The Art of Natural Dressage

I had mentioned a while ago that I was doing a 4H project on stretches and strengthening exercises for the horse and rider, and could post my finished product when done. So here is a copy of the text of the booklet that I did -- sorry for no pictures, they were in the booklet, but it was going to be hard to insert them here. If any don't make sense, please let me know (then I can fix it in the booklet, too, before it gets judged at State!).

For the horse exercises, I had to explain the training of them a bit more pressure-based, given the audience that I had. I tried to do it as kindly as possible, and then on my main board gave a quick, simple explanation of clicker training and luring into position and why that should be done as well. Hopefully someone will try it!

There's a bit of repeat with what's already on this site, describing the back crunch, GOTM, etc, but I decided to leave it in.

_________________
"Do you give the horse his strength?"
~Job 39:19a

www.cambriahorsemanship.com

Fitness, Flexibility, and Fun!

Exercises and Stretches for the Horse and Rider

By Hannah Rivard



Horse Stretching Exercises

1. Back Crunch


This is similar to the "parked out" stance of saddleseat horses. Ask the horse to take a step forward with his front foot by tapping it with the whip (see Exercises #2 and #3). When the horse consistently sets one foot out, place one hand on his withers and gently pull him towards you to take the weight off of his other front foot, which you then tap and ask to come forward. If the horse moves his hind legs, simply back him up a step and try again, continually asking for the front legs to come farther out. The back crunch stretches the back and rump muscles.

2. Curtsy Bow
With your horse in a back crunch, lure his nose down to his feet with a treat, giving it to him there. Lure the horse's nose farther under his front legs and eventually give the treat only when he shifts his weight back, asking for continually deeper bows. Be careful to not get stepped on. This exercises stretches the horse's topline, neck, and shoulders.


3. Nose-to-Tail

Grasp the horse's tail and slowly pull it to the side (towards his head), dropping it and stopping him if he moves. The next time, release and praise before he moves, working up to pulling the tail to the side for 30 seconds while he stands still. Also, teach lateral flexion. With your horse next to a fence and you by his barrel, gently sponge the lead rope towards you, showing him a treat by his side. When he softens and bends, give him the treat and release, repeating until he turns his head on a soft sponging of the rope. Finally, combine the two: pull his tail to the side and have him do lateral flexion until his nose touches his tail (if his tail is short, this may not work!), then release. Touching his tail gives him a concrete "goal." This dual stretch stretches muscles along the horse's entire side and neck.

4. Carrot Stretches


There is no limit to the head and neck stretches possible with treats! Lure the horse into position, hold, then give the treat and release. Some possible carrot stretches are: stretching towards the hip, the girth, the stifle, the elbow, and the chest (arching the neck), straight up and out (as if the horse were eating from a tree), and between the front legs. These stretches improve strength, flexibility, and range of motion in the horse's neck and poll.

5. Poll Twist

With the horse's head stretched out and down, softly put one hand on his poll and the other on the bridge of his nose, quietly twisting his head sideways. If he resists, let go, praise, and try again, this time releasing before he protests. Repeat, twisting to the other direction. This stretch helps release the horse's poll and loosen his neck.

6. Poll Stretch


With one hand on the horse's poll and the other under his chin, gently press down on his poll and up on his chin so that his throatlatch opens up and muzzle points up and out. This opens up the poll and helps for horses who have been forced into "collection."

7. Leg Stretches


These stretches may be done on both the front and back legs. Standing to the side for safety, pick up a leg and "fold" it high up under the horse's belly. Then, grasping the knee/hock and fetlock, slowly stretch it in one of three directions: forward, back, or diagonally (across the other leg, or forward to the outside). These stretches loosen the rump and shoulder muscles as well as improve range of motion.

8. Leg Circles

Lift one of the horse's legs and hold it by lacing your fingers together slightly above the knee/hock, with the lower leg dangling. Circle forearm/gaskin so that you "draw" small circles with the horse's toe. Start with small circles, working up to larger and then down to smaller before you put down the leg. Rotate in both directions. This stretches the shoulder/rump and improves range of motion.

9. Leg Dangles


With your horse standing on a low pedestal or stump, simply ask for one foreleg to hang off of the side of the pedestal. Alternately, have the horse, on the flat, cross his leg behind the other leg with only his toe touching the ground. Most horses will move their foot back to a flat position; merely reposition them, praising when they are in the correct position. This stretch loosens the shoulder and leg muscles.

10. Tail Stretches


When it is safe, stand behind the horse and rub his dock and tailbone until he unclamps his tail, then grasp it and begin the stretches. There are many possible stretches: move his tailbone in small circles that gradually get larger, slowly pull his tail straight out and back, stretch his tail from side to side, or gently fold it up and over his back, ending any stretches with a short shake by the tail hair (not the bone) to release tension. Some horses prefer these stretches done by grasping the tail hair; others prefer your grasping the tailbone itself. Always release the tail slowly so that you don't "slam" the vertebrae back together. Because the tail is merely an extension of the horse's spine, stretching the tail loosens the entire spine.

_________________
"Do you give the horse his strength?"
~Job 39:19a

www.cambriahorsemanship.com

Horse Strengthening Exercises

1. Cavaletti
Walk your horse over poles, logs, or other obstacles. The obstacles should be high (although not so high as to cause difficulty) and the distances between them varied. The tall heights work various muscles in the horse's neck, back, and rump, while the varying distances will cause him to adjust his stride, giving a gymnastic effect.

2. Leg Lifts

Pick a cue spot on the leg (often the fetlock) and gently tap there with a whip. As soon as the horse even thinks about moving that leg, praise and rest, shaping that slight try into a full leg lift. Alternate between legs, asking for higher and higher lifts. Lifting the front legs strengthens the neck and shoulders, while lifting the hind legs develops the rump and back muscles for collection.

3. Goat on a Mountain


This is easiest done on a pedestal or similar object (and then the process of training is relatively self-explanatory) but also may be taught on the flat, with the goal for the hind feet to come all the way up to the front hooves. Tap a hind leg (change the cue spot from Exercise #2, however) and praise and rest the moment the horse moves the foot forward. Back him up to get him out of position and shift his weight back, then ask again. When one foot can consistently move forward, ask for the other foot to come forward as well (you may have to switch sides to clarify your cue). This exercise is an invaluable aid for strengthening weak backs, developing rump muscles, and improving balance.

4. Belly Lifts

Take a long towel and fold it lengthwise, passing one end under the horse's belly and over his back so both ends are on one side (or, use a helper to hold the towel on the other side). Position the towel at the girth groove and very slowly lift up. When the horse's back lifts, hold it for a few seconds, then let it down very slowly. Move the towel six inches back and repeat. This exercise strengthens the horse's back and belly muscles.

5. Pelvic Tucks


Find the two grooves in the horse's buttock muscle that are about a hand's width from the base of the tail. Take the ends of two wooden spoons (or your thumbs and/or index fingers, if they're strong) and slowly but very firmly push into the top of the grooves. Slowly slide the pressure down the horse's buttocks, keeping it up until he tucks his pelvis and lifts his back. A variation on this is merely pressing, or scratching in fast, tight circles, at the top of the grooves and not sliding down at all.

6. Backing Softly

To best strengthen the horse, backing must be done correctly, with the horse's neck soft and arched and his legs moving in diagonal pairs. To encourage softness, position the horse with his rump against a fence, and gently "sponge" the lead rope from side to side, not forward and back -- do not pull his head in. Release and praise the moment the horse softens his neck, and work until he can maintain that softness while backing. If, when backing, the horse moves only one foot at a time, it means he is not comfortable backing or is pulling against the halter. To develop backing in diagonal pairs, work on softness in the horse's neck (as explained), softness in the back up, and slightly more speed, praising and resting the moment he begins to back in diagonals. A horse may back up to 40 feet for optimal development of the back and rump muscles, but work up to it slowly.

7. Turning and Backing
When your horse can back up freely, ask him to back in a circle. Face your horse while he backs up slowly, and as his outside front leg leaves the ground, ask him to take a step to the outside. If he gets confused or unbalanced, stop and ask again when he's calm. Slowly add more steps until your horse can back in a full circle. In addition, have your horse back up straight, and ask him, as he is backing, to cross his forehand over and continue backing (it may help to hold a whip in your hands with which to drive him over). These exercises shift the horse's weight back and develop the topline muscles.

8. Backing Transitions
When your horse leads and backs freely with a soft feel, develop walk-back-walk transitions, with no halt at any time. As your horse is walking, ask him to back with halter pressure, simultaneously "luring" him back with a treat to get the instant soft back up. Praise and treat, and repeat. When the walk-back transition is smooth, lure the horse back but then instantly lure him forward again (along with a halter cue), praising and treating when he walks forward out of the back, refining until treats are no longer needed. Then develop trot-back-trot transitions. These transitions compress your horse's whole body, developing many muscle groups.

9. Sit Ups

To encourage your horse to lift his sternum and chest, press under his belly in the depression just in front of where the girth lies. Combine this with doing quick press-and-releases on the groove along the horse's belly, so that he lifts both his shoulders and back.

10. Tight Serpentines

Walk your horse in very tight serpentines, but ensure that the horse walks straight after each turn. (This is easiest done from the saddle, but may be done on the ground.) The turns should be tight enough that the horse has to really bend his neck and shoulders, but not so tight that he begins pivoting. Do not pull the horse around. Tight serpentines develop the horse's balance and coordination, and supple his entire body.

_________________
"Do you give the horse his strength?"
~Job 39:19a

www.cambriahorsemanship.com

Rider Stretching Exercises

1. Pectoral Stretch

Go to a regulation (not double) size doorway and shape your arms like goal posts up against its sides. Take a large step forward into lunge position, feeling and pulling against the stretch in your shoulder girdle. This exercise stretches your shoulder girdle, making it easier to bring your shoulders back in the saddle.

2. Wall Stretch

Face a flat wall and place one arm straight out to the side, flat against the wall. Turn away from that arm and the wall (i.e. for an extended right arm, twist left). This stretch works the shoulder and arm muscles so that supporting your shoulders becomes easier.

3. Hand Clasp

Touch the back of your neck with one hand (so the elbow is pointing up) and touch the middle of your back with the back of your other hand (so the elbow is pointing down). Now try to clasp hands. This not only stretches your arms but also clearly shows on which side you are tighter!

4. Thigh Fall

Lie on your back with your knees bent. Allow your knees to fall to the side, then push them down slightly further. Doing this stretches the inner thigh muscles.

5. Ledge Stretch

Lie on your back on a bed or ledge, next to and parallel to its edge, with the leg closest to the ledge hanging off. Take the knee of your other leg and bring it to your chest. This stretches the muscles throughout both legs, stretching them apart.

6. Thigh Pull

Balancing on one foot, grasp your other ankle and pull it up behind you. This stretches the muscles in your upper thigh, allowing for a longer and deeper leg in the saddle.

7. Lunge

Keeping one foot flat on the floor, take a large step forward with the other foot until you feel a stretch in the back of your calf. This stretches your lower leg muscles, allowing your heel to drop more easily when riding.

8. Heightened Side Bend

Put one foot up high (yet still be comfortable) and clasp your hands high over your head, keeping your arms as stretched straight as you can throughout the exercise. Bend forward, then to the right, then to the left, going as far as you can. This stretches muscles throughout your arms, legs, and core.

9. Windmill

With your arms straight out (like a "T"), move your arms in small circles, gradually getting larger, then smaller again. Always rotate backwards -- rotating forwards merely slumps your shoulders forward. This is both a strengthening and stretching exercise of the arms and back, and helps keep your shoulders back.

10. Body Bend

With your feet shoulder-width apart, and arms dangling heavily, slowly allow your head to roll forward and down. Slowly let the roll go down through your torso and hips so that you are eventually doubled over, then gradually reverse the process until you are bending backwards, with your arms hanging down behind you. This stretches your frontline and back muscles.

_________________
"Do you give the horse his strength?"
~Job 39:19a

www.cambriahorsemanship.com

Rider Strengthening Exercises

1. Knee Bend


Lay on your back, keeping the small of your back in contact with the floor. Bring your knees to your chest, down until your feet almost touch the floor, then back to your chest again. (For added challenge, hold a weighted ball between your knees.) This strengthens your lower abdominal muscles, allowing you to be more stable in the saddle and balance less on the reins.

2. Hip Lift

Lie on your side with your legs straight and torso propped up on your elbow. Bend the leg that is closest to the floor and, while keeping your shoulders and hips in a straight line, lift your hips off of the mat by using your oblique (side) muscles. This exercise helps correct "one-sidedness" in the rider by strengthening your side muscles, preventing collapse to one side.

3. Shoulder Squeeze

Stand up straight (for added challenge, hold a 5-10 pound weight in each hand), with your shoulder blades stretched back and down. Keeping your thumbs pointing forward, bend from your hips at a 45-degree angle. Keep your arms straight and bring your hands back and in as if you were trying to touch your shoulder blades together. This exercise brings your shoulders back, helping you to sit up taller and keep your horse off of his forehand.

4. Leg Squats

Stand with your shoulders back, lower abdominals tight, feet slightly wider than your shoulders, and toes pointing slightly outward. Hold a bar over your shoulders to add resistance (but keep the bar from pressing on your neck) and lower yourself into a squat, shifting your hips back, and as you straighten up tighten your seat (gluteal) muscles. To increase resistance, squat deeper and/or hold a heavier bar. This exercise helps develop a straight line from your shoulder to hip to heel and the muscles that hold that position.

5. Step-Up's

Find a ledge that is about 18 inches tall, and step up onto it heel first with your right foot, while taking the weight off of your left foot, using your abdominals and leg muscles to lift and balance your body. Hold, then lower yourself and shift your weight back to your left leg, being careful that your hips don't shift forward or sideways. This exercise improves your balance and the muscles needed to maintain it, helping keep you from leaning to one side when in the saddle.

6. Shoulder Strengthen


Facing a flat wall, lace your fingers behind your neck with your elbows pointing straight out to the side. Press your elbows forward against the resistance of the wall. Then, turn around, pressing backwards against the wall. This exercise strengthens the long, weak muscles of the shoulder girdle, helping you lift your chest and shoulders into a strong, upright position when riding.

7. Toe Lifts


Keeping your body straight and hips over your heels, position the balls of your feet on a step or ledge. Lift your body high up over your toes as high as you can, then relax it, stretching as down as low as you can. The first 10 repetitions have your toes pointed straight ahead, the second 10 pointed outward, and the third 10, pointed inward. This exercise both stretches and strengthens the lower leg muscles, allowing for stronger legs and better-positioned feet while riding.

8. Pillow Squeezes

Lie on your back, knees bent with a pillow between them, and your arms, palms up, out at a 45-degree angle. Squeeze your knees into the pillow, and release, trying not to contract your stomach muscles. This exercise helps stabilize the pelvis and strengthens the high thigh muscles, securing your seat.

9. Back Lift

Lie on your back with your feet straight ahead and knees bent with a pillow between them (squeeze the pillow throughout this exercise). Relax your upper body, lift your hips and back off the floor, and hold. This exercise strengthens the pelvis and spine area.

10. Knee Pull

Lie on your back with your feet slightly more than hip-width apart, knees bent and tied together (a belt works well). While keeping your upper body relaxed, push your knees outward against the strap, then release. This exercise strengthens the muscles on the outside of your thigh, laterally stabilizing your hips.

11. Pelvic Tilts

Lie on your back with your upper body relaxed, knees bent, and hips and feet aligned. Roll your hips backwards to flatten your back on the floor then roll them forwards to arch your back. This exercise strengthens your abdominal muscles.

12. V-Lift

Lay on your back with legs straight, and simultaneously lift your torso and legs (so that you look like a "V"). This exercise strengthens your core muscles.

_________________
"Do you give the horse his strength?"
~Job 39:19a

www.cambriahorsemanship.com

Resources

Dancing With Horses. by Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling
Improve Your Horse's Well-Being, by Linda Tellington-Jones
Realize Your Horse's True Potential, by Lesley Skipper
Schooling Horses in Hand, by Richard Hinrichs
Lynne Sprinsky with thanks to Eckart Meyners and the BALIMOâ„¢ Equestrian Training Program
Madalyn Ward, DVM: http://www.showhorsepromotions.com/groundwork-rider.htm
www.artofnaturaldressage.com
http://www.cloud9horsecare.com/stretch-exercises.htm
http://www.egoscue.com/

_________________
"Do you give the horse his strength?"
~Job 39:19a

www.cambriahorsemanship.com

Hey Hannah:

These are great!

A couple of thoughts as a former dancer -- I'd add a caveat to any of the exercises (people ones) where you're suggesting that people are doing things that are supposed to be working their abdominal muscles, but have the potential to strain their lower backs that they should go very slowly with these until they are really certain that they're using their abs -- for example, the knee bend -- adding weight between the knees is an advanced version of this, and it should be clear that they should keep their knees bent as they bring their feet down. (Doing this exercise, even without weight, and extending the legs out can easily strain your lower back if you're not using your abs correctly.)

When people have weak abs (as many folks do), it's very easy to strain the lumbar region. When I trained in and taught dance, we were very, very careful about adding extra weight when there was anything happening that might strain the back. If people aren't balanced, this can happen easily esp. if they're carrying hand weights or bars.

Often, a very easy way to increase the work of the strength training without adding extra weight is to slow it down -- five slow leg squats, for example, will get your quads and adductors and hamstrings working far more effectively than 10 fast ones...same is true for stretches...and remembering to breathe through both strength and stretch work is key.

Then, one other thing -- number 9. The Windmill -- actually rotating your arms in both directions is totally cool in my training/experiences (it's a great arm strength builder, by the way -- used to bring gymnasts to tears making them do this for long periods of time when I taught them...bwahh, hahh, hahh!):twisted: It can be helpful to start by going backwards, to roll your shoulders back, but then actually rotating them in a forward circle once you've become aware of your shoulders can be extremely helpful, and it works your triceps/biceps differently.

Oh -- and one question -- number 8 on the stretches -- the Heightened Side Bend -- you're suggesting to put one foot up -- so it's resting on the other leg, like a yoga stretch?

I think these are great, though, and just love the horse stretches -- will be doing all of these with my guys! Thanks so much for sharing this, and good luck at the State competition!!!!



Best,
Leigh

Thank you, Leigh -- exactly what I was looking for! I will mention that in the booklet (being careful about using abs, slowing it down, breathing, etc).

About the Heightened Side Bend, the foot actually goes on something else, like a chair or mounting block, and then you bend over it for the stretches. It actually hadn't occurred to me to rest it on the other leg -- how would that work? (I saw that stretch done by a great dressage rider and wrote it down... anything to improve my seat! )

Yes, hopefully State will go well. It's not for a few weeks, so I've got some time to prepare.

Thanks again, it was great to hear a bit of critique from someone who's done it!

_________________
"Do you give the horse his strength?"
~Job 39:19a

www.cambriahorsemanship.com

You're so welcome!

As to the Heightened Side Bend -- aha! chair -- cool. Great stretch.

What I was thinking was a balance/stretch, where you rotate the leg at the hip and place that foot on the inside of your knee (so you look something like a flamingo with turnout) and stretching the top part of your body as you describe. This is harder than using a chair or mounting block, but is a great balance/core strength exercise, as well as stretching your abs, obliques, and lower back....

it really helps you to gauge how strong your abs are, and is a great way to begin to feel how your pelvis can be anchored while the top of your body is moving. (I think this is a challenge for a lot of riders without other physical training like dance or martial arts -- it's hard to think of your pelvis and torso as distinct parts of your body that you can isolate.)

Ooh, ooh, another thought (now she's going to be sorry she asked for input!) -- toe lifts -- (Ex. 7 in Strengthening) -- if you're going to turn your toes inward or outwards, this rotation should be emanating from your hips, not your ankles.

(This is actually a big pet peeve of mine with a lot of riders -- there is a whole lot of rolling around inward and outward of ankles in many taught positions which is REALLY bad for them -- over stretches and weakens the ligaments on both inside and outside the ankle. People get so hepped up on the toes not heading outward that they ask for all sorts of contortions from ankles that are just plain awful!) General rule of thumb for any exercise is that the whole leg, from the hip, should turn out or turn in -- stretching against either ankle or knee this way is bad for the ligaments.)

Shutting up now....




Leigh

Wow, interesting Flamingo Stretch! That's hard (I just tried it...).

Right, will mention that about the ankles and turning them in from the hip. Thanks! Speaking of that, what IS the best way to rotate your leg from your hip? I hear that mentioned for riding, for walking with your feet straight, etc, and I've had only limited success figuring out the best way to rotate from the hip -- especially for riding. It usually ends up with me grabbing my thigh and physically rotating my leg, and although it feels great for a bit, my leg soon slips back out again.

I think you need to start a new riding topic about things you've learned as a dancer and gymnast... yes?? please?

_________________
"Do you give the horse his strength?"
~Job 39:19a

www.cambriahorsemanship.com

New to this site, but I'm enjoying it a LOT! I especially enjoyed reading your pamphlet and will try some of the stretches with my gelding, Jugueton. I'm sure he will enjoy them!
I just wanted to mention when practicing the yoga balance posture the includes the leg on the knee (which is by the way called the "Dancer" pose ) it is very important that pressure not be put on the knee. You can injure your knee by pushing on it, the balance comes from the core and the leg that is straight (also important not to lock the knee on the standing leg).
I have been doing yoga for a few years and am by no means an expert, but I have found that it has helped my riding quite a bit and opened my very tight hips.

Thank you, zenjane, for the input! Again, it's great to hear from people who have direct experience with this.

And welcome to the forum! Whereabouts in Minnesota are you? I live about 45 minutes north of Mankato.

_________________
"Do you give the horse his strength?"
~Job 39:19a

www.cambriahorsemanship.com

I live in Lonsdale which is about 15 miles West of Northfield. I'm about an hour north of Mankato, so we must not be too far from each other! Maybe some day I could come and watch you do your exercises with your horse

What a wonderful topic! (and shame on me for only discovering it now... ).

I'll turn it into a sticky right away in this forum!

An addition about the horse stretches from what I saw in the book/dvd on core strengthening exercises of Narelle C. Stubbs and Hilary M. Clayton, http://www.artofnaturaldressage.com/vie ... php?t=1460): Stubbs warns about flexing the neck and tail in a horizontal level as that will stimulate horses to hollow their back in order to reach further out with their tail or neck. And a hollow back means that the wrong muscles are used and that the tops of the vertebrae of the back can lock into each other. Instead, she teaches people to always direct tail/neckbending downwards, so when asking the horse to bend his head towards his hindquarters, you ask him to reach towards his knee (bottom of belly) or even the fetlock of the hindleg. And when you pull his tail to the side, you pull the tail not in a horizontal way towards the side, but instead in a diagonal downwards direction.

When asking the horse to bend his head/neck to the side, she wants the head to be as level as possible, also with both ears on the same level, and not the head rotated so that one ear is pointing up and the other down. That's because the horse appently rotates his head like this in order to evade a proper stretch, and because the rotation can overload/damage the place where the spinal cord is twisted the most.

This is only what I've learned four days ago by reading that book and watching that dvd, so I'm no expert at all, but her remarks made sense to me.

So now lets hit that sticky-button!

Yes -- actually I think we're only about 35 miles from each other! It would be fun to get together sometime.

Thanks for the tips on stretching, Miriam. That sounds like a good book. And wow, a sticky! I feel honored...!

_________________
"Do you give the horse his strength?"
~Job 39:19a

www.cambriahorsemanship.com