Training Refocus

I mentioned before how I was deciding between Western and Dressage. Well, the decision has been made and the winner is.... dressage! Now most of you may be wondering what happened to Endurance? The simple answer is: nothing! I still very much want to do endurance. However, to even enter an endurance competition a horse has to be 5 years old to do "limited distance" or 25 miles and 6 or 7 years old to do endurance rides of 50, 75, or 100 miles. They have this rule because horses joints and spine haven't fully developed until 6 or 7, so they want to maintain healthy horses. Not to mention that to even get to endurance rides you have to have a truck and horse trailer, of which I have neither! Therefore, those dreams will have to be put on hold for now. While waiting for him to grow up, I'll just focus on dressage and some light trail riding. I want to focus him on a specific discipline so Calvin would learn different skills that of course transfer to the trails.

The main focus of our dressage training, therefore, is to build a "topline." When we refer to a topline, we're talking about the line of the back:

Most horses have some curve to their back and when you work them properly, they'll build up back and hindquarter muscle. As the picture above shows you, when a horse's head is up their back arches (top example). When the head is down (example 3), the back muscles engage and you see what is referred to as "roundness" all the way through the hindquarters. With enough work, the horse's back will look the same as the third example down no matter the head position.

The topline is important because only when a horse's topline is developed can we bring our horses into the beautiful head carriage or "frame." A strong topline also is the foundation for more advanced dressage work as well.

Notice the horse's curved neck and head position, this is the classical dressage headset. Horse is able to keep this frame because he has strong abs and a strong back.

Anyway, in order to build up a topline we have to work on stretching down like these two examples:

I've been reinforcing this training by using side reins and lunging. The side reins don't set his head into any position, but rather they act as the riders hands by guiding him to find balance. When he raises his head too high, he can feel them and when he lowers his head, they release. There's quite a bit of controversy over using side reins, but it's a tool that when used correctly and for short periods of time is beneficial. Some people use side reins so tightly that the force the horses' head in, which is not how I'm using them:

I've adjust the side reins loosely so that he can find his own balance but still have the reins as a guide so he doesn't run around with his head straight up. 

Still lots of room to move his head and slack reins.

Calvin took to the training very well. These last few days I've been lunging him in these at the walk/trot and I can tell a huge difference in the saddle. He's much more willing to stay in this lower headset and he responds to the rein aids more effectively. I don't work him too long because he's still young and learning, but I'd say he has good potential to be a dressage horse once he fills out!