It’s only two months until Carl Hester’s Dressage Inclusive Masterclass, scheduled for 16 February 2025 at the Fiber Fresh National Equestrian Centre in Taupo, New Zealand.
Here, we take a look back at some of Roger Fitzhardinge’s key learnings from Carl’s November 2022 Australian masterclass at the Queensland State Equestrian Centre:
A good walk and canter are important with young horses
According to Carl, the walk and the canter are the two most important paces in a young dressage prospect. You need to look where the marks are distributed in the Grand Prix test, which is in the canter work. The trot is a pace that can be more readily improved.
A big over-track in walk isn’t everything
The most important thing in the walk is to see that the horse is able to shorten the steps and keep the four-beat rhythm. A huge over-track is not all the walk needs to have; it’s advantageous, but not if it’s so big that when you put the horse on the bit and shorten the strides it has any tendency to become lateral and lose the metronomic four equal beats.
Carl encouraged a forward moving arm to allow the horse’s nose to stretch down and forwards. When training the walk with a young horse, it’s always with the head and neck thinking forward and down and never too much in the shortened stride.
Legs on for hot horses, legs off for the super quiet
If a horse is hot, remember to get them on the leg; if they are super quiet, get your leg off and teach them to be self-motivated, as nagging leg aids only make horses duller. Carl was insistent that the horses answer the first aid and always stay sharp.
This concept relates to other aspects of training: if your horse wants to be low, then you ride more up; if too up, then down; if fast, then slow, and if slow, then forward.
Correct riding position is important
A good way to assess a rider’s position is to imagine if you took the horse away from under them – would they land in balance on their feet?
To help with a rider’s position, Carl suggested riding with no stirrups in the canter, quipping: “And if you are under 50, the trot as well!”
Do not mistake emptiness for lightness
Carl spoke of horses that drop the contact, advising never to throw the reins at them, but instead take the bit up in the corner of the mouth and feel them in it. A phrase that he used sums it up perfectly: “Do not mistake emptiness for lightness.”
Good foundations are crucial when it comes to training flying changes
Do not move on to training the flying changes until you have a confident collected canter and a clear understanding of the canter leads and their preparations.
‘Outside leg to inside rein’ in the pirouette
In the canter pirouette work, to further develop the canter balance and strength, everyone talks about inside leg to outside rein – but Carl explains his pirouette aids come from outside leg to inside rein.
The importance of shoulder-in and travers
Carl emphasised the importance of the shoulder-in to increase the engagement. Collection and the balance within this were the most important things. The travers is also a great exercise and one that needs a lot of attention. The first note is that the horse’s face should be parallel to the short side when going down the long side. Make sure that the outside leg is on and off, as it’s important that the horse moves through the ribs; a stuck-on leg won’t allow this suppleness.
The extended trot is not just the front legs
The extended trot should not just be the front legs; Carl emphasised that an over-track is of the utmost importance. Do not lean back in the extended trot; with the upper body back, the horse will not travel forwards. It’s better to lean a little forward so the hands can allow the horse to go forward.
Don’t miss Carl Hester’s Dressage Inclusive Masterclass
If you’re looking for a Christmas gift for a special equestrian or even yourself, tickets to this event would be perfect.
Applications to ride with Carl in this masterclass close 29 December 2024 – an amazing opportunity for 10 horse/rider combinations!
For more information on spectator tickets and masterclass rider applications, click here.
