Who uses the 'scales of training' for dressage?

floradora09

floradora09

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I'd heard about it before, but had never really paid much attention, until for a PC test I'm taking I needed to understand what they all are. So I did a bit of reading, and I like the concept of it. I've done some prelim/novice dressage over the last year with my boy, and when he goes 'nicely' we get about 68%, mainly if I have had a lesson in the week leading up to the test and if I have my dressage head screwed on! But sometimes, for whatever reason, he's not working so well, and I'm not riding with my dressage brain in (especially if we'll be doing jumping that day too!) we drop down to about 60%. Likewise, in our schooling sessions, sometimes he'll go really nicely, and other times I struggle to get him supple- end up having an argument and losing rhythm! In the article I was reading, it said how using the scale of training helped you and your horse become more consistent, which I think I can understand. I guess my dressage instructor bases most of our training around that, because it stands to reason that you can't get impulsion if your horse isn't supple? However, I wonder if it would help me to become more consistent in our training and test scores if I used the scale of training?

What are your thoughts? Do you use the scales of training on a daily basis, or just have it in the back of your mind while you plan schooling etc. Thanks! :)
 
my ym talks about this alot not just scales for the horse but for the rider too. There is a book out by debby lush about the scales of training which is worth a look. I think alot of us are guilty of attempting new things without really establishing properly the earlier scales so its def worth looking into so you can move up successfully xx
 
Who doesn't?! :p

Honestly I feel it is the only correct way to train, I don't know anybody who does not follow them. They are an essential tool both in the daily training (common sense...obviously the first thing you have to ensure during a session is that your horse is "relaxed and supple", working in a pure rhythm and taking a good contact when warming up, before you can even think of collection) AND more long-term, in the training of a horse during his lifetime (again common sense... with a young horse you have to focus on the lower steps of the Scale and you can only work on the top end of the Scale, like collection, with an older, more advanced horse).

Therefore, to answer your question: yes I always have them in mind, both day in, day out AND in the bigger picture of my horse's working life.

The "Principles of Riding" of the German Federation (of which a new revised edition will come out in 2011!) are invaluable :)
 
I work on the earlier scales every time I school C, making sure she is relaxed and supple and taking a contact - thats about as far as it goes, hehe! She has naturally good rhythm (lucky me ;) lol) and we are not that straight at the moment :p but when she is being ridden more and in turn more supple that will come. I think the scales of training is basic common sense isnt it? Its what we all aim our horses to be?
 
I think subconciously (sp?!) I've always had them in mind, especially with my 15yo schoolmaster can actually produce a nice test when I ride him properly! However I've not really thought about them as a scale etc, so although when I first get on I always work at getting him loose, supple and forwards I don't actually think 'has he got rhythm, is he supple, have we got impulsion' etc...

When I school him for the first 15-20 mins or so I work on getting him active, flexing through his neck and softening through his back in walk, trot and have a canter, then I'll give him a break in walk on a long rein. That's when I think to myself 'what are we going to work on today...' If he's not warmed up very well for one reason or another I'll just spend the session getting him supple, but yesterday for example I wanted to work on the canter, collecting/pushing on and having a little go at counter canter, which is hard in our school as it's only 35m long!! He started off with some nice work, but then I struggled to get him to give through his neck- cue it all falling apart a bit! Maybe if I do lots of canter he just ploughs on with it a bit rather than relaxing and softening?... sorry musing to myself here! Long story short, he started well but it all fell apart at the end of the session, as he became tight through his back and hollowed all the trot-canter transitions! Do you think this is where the scales of training could help throughout a schooling session? As when something like this starts to happen again I can just take it down to trot or even walk and think, rhythm, suppleness, impusion etc??

Sorry for long post but feel I'm on the verge of a dressage epiphany!!! :p

Edit- Sometimes I think I get a bit stuck in a rut as it were, as I set myself a goal for the session and if we don't achieve it I feel like it's been a wasted session!! (Silly really...) However it would seem obvious that if he's becoming tight in canter I need to take it back down to trot and get him supple again, rather than getting more and more worked up about the fact that he's not giving in this rein or he's hollowing the transition, and therefore getting stuck in a circle?! xx
 
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floradora09 said:
When I school him for the first 15-20 mins or so I work on getting him active, flexing through his neck and softening through his back in walk, trot and have a canter, then I'll give him a break in walk on a long rein. That's when I think to myself 'what are we going to work on today...' If he's not warmed up very well for one reason or another I'll just spend the session getting him supple, but yesterday for example I wanted to work on the canter, collecting/pushing on and having a little go at counter canter, which is hard in our school as it's only 35m long!! He started off with some nice work, but then I struggled to get him to give through his neck- cue it all falling apart a bit! Maybe if I do lots of canter he just ploughs on with it a bit rather than relaxing and softening?... sorry musing to myself here! Long story short, he started well but it all fell apart at the end of the session, as he became tight through his back and hollowed all the trot-canter transitions! Do you think this is where the scales of training could help throughout a schooling session? As when something like this starts to happen again I can just take it down to trot or even walk and think, rhythm, suppleness, impusion etc?
Click to expand...

Yes absolutely, that is precisely how you would "use" them! If something went wrong at the end of the session it means you must have lost one of the "steps" along the way, so you would precisely take a step back and ensure that the horse truly is relaxed and supple, taking the contact forward and in a good rhythm.
If everything goes well you would probably do all of this subconsciously, as after all you cannot even achieve true collection *unless* the horse is straight, has enough impulsion, is supple etc.
 
Yep, they're bured into my brain as I had an intructor for a while (Malcolm Holthausen) who made me do sitting trot on a circle reciting them! Then once I knew them I hd to recite them in reverse order! lol
 
Thank you very much FB, I really enjoy dressage when he goes nicely, it just feels so easy and comfortable, but I think maybe I concentrate too much after the warm up on the next exercise I'm doing with him that I forget about keeping him soft and supple etc.

I think that makes sense what you say about achieving true collection and doing everything subconsciously, looking back in all my flat lessons my instructor has gone through these scales with me. First of all we get the trot active, then work on getting him to give through his neck and soften by taking small flexions (can take a little while!), then when we've achieved this we play about with pushing the trot on and bringing it back... all very simple in theory, but when I do this on my own just one small mistake can make the whole thing fall apart!

Do you know of any good books which explain this, and give exercises to help reach each scale? Will be doing some internet reading at school tomorrow I think! Also there seems to be some variation of what the scale actually is. In my PC annual it says rhythm, suppleness, contact, impulsion, straightness, collection. But in a few places on the web it says relaxation, rhythm, contact, impulsion, straightness, collection...?
 
floradora09 said:
But in a few places on the web it says relaxation, rhythm, contact, impulsion, straightness, collection...?
Click to expand...

This is the "original" version as explained by the German Federation.

Relaxation is a translation of Losgelassenheit which actually means Relaxation AND Suppleness (if the horse is losgelassen he is not just relaxed the way he could be in the paddock... he is relaxed in a supple way, "ridden" relaxation if you know what I mean).

The Principles of Riding are invaluable too and can be purchased on Amazon.
 
I love them! I think its the best way to assess how your horse is going and to track improvement in that horse. I've always remembered them as:
Ryhthm
Suppleness
Contact
Impulsion
Straightness
Collection

Is this right? We had a saying to remember them which is 'riders say contact is super cool' :p
 
I have heard of the scales of training, but never been taught to apply them as such. Okay, I might have been, but I dodn't recall it being called scales of training. Would anyone have a look at my thread I made a few days ago & see where we are in relaton to the scales of training please? I think possibly impulsion could be the main one that needs more work? :

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=438352
 
Agree with a few users and comments.

It is a system that should not be relied upon as guidance on its' own, it is something that displays objectives. And each objective must be reached, in order to reach another objective. It is not a case of riding forward for a year, riding straight for a year, riding collected for a year etc etc....

Basically, you cannot work on each individual objective without being able to implement another objective....they are scales that compliment each other, work together and whilst you can focus on one to improve (IE Bruce & Impulsion) you are using another scale in order to be able to improve (Rhythm & Contact)? If that makes sense?! It's been a long day and mini PS is v tired...
 
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