Table of contents for Winter 2019 in Practical Horseman

After we finished a photo shoot with Ali Brock (page 88), she showed us photos of our cover boy, Cheraton, from earlier that day (below). Though lying down, he was alert at first. But when she went to put on the halter, he dropped his muzzle to the stall floor. We joked that “the life of a model was just exhausting!” Looking at those photos, I laughed again—horses can be quite comical. With that in mind, the staff is sharing some of our horses’ lighter moments. Dressage Managing Editor Lindsay Paulsen: There isn’t much that scares my 18-year-old mare, Fenna. When I took her down to Florida this year, though, I was nearly late for a lesson because I could not get her past three tiny ponies with their pint-sized…

In this gymnastic, you will position raised rails both before and after two crossrails in an hourglass pattern. The raised rails sit four to five strides out from the crossrails, angled left and right as well as straight ahead so you can vary your path following the gymnastic. The hourglass offers plenty of flexibility—you’re limited only by your imagination. For example, make the two center crossrails a one-stride one day and a bounce another—or use a combination of the two with three crossrails. For optimal results, I incorporate transitions between gaits as part of my gymnastic scheme. Practicing transitions can never be overdone because they help balance your horse and give his stride adjustability. In this exercise, you will ask for numerous transitions and adjustments to enhance your horse’s balance…

1 Overall: This is a very pleasing photo of both horse and rider. Leg/Hip: What I first notice is the rider’s leg has slipped back quite a bit in the air. That’s caused her knee and hip angles to close slightly more than is needed for this size fence, but it’s not bad. It’s a little hard to tell where the stirrup is positioned on her foot because the standard is in the way, but it looks like her toes are turned out a tad too far. Seat: Her seat is a little too far out of the saddle, but I wouldn’t criticize it. Instead, she needs to think about keeping her leg closer to the girth. Release: Her short crest release is pretty good—it’s giving enough for the horse…

When I train students and horses, I focus on clear rider aids, straightness, honest responses to the rider’s leg, adjustability out of the turns, timing and composure under pressure. The following three exercises address all these qualities—and more. They are suitable for riders of any level, from the low amateurs to the grand prix. Exercise 1: The Cavalletti Clock SETUP: Set four low cavalletti or ground poles at the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock positions of a comfortable-sized circle (see diagram, right). I always use striped poles because that helps in finding the center. Don’t worry about the exact distances between the poles. HOW TO RIDE IT: Starting at the walk, ride a circle over the four poles, aiming for the center of each one. Sit lightly, use inside…

Drop into your horse’s back a little more, rather than getting lighter in your seat. Then remember to follow the swing in the upward-stepping phase of the stride. I compare this to dribbling a basketball. To make it bounce higher, you don’t lift your hand higher—that would weaken the bounce. Instead, you press down into the ball a little more firmly with each bounce. Then, you must follow the momentum upward with an allowing hand before pushing down again. Ali Brock grew up in Hawaii, where she was very active in Pony Club, jumped, rode dressage, exercised polo ponies and rode Western. After high school, she moved to the mainland to work with several well-known dressage trainers, including Olympian Sue Blinks. When Sue moved to the West Coast in 2004, Ali…

Keep Your Horse Happy, Healthy and Safe In this issue, pro groom Liv Gude explains how to use coolers effectively (see page 107). For more horse care and health tips, tune in to the Practical Horseman Podcast episode with Liv and check out her web article, “6 Tips to Improve Your Horse’s Health.” PracticalHorsemanMag.com Visit PracticalHorsemanMag.com for exclusive content on training, health, lifestyle, news and competition. Keep up with PRAC on social media! On DressageToday.com For more dressage articles, videos and news, head over to DressageToday.com. Inside a Training Session with Robert Dover In this video with U.S. Olympian and former Technical Advisor for the U.S. Dressage Team, Robert Dover works with Heather Mendiburu riding What Happen, a 16-year-old Hanoverian mare. Robert discusses the four qualities a rider needs to…

A routine I call the “kindergarten exercises” is for horses and riders needing to learn more about rhythmic application and timing of the aids. These exercises translate human thought into a common language both horse and rider can understand: the aids. Although these exercises sound very intellectual, they are really simple. Purpose of the Exercises These exercises will help you teach your horse to respond to your leg and rein aids in an increasingly sophisticated manner. Developmentally, I was taught that there are three steps from basic to advanced for determining the effectiveness of the aids and that the horse learns to respond to the aids in these three steps: 1. relaxation2. obedience3. desired effect In the first step, the horse relaxes from the rhythmic application of his rider’s aids.…

The featured photo shows Raelene Paris competing her 7-year-old Andalusian-cross mare, Pirata, at Training Level. I like the overall harmony between this pair. Pirata is stepping forward from behind and is working in a nice frame that is appropriate for the level. She looks like she is focused, listening to her rider and calm in this horseshow atmosphere. Raelene also appears very focused on the job, sitting upright with her hands and legs in place. When I look closely at her position and at the backline of her upper body, I can see that she has a slightly hollow back, and the hollow curve is not just in her lower back, but also a bit higher at her lower ribs, where the lumbar and the thoracic spine meet. This often…

Fitness is the most important element of an event horse’s career. It’s the best way to prevent injuries and keep him healthy and happy into his later years. Asking a fatigued horse to continue performing can be dangerous, uneducational and discouraging—for both of you. For example, if your horse runs out of steam toward the end of a cross-country course, he’s more likely to make a mistake at one of the remaining questions, putting you both at risk of a fall and/or injury. If you’re at a competition in which the show jumping is the last phase, such as a CCI long-format three-day event, he won’t be able to perform his best in show jumping if he finishes the cross country exhausted. The same holds true for you. In both…

The unique father–son team of Norman, 63, and Nick Dello Joio, 27, is a study in contrasts, a jumping legend partnered with an up-and-coming grand prix rider Trained by U.S. Equestrian Team coach Bertalan de Némethy in the 1970s and ’80s, Norman rode on the gold-medal team at the 1979 Pan American Games aboard Allegro, won the 1983 World Cup Final with I Love You, earned an individual bronze at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics on Irish and represented the U.S. in multiple Nations Cups. His many famous mounts also include Johnny’s Pocket and Glasgow, his 2004 Budweiser American Invitational winner. Since transitioning from competitor to trainer, he has coached many successful riders, including the Mexican team. Nick began taking an active role in the family’s Wembley Farm business, based in…

In the first part of this two-part series, which appeared in the Fall 2019 issue, I clarified the difference between the commonly confused terms “rhythm” and “tempo.” As I explained, rhythm describes the footfalls, or beats, of a gait, while tempo describes the speed of those beats—how slowly or quickly the hooves strike the ground. In the first article, I offered a few tips and exercises for evaluating and improving your rhythm. In this article, I’ll do the same for tempo. ABOUT ALI BROCK Allison (Ali) Brock grew up in Hawaii, where she was very active in Pony Club, jumped, rode dressage, exercised polo ponies and rode Western. After high school, she moved to the mainland to work with several well-known dressage trainers, including Olympian Sue Blinks. When Sue moved to…

The yellow school bus chugs along down the dirt road, followed by puffs of dust that turn a hazy amber in the balmy South Carolina air. Its young occupants press their eager faces into the window glass and mouth hello to the menagerie of animals they see en route to the barn. Hello goats! Hello cows! Hello birds! The bus pulls to a stop in front of the weathered wood stables of Georgetown Equestrian Center, home to Hugs for Horses Therapeutic Riding Program, and the children—ages 3 to 5—clamber out and make their way to the barn. Waiting to mount up, the children chatter with excitement at the prospect of riding their favorite horse—sometimes Sally, sometimes Nestle, sometimes Liam. For some, the name of their favorite “Hugs” horse is one…

I never really wanted an office with a view; I wanted a view for my office. That explains why my window looks out at the Blue Ridge Mountains and why fall is one of my favorite times of the year. By this time I’m a little burned out on competitions, and I’m starting to make plans for the coming year. The leaves are turning, and I’m scheming how to make sure my students win absolutely everything. I know they won’t, but as the song says, “you gotta have a dream,” or “… how you gonna have a dream come true?” I have been thinking about the horses and riders I’ll be working with this year, and it occurred to me some of my riders might need better tools for the…

Dressage enthusiasts wrapped in stadium blankets, clutching hot drinks and notebooks looked on as Germany’s two-time Olympian Dorothee Schneider and her selected horse-and-rider combinations brought the time-tested training system of her homeland to life before their eyes. Schneider was the latest headliner to make the trek overseas to share her wisdom with this eager, engaged audience at the annual New England Dressage Association symposium. Past events have set a high bar, spotlighting clinicians such as Great Britain’s Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin and Fin land’s Kyra Kyrklund. This year at Mount Holyoke Equestrian Center in South Hadley, Massachusetts, was no exception. Schneider opened the event, held in October as the region’s foliage bursted with the amber and crimson hues of autumn, by giving an overview of her approach to training.…

What are your horse’s odds of developing colic or gastric ulcers? The answer may depend in large part on you. “Gut issues are always a threat to horses, but you can take steps to reduce the risk,” says Liara Gonzalez, DVM, PhD, DACVS, an assistant professor focusing on gastroenterology and equine surgery at North Carolina State University. To protect your horse from GI threats, she advises, start by copying nature in what, when and how you feed him. In this article Dr. Gonzalez outlines six steps that will put you on the right path. 1. FEED FORAGE You can meet most of your horse’s nutritional needs with high-fiber forage, like hay and grass. “Forage is the most natural food source for horses,” Dr. Gonzalez says, “and the act of chewing…

Q What is a preventive performance exam, and how do I know if my horse needs one? A Routine preventive examinations are critical to maintain the health and soundness of a performance horse. These exams are similar to regular maintenance appointments for cars—it is a check over the major systems. For your horse, a routine soundness evaluation once or twice a year is a priceless, proactive strategy to keep him feeling his best and will help minimize the chance of lameness and the accompanying downtime. An Overview A preventive performance examination can be an all-encompassing evaluation of your horse, though it can differ from veterinarian to veterinarian. Though there is certainly a focus on evaluating the musculoskeletal system, it is also a great opportunity to review other important aspects of…