Laying the foundation for future training of the Dressage Horse

The early work with a young horse is of great importance to its understanding of the later work. The combination of authority and confidence building forms the basis for further acceptance of the aids. At the same time it is a valuable moment for the trainer to get to know the horse’s personality and adjust the work accordingly.

The horse’s education starts with handling and familiarisation of the tack. Time and patience is required for the horse to accept both guidance and trust. I have had many young horses over the years and always been fascinated watching them develop. The first thing you try and establish is relaxation, the amount of time this take varies depending on the individual temperament. Sufficient relaxation will allow the horse to find rhythm and balance under the rider. After forward thinking has been established, sometimes with the help of an assistant and encouragement from the ground, the rider should use the rein contact to guide the horse for basic direction and overall speed control. It is important that the contact does not override the forward aids. Through building a connection between contact and forward aids it is possible to influence the horse’s balance and develop a more positive energy within the gaits. As you become more deliberate with the lines and figures you ask the horse to follow you will start to educate the balance. The consistent and even contact in the rein combined with the gradual increase of impulsion will improve the horse’s balance and strength.

Transitions between the three gaits on both reins will slowly develop consistency while the rider repeats and rewards the good transition. The next step is to work with positioning. We find that horses have a certain one sided crookedness from nature that is more or less evident depending on the individual horse. We can now address this through positioning and asking for inside bend first on circles and then on straight lines. This will increase suppleness and allow the rider to put the horse more between the inside leg and outside rein. It will give the rider more control over the relation between outside shoulder and inside hindquarters. In this way straightness can be achieved independently on both left and right reins. Controlled, fluent transitions between the gaits progressing to riding differences in tempo within the gaits combined with developing straightness on both reins will be the basis for future training.

About Ferdi Eilberg

Ferdi was born in Germany and trained under multiple Olympic Gold Medallist, Reiner Klimke, during which time he gained his German Bereiter and later his Reitlehrer Qualification with Honours. He was also awarded the german gold medal (Goldene Reiterabzeichnung) for success in both dressage and showjumping at advanced levels. He moved to England in 1980 and has ridden for the British Dressage Team many times, winning team silver in the 1993 European Championships with ArunTor who he also partnered in the 1998 World Games in Rome. He was also shortlisted with Arun Tor and Demonstrator for the 1996 Olympics. Ferdi was dressage trainer to the british eventing team from 1982 – 92 and still coaches Mary King. He was appointed Director of Coaching to the british dressage team in 2002 and Performance Manager in 2003, the year the team won its first European medal, bronze, in 10 years. Ferdi, 55, has been awarded an honorary BHS Fellowship. He lives with his wife and three children who together run a training yard in near Redditch in Worcestershire.