Montag, 8. Juli 2013

First Clinic

Last weekend we rode in our first 3 Day clinic. Lucky for us we could organize the clinic with Klaus Werzinger at our barn. So, no trailering no unfamiliar arena. Just perfect for a first.

Klaus Werzinger is Jenny's trainer (and Jenny is ours). Klaus mixes up classical dressage training (SRS and  Philippe Karl) with the theories of  Feldenkrais. The idea seems to be to train along the lines of classical dressage but helping the horse achieve that through keeping a close eye on the biomechanics of riding.

At the start of our first ride I'd said that in the past couple of months Crispin had been kind of lazy and that I'd had the feeling, that at the trot I have to basically "kick" every step out of him. An unpleasant feeling and something I really needed to fix.

Klaus let me ride for a couple of minutes and quickly came to the conclusion, that even though Cripin pushed nicely from behind, he seemed to be blocked somewhere, making it impossible for him to let the movement through. The solution would be to find a way to help Crispin lift and open his schoulders to give him more room to let the movement from behind all the way through and out.

The fix for that and our goal throughout the clinic was to focus on Crispins lateral bend. Bending him from head to tail, ribcage through poll.

Our most powerful tool was the "Bügeltritt" (step into the stirrup). We spend most of the four sessions on the Bügeltritt. Klaus said, that the Bügeltritt is a very powerfull but also a very blunt aid. You basically "throw" your horse out of ballance in a controlled way. It can not introduce bend but it can help enhance it especially the bend through the ribcage. I had used it in the past but only at the trot, posting. At the trot there is no right or wrong way to use the Bügeltritt, since you only can use it at one point, when getting up to post. At the walk on the other hand is a right and a wrong way to use it. You step forward into the stirrup when the hind leg comes forward. This, however, is also the moment you'd usually put the leg one in a driving aid at the walk. I have to admit, it took me a while. Though, actually, it is really easy to feel the right moment for the Bügeltritt once you know what to feel for, and once you get over the urge to put the leg on the horse instead of forward and out. At first I had to think about the right moment a lot but it got better, especially once Klaus said to feel for when my knees were going down and that that was the right moment.

Once I got the Bügeltritt right our sessions consisted of using it to help with the bend. I was supposed to counter bend Cripin along the long sides of the arena, and use the Bügeltritt to really enhance the bend, feeling the ribcage move away and making room  for my inside leg. On the short sides I was supposed to let him stretch out long, low and forward at first and later on try to change the bend and try to bend him around my inside leg on the short side and counterbend him again on the long sides. Let me say, there was a lot going on. Inside bend, straight, outsinde bend, letting go of the reins, picking them up again and back to the start... Klaus kept an close eye ont not overwhelming Crispin or me by letting us take a lot of brakes, which he used to explain the whys and whens of this methodes.

We did the exercises at the walk and trot on both hands. It really helped Crispin to straighten out! Usually our right and the left hand sides are very diffenerent. The right side works quite well already while the left is awful sometimes. Within one session with Klaus (and without me really noticing it) both hands felt much  the same and much better!


But Klaus wasn't quite satisfied with Crispins effort yet. So he asked me to come to him and he checked Crispin for additional blockage. He felt that Crispin was still holding back at the poll, so he did some Philippe Karl inspired flexing excrcises. It took a little time but in the end Crispin gave in and I managed to finally bend him from tail to poll.

I think the difference in the two pictures below is amazing. The first one was taken at some random ride in the last couple of months. The second one at our last ride with Klaus. And even though Crispin is basically in the same frame in both pictures, you can really tell the difference. His shoulders are up, he isn't as heavy on the forehand anymore and his haunches lower and more under him than in the first pic.



I really enjoyed the whole weekend. Klaus was always very focused on the rider (any rider/horse, no matter the breed or state of training) always very polite and friendly, good at explaining the ideas behind his technique and training. Just overall a very nice person who made this clinic a fun and very usefull experience for me and Crispin.