Dressage Trainers-What to Look For

A good trainer should be flexible, willing to adjust her goals when necessary and instill a sense of confidence in the rider. She should be easy to communicate with, and you should feel comfortable being with her. You need to decide if you want a trainer with an aggressive style, or someone who will nurture you. Safety for both horse and rider should always be paramount.

Training Pyramid

The basic principles of dressage training haven't changed over the years, and are based on the Training Pyramid (also called the Training Scale and the German Training System). At the base of the pyramid is rhythm. Rhythm must be present in the walk, trot, canter and rein back (moving backwards). It is a steady, even pace and results from a relaxed horse. Suppleness is the next component. The horse must learn to be flexible and loose, both in the haunches and to be able to bend the neck and body sideways.

Contact is the next level. It occurs when the horse accepts the commands of the hands, seat, and legs of the rider, and does not object to the bit. Impulsion is above contact and manifests itself as a strong power from the hind quarters. The horse exhibits a powerful urge to move forward with active, lively movements.

Straightness comes next. Because horses by nature are crooked, the trainer must teach the rider to straighten the horse's gait, so that the hind foot steps in the line of the front foot. Finally, at the top of the pyramid, is collection. It ties all the other steps together to give the horse an animated stride. The horse takes shorter and higher strides, and the rider can feel he can let go of the reins, with the horse still maintaining perfect rhythm and carriage.

The Goal

Ultimately, the goal of dressage training is to reach a perfect collection, where the horse's performance just happens naturally with balance, lightness and engagement. All this is achieved by building very gradually from the base to the peak of the pyramid. The trainer can always take a step back and review if the horse (or rider) shows any sign of faltering. The skilled trainer must be able to sense where there are problems and find out to which element of the training scale they are related and then work on those levels.