| © 2005 Tonja Dausend
The rider must
first
address
his own imbalances that contribute to tension and
imbalance in the horse. Once his own balance is
sufficiently developed he can begin to address imbalance in the
horse. 
Each horse has his own
tempo, and the key is to find that tempo. An easy way to
learn the feel of tempo and how it relates to the horse
is to hold a dressage whip by its lash and swing it like
a pendulum. You will notice that there is a rate or
tempo at which the whip swings naturally and relatively
effortlessly. Each pendulum has its own rate of swing
depending on its length. A longer pendulum will swing
more slowly than a shorter pendulum. If you try to speed
that rate up or slow it down, it will require more effort
because you are working against the laws of physics –
it is
unnatural.
The
horse’s legs are simply pendulums. Each horse has its
own natural tempo. When he finds that tempo, he can move
with the least amount of effort. If he goes a little bit
too slow or a little bit too fast, it will create
tension in his body, which hinders his balance and
movement.
If your horse has a
tendency to go too fast, riding some small (10 - 15m)
circles can help him find a better balance and tempo.
The size of the
circles can gradually be increased as he can do so
without losing his tempo.
Resist the
temptation to hold the tempo with the reins. If you
really have to make adjustments then add a few gentle
half halts. Adjust the tempo for a stride and then
release and repeat – but never do any more than
absolutely necessary.
When your horse
finds his tempo you will feel his muscles free up as he
lowers his head and neck and he will breathe more deeply. Often
times he will even blow his nose with a big sigh. This is the
beginning of relaxation and
reaching
for the bit.
When your horse is
doing this readily, you can, ever so carefully, ask him to
lengthen his stride a bit with increased energy. If he
rushes, start over
and ask again. As he uses the energy
to go forward and lengthen his body instead of rushing
or drifting, he will begin to
reach with his head and neck for a contact with the bit.
When your horse is to the point where he readily allows
his energy to travel from his hind legs through his
whole body toward the bit, you can gently receive
the elastic contact
through your reins while
encouraging that reaching forward feeling.
Be
careful not to create tension or resistance in the horse
as you pick up the soft, elastic contact. If the horse
does become tense, begin again to regain the reaching
gesture and elastic contact.
With
some horses it seems like you can get the tempo only
close to correct and the horse will go beautifully. With
others, the tempo can be off by only a fraction and the
horse will go horribly. This is a sign that other basic elements may
need to be addressed. The rider may be tense or out of
balance. The horse may be crooked, lacking energy or
perhaps
having pain issues. This
is where awareness and empathy come in to play --
building a
partnership with your
horse based on trust - not force.
Understanding, feel and coordination are essential to
success. Dressage is not intuitive. A certain amount of
skill is required to ride effectively. There is just no
way around that. But a solid understanding of the
basics, and a grasp of basic skills are not out of reach
of the average rider.
When the basics are
truly correct but just not working, the problem is
usually that the horse has a painful physical issue.
Unfortunately for the horses, many people don’t
recognize this.
To learn more about the
role of tempo in achieving relaxation, visit the link by
Lynne Sprinsky:
Understanding the Role of Tempo in Achieving Relaxation for the Horse, by Lynne Sprinsky
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