milliepops
Wears headscarf aggressively
Here we are then, these are my notes from the Saturday session with Ulf Möller and Michael Klimke. Sorry they are mostly just jottings but hope they will be of interest 
Anyone else who attended, please add to them! And can someone do notes tomorrow please
First session in the morning was for the young horses and the theme was Innovation: understanding the German system - foundations and the scales of training.
Ulf started with the 5 year olds with Alice Oppenheimer riding.
"A good contact is like gold... when you have it, keep hold of it" there's no need to drop the rein and pat the horse for giving the contact, that risk losing what you have achieved.
Rising trot means more relaxation. Sitting trot is a bit more serious. It must be clear for the horse that sitting trot means work.
When you ride a diagonal, always go a little more forward. All tests require extensions on the diagonal so the horse should learn to go forward on the diagonal. If you don't want to go forward, choose a different line.
Very clear message that the horse must go forward in front of the leg all the times even if the contact or neck is not perfect, the horse must come forward to the contact from behind.
The walk is not a rest for the rider, it's a rest for the horse!
When the horse hollows, always think a little more forward before looking to correct the neck.
When riding a shoulder in, check that the ears are the same height, that the neck is not becoming crooked.
When riding straight after doing lateral work, always ride a little more forward. Lateral work can tend to take the forwardness away.
Ulf again with Amy Whitehead riding MSJ Zonetta
Training means mistakes are allowed. "Its not a presentation, we don't want to sell the horse today !"
The horse is distracted and the contact is varying. Ulf wants Amy to just keep riding more forward, not think about the neck and just refresh the forwardness boldly to fit it.
When riding a medium canter, we want more jump in the canter. You can't achieve this by coming out of the corner and pushing the contact away, then the neck goes down and flat and it loses the uphill tendency. Establish the canter and then ride the frame bigger as the next step .
When you feel a bit of a resistance, don't over react. Keep a feel on the contact and just wait a little for the horse to work it out.
The horse must commit to the canter jump from the first step, you don't want to feel like the horse canters backwards.
Michael Klimke on the 6yo horse.
This year it's about developing the lateral work and flying changes. There isn't a perfect time to start the changes- the horse will tell you when he's ready. It might be right at the start, it might be later when the counter canter is established, but it's important to begin before the horse loses the idea that he could do a change rather than get stuck in counter canter
After stretching, some walk-trot transitions and then trot on & back, riding to go forward and sitting to come back.
Using leg yielding as a preparation for half pass... It's easier to keep the cadence and rhythm with your upper body.
Always refresh the forwardness after riding lateral work.
Michael's preferred line for the changes is to ride the change across the centre of a big circle, or on another round line, this helps to have the horse on your seat beforehand as they often run a little afterwards.
The horse anticipates the change when developing the tempis so Michael asks to ride a simple change instead.
When starting the pirouettes with a young horse it's all about smaller circles and bigger circles. Begin with shoulder in on a circle and then bring the circle smaller. Walk, shoulder in and then canter again.
Forward on a big circle, haunches in , smaller canter with haunches in, walk haunches in then canter and turn into a pirouette.
Next was a joint session with Ulf and Michael training a horse at PSG level. The theme was Inspiration: two coaches are better than one
Michael and Ulf on the PSG horse. Sadie Smith is riding.
The first stride of the pirouette is the most important one. Michael wants Sadie to ride a working pirouette starting small and then getting bigger. As horses develop they will make the piri smaller anyway. Stop when you lose the canter quality.
Collect only a few strides before starting the piri otherwise the horse will tire too quickly.
Ulf.. If the horse turns too fast, bend a little more so he falls towards the outside shoulder and therefore comes around more slowly. Riders tend to use the outside rein but that puts him over the inside shoulder which makes him turn faster.
In preparation, ride a diagonal firstly collected then flex but still go straight, so the horse is not starting the piri from the flexion . Don't start the piri until that is easy and the canter quality is not compromised.
Michael: the horse will show you if he needs to start from shoulder in or haunches in.
Ulf... after a long walk break it is normal for it to take a while to get the horse back to his best work. You will never walk that long in a test so there is no need to worry about that happening at a show .
Michael: to make the neck longer, ride forwards but don't pull him back in the mouth. That way you develop the bridge from hindlegs, back, reins to mouth.
When you flex the horse, make sure he doesn't slow down or go behind the leg.
In a turn, what you ask on the inside, allow with the outside.
In the half pass, allow the inside hand to become soft and allowing the forward momentum through.
Afternoon to follow....
Anyone else who attended, please add to them! And can someone do notes tomorrow please
First session in the morning was for the young horses and the theme was Innovation: understanding the German system - foundations and the scales of training.
Ulf started with the 5 year olds with Alice Oppenheimer riding.
"A good contact is like gold... when you have it, keep hold of it" there's no need to drop the rein and pat the horse for giving the contact, that risk losing what you have achieved.
Rising trot means more relaxation. Sitting trot is a bit more serious. It must be clear for the horse that sitting trot means work.
When you ride a diagonal, always go a little more forward. All tests require extensions on the diagonal so the horse should learn to go forward on the diagonal. If you don't want to go forward, choose a different line.
Very clear message that the horse must go forward in front of the leg all the times even if the contact or neck is not perfect, the horse must come forward to the contact from behind.
The walk is not a rest for the rider, it's a rest for the horse!
When the horse hollows, always think a little more forward before looking to correct the neck.
When riding a shoulder in, check that the ears are the same height, that the neck is not becoming crooked.
When riding straight after doing lateral work, always ride a little more forward. Lateral work can tend to take the forwardness away.
Ulf again with Amy Whitehead riding MSJ Zonetta
Training means mistakes are allowed. "Its not a presentation, we don't want to sell the horse today !"
The horse is distracted and the contact is varying. Ulf wants Amy to just keep riding more forward, not think about the neck and just refresh the forwardness boldly to fit it.
When riding a medium canter, we want more jump in the canter. You can't achieve this by coming out of the corner and pushing the contact away, then the neck goes down and flat and it loses the uphill tendency. Establish the canter and then ride the frame bigger as the next step .
When you feel a bit of a resistance, don't over react. Keep a feel on the contact and just wait a little for the horse to work it out.
The horse must commit to the canter jump from the first step, you don't want to feel like the horse canters backwards.
Michael Klimke on the 6yo horse.
This year it's about developing the lateral work and flying changes. There isn't a perfect time to start the changes- the horse will tell you when he's ready. It might be right at the start, it might be later when the counter canter is established, but it's important to begin before the horse loses the idea that he could do a change rather than get stuck in counter canter
After stretching, some walk-trot transitions and then trot on & back, riding to go forward and sitting to come back.
Using leg yielding as a preparation for half pass... It's easier to keep the cadence and rhythm with your upper body.
Always refresh the forwardness after riding lateral work.
Michael's preferred line for the changes is to ride the change across the centre of a big circle, or on another round line, this helps to have the horse on your seat beforehand as they often run a little afterwards.
The horse anticipates the change when developing the tempis so Michael asks to ride a simple change instead.
When starting the pirouettes with a young horse it's all about smaller circles and bigger circles. Begin with shoulder in on a circle and then bring the circle smaller. Walk, shoulder in and then canter again.
Forward on a big circle, haunches in , smaller canter with haunches in, walk haunches in then canter and turn into a pirouette.
Next was a joint session with Ulf and Michael training a horse at PSG level. The theme was Inspiration: two coaches are better than one
Michael and Ulf on the PSG horse. Sadie Smith is riding.
The first stride of the pirouette is the most important one. Michael wants Sadie to ride a working pirouette starting small and then getting bigger. As horses develop they will make the piri smaller anyway. Stop when you lose the canter quality.
Collect only a few strides before starting the piri otherwise the horse will tire too quickly.
Ulf.. If the horse turns too fast, bend a little more so he falls towards the outside shoulder and therefore comes around more slowly. Riders tend to use the outside rein but that puts him over the inside shoulder which makes him turn faster.
In preparation, ride a diagonal firstly collected then flex but still go straight, so the horse is not starting the piri from the flexion . Don't start the piri until that is easy and the canter quality is not compromised.
Michael: the horse will show you if he needs to start from shoulder in or haunches in.
Ulf... after a long walk break it is normal for it to take a while to get the horse back to his best work. You will never walk that long in a test so there is no need to worry about that happening at a show .
Michael: to make the neck longer, ride forwards but don't pull him back in the mouth. That way you develop the bridge from hindlegs, back, reins to mouth.
When you flex the horse, make sure he doesn't slow down or go behind the leg.
In a turn, what you ask on the inside, allow with the outside.
In the half pass, allow the inside hand to become soft and allowing the forward momentum through.
Afternoon to follow....
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