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Dressage on
the ground
W
We've all discovered one way or
another that a horse really "has a mind
of his own." So, it should go without
saying that the mind of a horse will not
be able to truly realize its greatest
performance potential if exposed to
miscommunication, ambiguities and
inconsistencies in training. We strive to
apply consistent training principals
under saddle but what about the rest of
the time? Behaviour issues such as
respect, focus, trust and willingness
from our horses is based entirely on
how the horse feels about their rider. To
bring out the best in our horses we must
earn and maintain our role as the
"leader of the dance" by the integrity of
our actions on the ground. From the
moment our horses first see us
approach them "to catch them", it is
"game on" and our communication skills
are challenged. The relationship is not
just "ride 'em every step," it's more about
clearly communicating understandable
"aids" that come from our body lan-
guage, each and every moment we are
with them - on the ground and in the
saddle.
Building the relationship
Building a better relationship with a
mount has helped countless people to
overcome training problems. A horse
that refuses to approach water will "all of
a sudden" become willing to maintain
their rhythm and stride while jumping
straight, clear and confident over the
water. This "new attitude" in the horse
does not magically happen because the
rider suddenly got "a better leg" but
simply because the horse developed
more respect, trust, focus and confi-
dence in their relationship with the rider
based on their improved dynamics with
each other on the ground. We also see
"good dressage scores" become great
72 HORSE SPORT / June 2004
text and photos by Chris Irwin
dressage scores without any change in
the riding skills. By respecting the
needs of the horse’s mind at all times,
the mount becomes more willingly
engaged with the greater relaxation and
focus that has been earned through the
partnership.
Consistency in communication
When you lead a horse and ignore
that his back is inverted and bending his
barrel in our direction, then why should
that horse suddenly lift and round his
“Jeannie is leaning her right hip into the
back and be willing to say "yes" when head of her horse, sending impulsive energy
we say "bend around my inside leg" towards his head, causing this stallion to
from the saddle? If while we are with the invert his neck and back, flex his neck away
to his right and lean in towards her with his
horse on the ground we allow it to look left shoulder. This is off-b
balance, dangerous
around (enabling the neurotic prey and mutually disrespectful.”
animal mind to stay worried and dis-
tracted), then who are we to ask that
same horse to focus with us while at
work under saddle? If we allow a horse
to push in against us with its shoulders,
barrel or hips, while working around the
horse on the ground, even during
grooming and tacking up, then why
should those same body parts accept
our commands to move away while
riding? Here's what I see so often in the
body language of horses - "What?
Stand still at the mounting block? You've
got to be kidding! Who are you to ask
me to stand still, I've been pushing you
around since you first haltered me this
morning. And no, I am not going to relax
and track up more for you! Why should “Chris begins to lunge this “pushy” young
Westphalion/Hanoverian stallion. At first,
I? I'll stay tight and inverted in my back “Walsingham” is stiff in the body and invert-
for as long as I like. In fact, it was you ed. Although he is highly overflexed to the
who pulled on my bridle while inside of the circle and off-b
balance in his
neck, he is pulling hard on the line, trying to
walking away that caused me to be pull his neck into a counterflexed position out
invert in the first place! And forget that of the circle so that he can turn his hindquar-
"bend around my inside leg" business! ters to Chris. Chris is holding firm, without
pulling, while he steps in, in a non-tthreaten-
I'll just swish my tail and hump my back ing manner, to push the hips of the horse
if you keep nagging at me with those away from him.”
spurs! After all, if you're going to ignore
the fact that I bend into you while we do
HSpagesJUNE65_80pages.qxd 4/27/2004 2:43 PM Page 69

those pathetic circles on the lunge line

you can forget about me staying off your
leg when you ride me."
Imagine that your horse is an airplane
with a mind and emotions and you are
the pilot. You'd like the horse to allow
you to control and fly the plane, but why
should the horse feel comfortable relin-
quishing control to a pilot who only
lands the plane safely (or communicates
effectively) four out of 10 times?

How to "Be"
In the coming months, I will outline the
fundamental principles of how to "be"
with a horse (meaning how we behave)
so that our body language is consistent-
ly communicating our intentions to lead
the dance in an assertive, but non-
threatening "user friendly" manner that
horses can truly understand. It is not
realistic to expect horses to understand
human body language. If we are going
to realize the greatest potential from our
horses, with the least amount of effort
and resistance involved, then we need
to adapt to the nature of the horse and
use our bodies to simulate and "speak"
horse body language. Learn how to play
horse games by horse rules! To truly
bond with a horse requires learning how
to be perceived as the better horse. How
we approach to "catch" the horse, how
we lead the horse, how we lunge, and THERAPULSE
how we "shape" our body language PORTABLE BLANKET with
around the horse while bathing, groom- PULSATING MAGNETIC FIELDS
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communicate with horses means to sa
literally be aware and conscious each
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saying with "aids.” For instance, the
directional angle (or diagonal) of our
hips has tremendous influence or
"cause and effect" with the horse, as
does the position of our center (solar
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complement the concept of working the
www.horse-canada.com June 2004 / HORSE SPORT 69
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Chris Irwin travels extensively throughout North America coaching both horses and riders in the non-resistance bonding
process he has developed over the last two decades. His highly acclaimed training clinics have earned him a reputation as
Canada’s own horse whisperer. He is the most widely read authority on equine behaviour in Canada. Irwin regularly lectures at
the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. He lives near Swift Current, Saskatchewan, with
his wife, daughter and son.
74 HORSE SPORT / June 2004
5:43 PM Page 74
“Within minutes of seeing how
Chris uses his body language
while approaching Walsingham
on the lunge line, the stallion
becomes visibly relaxed and the
line softens as the horse no
longer pulls against Chris. Chris
has now shaped the horse into a
much better balanced move-
ment.”
“In the same session that started
out with Walsingham so stressed
about working on the lunge line,
he is now beautifully balanced,
moving freely forward, with a soft
expression, as Chris lunges him
over a cavaletti for the first time in
his young life.”
“With precise but subtle body
language, Chris uses his right hip
angle as an advancing or impul-
sive message to the flanks and
inside hip of Walsingham, moving
him forward and keeping his
hindquarters on the rail.Chris also
aims his center (or belly button)
directly into Walsingham’s shoul-
der to press the forehand against
the rail. Chris stays “open” with
his left hip and shoulder that are
lined up with the neck of the
horse to avoid sending any
impulsive signal past the body
and into the neck and head (like
an open outside leg during a leg
yield).Chris has a soft, consistent
contact, keeping Walsingham
perfectly straight and level
through his neck.”
“The stallion who came into the
arena with a history of being so
pushy and distracted that he
could not safely have his legs
protected or feet handled, is
now “in-hand,” moving very
respectfully, softly and
well-balanced as a reflection of
the body language he has seen
in Chris.”
through the body into supporting
hands? Does the groundwork result in a
horse that is supple, straight, and
diagonally balanced at all times? Are
we, as "enlightened" riders, able to walk
the talk of dressage on the ground?
Asking the questions
The horse is such a physiological
creature that the mind and the body are
one and the same. In other words,
if you don't like how your horse behaves
then the questions to be asked are:
"What is wrong with the shape of my
horse? What shape do I want to see
instead? And how do I shape myself to
create the desired shape I'm looking for
in my horse?" For instance, we all know
when a horse lays its ears down flat the
horse is expressing anger. There is just
no such thing as a horse with flattened
ears that are not feeling angry. So how
does your horse feel during the
moment the halter or bridle is pulled
over flattened back ears? Angry! That
one inconsiderate moment alienated
the mind of the horse like a dancer who
suddenly feels stepped on by his or her
partner's toes. On the other hand, the
person who folds the ears of the horse
forward while haltering or bridling is
also doing the horse the kind service of
triggering an endorphin release. If I
were about to mount this horse, and
expect him or her to be supple, focused
and willing then I'd rather have a happy
friend under me who just had an
endorphin release then a sparring
partner who I just irritated.
In the coming months I anticipate
outlining the fundamental principles of
how to lead, lunge, round pen, and
"be" with horses using our body
language so we are consistently and
clearly "speaking horse" in order to
achieve the mesmerizing goal of
"dressage on the ground.” Until next
month, happy trails!
www.horse-canada.com