Dressage Cadre Noir style

Demelza Hawes is a talented young Dressage rider, recently returned from Saumur, where she was training with the Cadre Noir Masters.  You can find out more about Demelza at http://www.demelzahawes.com.  This information she wrote in April 2011 for my free ‘Brain or Pain’ newsletter, which you can sign up for at www.holistichorsehelp.com.  Inclusion of this article in my blog does not imply endorsement by Sue Palmer or Holistic Horse Help.

Having had much competitive success over the years, Demelza's first major success was at the tender age of 8 when she won the Show Pony Championship at The Royal International. Over the years she has progressed into pure Dressage, having trained with Alison Davies, Bernward Schlutuer in Germany, and later back in the UK with Peter Storr, Ulrik Molgaard & Judy Harvey. Demelza now has a string of horses to compete at her base near Thame, and since her return from Saumur has won every time out competing under British Dressage Rules on a variety of horses.

The training in Saumur confirmed her own beliefs and training methods to work in harmony with the horse, and as a trained human sports massage therapist Demelza is also acutely aware of the importance of muscle and skeletal wellbeing in the competition horse to perform at their best.

How to ride a Test Cadre Noir Style

Dressage is a sport based around gymnasticizing your horse. It therefore means that to do well in competition your work is done long before you arrive at the show. It has always been  key to my competition success that I train my horses at a comfortable level but above their competition level.  I  am currently competing my horse Fabritzio at novice and elementary but he is training comfortably now at medium and advanced medium, including snippets of introductory grand prix movements for fun & variety.

After a gentle warm up in trot and canter on both reins, I use this basic routine at the start of each session,  leg yield, shoulder out, shoulder in, travers & renvers. Trot is very beneficial due to the diagonal stride pattern. Give your horse a stretch down in trot on both reins and allow relaxation in walk for a couple of minutes. Pick up your reins again & start playing with your transitions, Allow more stretching in trot and have a final walk 10 minutes before your test. Just before the test have a final trot using circles and the odd transition making your horse really sharp & quick off your leg.

Once the bell goes, give yourself time to go down the centre line,avoid unbalancing your horse.

While conducting the test, take your time.

The importance of fitness for riding...

In todays world with increased knowledge, we now know how important it is to be fit to ride our horses.

The ability to maintain balance and energy levels whilst riding is of great importance if you are to  get the best out of your horse and yourself.

Cardiovascular, endurance and core strength are all things we should try to improve whilst off the horse. Having a good basic fitness then enables you as a rider to keep you and your horse’s balance, give clear aids that are concise and consistent and avoid fatigue. You are also sharper so can react quicker to mistakes your horse may make as well as feeling when he is about to be a little more exuberant than normal.

Your fitness is a tool used to teach, train, develop and maintain your horses fitness and skills, whether he be an eventer, show jumper, dressage horse or just your four legged friend whom you take to the local summer show.

You and your horse’s biomechanics need to work together in unison, this way you have the greatest effect over his movements, activity and the length of his working life.