Dressage More "over" the back and "through" from behind

[MadisonBelle]

Hi As above really I have a really cute horse who does a very respectable test and the above are the comments I got at the weekend. Apart from working deeper and over poles is there anything else I can do? He was very behind the bit when I got him and is so much better but we struggle to get him deep and still on or ahead of the vertical.... Thanks in advance for any help/advice.

 

[ihatework]

The holy grail of dressage!
Lots of lessons, from someone good.
Sorry not to be more helpful but it really is a combination of a few things that come together.

 

[Fanatical]

As ihw says, lessons would help massively (if you aren't already having them). Look up the scales of training if you aren't aware of them already - if you work towards all of those you will only improve.

 

[Littlebear]

I think most people would have had these comments at some point or another, if you have a video it would be easier to help. Other than that you need a trainer that will help you with this as other mention.
Also i would suggest you go and watch some BD a few levels higher than you compete at so you can see the level of suppleness and engagement you should be aiming for going forward x

 

[be positive]

As above good eyes on the ground are the priority but I would say be careful about trying to get him deep, working long and low can be a useful tool in the box but for some it just means they end up curling behind the contact and pushing less from the back end if they find it hard to balance so the work can be counter productive.
Some naturally uphill horses are better being encouraged more forward with the shoulders up, taking the nose forward a little, then they can engage behind, become more supple over the back and gain better balance and engagement.

 

[Goldenstar]

Good book Uta Graf , Effortless Dressage programme

 

[maya2008]

Suppleness - you need to be more longitudinally supple (over the back) but that comes from lateral suppleness (bending). So circles or varying sizes, leg yielding, shoulder-in, etc.

One of mine has had a few weeks off from schooling, so we would very much have got that comment today. Some nice correct bending work in walk and he was already stretching down more, using his back and feeling altogether better.

 

[oldie48]

I think you need to work out where your horse is blocking if that makes sense. Rose tends to be tight in her back and not through, she holds in her neck, so getting her to flex and let go is key. Initially I do work her rounder and deeper than I would in a test situation, this encourages her to work over her back and come through from behind, then I can bring her into a more advanced outline and encourage her to take the contact forward. As she's developed more core strength I find she's able to maintain her balance better so she's more willing to work rounder and deeper without going too long and on the forehand which she finds easy but doesn't engage her hind quarters or release the tension in her back. It's been a work in progress but gradually she's changed from a pretty fixed neck that looks as if she's "on the bit" to being properly through with a nice contact but it's still hard work for her to maintain and needs constant help and adjustment.

 

[Breagha]

My horse is bad for going BTV and we have done loads of exercises to improve this, circles and gradually decreasing then increasing is a really good one for us. Breagha is alot worse when is in in a snaffle (go figure) and is much better in a pelham (always use two reins). Breagha has a short neck which doesnt help matters.

 

[Cowpony]

We get this comment over and over again, and it's so frustrating! My horse goes beautifully in a lesson. Get to a competition venue and she's so tense, so busy looking at everything going on around her, worrying about other horses she's never met leaving the warm-up......her whole back goes tense, she stops listening to me and nothing I can do will get her soft and round. I've tried using my legs more, doing circles, doing lateral work, you name it, but when she's in that mood she just won't let me in! People say get her out more, but we've been doing this for a couple of years now and it's still no better. Even if we start to go a bit better in the warm-up arena (after 30 minutes!), we go to the test arena, she sees the boards and that's it, all tense again. It doesn't seem to matter if she can see other horses or not. Sometimes I wonder why we bother. Maybe I should just enter a test a few times and not actually compete but stay in the warm-up arena schooling until she relaxes....I guess it's not much more expensive than arena hire. I really wish dressage was like showjumping and we could put our number on the board when we are happy we are ready, not be tied to a particular time. But them's the rules.

So this is a very long-winded way of saying I'm following this with interest and will be hugely grateful for any tips!

 

[milliepops]

doing 2 warm ups can help with the ones that get tense at a show.
I like getting them out and about for lots of arena hire but ultimately you can only get the show atmosphere at a competition.

Getting them out of the box early and having a trundle round the warm up without trying to prepare for the test, but to settle their nerves is useful - then put back on the box, have a cuppa, let them eat some hay. Then get back out and do your proper warm up. Often the worst of the tension is over with and they can start to think about working.

I find it's best to put them to work in that first warm up but in a way that they find it easy to do what you're asking and can burn off some adrenalin. So probably not trying to do calm stretching, for instance, but maybe trot & canter transitions or lateral work or something that lets you get into their head

eta the key thing is not to let yourself get stressed in the first ride - if they giraffe around with their ears up your nose to start with it doesn't matter hugely, *it's not the test warm up*.

 

[Cowpony]

Great advice as always MP