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R

hythm is the second component of the training scale, one of the first things a young horse must learn, and something that must be present in every movement of every test all the way to Grand Prix.  What makes rhythm so important, and why it is so difficult to get regular rhythm? In a nutshell, rhythm is an indicator of balance.

     Young horses normally start out with inconsistent rhythm.  That is normal – they haven’t found their balance yet.  Some horses are better balanced naturally than others, but they all need help.  As soon as the horse is reasonably relaxed it is time to address rhythm.  It will take some time for good rhythm to be established.  The old masters recommend that the first year of training be devoted to letting the horse rediscover his natural balance under the weight of the rider.  Riding outside in a regular rhythm, up and down hills if possible, will let the horse figure out for himself how to balance better.  In fact, those same old masters often recommend that this be done on a loose rein.  You don’t see that much any more, but there is a lot of merit in it.  It is called “stabilization on a loose rein”, and if the horse learns to keep the same rhythm on a loose rein, he will naturally develop his balance.  All you have to do is keep the rhythm, and the balance will come.  In the case of someone who has little opportunity to ride outside with terrain, similar benefits can be had by riding figures in an arena on a loose rein, mindful of keeping the rhythm and accuracy. 

     The following is a good exercise to develop balance using rhythm as an indicator and a tool:  Starting at one corner of the arena, go straight up the side, then ride a half circle to the center line.  At that point angle back to the track a few meters before the corner.  Go through the short end and up the other side, doing the exercise the opposite direction. The object is to keep the half circle truly round and the straight lines straight, without the rhythm changing – even a little.  This is the same movement that appears at the trot in First Level test 1.  The ten meter half circles are good for the trot, smaller can be used for the walk, and you might want a little larger half circle for the canter.  If your horse has a lot of trouble keeping the rhythm, try a little larger half circle – he may not yet be ready for a smaller one.  Setting up cones to define the half circle will help you with accuracy.  This has been called the teardrop exercise, as the half circle and two straight lines form the shape of a teardrop.  However, I prefer to call it the ice cream cone exercise.  Same shape, but much nicer mental image!

     How do you know what tempo is right for your horse to find his balance?  This will vary from horse to horse, and it also depends on his level of training.  You want a tempo that is forward-feeling, but doesn’t feel rushed.  Many riders in trying to get “forward” actually just get quick, so thinking “big and slow” usually will get you closer to a tempo in which a horse can find his balance.  The horse should feel “self propelled”.  By that I mean that you don’t have to constantly get after him to go forward, you can ask and he will keep the energy for at least several strides before you have to ask again.  At the same time he shouldn’t feel rushed our bordering on out of control.  In fact it is easy to push a horse right onto the forehand by asking for a faster tempo than he is ready to balance.  When you find the tempo that feels right for him, then concentrate on keeping the rhythm absolutely regular.

      Years ago when my son was a very young Pony Club rider, he was at camp and had a lesson from a guest instructor.  The kids then rode a dressage test.  I was astonished to see him ride a test on his tiny Welsh pony that was in perfect rhythm the entire time!  Afterwards I asked him how he did it.  He said, “Well, the lady said to count, so the whole test I went “one, two, one, two, one, two”.  Got  kind of boring.”  Well, boring maybe, but it worked!  Counting under your breath as you ride will help you notice very small changes of rhythm you might not notice ordinarily. 

     Presently there are two approaches to young horse training seen presently.  One is to get big, fast strides before you worry too much about balance. The other is to deal with balance before you ask for bigger movement.  My experience has been that the second generally works better.  It is particularly important if you have a horse who is naturally a big mover.  He has to figure out how to balance Volkswagen movement before he’s ready to handle the Ferrari movement.  It is what is advocated by the Spanish Riding School.  However, there is a trend lately to ride horses in an “over sped” tempo.  The horses are rushed tensely forward in a fast tempo, and held together with the hand.  It isn’t a pretty sight, but it is often seen with young dressage horses.  When this is done the relaxation is ruined (the first step in the training scale) and there is no real balance.  There is certainly no grace and beauty.  If you have to hold your horse up with your hands, he is probably at a faster tempo than he can handle and needs to slow down until he develops better balance.

     So, rhythm is both a tool and a test of balance.  That is why it is so important and why it is part of the score in every test.  If during any movement your horse loses his rhythm, he is telling you he has lost his balance.  By dealing with the rhythm, you can help the balance.  If you start by focusing on first two components of the training scale (relaxation and rhythm) each time you get on your horse, you will be laying a great foundation for everything else you do!

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