WILLIAM MICKLEM - VINTAGE VARIABLES A GREAT RECIPE

I have had such a wonderful week! It is simply a joy facilitating the preparation of partnerships going to the Tattersalls International three day event this weekend. Both riders and horses really do smile inwardly as they reach new personal bests and feel great both mentally and physically. (..and my body also feels great at the moment, which is a special bonus and joy after years of back problems.) Of course the horses flourish at this time of the year, with spring grass and spring weather, and new pristine summer coats shown off in the sun by their great muscle tone. We have so much for which to give thanks..but fingers crossed for continued good weather!

REVISING THE CONSTANTS

Some of the horses will be lunged at the competition to revise the basics, and I have been asked to explain more about how this helps the five CONSTANTS, which I introduced in my last blog ACCEPTANCE, CALMNESS, FORWARDNESS, STRAIGHTNESS & PURITY. So briefly. Lungeing is a superb communication exercise and an easy way to develop a relationship, which is why it is so especially good for young horses and for developing ACCEPTANCE. There is no point in just chasing the horse around in a headcollar; instead you should be looking for the horse responding to small aids and being comfortable with both the lunge equipment and what he is asked to do. I use side reins, but they have elasticated inserts and I use the clips on my Micklem bridle, so there is little danger of discomfort or damage to the tongue or bars of the mouth.

(Most lunge cavessons are unacceptable because they are uncomfortable, so I use my Micklem Multibridle, which is a development of the Wels cavesson used at the Spanish Riding School, but unlike this and other lunge cavessons you will not need to struggle to fit both a bridle and lunge cavesson as the Micklem bridle does both jobs together.)

Most horses will find lungeing both easy to understand and CALMING, because it is a simple exercise without rapid changes of demands or work area and without the complications created by many riders. The FORWARDNESS can also be developed fairly quickly as it is so obvious what the horse has to do and so much easier to respond without the weight or possible restrictions provided by the rider. With some horses I walk a small circle keeping myself more behind the quarters to make it even more obvious that they have the space and freedom to go forwards. Once the horse understands and as long as the footing is good I tend to use small periods of canter to help establish the forwardness.

The fact that we can lunge on both reins on different sizes of circles makes it wonderful to begin working your horse equally on both sides, which is the beginning of STRAIGHTNESS. The use of side reins can gently encourage and control the bend and allow the same bend in both directions, but be very careful not to force the position of the head and neck. I would always start with the side reins slightly too long rather than slightly too short. In addition, especially in walk and canter the horse naturally moves the head quite a large amount, so if the side reins are the right length for trot they are probably too short for the walk and possibly the canter as well.

So work in trot most of all, but not exclusively, and keep changing the length of the side reins to allow and encourage the natural movement of the head and neck. Then experiment with the speed to find the speed that produces the regular steps as part of the PURITY. With just two symmetrical beats and most natural straightness the trot is the simplest and most useful for most horses to be worked in to begin to produce quality work.

THE VARIABLES

Quality work requires real impulsion, with the horse using the back and working as one connected athletic unit. As I explained in my last blog putting the five Constants in place will mean that you will also open the door to impulsion. IMPULSION is at the heart of the five Variables, and the other four are DIRECTION & SPEED, which are the variables we should all start with, and BALANCE & TIMING, which we should not be to worried about at the beginning. The Constants are constantly required for all exercises, while the Variables are the variable components that make up the various unique exercises we use.

IMPULSION is at the heart of the Variables. It is a variable component because it is a misunderstanding to think that maximum impulsion is needed all the time. To give two obvious examples the level of impulsion required for extended trot is greater than required for working trot, and the level of impulsion required for a horse jumping close to their maximum scope is greater than for a smaller fence. We have to train with this in mind so it becomes possible to both increase and decrease impulsion.

DIRECTION & SPEED

Whether it is for Dressage, Show Jumping or Cross Country we need impulsion, or another way of explanation is to say that the horse needs to be in gear. Once the horse is in gear the right variables are used for each progressive exercise and series of exercises. The first two variables to get right are the Direction and the Speed. As simplicity is so hugely important for all levels of riders this keeps it wonderfully simple.

There is no doubt that all lower level riders are really helped by simply focussing on the right direction and speed. However even if you are an advanced rider and going into a Grand Prix Dressage test, a Grand Prix Show Jumping, or going round the Badminton cross country, you will not go far wrong by concentrating simply on getting the right direction, or track, and the right speed for each part of the test or course.

People forget about the importance of precision with the direction and are frightened of using the word speed. Dont confuse speed with impulsion, they chant, but it is a fact that an extended trot is faster in speed than a collected trot, and different speeds are required for different parts of a jumping course and for different types of competition. So lets not be afraid of talking about different speed requirements and practising to be able to ride precisely at different speeds.

BALANCE & TIMING

Impulsion is the next variable in this continuum (circle of variables) and the final two Variables are Balance and Timing. Balance refers to the amount of weight the horse carries on the hind legs in relation to the fore legs. For example, apart from being of an advanced nature the balance required for Piaffe is different from that required for flying changes, with more weight going on the hind legs. Another example would be the balance of a galloping racehorse, when it is vital that they let down to gallop, putting more weight on the fore legs. Over a period of time it becomes possible to put the horse in the best balance for the task at hand.

Finally I use timing to refer to the timing of transitions and flying changes, for example, and the timing of a horses stride in front of a fence (seeing/feeling a stride), but the right direction, speed and impulsion are more important initially than precision timing. This is true of both dressage and jumping. As Bert de Nemethy said If everything else is right the timing of the stride going down to a fence becomes less important.

MORE REVISION

Eventually it will be possible to easily achieve all the right Variables for each exercisethe right DIRECTION, SPEED, IMPULSION, BALANCE & TIMING. Then it is simply a matter of using the progressive exercises and enjoying the result. But remember the horse is not a machine and we should never neglect the mental side. This is why we keep returning to and revising the Constantsespecially the Acceptance, Calmness, and Forwardnessand keeping the mental side right. Then we will have happy horses and happy days.and a glass of wine at Tattersalls. William

http://www.WilliamMicklem.com

P.S. You can find much more about my Constants and Variables and the Progressive exercises I use in my book, The Complete Horse Riding Manual, published by Dorling Kindersley.

WILLIAM MICKLEM - VINTAGE VARIABLES A GREAT RECIPE

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