Look Mom! No hands!

keihanna offers roy a light release on the inner rein

I remember riding bikes as a kid and getting myself at the perfect speed and balance to where I could let go of the handlebars and put my hands out like wings. And, while I never got to do this while riding at the beach (didn’t live near a beach) I was part of that era where all kids had to jump over gymnastic lines letting go of our knotted reins and adopting that same “airplane” position. The idea was balance and self-carriage.

From the USDF Glossary of Dressage Terms:

SELF-CARRIAGE - State in which the horse carries itself in balance without taking support or balancing on the rider’s hand.

So, what does this even mean for a dressage rider? In our training of the dressage horse, we are constantly working toward changing the horse’s natural downhill/forehand balance and working to make it more uphill and maneuverable. Nearly everyone can let go of the reins or ride in a light contact but is the horse carrying itself in a good balance? If you compare this to your days gone by fun of letting go of the handlebars or jumping over gymnastics, you might remember that preparation and balance were the criteria you knew had to be met BEFORE you let go. It is the same idea for a dressage rider.

In USDF Third Level Test 2, the horse performs a flying change after a short half-pass and then has a 20m circle at C where the rider must “show a clear release of both reins for 4-5 strides over the centerline.” After this circle, there is an extended canter down the long side with a collected canter at the end and a turn down the centerline.  Imagine the self-carriage needed for this. Imagine the BALANCE needed to do this well.

My longtime beloved mentor, Hubert Rohrer (SRS), would constantly remind me to “do a self-carriage test” on one or both reins. This might be while riding benignly along a straightaway or while performing a half-pass or other movement. The expectation was that I did it immediately. I learned to check balance more often and/or be able to fix an unbalanced moment more quickly!

Remember that lightness in the hand is not the only challenge that must be part of your training. The horse must also have an EASE OF MOVEMENT (in the Collectives of any dressage test) and be LIGHT in its way of moving across the ground.

Be the best you can be… as you are working and learning to put the horse “on the bit/aids”, remember to also take the time often to check the self-carriage. The “self-carriage test” should show a horse who relaxes or takes a breath (so learn to be subtle and not just throw it away) but who does not change its tempo or balance.

Also from the USDF Glossary:

LIGHTNESS - Refers to one of the following:

1.     Horse’s lightness on its feet.

2.     Lightness of the rider’s aids/horse’s responsiveness to light aids.

3.     Lightness/lift of the forehand.

Practice this OFTEN and remember that it goes both ways (horse AND rider must be in self-carriage) in order to be light.

Find your inner child…look mom, no hands!