BD national convention report

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Halfstep

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Just back from a rather chilly Hartpury. It was a great day. I stupidly forgot my phone! So sorry, I couldn't text anyone :( But caught up with some friends I haven't seen for ages.

I took copious notes so thought I'd do a report in case anyone is interested.

Firstly, Klaus Balkenhol is obviously a legend. His English isn't great but he did manage to make himself understood most of the time, with help from Dr. B, who did some simultaneous translation. But at times it was difficult to get exactly what he meant and sometimes it became a bit impressionistic as we tried to get the meaning from his rather idiosyncratic use of English.

The theme of the day was the training scale. All horses, from the baby 4 yr old to Alf himself (yes, how lucky were we! Laura brought him. He was very naughty), all first had to walk, trot and canter in a correct rhythm, showing relaxation and stretching into the rein with their noses in front of the vertical.
Nothing fancy, no tricks, no lightening moments - just basic training according to the Classical German tradition.

I'll do a horse by horse commentary in the following posts if anyone is interested.
 
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First horse was a 4 yr old mare called Pamina, by Polarion. She was a lovely chestnut, very babyish, and had been turned away all summer and only sat on again for a few weeks. Laura showed her in hand first and Klaus talked about the importance of conformation and a good walk that shows suppleness but not too massive in the overtrack as this can cause the hind leg to be slow. He talked about tack, and the importance of not having nosebands too tight as this prevents the horse from swallowing comfortably and hence causes tension through the whole body. He doesn't like drop nosebands as he thinks they can be uncomfortable on horses' noses and can cause tension. He likes a well padded cavesson not tightly done up, with a loose flash.

Lara Griffith then rode the mare (and sat some acrobatics). Klaus was very positive about never, ever, ever asking a young horse to walk on a contact as this is the best way to ruin a walk. Always walk on long reins. When the horse came to trot, Lara was asked to maintain a consistent but soft contact, and guide the horse into the outside rein without any constriction. He hates riders who hold their hands low on either side of the withers - this is as incorrect as hands which are too high as it pulls the bit onto the bars of the mouth. Hands stay low and in a correct position whether you are on a 3 yr old or a GP horse. For the canter on a young horse, he said to allow the horse to flex slightly to the outside as this helps them balance and to stay straight in the canter.

When asked about training techniques, Dr. B said that everyone should have the courage of their conviction and stand up for what they believe. He said that trainers should show their work and allow their results to speak for themselves, and that rough training must always be rejected. He also said that the results in Kentucky show that classical training can also win medals on the international stage as well as create happy horses.
 
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Second horse was a 5 yr old, also by Polarion, a gelding this time and ridden by Laura. This is clearly an international quality youngster but has been taken slowly. He is a big horse, so he's been turned away for three months at a time to give him a chance to grow into his body. He prompted an interested discussion about the young horse championships, which I will return to.

Again they started with basic walk, trot, canter, asking the horse to relax and reach for the bit. The question of behind the vertical came up - the horse was inclined to spook so Laura had to keep him a bit more on the rein than ideal. Klaus said that unless you have a problem or expect an explosion, or the horse is running through your aids, the nose must be in front of the vertical. If explosions happen, or there is a problem with a stiff back or a very high head, the horse can be ridden deeper and rounded but not as a matter of course. Deep work must always be interspersed with stretching.

This horse had started the half passes, and Klaus said he likes to introduce the half passes from travers on the diagonal, and not from shoulder in - as horses find the transition from the crossing required from the shoulder in, to the half pass difficult. This is how I've always been taught and was quite happy to hear it underlined!

Jennie Loriston-Clark asked about developing the horse for the young horse world champs. This horse is obviously world class but would not win at Verden as the Bs are not willing to sacrifice the naturalness of its way of going, but that this is what will stand it in good stead for its long term career. Jennie said that judging at Verden this year, the judges had been criticised for marking down a spectacular mover who they felt was over produced and too passagey. Klaus said there was nothing wrong with playing with a passage in a young horse who finds it easy but that the normal trot must be developed in itself.
 
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Alex Hardwick and Calvin G, a 7 yr old by Contendro. This was a sweet, well trained combination. Alex got told off immediately for using her hands too much especially in the walk. He really made the point that a backwards hand was a hand break on the hind leg. If the horse creates resistance when you go to collect the walk, don't use the hand backwards, but ask for a slight outside flexion and gently move the bit to keep the communication. Never let the hands drop low and wide.

The main work they did with this horse was on the changes which were a bit touch and go. Klaus saw immediately that the problem was that the horse wasn't straight in the canter, and had Alex focus on getting the outside hind leg more under the horse in the canter, which then makes the change come through better. So, in right canter, ride a stride of leg yield to the right, bring the left hind closer under the horse, then ask for the change.
 
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Alice Oppenheimer on Delegate, 7 yr old by Dimaggio. Klaus loved this horse and asked if he was for sale! :) With this horse who was quite hot, he talked about "managed forwardness" - controlling the urge to go forwards without using a backwards hand or getting a tight neck. So, in the collection, the horse is brought back, and then the reins are given - completely - so the collection is developed without any hand at all. Delegate has a super trot but it verges on the passagey, but he was happy to encourage the expression, while keeping the hind legs working and the neck long.

Henk van Bergen (a well known Dutch trainer) was there, and he was asked to speak about the benefits of training a horse deep and round. He said that in his opinion, the greatest benefit is to allow complete relaxation of the entire top line, absolutely relaxation. But not as a sustained positioning.

Klaus spoke a bit then about starting piaffe as this horse is clearly talented for this work. He said never create it with the whip or spurs, but with the natural impulsion of the horse and the use of the half halt.

This is a super horse. And British bred.
 
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Next after lunch (I bought a new whip LOL) was Matt Frost and Titanishch T, a 10 yr old by Mooiman. This is a little horse who has a reputation for being hot, but he had his halo on today. They talked a bit about horses who plateau at small tour and the importance of not pushing a horse to learn lessons that he isn't happy to do - the one tempis, or the competition ready piaffe/passage. And also that some horses have their own time, there is no clear timetable, and each horse does the work his body and his training allows.

This horse was being a good boy, but even so, Klaus said that the warm up is vital. Even if the horse feels good, the warmup is about the joints and ligaments. It still needs time. He talked about waiting for the horse to breath.

Moving on to more advanced work, he likes to see a shoulder in verging towards 4 tracks, and being used a lot in all paces, to enhance throughness and suppleness.

Moving on to changes, he likes to ride forwards for 2 strides, then use the impulsion to create more expression in the change. This horse got awfully hot in the tempi changes and didn't like Matt's leg on him. He had him ride on the diagonal in canter, then walk, half pirouette in walk to get the leg on, the back into canter. Bring the neck up and collect, then give the rein forwards in the collection. It is all about getting the horse to listen to the aids without tension in the body.

Working on developing the piaffe - this horse has a super passage but no piaffe. He wanted Matt to make the passage smaller and smaller, give rein and out as soon as the horse starts to struggle, rather than the traditional piaffe out of walk. He always combines the piaffe and passage as they are always required together. In this way the transitions are developed along with the movements.
 
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Gareth Hughes and Duvie, who is truly, truly stunning. This horse is so loose in his way of going. Gareth got told off for letting him get to slow behind in the normal trot. Again the neck must be long and loose, but the hind legs needed to step more quickly to create the impulsion that was translated into the great expression this horse is capable of. Klaus wants riders to create a lot of impulsion on the short sides and use the corners to balance and college, and bring the horse onto the aids. Gareth showed some exemplary canter pirouettes and tempi changes to two times. Again with the piaffe and passage, he wanted them combined - the passage made smaller and smaller until the horse is able to translate the weight behind while keeping the diagonal steps. Klaus thinks this prevents the problem of horses putting too much weight on the forelegs and losing the rhythm in the piaffe.
 
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Finally, the treat of the day - Laura and Alf. She was supposed to have Telwell with her, but for whatever reason they brought Alf, who was just back from his holidays. Gareth got a round of applause and Alf shot off like a 4 yr old, actually quite scary, for a few strides he was out of there. He is huge, hot, orange, and strong. Laura said that it takes her three days at a show to get him settled enough to be happy going down the centre line. He's so sensitive. His natural movement is amazing, he flexes and uses every inch of his body. Just like the 4 yr old, he had to walk, trot, and canter reaching for the bit into a giving hand. He has such an amazing canter, and Laura seems to use it to settle him, doing half passes to get him to concentrate and leg go. After a bit of basic work she showed his passage/piaffe/passage - and yes, the transitions are seamless and perfect. Klaus said the piaffe was a 10, but Jennie said a 9 because it wasn't quite on the spot. :cool:.

The fact that Laura got that amazing GP at WEG out of that horse is truly astonishing now. He's a beautiful horse but huge, strong, like a tank, with an obvious flight instinct and she has through work and management, got him on her side. I have to say, I wouldn't get on him. Definitely a formula one horse.
:D
 
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I think he does start it from the walk, but always out into trot or passage, and once the idea of the diagonalisation is understood by the horse it is developed out of a gradual transition from the passage. At least that is how I understood what he was saying.
 
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Great report, thank you so much! Really miss not being able to go this year, but with all the snow maybe it wasn't such a bad idea afterall! Did you notice reduce numbers because of the snow? Some of my friends from Yorks were debating whether they would be able to make it or not!
 
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Yes, another thank you from this quarter!

Thoughtful and thorough report, very much appreciated - as is Balkenhol's continuous, rather brave, insistence upon the correct way of going. Great to read.
 
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