PrintOn Nov. 19 and 20, the Wisconsin Dressage and Combined Training Association held the Steffen Peters and Janet Foy Symposium "Through the Levels." The symposium took place at the beautiful Sunflower Farms in Bristol, Wisc., and was attended by more than 350 auditors.
Numerous volunteers worked for months to ensure the experience was a success, and it was an incredible weekend—wonderful education, tasty food, gorgeous facilities and great shopping.
Janet and Steffen worked with horses and riders from training level through Grand Prix over the two days. During each session, Janet gave insights into the judge's perspective, the requirements at each level, and how to succeed in your training and showing, while Steffen gave invaluable training tips and worked with each rider individually, even getting on several horses to work through specific issues.
I was fortunate enough to be chosen as a reserve rider at first level with Alouette IK, an American Sportpony owned by Happy Haflingers. While I was not needed as a rider during the symposium, the weekend had a huge impact on my own riding; I noticed a vast improvement immediately after the clinic.
I've actually ridden with Steffen several times before and am now a regular clinic student of Janet's, so you might expect that the symposium would be a lot of review for me. However, the format of the clinic allowed me to witness the absolute importance of Janet and Steffen's messages at every training stage. Watching many of the same problems crop up in both young horses and seasoned competitors gave me a chance to understand precisely what issues were occurring and how they can be solved.
Throughout the clinic, Steffen and Janet stressed several principles, and at each level, riders worked through problems in different ways based on the required movements at that level. Taking these training ideas into my own riding made an overwhelming improvement.
Connection
Steffen constantly asked riders to analyze the connection to the bridle. Was the horse rideable enough? Was the horse carrying himself? If the horse is heavy, half-halt and rebalance. If the horse goes through the half-halt, do a down transition—but do it in three to five seconds, not after the horse "bulldozed" around the arena a few times.
Steffen made it clear that the horse has to reach for the bit, especially in the lower levels when they were learning to accept contact. However, there's "more to it than reaching for the bit and cruising around against the bridle," he said. The horse must be adjustable and light in the hand, even at training level. The horses learn to use the strength of the topline against riders, and then the connection is no longer correct.
The release is the most important part of any aid given, but it has to be used correctly—when the horse releases. "You need to create the reason to let go," Steffen said, saying that you have to ask for more give from the horse before you can give yourself.
Exercises
- Lengthen and shorten on a 20-meter circle, asking for each transition to happen in three to five strides without the horse getting heavy or behind the leg.
- At the halt, ask for right and left flexion in the poll, ensuring the horse releases from the rein pressure.
Suppleness
