The canter, showing balance, power and confidence.

The conflict in the modern dressage world regarding the frame that a horse is trained within has drawn much controversy, discussion and feuding amongst many trainers, riders, coaches and judges, along with the  “would be if they could be’s” who have never ridden a preliminary dressage test.

BY ROGER FITZHARDINGE

Everyone’s opinion is what makes the world go around. Discussions of frames and training techniques of our equine gymnasts should not be forced behind closed doors because of a lack of understanding or misconceptions. I find it best to simply equate our equine athletes to humans - it should be remembered that like humans, not every horse is born with the conformation, type and temperament to be a gymnast. Over-ambitious riders and trainers can lose sight of the natural talent of their horse, only seeing winning as the end result.

With any exercise, suppling and strengthening programme, horse or human, it is progressive, disciplined and never forced. It’s always in keeping with the mental and physical stage of the athlete, who should be rewarded with positivity when a good attempt is made. It is never bludgeoned or excessive, as human or horse will shut down, and that is when ugliness appears. It’s not about the exercise; it’s about the explanation, understanding and willingness to participate.

As a physiotherapist and a rider, coach and dressage judge, and more importantly, a passionate man who simply is inspired by developing horse or human to their full athletic potential, the complexity, interest and diversity of opinion regarding the shape a horse should take during training has always fascinated me.

Horses for courses

Judging seminars run for cover if you mention “frame”, as do riders of Olympic fame and international coaches. In fact, it’s now a subject more taboo than racial prejudice. There is no need for it to be this way, and most importantly - whether it be horse or human - there is no way of producing a confident, fit and able athlete by inflicting pain, mental anguish or torment. The right frame for training a sport horse to develop its best gymnastic prowess will depend on each horse’s conformation and temperament; if you want a ballerina then you should look for a type that lends itself to that profession.

This is the same horse in the first image (above), but at the start of the training process.

It’s not possible to make a weightlifter into an international ballet dancer, and so it is with the horse. It isn't fair to think that a heavy Clydesdale will become a superstar dressage horse, and perhaps this is one of the greatest problems with humans placing expectations on horses that are simply not physically or mentally suited to the levels some riders and coaches expect. It’s not about the frame; it’s about starting with an athlete that can do the work in the future.

The right training

Needless to say, careful, intelligent and consistent training will bring out any athlete’s maximum potential, but in doing so you need to accept that the result will be in keeping with genetic talent. This is where the use of frames in training is of the utmost importance; it helps both horse and human develop balance and confidence, making the body more physically developed and therefore able to produce the strength the sport demands.

It can be helpful to liken the training of a Grand Prix dressage horse to the journey of a gymnast becoming an Olympian; it doesn't happen in a week, but takes years of training from an early age when the muscular development, mental approach, balance and structure can be established and become normal. The training and development of this strength, balance and confidence should be directed by a coach who has a grasp of the movement required at the highest level and can develop the correct muscle strength, mental belief and posture to enable the exercises to be performed with ease.

Posture is what all sport horses and athletes need to achieve, and to have the many postures essential for the many exercises required at Grand Prix or at Olympic gymnastics takes years to develop. The bottom line for any ridden horse is that they need to have a strong back, good posture and exceptional balance, which really relates to great core stability - enabling them to carry a rider upon their back with ease. The basic anatomy of the horse is not really designed to carry a rider, as the back is similar to a bridge, and if you imagine standing in the middle of a suspension bridge, it’s not so strong to carry the weight.

The horse's back isn't typically designed to carry a rider and therefore it's important to develop core stability and strength through training.

The crucial component - the neck

This compares strength. Imagine when you get down on your hands and knees to give a toddler a ride on your back; it’s similar to a horse except the human neck is short in comparison to the horse’s.

With that in mind, as the one on all fours to support the toddler and not strain your back, would you put your chin on your chest or look up to the ceiling to feel more confident to carry that toddler?

It’s pretty obvious! The action of putting your chin to your chest switches on the abdominal muscles. It is this core stability, not the back muscles, that makes the back feel more secure and strong. When you think that the horse’s neck is about as long as his back, and the human neck is about one tenth the length of the back - the difference the neck posture makes to balance and strength across the spine is dramatic. Neck and head positioning is all-important when making a somersault or a tumbling run, an extended trot or a pirouette or piaffe. Think of what an amazing balancing, and hence strengthening, piece of apparatus the horse’s neck and its positioning is to the effect of the whole horse when performing the Grand Prix movements. Gymnasts don't do somersaults and tumbling runs every day, but they do exercises that give strength and control and work towards making these exercises better, be it sprints, stretches or weights. So it is with the dressage horse, and it is here that a good trainer and eyes on the ground will be of the utmost importance.

 

Just as gymnasts undertake various excercises to help improve  manoeuvres performed in competition, it's important to carry out exercises at home that help strengthen the horse and improve movements required in a test.

Frames – what is right?

Now for the controversy over frames.  For the strong, athletic, fit and balanced Grand Prix horse seen at competitions, a frame that has its poll as its highest point, is the end result of years of training and gets big marks. By this time the horse is strong over the back, puts the weight more over the hindquarters and elevates the shoulders, and with this is balanced enough to leave the neck unrestrained in a rounded, elegant and proud carriage. Good core stability and a strong back that lends to being able to carry an uphill frame (uphill frame isn't just the neck up!) and support a rider are absolutely essential.

So when training a young horse, it is important that the horse learns to carry its neck in a supple, downward-abled and rounded way, giving at the poll to initiate switching on the abdominal muscles. This concept is probably started on the lunge with the aid of triangle or side reins, chambon, pessoa and a myriad of ways depending on the horse, the trainer and rider. The horse learns to yield to slight pressure and follow the contact either backwards or forwards and the horse learns to go from the back to the front and also from the front to the back. There is also a degree of lateral submission associated with this. At no stage is this forced by too tight contact but is encouraged over a period of time, depending on the horse’s attitude; some need determined, positive input, others gentle encouragement, some need to be read the riot act, and others need to be so sensitively encouraged. Some are over-achievers and need to be taken very quietly, while others need pushing as they are talented yet somewhat lazy.
 
Importantly, to switch on the abdominal muscles and start to reinforce core stability, it is essential that the horse gives at the poll, and in doing so make the top line plump and the under section of the neck loose. It is here where people don't stop, think and realise what they see. If the horse is behind the vertical with a top line that is round and the crest lower than the wither, then its nose being behind the vertical is correct because the neck and body muscles are being used to assist with strengthening the core stability and carrying capacity of the horse.

There is no frame that is incorrect if the rider puts the horse there to improve confidence, comfort and control for both horse and rider in an understandable and accepting way. It’s a training frame that develops “over the back”. The word “throughness” comes from this feeling of over the back, drawing to the contact, and the ability of the horse to remain comfortable while carrying a rider. Of course, the time and attention given to this concept again depends on the conformation and strength of the individual. Some gymnasts don't need to do endless weights sessions, as genetics allows them to carry and keep muscle where others cannot.
 

A rounded frame in training can help a horse work towards 'throughness'; however, the amount of time spent working in a frame that develops 'over the back' movement greatly depends on the individual horse.

Nothing is more cruel and uncomfortable for the horse than to be above the bit, with a hollow back, and stomach to the ground. This is a frame that is sad to see and one that brings physical strain to any horse. I feel quite positive that a horse deep and round (and if deep and round he or she will be behind the vertical) is far more comfortable than the hollow and above-the-bit attitude.

Imagine a rider on this horse in this frame! A frame that is often seen but never mentioned.

Why, in Germany, do you see juniors riding in competition in draw reins and side reins? It’s to help the horse to be confident and strong over the back, and at no stage are these auxiliary reins tight and forcing. Rather, they are there to show and encourage a strong carrying back.

Kyra Kyrklund, responding to a question regarding her horses being slightly behind-the-vertical, said “the modern athletic sports horse has been bred to encourage them to be loose, supple, elastic and adjustable. As a consequence the modern horse is bred for looseness and to be loose! It’s easy for them with elastic joints to come behind-the-vertical.” Twenty-five years ago the dressage horses were strong, but heavier and stiffer in their genetic make-up; short necks and behind-the-vertical were frowned upon. With the modern, athletic and more loose and supple types comes a need to look at the training for strength, as the looser the horse the more important it is to develop strength. The deep and round frame is a way to help these horses develop carrying capacity, and with their innate looseness the ability to come behind-the-vertical because they can easily do so, should be kept in context.

More loose and supple types find it easy to come behind the vertical; therefore the deep and round frame is an important strength building excerise that ultimately builds carrying capacity when performed correctly.

Times have moved on. Horses are bred for their athletic extravagance nowadays and consequently training methods need to be adjusted to deal with all types, especially now with the looser types. Remain open-minded and the deep and round frame absolutely needs to be discussed, understood and used to benefit our modern athletic dressage horses. It is logical, understandable and not to be shied away from. It certainly is of benefit to any horse provided it’s done with care and understanding, as is any exercise.

READ THE LATEST NEWS ARTICLES HERE