Dressage.

There's just no question about it! Lily and I need to 'umph up our dressage work this year! 

-Of course with my being in college currently, I only get to visit with Lily on the weekends, so it is just a tad difficult to really school this point in time. Luckily I have been given the opportunity to exercise a Morgan twice weekly, and will be starting dressage/eventing lessons here in the spring! 

This morning (at 4:30 AM, because I'm crazy) I watched some dressage clips (from simple bending to teaching the piaffe and beyond..) and I just know learning some of these movements can drastically improve not only our dressage scores, but our jumping rounds, strength & balance as well as our trust and bond. 

Here's the story I read from Stargazer Mercantile this morning. I found it very beautiful and intriguing! What a beautiful stallion!  

MEET THE ACCOMPLISHED DRESSAGE STALLION "HUGIN", AGE 29, BLIND FOR 15 YEARS AND A SURVIVOR OF THREE BROKEN LEGS: 

When Danish dressage trainer Bent Branderup first met the 2-year-old Knabstrupper stallion named Hugin in 1988, he recognized something special in him. Together they trained in classical dressage and in 1991, Hugin proved Bent correct in his assessment when the horse was named Premium Champion Stallion of the Year in Denmark. Then catastrophe struck . . . Hugin was critically injured in a breeding accident, fracturing both rear femurs and a front splint bone. Most owners would have accepted the veterinarian's recommendation of humane euthanasia, but not Bent Branderup. He worked through the many years of healing with Hugin, gradually introducing dressage work to stretch and build muscle to support the injured bones. Against all odds, Hugin made a complete recovery, and back to full-time dressage training they went.

Almost unbelievably, tragedy struck yet again in 1996 when Hugin lost his vision completely, in both eyes. But, as you may have already guessed, Bent did not give up on the stallion. They continued training, using dressage to rebuild Hugin's confidence in himself and the world he could no longer see . . . and to this day Hugin and Bent still enjoy their dressage work, always perfecting movements and working toward an ever-higher goal.

Hugin never recovered his sight, but with the eyes of his companion Bent guiding the way, the horse has surpassed all expectations of living a fulfilled life. By anyone's standards, Hugin has accomplished the impossible dream. And Hugin is not the only one fulfilled by the experience. Bent says "Through Hugin, I learned not to use the horse for dressage, but to use dressage for the horse."

Watch this heartwarming video of Bent and Hugin performing haute ecole in-hand, on Hugin's 25th birthday! http://youtu.be/PDIPPQVw8dA

Read more about Bent and Hugin here:
http://www.bentbranderuptrainer.com/

I am so taken by this beautiful stallion, his grand Baroque good looks and his willingness to please, regardless of his limitations. And I am so taken with Bent Branderup, who is, in my opinion, a man to LOVE! Together they are a testament to the power of love and trust, and the impressive healing power in the art of dressage. Pass the box of Kleenex?

Since I can't go visit Denmark and Hugin this day in age (hey, maybe someday!) I've decided to blog a dressage exercise here weekly (or bi-weekly) to both motivate myself and others! 

I have the book 101 Dressage Exercises for Horse and Rider on order right now and can't wait for it to come in! 

This week will be POLES! (I got the lesson idea HERE!)

Jec Aristole Ballou

Square Dance: Your task is to ride through or around the box in a different way every day or ride.

* I super love the last choice, and will likely be doing that with Miss Lily! Transitions are always  something we need to work on! 

* There is also a handful of other fun exercises on that link! ^^^

• Choice #1: In a working trot, ride through the box to change direction in every possible way you can imagine. For instance, begin on the right rein and trot straight through the middle of the box, then turn left to change direction. Now, loop around and ride through the box sideways and turn right. Then ride through the box diagonally from corner to corner. Find all kinds of ways to loop, circle or cut sideways through the box while maintaining your trot and changing direction.

• Choice #2:Trot into the center of the box and halt. Now ride a turn on the forehand without knocking any poles, and then exit the box, either walking or trotting.

• Choice #3:Choose one side of the box and ask your horse to straddle the pole. Keeping the pole under his belly, ask him to sidepass along the edges of the square.

• Choice #4: Ride through the box as in day 1, except now make a transition between gaits in the middle of the box. For instance, ride straight at the box and then as soon as your horse crosses the first pole, transition up to canter or down to walk, or from walk to trot, et cetera.

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I will also work on some canter poles on a loose circle/arena corner this week, perhaps raising one or two into a cavaletti. I find this always helps to get Lily's mind thinking, especially about where her feet go, and to soften the canter.