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by Kristin Hermann
Accomplishing the goals of riding a Training Level test
is the foundation of dressage. It is the level where the rider must master the horse’s three natural gaits and maintain
the horse in a relaxed, rhythmic and round frame. Sounds easy! But,... (more...)
by Kristin Hermann
George Morris gave a three-day clinic at Morvan Park the first week of October 2009.
Knowing that this man is an icon of horsemanship and show jumping, I reluctantly emailed the contact person to see if there
were still openings. The answer was yes. The next thing I knew we were going to Morven Park to train with George Morris. Having
heard all “the stories”... (more)
3. Chewing the Reins Out of the Hands...
by Kristin Hermann
When I discovered the intrigue of dressage I studied with an FN trainer from Germany.* An FN, certification to teach
and train from the Germany, is the highest degree for an equestrian. This man used to stand in the middle of the ring and
ask the horse to chew the reins out of his hands. I was amazed at how the horses he touched simply gave at the poll and gradually
lowered their heads. ...(more.. this one might take a minute or
two to open. Please be patient!)
4. The Three Rs of Basic Training
by Kristin Hermann
Relaxed, rhythmic and contact are typically the first three ingredients of training
a horse mentioned in the training scale utilized by dressage riders. I remember when this training scale was first introduced
to me I thought, “How will I
ever remember any of this?” So to simplify, I came up with calling the third
item on the Training Scale “round” instead of using the word contact. Thus, I call the three basic training ideas
relaxed, rhythmic and round. (more...click on the title link)
5. The Tibetan Half Halt
The Half Halt
There are basically two kinds of half halts, one is with the rein and the other
is with the seat, or lower back. Many explanations for the half halt make it seem like a rider can only accomplish this if
you travel to Tibet and meditate on top of a mountain! (To find out how to accomplish the half halt without going to Tibet,
click on the title of this article. It's definitely not as hard as climbing a Tibetan mountain!)
6. Riding Bareback to Improve the Seat
The seat is the focal point of every rider and his horse. Elementary requirements
of the rider's seat are to follow the horse's motion, stay in balance with the torso while the limbs used to signal the horse.
Acquiring a good seat can take years, however, one way to accelerate your seat's development is to ride bareback.
However, before you proceed, be cautious that no one rides bareback who is
not ready.
The rider’s aids (seat, legs and hands) are what create the communication
between equine and human.
8. Lunging 101 & Basic Riding Position
Clinician Kristin Hermann speaks at Horse Around Acres
Midland, Pa. Correct lunging and riding is an art which
requires skill. Applying these skills to train a horse is even more complicated. When asked to do a clinic, Kristin Hermann
decided that rather than do another riding clinic if riders could develop good lunging skills ... to read more click on the
title link. There
is a link to download the entire article on the Lunging 101 page.
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