Tag Archives: Horse Training

*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage, Equinium Sports Mktg., Training/Clinics

Hadrian Interagro and Tyra Vernon Featured in Kyra Kyrklund Masterclass

Hadrian Interagro and Tyra Vernon (Photo by Carmen Franco)

Loxahatchee, FL (March 15, 2023) – Some of the best examples of the modern competitive Lusitano horse were on display during February’s 2023 US Lusitano Conference, held this February at May Faire Oaks in Loxahatchee. On day two, attendees and riders enjoyed a targeted day of dressage training with one of the legends of the sport, Kyra Kyrklund, who covered topics from neck position, steadiness of connection, quiet hands and legs, and body control. One of the Grand Prix level exhibitors was Tyra Vernon and the grey Lusitano gelding, Hadrian Interagro, and with Ms. Kyrklund’s guidance demonstrated the power of weight, body control, and how the rider must use her body effectively to control the impulsion and balance of the horse at the higher-level movements.

Carmen “Queca” Franco of Q-Equestrian was on the ground at the Conference, and gives a detailed account of Hadrian Interagro and Tyra Vernon’s ride:

“With this wonderful combination, Kyra worked the execution of the [canter] zig-zag [a movement required in the Grand Prix]: In the change, he looks into the new direction.

“We were able to learn also some very helpful tips to improve the piaffe and passage, like using turn on the forehand at the piaffe with a small flexion to the outside and produce very small steps to improve engagement. For the passage Tyra was asked to do rising trot, go slower, push the hindlegs out, then make the horse straight, find short steps. If you lose the hindleg, push them out.

“Kyra used this explanation: if you want to bounce a beach ball, you variate how quick your hand meets the ball, but your hand needs to be flexible for the ball to bounce. [The] same happens with the back of the horse: the rider needs to know how to maintain control of his own energy to move up and down. ‘Your weight is the one thing that’s influencing the horse all the time.’

While stressing that the rider needs to be patient training horses, she also said: ‘Don’t go on and on practicing a movement; at some point in a dressage test it has to happen the first time you ask.’

I wish I could put in writing every single word and phrase Kyra said, but I’m happy I can share here some of my notes. Her approach is always interesting as she has a wonderful way to break down the movements, for both horses and riders, to improve their performances. All that added to very entertaining stories and funny jokes. Absolutely inspiring in so many ways!”

Carmen Franco’s excerpt on Hadrian Interagro is part of a larger article written for EuroDressage.com on the US Lusitano Conference. Read the full article by clicking here.

Hadrian Interagro was bred by Interagro Lusitanos of Brazil before being sold as a young horse to Tyra Vernon’s BREC Dressage in Ocala, Florida. By FEI Dressage Champion Baldor Interagro, Hadrian Interagro embodies much of the athleticism, trainability, and rideability that have been the staples of Interagro’s breeding program for more than 4 decades.

For more information on Interagro Lusitanos, Interagro’s horses for sale, or the Lusitano bloodlines, visit Interagro’s website at www.lusitano-interagro.com.

Media contact:
Equinium Sports Marketing, LLC
Holly Johnson
holly@equinium.com
www.equinium.com

Dressage, Training/Clinics

Carl Hester’s Dressage Challenge Is LIVE in Ridely Right Now

Are you ready to take on the challenge? This is a fun new way of learning and improving your riding.

The Carl Hester Dressage Challenge

Together with Carl, we have made a series of challenges that target specific areas of training to help you squeeze a few more marks out of your dressage tests. Each challenge will focus on a different set of movements, and you will find a few brand new videos with Carl as well as a step by step guide to help you improve the specific movement.

Prize for best improvement

During each challenge we want to see your progress, so we encourage you to share your before and after videos, where the best improvement will win an exciting prize. Each challenge will run for 4 weeks before the next one launches — make sure those notifications are on.

Challenge #1: Halts and Centre Lines

They’re in every single dressage test, so why not aim to get a 10? In this first challenge, Carl gives you his tips for getting the perfect centre line and halt. It’s live right now so you can head into the app to begin.

In this first challenge, the best improvement will win a brand new LeMieux x Ridely saddle pad, signed by Carl Hester himself. Don’t miss out on the chance to improve your test scores AND win a signed saddle pad — everyone’s a winner.

teamridely@ridely.com

Training/Clinics

London International Horse Show Riding Academy Returns for 2021

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The London International Horse Show, set to take place at ExCeL London from 16 to 20 December, together with The Ebony Horse Club, has facilitated the return of the ‘London International Horse Show Riding Academy’. The Academy, which was initiated in 2019, aims to introduce disadvantaged children to the wide range of career opportunities within the equestrian industry.

12 teenagers from The Ebony Horse Club, aged 13-18, attended the event and gained invaluable experience. Attendees had the opportunity to meet top riders and equestrian officials, learn and engage, and receive advice and guidance on possible career paths. For many, the highlight of the day was a riding lesson from top, young international Show Jumping rider Jack Whitaker, the latest star from the Whitaker family dynasty. Students were also given the opportunity to spend time with multiple dressage Paralympic champion Natasha Baker MBE and learn about her journey and successes, as well as viewing her many Olympic medals.

Participants also benefited from an informative talk from BEF Head of Communications, Winnie Murphy, who spoke about the various career opportunities within equestrianism, beyond riding, and the pathways available to kick-start their chosen vocations.

The London International Horse Show recognises the importance of supporting and reaching out to the less privileged local communities to inspire and advise children of how to further their passion of equestrianism. The 2021 event had mental health as a central theme, both keeping in the best state for competition and the role that horses can play in improving a person’s mental health. The London International Horse Show along with The Ebony Horse Club strongly believe in importance of horses in improving communication, empathy, and adaptability.

Speaking during the event, Whitaker said: “It’s been great to be involved in today’s event. I’ve never been to this part of London before, and to see such a great charity in the heart of the City and see the opportunities they provide young people is amazing. It’s brilliant that The London International Horse Show has brought everyone together and used their platform to support the local community in this way. The Show always goes above and beyond and I have really enjoyed it and learnt a lot myself too.”

Baker MBE added: “It’s great to be here at the Ebony Horse Club and be a part of The London International Horse Show Riding Academy. I’ve been here to talk about my story and my experiences and hopefully educate and inspire the kids that are here today to learn more about equestrian sport.”

Show Director, Simon Brooks-Ward, said: “The London International Horse Show Riding Academy is so important to us. With this initiative we hope to widen accessibility and participation to the equestrian industry to those individuals and communities who have more barriers to the sport. The Academy enables a platform in which children can learn about how create a career within the industry and we hope the children were inspired from the day.”

Following the activity, Amel, a member of The Ebony Horse Club, added: “I had the best time at the London International Horse Show Riding Academy. I loved having a lesson with Jack, he gave lots of useful advice on how to improve my riding. It was so inspiring meeting Natasha, and seeing her medals was amazing and I really learnt a lot from Winnie! I can’t wait to go to The London International Horse Show this Christmas!”

More information about The London International Horse Show, including how to buy tickets, can be found here.

For more information, please contact:
Gayle Jenkins / rEvolution / gjenkins@revolutionworld.com

Dressage, Training/Clinics

Kati Dagge to Campaign Zen Elite Equestrian Center’s New Grand Prix Import

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Kati Dagge riding Sai Baba Plus. (Joanna Jodko Photography)

Southwest Ranches, FL (July 2,2021) — Grand Prix dressage rider and trainer Kati Dagge is excited about the talented new horse she will be campaigning as part of her association with an idyllic equestrian center. The USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold medalist scored the ride on Sai Baba Plus (Sir Donnerhall – Daylight, De Niro), a 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding, also known as “Rolex,” owned by Heidi Humphries. Humphries owns Zen Elite Equestrian Center in Southwest Ranches near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where Dagge is the head dressage trainer.

“She’s really good with the horses,” Humphries said of the 2014 Young Adult Brentina Cup Champion. “She’s really gentle with them and I like her style of riding. Every horse she gets on seems to respond to her. She’s more than a trainer; she truly cares about every horse.”

Dagge and Rolex are just getting acquainted, so the “Rollout for Rolex” is yet to be determined, but Humphries thinks their competition debut in the Large Tour in the Florida isn’t too far off. “They’re just getting to know each other, but they’re already clicking very well,” she said.

Endel Ots, who will be collaborating with Dagge as her coach on Rolex’s training, found the talented Grand Prix horse for Humphries with Kati in mind. Rolex was competing internationally in Europe and Humphries thought he was the perfect horse for Dagge to ride and represent the Zen Elite Equestrian Center.  Earlier in the year, Humphries purchased the young KWPN approved stallion King’s Pleasure (Dark Pleasure x Johnson) for Ots to develop through the levels. “Endel has an amazing eye for selecting horses. He found King’s Pleasure and now Sai Baba Plus. I am thrilled with both these horses,” Humphries shared. Dagge and Ots have known each other for about 10 years, and he has coached her on other horses she has brought up through the levels.  “Kati is young, ambitious, and a very talented rider. I am thrilled to have her as lead dressage trainer at Zen Elite. I am so excited to watch Kati and Rolex in the show arena. I truly believe this dynamic duo will be a winning team,” added Humphries.

Dagge, who grew up in a horse-loving family, knows she hit the horse jackpot with Rolex.  “I’m super thankful to Heidi for the opportunity to ride such an amazing horse and for the trust she has in me to be the one to represent the farm,” she said. “She’s got an incredible vision for what she’s doing there. I really think we’re going to have one of the top facilities.” From a huge covered arena to dry and wet treadmills to cold water therapy and an air-conditioned barn, Humphries has thought of everything to make the equestrian center first rate. “She’s an avid horse and animal lover with an amazing vision for the sport,” Dagge continued. “I’m so thankful that I’m part of it.”

Humphries’ goal when creating the facility was to develop a world-class sport horse center with the feel of a spa featuring amazing trainers and fantastic horses. She noted there are several first-class facilities in Wellington and Ocala, but there are horse enthusiasts, ambitious riders, and their equine partners in Dade and Broward county as well.  “Why should they have to drive an hour or two to Palm Beach when they can have it here in Broward County?” she said. “We want our boarders to think of Zen as their home away from home or a vacation close to home, a place where they can shoot for the stars with their amazing horses and learn from top-quality trainers at a state-of-the-art facility.” With a 20,000 sq. ft. insulated covered arena, two huge outdoor arenas, and a full rehab/spa/gym for equines and humans, Zen Elite Equestrian Center is poised to be the premier boarding and training center in the area.

For more information, email zenelite6200@gmail.com or find Zen Elite Equestrian Center on Facebook at www.facebook.com/zenelite6200 on in Instagram @zeneliteequestriancenter.

Show Jumping, Training/Clinics

Olympic Medalist Anne Kursinski Brings Riders Back to Basics at Rutledge Farm Sessions

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Photo: Paige Cade.

Middleburg, Va. – Nov. 23, 2020 – To close out the 2020 season, Rutledge Farm welcomed Olympic medalist Anne Kursinski Saturday, Nov. 21 to host an exclusive one-day clinic as a part of the Rutledge Farm Sessions clinic series. Kursinski brought decades of experience with her, including five Olympic show jumping campaigns that earned her two team silver medals. Welcoming riders from all skill levels to the picturesque property in Middleburg, Virginia, Kursinski brought riders back to the basics on the flat and over fences, including dropping their stirrups, mastering the automatic release and building a stronger awareness of how they work with their horses.

Kursinski commented, “I have been teaching for a long time, so it is about quickly finding the riders’ weaknesses to give them some tools and exercises that can help with their awareness. I think that is so important. In our short amount of time, my goal is to get them to try to change something or improve something and it’s rewarding when they feel more confident afterwards by having a few new tools to take home.”

Four groups and a total of 18 riders traveled to Rutledge Farm to learn from Kursinski’s vast experience. In the spirit of “No Stirrup November,” Kursinski asked riders to drop their stirrups on the flat in order to build a strong foundation for the exercises to follow. Riders were also asked to knot their reins for a portion of the flatwork, a tool Kursinski utilizes to build awareness and encourage quick corrections. Over fences, riders practiced with driving reins and an automatic release to learn body control and work in sync with their horses.

Amber Ide commented on her experience, saying, “I’ve only owned my horse for one week, but I feel like a lot of the exercises we did, like halting and having them listen on the back side, really helped me get to know him better. It’s a really awesome opportunity to ride with Anne Kursinski, and this facility is gorgeous. There is so much land, the footing is great, the jumps are great, and it’s really an awesome facility to have a clinic like this.”

“Rutledge Farm is a fabulous, beautiful facility,” Kursinski added. “And of course, Aleco [Bravo-Greenberg] is so enthusiastic in wanting to share the education with people and that is wonderful in our business to have somebody like that. It’s fabulous to help riders become better horsemen and to be better for the horses. To me education is about the riders, but it is really about how the riders are improving with their horses and making their lives better.”

For more information about the Rutledge Farm Sessions, click here.

Competitions, Dressage, Hunter/Equitation, Pony, Royal Windsor Horse Show, Show Jumping, Training/Clinics

Livestream Timetable Announced for Three Days of Virtual Windsor Autumn Series

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Organisers of CHI Royal Windsor Horse Show are excited to announce the packed official programme for the Virtual Windsor Autumn Series 2020 Show!

The Virtual Show takes place via a daily streamed video from 25-27 September, starting at 1pm every day. Available worldwide via Facebook, YouTube, and the Virtual Windsor website, the Show will comprise the judging of the online Showing classes, plus The Omega Equine Pony Club Dressage Home International, The Riding for the Disabled Association Dressage Challenge, supported by Players of People’s Postcode Lottery and Wychanger, and The Omega Equine Equitation Jumping alongside regular Shopping Fixes, Horse Wellness, and an exclusive masterclass from international showjumper William Whitaker.

William Whitaker Brings Top Coaching to a Screen near You

Virtual Windsor teamed up with a loyal and hugely successful Windsor stalwart, William Whitaker, to deliver three fantastic Masterclasses covering a range of exercises which can be adopted by everyone.

The three sessions, which will be aired one per day on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of Virtual Windsor, cover top tips on everything from walking a course, identifying and adjusting striding and lines, flatwork and polework exercises, and a range of improving exercises to suit different horses.

In the first, William talks viewers through his techniques for riding lines between fences and says, “I didn’t get them right every time, but then explained where I’d gone wrong and did it right. I think that’s good for people to see as they only usually see the end product – the 80 seconds in the ring – and think that’s how it is all the time but it’s not at all!”

For the third Masterclass, William did some gridwork with a seven-year-old who can rush his fences, and adapted some of the exercises for his eight-year-old daughter Bella and her pony, proving that you do not need to be jumping 1m40 to practice. He ended his Masterclasses with some wise words to remember in the lead up to any event be it Virtual or ‘real’: “Build up steadily so your horse knows exactly what’s being asked.”

Livestream Schedule for Autumn Series

With three days of international competition across three disciplines, the Virtual Windsor Autumn Series is gearing up for an exciting weekend.

Commentators Nick Brooks-Ward and Adam Cromarty lead the action, interviewing judges, competitors, and viewers to bring a whole show’s worth of competition online.

Far from ‘competition lite’, the format of the show has thrown entries open to riders around the world, bringing the very best of the best together and pitching professionals and amateurs side by side to find some real world champions.

FRIDAY 25 SEPTEMBER

The first day of the Autumn Series kicks off with a superb round of showing classes, with a judging panel headed by Senior Judge Nigel Hollings, accompanied by Julian White, Mark Broadbent, Anne Leaver, and Patricia Pattinson. Nigel and the team cover a strong international entry from Hunters, Hacks, Riding Horses, Cobs, Private Driving supported by the Carriage Association of America, and the return of the Heavy Horse class by popular demand – guest judged by Steve Gregg, Vice President of the Clydesdale Horse Association of Canada.

One of the highlights of the Friday livestream is The Riding for the Disabled Association Dressage Challenge supported by Players of People’s Postcode Lottery and Wychanger. The video dressage competition, which has been encouraging RDA and para riders to #RideUnstoppable through challenges posed by this difficult year, is won by the rider with the highest percentage score across eleven sections available. Judged by John Robinson, one of only three British para judges qualified to judge at 5* level, the class has been an opportunity for riders to get back to competition – with several entries competing in their first ever dressage test at Virtual Windsor!

SCHEDULE

  • Class 1 ‐ Ridden Hunters (Small & Lightweight). Prize kindly provided by Brass Tacks
  • Class 2 ‐ Ridden Hunters (Middleweight & Heavyweight). Prize kindly provided by Latham & Taylor
  • Class 3 ‐ Ridden Hacks
  • Class 4 ‐ Ridden Riding Horse supported by High Weald Horse Hydro. Prize kindly provided by Mojo Europe
  • Class 5 ‐ Ridden Cobs (Lightweight, Heavyweight & Maxi) supported by Horses Inside Out
  • Show Horse Championship
  • Class 6 ‐ Private Driving supported by The Carriage Association of America
  • Class 7 ‐ Heavy Horses & Draught Horses of the World supported by The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Toronto. Prize kindly supplied by Estribos
  • THE RIDING FOR THE DISABLED ASSOCIATION DRESSAGE CHALLENGE supported by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery. Prizes generously provided by Wychanger Equestrian & Country Store
  • Shopping Fix: Fashion & Jewellery
  • Horse Wellness with High Weald Horse Hydro
  • Masterclass Part 1 with William Whitaker

SATURDAY 26 SEPTEMBER

Saturday is a great day for young riders and jumping enthusiasts, with Show Pony, Show Hunter Pony, Plaited Mini Pony, and Working Hunter and Working Hunter Pony classes coming to the fore.

Highlights of Saturday include The Omega Equine Equitation Jumping – an all-new discipline designed with virtual competition in mind, which enables riders to compete in jumping classes from home. Loosely based on Prix Caprilli, entrants film a short test which include three jumps arranged according to a specific stride pattern and then judged on the horse’s way of going and the rider’s skill and technique. The height and style of fence were entirely at the rider’s discretion. Two classes, divided into U16s and Open sections, were hotly contested with entries coming in from Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand.

SCHEDULE

  • Class 9 ‐ The Equisafety Show Pony
  • Class 10 ‐ The Equisafety Intermediate
  • Class 11 ‐ The Equisafety Show Hunter Pony
  • Class 12 ‐ Plaited Mini Pony (Show Pony, Lead Rein, First Ridden, Lead Rein Hunter) Prize kindly provided by Crafty Ponies
  • Pony and Intermediate Championship
  • Class 14 ‐ Working Hunter & Working Show Horse Supported by Mr and Mrs Swallow Prize kindly provided by Finer Equine
  • Class 15 ‐ Working Hunter Pony & M&M Working Hunter Pony Supported by Mr and Mrs Swallow Working Championship
  • THE OMEGA EQUINE U16s EQUITATION JUMPING
  • THE OMEGA EQUINE OPEN EQUITATION JUMPING
  • Shopping Fix: Horse and Rider
  • Horse Wellness with Voltaire Design
  • Masterclass Part 2 with William Whitaker

SUNDAY 27 SEPTEMBER

The Autumn Series reaches a climax on the Sunday with The Omega Equine Pony Club Home International Dressage. A competition usually held at Royal Windsor Horse Show, this time the event has gone virtual – with a new qualification system which threw open Team places. The riders representing each nation have won their spots through getting a top placing in an initial qualifying round, with the highest scores going on to the team.

The Sunday will also feature the highlight of the showing, as Nigel Hollings and his team judge the Side Saddle, Coloured, and ROR classes, before The Voltaire Design Virtual Windsor Supreme Showing Championships take place. It caps a veritable feast of Showing across three days which would not have been possible without the generosity of our Sponsors and donors.

Show Director, Simon Brooks-Ward, commented: “The organising team has done a tremendous job to put on what we believe will be another spectacular Virtual Show Week building on the excitement and fun of the Virtual Show in May.  We hope as many people get involved as possible and continue to enjoy their sport – even if it is from the sofa.”

The free-to-view content will begin at 1pm each day and be available on Facebook, YouTube, and on the Virtual Windsor 2020 website.

SCHEDULE

  • Class 18 ‐ Side Saddle (including Best Costume) Prize kindly provided by Welligogs
  • Class 19A ‐ Coloured Ridden (Plaited Horse or Pony) Prize kindly supplied by Country Frog
  • Class 19B ‐ Coloured Ridden (Traditional & Native Horse or Pony) Prize kindly supplied by Country Frog
  • Class 20A ‐ Coloured In Hand (Traditional & Native Horse or Pony) Prize kindly supplied by Country Frog
  • Class 20B ‐ Coloured In Hand (Plaited Horse or Pony) Prize kindly supplied by Country Frog
  • Coloured Championship
  • Class 22 ‐ The Saracen Horse Feeds RoR Ridden
  • Class 23 ‐ The Saracen Horse Feeds RoR In Hand
  • RoR Championship
  • The Voltaire Design Supreme Championship
  • THE OMEGA EQUINE PONY CLUB HOME INTERNATIONAL DRESSAGE
  • Shopping Fix: Country Lifestyle and Living
  • Horse Wellness with Saracen Horse Feeds
  • Masterclass Part 3 with William Whitaker

Virtual Windsor Autumn Series 2020 can be found at https://virtual.rwhs.co.uk/ — the site will be constantly updated and will remain in place throughout the year.

For more information, please contact:
Nicholas Clarke / rEvolution / nclarke@revolutionworld.com / +44 (0)7423 799 776

Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping, Training/Clinics

M & R Equestrian’s Training Days Return to Jim Brandon in November

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Photo by Jacquie Porcaro Photos.

September 3, 2020 — Wellington, FL’s most unique training opportunity returns to the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center as M & R Equestrian’s 24-week season kicks off Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.

Founded by Olympic veterans Alberto Michan (ISR) and Juan Andrés Rodriguez (GUA), M & R Equestrian’s Training Days, held weekly from November through April, offer riders of all levels an unprecedented opportunity to school over a full course of show quality jumps, set by FEI course designers.

Every Tuesday, three arenas — two jumper rings and an arena with hunter courses — will be available and set at varying heights throughout the day to accommodate horses and riders of all ages and levels. Training Days are a great way to prepare a young horse for its first horse show experience; to create the perfect video for a sales horse; to scout young horses and sale prospects; practice horse show elements like the open water; and to enjoy a relaxing, confidence-building experience at a top quality horse show venue — at an affordable price.

“We are really looking forward to kicking off our second season of Training Days,” Michan said. “We began this journey last year, because we felt it filled a void in our industry, and the response we got was incredible. Some of the top names in our sport became regular participants. We hope even more riders — of all levels — will come take advantage of this unique opportunity in Wellington.”

Among the many exemplary amenities at Jim Brandon is its superior lighting. Training Days will expand to its two-day schedule for 12 weeks beginning January 2021, with Mondays featuring a one-of-a-kind opportunity to school under the lights.

Each entry awards a horse and rider combination two minutes and 30 seconds in the arena, allowing them to jump as many fences or courses as they’d like in that time and providing the perfect horse show dress rehearsal.

“We believe that our Training Days season is the perfect complement to the winter circuit in Wellington,” Rodriguez said. “There are virtually no opportunities to school a horse under the lights before going into the show ring for a major event like a Saturday night grand prix, but Jim Brandon affords us the ability to offer that and so much more. We are very excited to get underway with our season and build upon what we started last year.”

© 2020 Catie Staszak Media, Inc.

Dressage, Training/Clinics

Creating the Channel of Energy, by Ruth Hogan Poulsen Dressage

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Photo: Sue Weakley.

In Program Your Position, a program released in collaboration with Jane Savoie, we use key buzzwords to trigger the brain to become more self-aware while riding. We talk about the energy you create in your horse from your legs, and then how and where to channel or recycle the energy with your seat and reins.

The original Program Your Position drawing (above) shows how your aligned and square torso (head, shoulders, knees, and toes) should aim like laser beams to direct the energy of the horse (isn’t that a song?).

For example, let’s talk about shoulder-in. The shoulder-in is a lateral movement that is the foundation of all lateral work. Shoulder-in is performed on three tracks and has bend and flexion around the inside leg. The shoulders are displaced to the inside over the inside hind leg. The outer shoulder and fore leg should be placed over the inside hind leg to create three tracks. The hind legs in a shoulder-in should maintain their straight forward position along the original path.

OK. So how do we do THAT? Your shoulders and reins control the direction of your horse’s shoulders. Your hips and legs control the hips and hindquarters of the horse.

For this article, we are only going to talk about the rein aids, as I am using the shoulder-in as my example for the “laser” or “butt end of the whip” directions.

Your hands for a shoulder-in to the right:

  • Keep both hands low and equidistant from your body as you move them to the right.
  • Move them to the right enough to place the outside front leg in front of the inside hind leg.
  • Use your inside rein as an opening rein.
  • Bring your outside hand very close to the withers, but never let that hand cross over the withers.

The direction of the butt end of the whip is heading in the same direction as your arm and horse’s energy. So, if your whips are crossed, then there is an X or blocking of energy at that point. If you only point one whip where you want to go, the horse will fall out the other side.

Dressage, Training/Clinics

FEI Joins Forces with Black Horse One and SAP to Create Online Dressage Training Platform

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The FEI has launched the FEI eDressage™ Online platform in partnership with Black Horse One (BHO) and SAP, to provide a unique environment for FEI registered Dressage and Para Dressage athletes to boost their training and development.

FEI registered athletes can upload videos to the FEI eDressage™ Online platform every week for their FEI Dressage tests to be judged anonymously by a pool of FEI 5* level Dressage and Para Dressage judges. In the first phase, a number of videos will be randomly selected and athletes will then be provided with feedback on their performance and given pointers for improvement.

“This new platform is yet another example of the ways in which technology can be introduced into equestrian sport to transform training techniques,” FEI Commercial Director Ralph Straus said.

“Athletes now have the opportunity to have their tests remotely evaluated by a group of top level judges and to receive key insights that could benefit their performances.

“While the current pandemic highlights the value of a platform like this to athlete training when travel and competition restrictions exist, it can also be particularly useful to athletes residing in remote regions of the world, who would otherwise be unable to avail of the international expertise provided through this platform.”

Although the platform has been designed primarily with the horse and athlete in mind, it has the potential to become a valuable source of content for training FEI Officials in close collaboration with the FEI’s online e-learning platform, FEI Campus. The user-generated content would allow the FEI to improve the video material used in training programmes for FEI Dressage and Para Dressage judges.

The FEI eDressage™ Online platform is not the first time software development company Black Horse One, and the market leader in enterprise application software SAP, have come together with the FEI to create unique technological solutions for the sport.

While previous initiatives have been created to enrich the competition experience for live audiences and judges, the FEI eDressage™ Online platform has been specifically created for a non-competitive environment. Tests will not be judged and no rankings will be provided, but performances will be critiqued by an elite group of judges purely for training purposes.

“It is an absolute pleasure for us to launch the FEI eDressage Online platform together with the FEI and SAP, our close partner for many years now,” CEO of Black Horse One Daniel Göhlen said.

“We at Black Horse One provide innovative, high-performance software solutions specialised in equestrian sports and see this new platform as a fantastic technological development to support athletes all over the world, especially during these current uncertain times. The FEI eDressage Online platform is built on the basis of our paperless judging solution eDressage and benefits from several of our other innovations which have been supported by SAP and established by the FEI.”

SAP Director of Strategic Partnerships in Equestrian, Henrike Paetz, also welcomed the initiative. “The launch of the new FEI eDressage Online platform is another milestone in our partnership with the FEI and long-standing cooperation with Black Horse One,” she said.

“Providing a virtual training and feedback environment for international athletes is an innovative way to stay connected and up-to-speed during these challenging times and beyond and reflects our ambition as the Official Analytics Sponsor of the FEI Dressage World Cup series. We are proud to once more help reinvent the athlete experience based on our SAP Cloud Platform technology.”

Previously, the two companies combined their expert knowledge in technology and fan engagement to create the award-winning Spectator Judging® app in 2017.

The app enables audiences at FEI Dressage World Cup™ events to get into the judge’s seat, with audience scores and rankings created in real-time during the competitions and then placed side-by-side with official results on the arena scoreboards. It’s a dynamic way for live audiences to participate more actively in the sporting action provided by the world’s top Dressage athletes and their horses.

A further collaboration between SAP and Black Horse One in 2018 led to the development of the Dressage Paperless Judging software, a system allowing FEI Dressage and Para Dressage competitions to be scored without a scribe having to write down each mark on an FEI Dressage score sheet. The Paperless Judging system was designed to deliver finished and signed scores and comments to athletes immediately after each test, and also maintain fan engagement by reducing the time between the end of a competition and the awards ceremony.

“The beauty of the FEI eDressage Online platform is that it has the potential to grow and develop over time and become something larger than we initially imagined,” FEI Director Information & Sports Technology Gaspard Dufour explained. “For developments like these to really impact a sport, it is necessary that our technological partners understand equestrian and the needs of our stakeholders. Long-term collaborations like ours show that having the time to grow and develop together can impact the industry in a meaningful way.”

Media contacts:

Grania Willis
Director, Communications
grania.willis@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 42

Vanessa Martin Randin
Senior Manager, Media Relations & Communications
vanessa.randin@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 73

Dressage, Training/Clinics

Dressage4Kids Tips, by Lendon Gray

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Here is a simple exercise for everyone as long as you have started asking your horse for simple bends (including those doing Grand Prix).  At all gaits and with no fuss, using an easy inside rein that does NOT go toward the horse’s withers (an indirect rein), can you bend him a little left for four or five strides and then within one stride bend him a little right for four or five strides? He doesn’t turn because your inside leg prevents that. You should be able to do this ANYTIME – walking along the track, doing a leg yield or a half pass, or a canter pirouette. This should be easy and it is NOT wagging the head, but just a simple change of bend of the neck.

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