Practical Horseman Practical Horseman Extra Volume 4

How does your relationship with your horse on the ground compare to the one you have when you’re in the saddle? The connection between these two is much stronger than many people realize. When we’re riding, we expect our horses to focus on us at all times and respond promptly to our aids. Especially in dressage, we emphasize submission and obedience while also striving for a harmonious partnership with the rider always leading the “dance.” But what we ask of our horses in the saddle makes a lot more sense to them if we have these same expectations and goals on the ground. They learn that there’s one set of rules in every interaction they have with us. As a result, we create a stronger understanding and bond with them.…

Australian Grand Prix rider Nicholas Fyffe began his career competing in international three-day events. After deciding to focus on dressage, he worked intensively with top trainers in Germany. Since then, he has ridden several horses to the Grand Prix level, including the P.R.E. stallion Fiero HGF with whom he won the 2016 Adequan/USDF P.R.E. All Breeds Grand Prix award. Representing his native country, he has ridden on Nations Cup teams in Wellington, Florida, and rode on the gold-medal-winning team at the 2007 Tri Nations Cup in Johannesburg, South Africa. Nicholas is based year-round in Wellington where he and his husband, David Marcus, run a training/sales operation, Marcus Fyffe Dressage. He is a popular clinician known especially for his talent for developing young horses, having qualified many mounts for the World…

What we ask of our horses in the saddle makes more sense to them if we have these same expectations and goals on the ground. They learn that there’s one set of rules in every interaction they have with us. When hand-walking, practice more turns to the right than to the left. This reinforces the idea that your horse must move away from you whenever you ask him to. This instills a respect for your personal space. Your horse must stand patiently until given the cue to walk: the leg aid. Don’t force him to stand still for too long initially, especially if he’s a nervous type. Keep it brief—but not rushed—then gradually build up over time to a point where you can trust him to stand quietly for several…

As owners, trainers and riders we are responsible for all aspects of our horses’ health and welfare, which includes ensuring that they are adequately fit for the work we expect them to do. Fitness allows the horse to perform to the best of his ability and reduces his susceptibility to injury. Conditioning is the process of training the horse to become physically fit by a regimen of exercise, diet and rest. This article focuses on exercise and rest, but remember that the diet should be adjusted according to the horse’s workload and body condition. Fitness and strength improve when a horse performs a sufficient amount of exercise on a regular basis. The sequence of events is that strenuous exercise results in minor tissue damage that is repaired over the next…

■ Introduce the conditioning program gradually with a small amount of exercise ■ Increase the workload in increments on a weekly basis ■ The type and amount of exercise should be appropriate for the athletic goals for the horse ■ Balance challenging workouts with easier days to avoid the development of repetitive strain injuries ■ Perform different types of exercise on successive days ■ Start the conditioning program early enough to reach your conditioning goals at the appropriate time ■ Progress more slowly when rehabilitating the horse from an injury…