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During show season, horses are worked harder and stalled more often. This can generate a greater amount of stress on the muscles and connective tissue.

Jack Grogan, Certified Nutritionist and Chief Science Officer at Uckele Health & Nutrition, believes that it is vitally important that the strong, yet delicate muscles and connective tissue in the legs be protected and cared for day in and day out, especially during show season, “As a result of the increased work load, it is very common for muscles, tendons, ligaments and connective tissue to be overworked or strained; not necessarily to the point of injury, but as a normal consequence of the extra training and performance.”

Grogan emphasizes that the muscles and connective tissues of the legs require rest and care to recuperate as completely as possible to perform at the highest level of the horse’s physical potential, “One of the first lines of defense to protect the muscles, tendons and ligaments from the stress of training and performing is a high quality poultice. This functions as a drawing substance, which soothes and comforts the tissues. A good poultice reduces tissue heat and swelling caused by the connective tissue stress that occurs from the substantially greater work load and increased demands of high intensity training and performance.”

In addition, Grogan points out that there is also great benefit for all horses, not just performance horses, to support and soothe the legs, muscles and connective tissue. A high quality poultice can reduce pain or discomfort from normal daily exercise and activity, relieve soreness and stiffness in muscles and joints after a hard workout, and provide natural astringent properties.

Grogan, who has developed highly effective liniment and poultice formulas, recommends a clay-based formula to provides a temporary cooling benefit for inflamed tissues and natural astringent properties, which can support a faster recuperation. He points out that when it comes to injury, a good rule of thumb is: cold for fresh trauma and as a preventive after heavy work, “In the early acute phases after injury, cold minimizes the aggressive stress response to the injury, and can reduce pain.” Grogan adds that by reducing the initial stress of the injury, the risk of further, more damaging injury from swelling and inflammation is minimized.

“While ice is the preferred cold therapy, it’s not always a convenient option,” Grogan concludes, “Poultices are an excellent alternative option to cool things down and are frequently used as cold therapy on the lower legs (tendons, ligaments, joints) and hooves (traumatic injury, bruises, abscesses) to reduce swelling and aid healing.”

Jack Grogan has worked extensively in the fields of biology, biochemistry and nutrition, is an expert in tissue mineral balancing, and has demonstrated considerable success in balancing equine mineral chemistry to strengthen the basic metabolism and improve efficiency in horses. He is a consultant to numerous veterinarians, chiropractors, trainers, naturopaths and nutritionists.

Source dressagedaily.com

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In this dressage training video, dressage trainer Jane Savoie shows a rider a simple exercise for suppling her horse at the poll.

Dressage Trainer Jane Savoie’s site bio.

ane has coached at three Olympic Games. In 1996, Jane coached the Canadian 3-Day Event Team at the Olympics in Atlanta.

Jane coached several Three Day Event Riders from the United States, Canada and Belgium in preparation for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. While in Sydney, she also coached United States Dressage Team member, Susan Blinks. With Jane’s guidance, Sue and her horse, Flim Flam, were able to help secure the team Bronze medal. This victory was particularly meaningful because Jane has helped Sue with Flim since he
was three years old.

In 2004, Jane once again accompanied the Canadian Three Day Event team to the Olympics. This time the competition was in Athens, Greece. Under her watchful eye, several of the riders achieved their personal best for their dressage scores and finished tenth as a team.

Dressage Star Guenter Seidel of Germany has contributed significantly to the Dressage world, winning three consecutive Olympic Dressage events on three different horses.

Recently posted by usef .org, this is what the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Facebook fans want to know about this dressage superstar:

Cynthia D. Alexander Garrett: What exercises helped you the most in your recovery? I had to do most of my therapy in the pool at the beginning, and that helped the most. After that, it wasn’t a specific exercise but just being disciplined to exercise every day.

Maura Forese of Kennett Square, PA: What advice or encouragement can you give to young riders who are trying to make it in the dressage world? Dressage is not just a sport, but art as well. You will never stop learning no matter how good you become. Always treat your horse fair and enjoy the daily training.

Kirsten Drew of Dalton, OH: What do you do to prepare yourself, both mentally and physically, before you ride? Mentally, I have quiet time for about an hour before I get on. Physically, I try to stay fit in general, nothing in specific before a ride.

Katy Wormwood of Wormwood Wells, ME: Tell us about your average ride? Helpful tips for warming up, what you focus on and your cool down. I always try to walk for at least 10 minutes at the beginning and the end of the workout. I think the most impotent thing is to be flexible and really listen to your horse because every day your warm-up and ride can change, depending how the horse feels that day.

Annie Carlson Emery of Minneapolis, MN: How do you deal with a horse that holds a lot of tension, especially in the back? This is not really something anyone can answer without seeing horse and rider. In general, supplying exercises like stretching, leg yields and transitions.

Erin Geier Cumbee of Portage, IN: What is the hardest part for the rider in performing upper-level moves? It’s not hard anymore to perform an upper-level movement if you prepared well and have the experience to do it. The hard part is to have the patience to wait to get there until you and your horse are ready.

Megan Holly Manning of Arizona: What was the hardest movement to teach your favorite horse? One tempi changes to Aragon.

Lauren Walters of Oviedo, FL: What are the top three things you look for in evaluating a prospective dressage horse? Gaits, temperament, and then my gut feeling when I watch and ride the horse.

Clare Walker of Kansas: Who was most influential in your dressage career? A woman named Hertha Beck who I learned with when I was young. For the last 15 years, Klaus Balkenhol.

Camille Broussard of Seattle, WA: When you were a child, did you ever think you would be an Olympic athlete, and how did you push yourself to do your best in the hardest times growing up? I always was fascinated with all the Olympic riders and wanted to be as good as them. I never felt like I had to push myself. If you love what you’re doing you have to be prepared to have ups and downs and keep going. Being patient.

Dressage Training: Tip For the Lazy Horse

In this informative Dressage Training video Dressage Horse Trainer Jane Savoie discusses Tip For the Lazy Horse.

If your dressage horse gets lazy and behind your leg, here’s a quick tip to make him more energetic. Try “Breathing” your legs for an extra surge of power.

About Dressage Trainer Jane Savoie.

Jane Savoie is one of the most recognized names in dressage, and for a good reason. Ms. Savoie has written five books that have been published both in the US and abroad. Her best-selling sports psychology book That Winning Feeling! is in its ninth printing and has been translated into several languages.

Her dressage training books, Cross-Train Your Horse and More Cross-Training, are rapidly becoming popular reference books for riders and trainers in all disciplines. Her fourth book, It’s Not Just About The Ribbons, is a sequel to That Winning Feeling! This book is an essential addition to your library if you need help with negative emotions like overcoming rider fear,

Dressage Training: Tips to Improve Dressage Rider Position

In this informative Dressage Training video Dressage Horse Trainer Jane Savoie discusses tips to improve Dressage Rider Position.

Classical trainer Jane Savoie offers two simple dressage tips to improve the rider’s upper body position.

About Dressage Trainer Jane Savoie.

Jane Savoie is one of the most recognized names in dressage, and for a good reason. Her accomplishments and the breadth of her influence are impressive. She has been a member of the United States Equestrian Team and has competed for the US in Canada, Holland, Belgium, France and Germany. She was the reserve rider for the Bronze medal winning Olympic dressage team in Barcelona, Spain. She has been long-listed by the USET with several horses and has won nine Horse of the Year awards and three National Freestyle Championships

Dressage Training: Rider Contact

In this informative Dressage Training video Dressage Horse Trainer Jane Savoie discusses rider “Contact”.

Jane Savoie gives you training tips to help you master rider contact, proper reign pressure and more in this dressage training video.

About Dressage Trainer Jane Savoie.

Jane has coached at three Olympic Games. In 1996, Jane coached the Canadian 3-Day Event Team at the Olympics in Atlanta.

Jane has written five books that have been published both in the US and abroad. Her best-selling sports psychology book That Winning Feeling! is in its ninth printing and has been translated into several languages.

Her dressage training books, Cross-Train Your Horse and More Cross-Training, are rapidly becoming popular reference books for riders and trainers in all disciplines. Her fourth book, It’s Not Just About The Ribbons, is a sequel to That Winning Feeling! This book is an essential addition to your library if you need help with negative emotions like overcoming rider fear, impatience, or lack of self-confidence.

Free Dressage Training Day

Cessna Classical Horsemanship at TNT Equestrian Center is hosting an open farm day on Saturday June 11. This free educational day will feature demo lessons addressing riding issues common to many equestrians across disciplines.

Why Choose Dressage?

You may have heard it said that all horses should learn dressage. But why? This statement makes very little sense if you consider dressage to be a discipline devoted to doing fancy (or repetitive!) movements and patterns inside a square box. You might ask yourself, “How could that possibly help MY horse?” His job is to jump, take me down trails, or just pack me around. The answer starts with explaining what dressage training is.

Dressage is a system of gymnastic training designed to improve the horse’s strength, agility, and balance while being ridden. But why must he be improved? A horse is already strong, agile, and balanced – more or less, depending on his particular conformation. However, his situation changes radically when weight is placed on his back. To understand this, it is important to have at least a basic understanding of how your horse’s back functions.

A helpful visualization is to consider your horse’s topline to be like a suspension bridge. A system of ligaments (imagine thick, stretchy cords) run from your horse’s poll all the way down to his hocks, attaching at various points to the skeleton. These ligaments act to put tension on the bones, thereby holding up the horse’s back. For instance, the nuchal ligament attaches to the horse’s poll (between his ears), runs along the top of his neck and attaches again behind the his withers. When the horse’s poll is lowered and tension is put on this ligament, it acts to pull up the withers and the area of the horse’s back right behind them. On the other end of the system, when the horse flexes his LS joint (tucks his pelvis) the ligaments and muscles that run from the middle of his back, through the LS joint (loin), and over his hindquarters, act to pull the spine up from the other end of the “bridge.” So, for the horse’s back to be “up”, his dorsal ligament system has to be under tension in the shape of a rainbow or arch. Forcing the horse to lower his poll or allowing him to passively drop his head does not mean that his back is up. Tension is only correctly applied to this ligament system (and therefore only acts to lift the back) if the horse is actively stretching down and forward.

To make it clearer, get down on all hands and knees. Now do a “cat stretch” – arch your back and tuck your rear like a frightened cat. Extend the back of your neck so that the back of the top of your head (where the soft spot is) pushes forward, like you were trying to point toward the ground in front of you with it, all the while maintaining the stretch through your back and rear. This is similar to the way the horse needs to use his back while carrying a rider. While you are in this position, relax the front of your neck. Make sure you are not clenching your jaw or tightening the front of your neck – you could even allow your mouth to open a little. Remember that feeling of strength and support in your back.

For comparison, allow your back to go slack, and pull your chin into your chest. Feel a difference? Do you feel the extreme tension in your shoulder blades, neck and base of your skull? Do you feel the weakness in your lower back? Now forcibly hollow your back. Push your belly button towards the ground and stick your rear in the air – hopefully no one is watching! At this point, just imagine (I say imagine because you could easily strain yourself in this position – consider how your horse might feel if forced into this posture) that someone pushed hard on your forehead to shove your chin and head back into your chest. Or even down and in as if they had something tied to your mouth and could force your chin in. Notice all the areas of strain. Do you think if you were a horse you could move freely? Now lets go one step further and imagine doing these things while carrying a weight on your back. Let’s assume that the weight is really good at staying in one place over the strongest part of your back. How much strain do you feel and where? If you were forced into this position, where would you resist?

Further, begin to imagine that the weight on your back is not good at staying over the strongest part of your back. Visualize the weight sliding back to the bottom of your rib cage or LS joint. What if it leaned forward over your shoulders or lurched to one side? What if that weight bumped and flopped up and down? How much more do you think your horse would be inclined to hollow and resist the “rider?” All of this is simply an exercise to get you think about the particular strains and fears the horse may experience when being ridden.

Dressage is the system that teaches your horse how to carry you in a way that preserves his longevity, comfort, balance, and ability to perform athletically. When a rider climbs on board for the first time, if the horse has not been prepared physically or psychologically, he will most naturally hollow his back, contracting the long muscles of his back while the ligament system goes slack. This is especially true if the horse is fearful of or feels restricted by the rider or the saddle. Heightened nervousness will cause him to contract his back. The pattern of behavior and way of moving that a horse develops in the very beginning of training are patterns that will be most natural to him throughout his training. This is why it’s much harder to correct improper training than to start off with a solid and positive foundation. Of course, conformation also plays a big role in how a horse carries himself. Fortunately, dressage training was intended not only to bring out the best in a stellar individual but, perhaps even more importantly, to help the lesser individual use himself to his own optimal potential. This is why, when applied knowledgeably and effectively, dressage training can strengthen and improve virtually every horse working in any discipline.

Cessna Classical Horsemanship at TNT Equestrian Center is hosting an open farm day on Saturday, June 11, 2011, from 10:00am – 2:00pm. This free educational day will feature demo lessons addressing riding issues common to many equestrians across disciplines. Visitors are also invited to tour the 20 acre farm and century barn at their leisure. Demo training sessions will be held exploring different types of conformation, as well as the necessary work to improve each horse gymnastically.

TNT Equestrian Center is located at 7651 Friendsville Rd. in Lodi – just minutes from the I71 / I76 interchange. For more information call Shannon Cessna at 330-461-2318 or visit www.tophatntailsriding.com

Credits: dressagedaily.com

Florida based Kari Garber has invested her life’s work in Dressage which includes a special niche: preserving the classical art of long lining, as influenced by her trainer and mentor, international Dressage trainer and Judge Bo Jena.

[dressagedaily.com] The Garber Jena Long Lining System is recognized internationally and is a popular attraction for clinics, symposiums and forums. At her own facility near Wellington, Finesse Farm, Garber can train both horse and rider individually giving those in a pressure packed competitive environment the edge that is needed. “Just one of the gratifying results about this work,” Garber told DressageDaily, “Is that top High Performance riders are impressed with our work, and keep coming back for more!” A USDF Bronze and Silver medalist, Kari also is a rider member of Dressyringen, the Swedish equivalent of USDF gold. Garber honed the skill of long lining as both a student and business partner with European master Bo Jenå, head trainer for the prestigious Flyinge, the National Stud of Sweden, who is also a well respected international Dressage judge.

“I have worked with Kari Garber for many years. She is very focused and has a superb work ethic.” Jenå told DressageDaily. “Kari has very good feel for long lining horses, and I have enjoyed working with her from the very beginning. She also has a good eye for conformation and movement, and the talent to use that to develop the training program for each horse.”

About Long Lining

Long lining is good for all horses at all levels of training. It helps horses to develop necessary muscling for various levels of training and also for other disciplines besides dressage. Long lining expert Kari Garber has long lined various sizes and breeds of horses in the many clinics she gives throughout the country. The horse learns to use its own body in a more self-sufficient way without the added weight and interference of a rider’s body. The horse, as a result, focuses on its own body and balance, making the horse easier to ride.

“Kari’s solid foundation in good correct basics is the basis for her success in training horses and teaching clients.” comments her trainer and partner Swedish Long Lining master, Bo Jenå. “She has a very positive approach which you can see in the horses that she trains and the clients that she teaches.”

Kari Garber at a clinic at the North Jersey Equestrian Center, with dressage trainer Susan La Dagnara, and her horse, Phoenix.

Since all good training is communication, long lining is a way to communicate very clearly what is asked of the horse’s body. The trainer is able to instantly see the results, and immediately respond. Unlike lunging in side reins, long lining allows adjustability of connection as you go, just like riding. “The horses Kari trains are correctly muscled and happy in their work,” Jenå added, “and the clients are also happy and confident as they learn and become better.”

By watching the horse from the ground, the trainer is able to see the way that the horse uses its body, assessing whether it is moving correctly, and make any necessary corrections to the path of travel of limbs or balance of body mass. Even better, the horse is doing the majority of the work while the trainer gets to watch the horse do most of the sweating!

“She is a talented rider, trainer, and teacher, “Jenå added, “and I know that she will continue to enjoy much success in her work.” What is unique to the Garber Jenå Long Lining System is a high quality design for just this purpose with materials used including leather long lines designed to mimic the weight and feel of a good pair of dressage reins. This allows the work to translate more easily to work under saddle for both horse and client. Also unique to their system is their signature outrigger attachment which they use to achieve true bend in the long lines which is not possible with other methods.

To be optimally successful, it is very important to have the proper equipment, which is why Garber and Jenå invested so much time and effort into designing and producing their own equipment. “You should never use a lunging surcingle and lunge lines for long lining. It is dangerous to the horse.” Even more important is having proper instruction in using our system. Only Garber and Jenå are qualified as experts to teach their method of long lining. If you really want to learn, you should have the proper equipment and learn from a real expert.

“One of the most beneficial things is teaching horses the piaffe in the long lines because it is such a non-threatening way to introduce it without the weight of the rider.” Garber explains. “It can be playful and fun, and horses really enjoy when they give the right answer and their body feels good doing it with ease. Piaffe is a huge building block that can be used in training a horse through the levels. I like to introduce it early on, and use it to help the horse understand the job of the hind end.”

Even more elementary and important is using long lining to develop correct connection. It is a great way to warm up your horse and have a more enjoyable and productive ride. Training with Kari Garber gives you the understanding, tools, and the confidence to make long lining part of your vocabulary with your horse.

Source dressagedaily.com

Dressage Training: Tips To Straighten a Dressage Horse with Shoulder-in

In this informative Dressage Training video Dressage Horse Trainer Jane Savoie gives tips on how to Straighten a Dressage Horse, and other useful techniques.

Jane Savoie gives you training tips to teach your dressage horse to bend the joints of his hind legs (engagement) through the use of First Position, Shoulder-fore, and shoulder-in. This is an essential ingredient for achieving collection.

About Dressage Trainer Jane Savoie.

Jane has coached at three Olympic Games. In 1996, Jane coached the Canadian 3-Day Event Team at the Olympics in Atlanta.

Jane has written five books that have been published both in the US and abroad. Her best-selling sports psychology book That Winning Feeling! is in its ninth printing and has been translated into several languages.

Her dressage training books, Cross-Train Your Horse and More Cross-Training, are rapidly becoming popular reference books for riders and trainers in all disciplines. Her fourth book, It’s Not Just About The Ribbons, is a sequel to That Winning Feeling! This book is an essential addition to your library if you need help with negative emotions like overcoming rider fear, impatience, or lack of self-confidence.

By Guest Contributor

To have a safe and enjoyable Dressage eventing experience, you need the right horse for the job. It starts with choosing the right horse to partner with for entry level eventing.

Your first event horse doesn’t need to score a 10 at the trot in his dressage test or gallop forever. He needs to be fun to ride and able to carry you safely and comfortably around your first few entry-level events, both in and out of the ring. Don’t worry about winning at this stage; just learn the sport and see if you really like it.

On the ground, your horse must have great manners. Your mare or gelding needs to be able to cross-tie, stand politely for the vet and farrier, load easily and tack up without problems. A horse that’s unpredictable to work around in his stall, kicks or rears, is unacceptable. Under saddle your horse needs to be fairly athletic and have a reasonable aptitude for the three stages Dressage.

Specifically for Dressage competition – In addition to three good gaits if your horse takes both leads, steers well, accepts the bit well and maintains a consistent head and neck position with the front of his face just ahead of the vertical, he has the basic ingredients you need for entry-level dressage tests.

If you’re shopping for your first event horse, where should you look? A young racetrack reject is not a suitable candidate; and if you’re just learning the sport, don’t take on a green horse. A better prospect is the experienced, older eventing horse that’s out of a job because his rider has gone off to college. His vet bills may be higher, but he has a lot to teach you. Quarter Horses and older Warmbloods who’ve been around the block are also good choices for entry level eventing.

If you like the challenges eventing offers, after 18 months or so you’ll be ready to decide whether to keep your horse or sell him. If you both take to eventing, perhaps you’ll stay together and continue refining your skills. As always, talk with your trainer about this decision and what options you have.