Energy!

[Flight]

I'm finally realising how much energy you truly need for dressage. I know it's always been said and I know that I need impulsion and forwardness etc but I've read so much about needing relaxation and making it look effortless that I think I've been drifting around half asleep.
I seemed to have had enough for prelim/novice, now that I'm training elem/medium (2nd/3rd level?) it doesn't help that I'm a cold bum and that I started my horses and didn't want them to buck me off, so I've always aimed for quiet and slower.

I had my instructor pretty frustrated the first time she was encouraging me to try harder to get the energy and the jump in my horse. She's like "you're just sitting there" and I said "aren't I suppose to just sit here".. The end result yes. But training a horse (and a rider .. I am in new territory) you have to work at it to get it. So, sweat pouring off me I worked at it and today, our third session, what a difference in my horse! Hard to describe, he's all plucky and feels ready to do the next thing. I know this is going to be dependent on individual horses and riders, and don't worry I'm giving my guy (and me!) plenty of breaks. It's been a bit of a light bulb moment for me. I get stuck in a comfort zone and cruise around, I've really had to shake myself up.
Anyone else found this as they moved up? Or am I just slow

[Ryans Friend]

Nope, I can relate. I want so much to be "in harmony" and soft that I unwittingly let my horse plod around comfortably. My trainer finally took us back to square one, loose reins, get the horse MOVING at a walk, and take it from there. It has been very beneficial. Once I get him listening to my leg and thinking "forward", we have something to work with and finally we have working, medium and extended gaits. But wow it has taken a lot of work!

Congrats on your progress. If you are working 3rd level you have certainly been doing something right!

[Flight]

That's great to hear Ryans Friend. Well not great that you had to go through it too! But it's nice to know I'm not alone

[galopp]

There is a huge difference between speed and amplitude/energy.

Walk has no airtime, but it can have energy/marching. So forward must equal willing not quicker because quicker often leads to lateral there (because walk is (ie) lh/lf/rh/rf. Speed it up and it will be lh/lf rh/rf together. Most often walks doddle because the rider has not been attentive to their quality in cool out/etc. Horses there learn what they live with.

But why is energy missing? If a horse is too lowered or closed (or allowed to offer perciptious flexion in lower levels), then the hind leg shorten the stride and do not produce enougth stride length to form the basis for amplitude and energy. Half halts must lift the neck, fold all the hindleg joints, shorten the base of support, and produce more air time. The more effective the timing, the greater the self carriage/lightness/energy available.

[Flight]

Yes gallop, my instructor has said this to me now. I'm after energy and lift rather than chasing to go faster.
However, I've got to keep the energy as we do collecting exercises, not allow him (me as well) to slow down the tempo as we do them.

We tend to get the opposite to being too lowered/closed, my horse tends to hollow and lift his head and brace back against me, effectively doing the same thing I imagine? Overcome this by asking more flexion and bend and allowing him to lengthen his neck and relax back into the contact.

ETA - It's also the "how". How do you get the energy and the lift. I've read a fair bit of theory, and it all says what you are after. But how! And no one really shows you what the process to get it looks like! For instance, basically my guy slows down and sticks his head up when I ask for collection. I guess this is why I have an instructor

[galopp]

The horse should lift and open (be ifv arcing out to the hand), esp in the beginning of collection. Asking for more specific flexion laterally can be helpful, as can even bending because it creates axial rotation/shortens the base of support thus giving the possibility of amplitude (thrust upward). HH, change balance and bearing, and then 'take advantage' of the coiled spring.

[no.stirrups]

IMHO, this is the crux of why many people get stuck at the lower levels. The amount of energy required can be a bit intimidating to those not used to it. On the rare occasion that I coach anymore, "MORE ENERGY!" is the most common thing I say.

[Bats79]

I must have an electric bum. Developing energy is something I find quite easy even with lethargic type horses.

What I find is that so many people block the horse's attempts at energising by trying to lock it in against the bit. The rider really does need to have the confidence to stick with a light hand to begin with and give the horse the chance to climb.

[kande50]

I must have an electric bum. Developing energy is something I find quite easy even with lethargic type horses.

What I find is that so many people block the horse's attempts at energising by trying to lock it in against the bit. The rider really does need to have the confidence to stick with a light hand to begin with and give the horse the chance to climb.

I've had to work up to more energy as I gained confidence that the "coiled spring" wasn't going to release all of a sudden, but I have that option, as I can teach my horse to offer as little or as much energy as I think that I can ride.

I've been gradually teaching him to offer more energy as he seems ready for it (calmer and straighter), and recently realized that if he gets too against the bit, instead of trying to use half halts to bring him back to where I want him to be, a series of small circles works much better. The problem with hh's when he's gotten against the bit is that they just inspire him to get "higher" rather than to come back so that he's between the hand and the leg.

I too, think it's easy to get more energy, even the "charging around against the bit" kind of energy, but that kind isn't very useful because it's not very adjustable.

[Flight]

Also, unless you've felt the energy you need you don't appreciate just what you need until you get there.
Bats, you've ridden higher levels too so I expect now your bum knows what energy it needs?
Yes, getting the half halts right so you generate the energy, without letting it out as speed, but not blocking it with our hands! So tricky!

[kande50]

Yes, getting the half halts right so you generate the energy, without letting it out as speed, but not blocking it with our hands! So tricky!

I think it may be all about flexibility in movement, and as the horse becomes more flexible it becomes much easier for him to produce the kind of energetic movement we want. So we can charge around doing half halts forever, but until we get good at the lateral work (good meaning that the horse can do it easily) then I don't think he's going to be able to produce the energetic collected work we want.

I'm thinking that the problem is that without flexibility the hh's just cause the horse to brace against them, which prevents him from using his body the way he needs to be able to use it? So instead of focusing on the hands and hh's, maybe we'd be better off focusing on maintaining a softer contact (to prevent bracing) while we practice the figures, changes of bend, si, and hi?

[Flight]

Yes Kande, I'd say all of that would help too. Also really being prepared to ask for it and don't give up until they give you what you're after. Not nagging or beating up your horse of course, but getting that bit of response and rewarding it. My horse is getting the idea and it's so cool!

[klark_kent07]

I think so many amateur riders ride along with the hand brake on as we are a bit intimidated by all that power! I'm finally at the point in my riding where I really enjoy that feeling of power and it doesn't scare me but makes me excited
I'm really starting to feel the difference when you really ask for a medium canter and allow it to happen, as opposed to asking but holding at the same time. The trot is a work in progress with my horse but the more I ask and 'allow' the easier it becomes

[kande50]

I?
I'm really starting to feel the difference when you really ask for a medium canter and allow it to happen, as opposed to asking but holding at the same time. The trot is a work in progress with my horse but the more I ask and 'allow' the easier it becomes

I wonder if the holding is from trying to keep them collected so they don't dump on their forehands? I know that I spent a lot of time in lessons trying to hold my horse together using my hands, thinking that was the road to collection. It had nothing to do with being afraid of the power, because I loved to go fast back then. But when the instructor is all about short reins and never suggests anyone should ever give with their hands or soften in any way, the result is very braced horses and riders.

We did go through the motions of learning how to leg yield and half pass, but I don't recall ever doing si or hi--although we may have practiced that and I've just forgotten about it. But most of what we did was go round and round braced against each other.

So yes, I think the allowing part is likely way more important than the holding part!

[jeniferkey]

I went through this with Miaren. After the fall I wanted him to just go slow as even his energetic walk would intimidate me. Then after a couple of years, when I started wanting to think about 2nd level I realized that we had to face some retraining. Riding an upper level horse really helped to feel the energy without the speed. Luckily Miaren typically likes adding that energy/engagement to his trot work but the walk and canter will always need work. Once the hunt season is over I hope to start him back and we'll see what we have after his time off.

[piedmontfields]

I think so many amateur riders ride along with the hand brake on as we are a bit intimidated by all that power! I'm finally at the point in my riding where I really enjoy that feeling of power and it doesn't scare me but makes me excited

This is a big finding. Congratulations! I also like thinking about energy and flow (as in I want my energy of a certain power and to be continuous).

[Brydie]

Raised pole work is helping us a TONNE with this.

[demi]

I am keeping up with this thread and find it interesting. In some ways, it seems like such a simple concept...but I have to think a lot about it because it really involves a lot of things.

I spent over five years on my little downhill Rocky who I started as a 3 yr old. She is hot, athletic and bred for cow stuff. For several years I was always keeping her "toned down" (but not by riding with the hand brakes, but just by never letting her get close to being out of control). I understand the intimidation that comes from power, and it gets worse as my body ages.. The strategy of keeping her toned down worked for us, although I think it is the slow route...and the necessary route for this older amateur working alone.

At any rate, Rocky easily gives me energy now when I ask by just allowing. It's fun