposium notes…. By Kim Pribble Happy and Rewards It is very important to have fun! Both the rider and the horse! Don’t just go on and on with the same exercise, day in and day out! DO SOMETHING ELSE! Change it up; preserve him physically and mentally and provide him a happy home life. Variety is important in the work. It is VERY important to reward them when they do something right and not just go on and on and on until they are too tired and unhappy then they get sour. Their reward is the horse gets a long rein and gets to stretch his neck out. She finishes each ride with the horse in rising trot with the horse stretching. The horses are Gymnasts and it is our job to keep them loose and supple. Judy added that it is good to do the harder work earlier on in the session while they are fresh and it isn’t “punishing.” And do lots of stretching in between the work. At shows, Charlotte added that after they do their test, she takes them back into the warm up area to do a cool down of stretching and relaxation work, walk, etc., so they finish on a good note. Then the next time they will come out more relaxed.
Kim and Charlotte
(Kim’s note: The one thing I was most impressed with Charlotte’s training methods, from my point of view, and what to me seemed to be to be the underlying tone or principle of the way they (Carl, Charlotte and Judy) worked and trained their horses was always in a way to take the mental stress out of the work. Not that they didn’t work hard, but all the work was geared towards keeping the horses relaxed mentally…happy athletes!) Spooky or Looky horses Try not to make an issue of it, (whatever is concerning them) try to ignore it. DO NOT GET AFTER THEM ABOUT IT! It will become an issue then if you do. Leg Yield them “into” it. Don’t let them fixate on it. Ride a line that is “acceptable” to the horse and don’t try to ride them right at it; turn them sooner and allow the horse to become acquainted with whatever it is. Overtime, they will trust you. Continued on Page 7
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