Ever wondered what Carl Hester looks for when he’s hunting for his next grand prix star? In his masterclass with Van Olst Horses at the Equerry Bolesworth International Horse Show, Carl reveals six things to have on your list when you’re buying a horse for dressage — whatever the level.

1. Good natural balance and self-carriage

“There’s no point having a horse with a lovely trot and canter if they’re not in good balance,” says Carl, who uses young British grand prix rider Charlotte Fry and the five-year-old Inclusive (pictured above) as an excellent example of natural balance. “The importance of self-carriage applies across the levels — at any given moment you should be able to give and retake the reins and the horse stay on the bridle.”

2. A big walk — but not too big

“When buying a horse for dressage, or eventing, it has to have correct paces. Always buy a horse with a good walk, and avoid horses who ‘pace’ — when the left hindleg and the left front leg both move forward together,” says Carl. “The walk should be the easiest part of a test — it’s the bit you want for free! Look for an overtrack – that’s a good sign — but remember that too huge a walk often means it’s not easy to collect the horse in a good rhythm.”

3. Rhythm — the first scale of training

“You need a good basic working trot; the first thing in the scales of training is rhythm,” Carl points out. “Every step should be the same.”

4. The ‘look at me factor

“Not every horse has presence — that ‘look at me’ factor. Some horses are born with it, some learn to develop it, and some don’t,” says Carl, noting that Charlotte’s next demo ride, the grand prix breeding stallion Everdale, has presence in abundance.

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5. The pace that can rake in the marks

“I’m most interested in a horse’s walk and canter if I’m looking to buy. You want to see a definite moment of suspension,” reveals Carl, who also advises watching how a horse uses his shoulders, and how much he naturally comes off the floor in the canter. “There are so many points to be earned from canter in a grand prix test.”

6. A desire to go forward

“Being forward-thinking is so important and a horse must always have the desire to go forward,” says Carl. “If he doesn’t, it may be that he is not naturally forward-thinking, or that he has been trained using aids that are too strong. You should be able to ride a horse forward with looseness and lightness.”

Don’t miss our full report from Bolesworth in next week’s Horse & Hound, on sale on 21 June.

New Zealand event rider Jesse Campbell moved to the UK in 2009 to train with Mark Todd. At 21, he became the youngest UK-based rider to be selected for the New Zealand eventing squad. Jesse runs his own yard in Marlborough and has competed on Nations Cup and in the Event Rider Masters series.

Training the stars

I was at Kelsall Hill with an experienced horse of mine, Amsterdam II (pictured at a different event), and he had a look at the decent drop they had on the intermediate track, which was purely through lack of recent exposure to this type of fence. I took him home and we spent some time practising drop fences and he’s been fine ever since.

In recent years there haven’t been as many drop fences appearing on courses but, when they do, they can take a horse by surprise. For this reason, it is vital to keep practising drop obstacles between events, even when you are progressing through the levels.

Successfully encouraging your horse to be confident with drop fences is down to preparation. When introducing him to one for the first time, find an inviting, low step and practise it to build up his confidence and gain his trust.

Tackling the issue

1. Start by approaching at a walk on a long rein. Your horse should be straight and in front of your leg. He should stay relaxed and in a rhythm. Once this is established you can progress to larger steps, and approach in faster gaits.

2. Allow your horse to use his neck by slipping your reins so you don’t catch him in the mouth. This will give him the freedom to use himself. If this is something you’re not used to, practise letting the reins run through your fingers and collecting them back up.

3. As you progress to riding drops at canter, make sure your horse is listening, but still in front of your leg. You need to allow him time to take in the drop fence, and going too fast can hinder this. Establishing a strong, rhythmical canter is key.

4. A good rider position will instil confidence in your horse to come off the drop and encourage him to tackle this type of obstacle again. Remember to sit up, keep your shoulders back and your lower leg secure. Always keep your eyes up and don’t look down. This is also vital when you have another fence to jump after the drop — your eyes need to be focused on this. While jumping down, keep your hands wide and soft as this will help you to get the contact back more quickly.

Continued below…

#SundaySchool: the showjumping ‘gym’ with Holly Smith

The international showjumper talks us through this multi-fence workout which she uses with both her younger and more experienced horses

#SundaySchool: Ben Way on improving a horse’s focus and rideability

Riding a grid of fences teaches a horse to land on the right leg and makes the rider aware of

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Consider this…

• Avoid letting your horse launch himself off the top of a drop through lack of confidence, as this can give him a fright and make jumping a related element much harder
• If you ever have an issue with a drop, always go back to walking down an easy drop fence on a long rein. By re-establishing the basics, you can rebuild your horse’s confidence
• Always get your horse’s back and tack checked to rule out a physical issue that may be causing issues with jumping off banks

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Dressage rider Alice Oppenheimer explains how to keep a horse energetic and forward, even when slowing down

Alice rides and trains the successful Headmore horses bred at her family’s stud. She was a member of the 2009 young rider European Championships team, has trained four horses to grand prix and ridden internationally at grand prix level.

Training the stars

During a test, Headmore Davina (pictured, who is currently winning at prix st georges and inter I) used to back off and consequently get behind my leg at the first halt. Now, however, I almost have her too sharp in the warm-up so that, when she goes into the ring, she’s still forward enough even if she does back off a little.

Both rider and horse must think forward when making a downward transition. Keeping impulsion is a vital part of schooling a young horse as it teaches him to bring his hindlegs under himself and lift his shoulders. This will help with balance and is necessary preparation when teaching and training collection.

If you have a horse who tends to slow down before the transition — or even slams on the brakes — try these exercises…

Tackling the issue

1. If your horse anticipates a downward transition as soon as you go from rising trot to sitting, do the preparation but don’t ask for the transition. Instead, activate him and send him forward. Make sure he maintains the impulsion, then ask for walk. You can do the same exercise from canter to trot and canter to walk. This teaches the horse to listen to what you are actually asking for, rather than making the decision for himself.

2. When teaching a young horse the trot-to-walk transition, let him jog for a few steps in the transition. This teaches him to bring his hindquarters underneath him and produce a more forward transition. Gradually reduce the number of jog steps until you don’t need them any more and the transitions are balanced and forward.

3. Ride canter-to-trot transitions on a circle. While asking for the transition, use your inside leg to push him forward and a little sideways. This makes sure you keep your leg on in the transition, so you still ride forwards even though you are going down a gear.

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#SundaySchool: perfecting pirouettes with Rebecca Hughes

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#SundaySchool: ultimate suppleness and engagement with a top dressage rider

Sarah Millis (pictured), an international dressage rider, explains how you can improve the quality and rhythm of the trot by

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Consider this…

• When training, abide by the ethos that every transition must be a good one.
• Ensure you are using your seat to push forward in the transitions rather than pulling back on the reins.
• Ride with enough leg to keep the forward momentum going, even into the halt.
• A dropping poll is a sign that your horse’s hindleg is not coming under enough.

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Showjumper David Simpson shares an exercise to ensure your horse meets a fence on the perfect stride

About David

Showjumper David Simpson has represented Ireland in pony, junior, young rider and senior teams. He is based in West Sussex at DLS Showjumping, which he runs with his wife Louise. In 2016 David won both The Queen’s Cup and the Derby trial at Hickstead, as well as the Oliva Nova grand prix.

Training the stars

I took on the ride of Team 55’s Jenson and have used this exercise to help form a great partnership with him in a short space of time. I find it keeps his stride level and stops him rushing at his fences. It’s made a big difference and he is now being placed in 1.40m and ranking classes.

Tackling the problem

1. Build a vertical fence in the middle of your arena, then place a pole three-and-a-half steps away on each side, and a cavaletti fence 16 steps on from each of these. From either cavaletti to the first pole should be a normal four canter strides, so adjust the distance if you need to. I would start with the vertical in the centre at about 80cm but with very green horses just place a pole on the ground.

2. Ride over the first cavaletti and pole and halt your horse before the vertical, rein him back and give him a pat, then ride away and do the exercise again. Do this so your horse learns to respect your aids and doesn’t charge at what’s in front of him.

3. Once you get the feeling that the horse is waiting for you, carry on down the line and proceed over the vertical and the final cavaletti.

4. Similar to the four strides on your approach, your four strides to the final cavaletti are important, and you need to get the same feeling of control. If you need to, stop and rein back in this section also. After doing this, I let them walk for a moment to catch their breath and take in what you’re telling them.

5. Once you feel completely in control you can make the vertical bigger, or change it to an oxer. I wouldn’t go bigger than 1.30m, as they are working harder than you think.

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#SundaySchool: controlling the canter with Jessica Mendoza

The international showjumper uses a canter-on-a-circle exercise to help develop balance and control, which can be used in the ring

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Consider this…

• Always put your leg on over the pole before the fence, because this trains your horse to put effort into take-off without rushing.
• The most important thing when doing any exercise is to stay relaxed. Horses will make mistakes, so try not to get annoyed, just keep repeating it until they understand what you’re asking them.
• I build this exercise in the centre of the school so it can be done off both reins and in both directions. Horses are stronger on one side, so keep it equal and do it the same amount on both reins.
• Striding is one of the basic elements of showjumping and it is something that a lot of people struggle with. No two horses are the same, but I find this exercise can improve the issue in most situations, and it is very straightforward to do. I use it with all our horses, from the green four-year-olds up to grand prix.

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday.

The international showjumper uses a canter-on-a-circle exercise to help develop balance and control, which can be used in the ring

Aim

I do this canter exercise regularly, with horses of all ages and abilities. The older and more experienced the horse, the more difficult you can make it. With younger horses, it can be quite a demanding exercise as they might not have developed any brakes yet. For a green horse, I might start off with two poles, one at three o’clock and one at nine o’clock, then add in the third and fourth when they are ready.

It’s a good way of teaching the horse to be soft and carry himself, while being responsive to the control you are asking for.

This exercise also helps riders with their ring rhythm, which is important because they go from forwards to backwards strides frequently. It also teaches the rider to see a stride while not overjumping their horse.

Exercise

1. Lay out four poles, one at each quarter of a 20-30m circle. Don’t make the circle too small because you don’t want to make it too difficult for the horse. For young or inexperienced horses, start with one pole at a quarter of the circle and build up to four poles.

2. Next, canter six strides between each pole on the circle. Aim to make the strides between the poles exactly the same, in a consistent rhythm. You want the horse engaged, listening and remaining on the same line. It’s also important that you stay in the centre of each pole and don’t cut across, and that the horse is straight through his body.

3. Then start to change the strides between the poles, so do five between one set and six between the next, so that you are riding five, six, five, six. When asking for longer or shorter strides, you need to be smooth and gradual. For longer strides, use your leg and hand to keep the horse soft, then add a gradual leg aid and allow with the hand. To come back to a working stride, lean back and apply a little pressure with your legs, rather than forcing with the hand.

4. Then ride five strides between each pole, and then six between each pole around the entire circle.

Continued below…

Tips and pitfalls

• Always have a plan in your head of what you’re going to do before you do it.
• If your horse jumps to the left or right over the poles, it will affect the distance to the next pole, so be consistent in where you land after each pole. Having the horse straight means you can set yourself up nicely for the next pole.
• Horses can become disunited, so if this happens bring them back to trot and re-canter.
• Build the exercise up gradually so that your horse learns what you want.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

Take a look at this simple exercise, as explained by dressage rider Amy Stovold, to help improve any horse’s counter-canter

Aim

At least some counter-canter is found in most British Dressage tests from novice level upwards, and is used to demonstrate the horse’s balance, suppleness and straightness while still maintaining the natural quality of the canter.

Counter-canter helps to develop a horse’s canter rhythm, improve his balance and ability to carry the weight behind, and is a great exercise to use before starting flying changes. It is also really good for improving a horse’s suppleness.

Using the correct aids and maintaining a straight, central position in the saddle are very important in the counter- canter to ensure that the horse stays balanced.

I teach a horse counter-canter as soon as his canter is balanced and he is carrying the weight on the hindleg.

For this exercise, the horse should be established in canter and the walk-to-canter transition, and be able to stay balanced in counter-canter.

The exercise

1. Start in canter at M on the left rein and turn down the centre line at C.

2. Start heading towards the three-quarter line in the direction of B before making a shallow loop right. Start with fairly shallow loops so that the horse understands what you are asking of him. You can then build up the difficulty by making the loops steeper until you are riding a serpentine in counter-canter.

3 Counter-canter across the diagonal from B to K, then continue in true, left-rein canter. Your aids should always stay the same throughout counter-canter, so on the left rein, your right leg will be behind the girth and your left leg will be by it. Your outside leg will support and maintain the counter-canter. With a younger horse, you may need to support them a bit more with your outside leg and inside rein. There can be a slight neck bend over the leading leg, particularly with young horses, to help them balance. As the horse progresses, the neck should be as straight as possible. The hindquarters should remain straight so the horse is able to push through from behind efficiently. If there is too much swing in or out from the hindquarters, the horse won’t be able to sit and push as well as if it is straight.

4. You can then change the rein and perform the exercise on the right rein. It’s important to ensure that you perform the same exercises on both reins to keep the horse equal and straight through his body.

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Tips and pitfalls

• Breaking into trot, changing the canter lead and swinging the quarters in or out are all signs that the horse isn’t balanced, so consider a shallower loop or revisiting the exercise when the horse’s balance is more established.
• Always keep the loops shallow to begin with and build up the difficulty gradually as the horse progresses.
• The horse should remain up in the poll and straight through their body in the counter-canter.

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday.

The top event rider’s exercise hones jumping with contained power

Aim

Simple exercises are often the most effective. This one involves building two fences — a vertical and a parallel — on a four- or five- stride (20-24m) related distance, ideally down the centre line of the school. The horse is circled in between the two fences.

Many of the horse’s attributes will be tested, from his suppleness and balance to his ability to bend and maintain a rhythm.

The ultimate aim is to achieve greater engagement, impulsion, control, rhythm and smoothness. The horse learns about patience, cantering in different gears and how to jump with contained power rather than speed. For the rider the exercise is all about sitting still, communicating with clarity and thinking ahead.

Exercise

1. Approach the vertical in “first gear” — a controlled, collected canter. Ride as small a circle as possible — ideally 10-12m — in the same collected canter after the vertical. While riding the circle, the rider must maintain the horse’s balance through the hand. They also need to be active with their leg to get the horse’s hindleg underneath it. Focus too on looking ahead and controlling the horse’s shoulder.

2. On completion of the circle, allow the horse to move up to “third gear” and lengthen his stride. The rider’s hand should move forward and soften to “release the beast” as the horse opens up his frame over the parallel.

3. Reverse the process and jump the spread first — a different exercise requiring more control. Start with an open stride for the parallel. On landing, ride a circle in a collected, balanced canter, with the horse bent around the inside leg. Maintain this pace to the vertical, allowing the fence to come to the horse.

4. If you lack room, build the fences against a wall or the side of the school. This makes the exercise harder in that the rider has to be more proactive in ensuring that the horse lands on the correct lead.

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#SundaySchool: the showjumping ‘gym’ with Holly Smith

The international showjumper talks us through this multi-fence workout which she uses with both her younger and more experienced horses

#SundaySchool: how to improve your horse’s medium trot

Follow grand prix dressage rider Anna Ross’ tips for improving the medium trot in our new regular Sunday evening training

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Tips and pitfalls

• The rider may not always be thinking ahead. It is important to remain proactive throughout to be able to show the horse what to do.
• The horse must be on the aids and listening to the rider or he will be tempted to rush the fences.
• On the circle, the rider needs to keep active with their leg because it is all too easy for the horse to fall into “tranter” (trot/canter). If the horse drops behind the leg, he may stop at the parallel as he comes off the circle.
• If starting the exercise with the parallel, don’t over-ride it or the horse will be unable to perform the circle.
• Resist performing the exercise too often. For a youngster, six times twice a week is probably ideal.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

Follow grand prix dressage rider Anna Ross’ (pictured) tips for improving the medium trot in our new regular Sunday evening training feature

Aim

A good medium trot should be uphill and the hindlegs should come under the body to give impulsion.

For horses’ balance and development, it’s essential for them to learn to take the weight back on to the hindlegs.

This exercise uses the half walk pirouette to balance the horse and encourage him to “sit” and flex his hock joints in preparation for medium trot. This is a 180 ̊ turn in which the horse’s hindlegs lift up and down in a small circle. When your horse is learning, you can make the circle larger and half-pass back to the track if necessary, keeping the bend and the engagement.

Exercise

Step 1. Start on the track of the long side, approaching the corner at either the A or C end. As you go past the marker nearest the corner, collect the walk and keep it active. Start the walk pirouette before you reach the corner.

Step 2. Start the walk pirouette in shoulder-fore position, with your
weight slightly to the inside. Keep your outside leg on just behind the girth and encourage the horse to step forwards and sideways. At the start, think of riding a half-pass, and as the horse turns back towards the track, ride travers.

Step 3. When you get back to the track, move up into rising trot and then ask the horse to lengthen into medium trot, for no more than the length of two markers.

Step 4. Quietly bring the horse back to walk before the corner marker and then repeat the walk pirouette the other way.

Step 5. Repeat several times. If the horse is executing a balanced medium trot, then trot around the short side and try without the pirouette.

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Pitfalls

• In the pirouette, maintain the impulsion so the horse turns with even steps.
• Don’t allow the quarters to drift to the outside — keep the outside leg on and your shoulders following the movement.
• Don’t push the horse out of its rhythm and balance in the medium trot. If he starts to run, bring him back into the walk pirouette.

For more great dressage content, don’t miss the current issue of Horse & Hound magazine, out now (dated 7 February 2019), which features our dressage special

Ruth Edge began her equestrian career in eventing with many wins at the highest level, including the Luhmühlen CCI4* (now five-star) in 2007 with Two Thyme. She has always been passionate about dressage and since 2016 has made this her focus. With her sights firmly set on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she already has six national titles to her name. She is based at the Foston Stud, near Uttoxeter, where she trains competition horses and teaches. Here, the eventer turned dressage rider suggests some easy exercises to help develop your horse’s trot

Training the stars

• I had a dressage horse, Zero, who had a very ordinary trot as a young horse, but I always had the feeling there was a “big trot” in him somewhere. Having developed in strength and suppleness, by the time he was seven he had a medium trot that had so much scope, he felt amazingly powerful and light.
• One horse I evented, Carnaval Prince II, had a “pony trot”, not helped by the fact he was rather nervous in the arena. As he became more confident, he was able to show off his medium trot, producing consistently high-scoring percentages.

For a horse to be able to lengthen his stride, he needs to be engaged, supple, in front of the leg, straight and have a back-to-front connection maintained by being ridden between the hand and the leg.

Not many horses have an amazing trot by nature, so our job is to train them to be the best they can be. Try these exercises…

Tackling the issue

1. Trot in a figure of eight with straight lines across the diagonal, ensuring the trot feels the same on the half-circle and diagonal. Often, the trot loses rhythm and cadence across the diagonal, so keep your leg on as you would on the circle and ensure you are completely straight.

Pick a point across the arena and head straight for it. Ride your horse from both legs into both reins, concentrate on what you are feeling under you and focus on the rhythm and balance of the trot. This will help with his self-carriage and straightness.

2. Ride a 20-metre circle or on the track. Begin in working trot, riding forwards into medium trot then back to working trot over short distances, using the transitions to help with the engagement.

Repeat this several times so he picks up the exercise, then let him have a walk break.

3. If your horse is further on in his training, a good exercise is to go from shoulder-fore (less angle than shoulder-in) into medium trot and back to shoulder-fore. This will help with the engagement in the transitions as well as the medium trot.

Make sure that you ride forwards into the downward transitions, you are straight for the medium trot and that your horse is supple and engaged in the shoulder-fore.

4. The final exercise is to make small tempo changes within the trot. Aim for a transition every 10 strides. They do not have to be big differences within the trot — the feeling that there is more available energy is important.

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Consider this…

• The three most important things that people struggle with in these exercises are lack of engagement, suppleness and straightness.
• Always ride forwards in each exercise, even when you bring your horse back to working trot from medium trot. You should feel he is working through from engaged hindquarters into a consistent contact and is connected between both legs and both reins. His hindleg should directly follow the footprints of the front leg. If you’re crooked in the working trot, the medium is going to be the same.
• When transitioning up into medium trot, sit up — avoid losing the connection by leaning forwards, hoping your horse will come with you.

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine out every Thursday

An eventer hopes to combat nastiness and bullying in the equestrian community by spreading positivity and support in a new online campaign.

East Sussex-based Jake Tarrant, a grassroots eventer who works with rehabilliated horses who have suffered psychological issues, created the ‘Good Sport’ initiative which aims to promote positivity among equestrians by using the hashtags #buddydontbully and #equestriansrethink. Jake started the campaign after seeing a post on a Facebook group that he believes incited bullying against an individual.

“The post was put up by an admin of the group and I thought to myself ‘this is wrong’. These groups are supposed to be forums for people to exchange ideas but they’re run by little groups of people who then dictate the morals and the moral compass of the group,” Jake told H&H.

“I thought it’s time for a different way and came up with the concept of the Good Sport initiative. By using hashtags anyone can search and view them so anybody that feels they would like to share their achievements within the equestrian community online can post what they’ve done on their own page with the hashtag, and like-minded individuals who want to see positivity can then encourage people to develop and improve – rather than tearing them down with negativity.”

Jake, who has suffered with depression and anxiety in the past, said social media has given people a place to say negative things without thinking them through.

“I’ve suffered with mental health problems and through those periods you interpret what people say and react to it in ways you wouldn’t necessarily do when you’re healthy,” he said.

“The internet has put this magical screen between people so people can say what they want. They may not mean it nastily but they don’t think about the consequence of what they’re saying and who they might be saying it to. It’s almost become a game of who can be the most shocking and they get more dramatic and offensive in their replies.”

Jake said he has seen an increase in nastiness and negativity in the equestrian community.

“Someone will achieve something fantastic for them, it might be their own personal success – be it getting back on a horse they’ve not been able to ride for the last six months because they’ve been too scared, or winning Badminton. But there will always be someone that wants to tear them down rather than appreciate it with them,” he said.

“If the equestrian world can have more of a social conscience then it can safeguard itself against negativity and bullying. It’s not always just online – you see it at competitions. Often it comes from insecurities or someone wants to achieve something and they can’t but they see someone else achieve it and rather than say well done, they belittle them and make derogatory remarks because that person has proven it is possible. It’s easier to belittle them than praise them.”

Jake says the Good Sport initiative has received a very positive reaction online and to celebrate the launch they have created a competition with Flying Changes Coaching, Equivation and Maxima Equestrian to reward positivity with prizes.

“Companies and social media influencers have been in touch who want to support it the campaign which is great. I get lots of messages from people who are still too embarrassed to post on social media their little achievements but they might send them to me so they’re sharing it with someone and that’s really uplifting. I’ve organised the competition to get more people sharing positive stories and try to keep the momentum moving forward,” he said.

“On Instagram I am also going to be doing a 30-day positivity challenge with Gracie Tyte, of @Pony_Nuts. Gracie has a big following of kids and teenagers who should be encouraged to be proud of what they’re doing rather than feel that they can’t share it. Online bullying is a huge thing for teenagers, you see it on the news on such a regular basis so we want to try and encourage the younger generation as well as adults.”

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#blowforbradley: Family campaigns to stamp out bullying after teen’s tragic death

The support for the #blowforbradley campaign has grown rapidly across the equestrian world and the general public, with hundreds pledging

‘How my horse helped me beat school bullies’

A film-maker is basing a piece of work on her own experience of beating the bullies

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Jake said people should be able to enjoy their horses without judgement from others.

“Horses are so emotionally draining – we put so much into them; our health, money, time, everything, and we should be able to enjoy them without worrying what people are thinking of us,“ he said.

“I’m not naïve enough to believe that just because somebody gets irritated seeing negativity on the internet and decides they want to try and change it that it will – it’s not as simple as that, but if we put the effort in and it makes a difference to one person or three people, then it’s still worth the effort.”

People interested in the campaign can follow Jake at Little Bentley Eventing on Facebook and by sharing posts on their own pages with the #buddydontbully and #equestriansrethink.

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