AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO WORKING A IN HAND PHOTOGRAPHY: GLORIA WRIGHT MODEL: VULCÃO

International classical trainer Charlotte Wittbom wrote a 4-part series on the art of working in hand for the LBSGB’s magazine Luso News, which is issued free to members. Starting with basic, introductory work, Charlotte moved on to explain how to teach the horse all the lateral movements from the ground before introducing rein back and the first steps towards establishing piaffe and Spanish Walk.

The series is aimed at horses already working under . The exercises are not intended for young horses just starting out on their education.

With publication of the concluding article, the complete series is now brought to a wider audience. Although written for the Breed Society, the work in hand is beneficial to any breed of any ability.

But first, to introduce Charlotte, an article she wrote for Luso News in 2014 about her journey to train and ride classically - from her roots as a young event rider in Sweden, to her introduction to classical training at Suzanne’s Riding School in the UK, followed by 10 years in Portugal, including four years working for one of the greatest living exponents of classical , Maestro Luis Valença, then back to the UK.

Charlotte holds a Diploma with distinction from the Centro Equestre de Lezeria Grande in Portugal and an ABRS teaching certificate. She gives regular in hand and ridden classical dressage clinics, with riders of any discipline, from novice to advanced, in Cheshire, Oxfordshire, Portugal and Sweden. www.charlottewittbom.com A PORTUGUESE LESSON By Charlotte Wittbom

My relationship with Portugal and• Portuguese horsemanship is now more than a decade long. It started with a• strong desire to improve as a rider,•away•from a competition world•that seemed then to be full of contradictions•and compromises.•Sitting back and thinking back to my time there, I think the search was just as much• about• growing up and•finding•myself•- in the•Portuguese•horse culture, with all of its tradition, its• engrained• practice• and deep-rooted philosophy,•I found a•complete framework within which•to learn, to work and to make sense of my place in the world.

A keystone of Portuguese horsemanship is of course, the Lusitano breed - perfectly formed for the bravado and athleticism of the bullfight arena and wonderfully responsive to the thoughtful system of classical dressage training. In Portugal I found a calm and reflective approach, whose goals are to help their celebrated Lusitano horse to become the best it can be. There is much, I think, that the rest of the world can learn from the Portuguese tradition and the Lusitano horse.

I have been with horses all my life, having been born into a family of horse lovers and with parents who supported my passion. became my focus early on and the broad set of skills necessary in that discipline formed an invaluable base for my later career. But I remember those early years as being full of all sorts of emotion - of desire to do well, of pleasure in being around horses, of joy in competition success and the recognition that gave me; but also the fear and frustration of not being the rider I wanted to be, and of feeling that there must be something more that the Swedish competition system and my instructors couldn't provide for me. Charlotte performing in the Apassionata European tour © Emma Noren In this “Germanic” Swedish riding culture, the solution to different problems seemed always to be that we learning to appreciate what is happening beneath us and should use 'more leg' or 'more hand'. It was very conflicting through this experience we can help the horse to do that at times. It seemed that the system had no room for things we are asking him to do. My experiences in England differences between horses, or differences between riders, opened a door to a world I'd never even heard of before and all had to be made to fit the same mould. I began to and I was hooked. find it increasingly frustrating and while I didn't know what I was searching for, I felt there must be something better for That Portugal became my next step was a coincidence, I me somewhere. knew nothing then about Portugal or the Lusitano horse, but after reading an advertisement for a job in Portugal I packed It was this frustration that led me to the UK, to Suzanne´s my bags once again. I could not have dreamed that I Riding School when I was 19. Even though I’d been riding would stay there for a decade. for as long as I could remember, the emphasis there was put on the basics of developing a balanced independent seat Quite early in my time in Portugal I was incredibly fortunate through lunge work and a lot of time spent working on simpleto secure a place learning from Maestro Luis Valença. And movements in walk. This has a lot in common with classical here I found a very new way to see riding. They seemed approaches in Portugal, France or Spain, where riders will to take pleasure in the refinement of their art rather than often learn to develop an independent seat and feel beforeconcentrating of the production of the perfect result or they even learn to canter. In that way riders gain a natural performance. Things were given time and the understanding of influences of the seat and balance. They journey was seen to be as pleasurable as the don’t need to make sense of abstract concepts such as destination. They put their effort in making things as simple half-halts because they already feel it, and as we all know, as possible rather than increasingly complicated. This was feel is the most important element of horsemanship. At a shock to me, coming from a culture where we had a Suzanne's, under the guidance of Julian Marczak, I learned symptomatic way of seeing things rather than a holistic that feel only comes through time and practice, through approach. I think my passion for classical riding – and for my approach Master Luis Valença and his family have – to my mind – a to teaching - really took root when I first saw a show with peerless way of teaching riders, providing a wonderful Mestre Luis Valença and his team. I’d never seen such foundation for countless classical riders and professional effortless beauty and mastery. I could see then that the time, competitors alike. There is calm and humour and attention care and consideration they put in to the training of horses to detail. It is slow and considered and there is time to be and riders allowed for a calm and accomplished elegance with horses and with good riders, to develop confidence, to rather than the fevered exertion of the competitions I was be encouraged and to absorb how things are done. For a used to as a young rider. young rider full of self-doubt and longing, this was a luxury for which I will be forever grateful.

After four years with the Valença family my journey continued to Morgado Lusitano where I got to meet lovely people from all around the world and where I developed my approach to teaching. And then, four years later, I was able to try my own wings at Master Nuno Oliveira’s old farm, with the owners, the lovely Dom Tomaz Alercao and his wife Antonia. Quinta do Brejo has a very special atmosphere and Tomaz and Antonia have done a wonderful job restoring the buildings and keeping the feeling that Master Nuno still walks its halls and pathways.

The Portuguese horse culture is so very much more defined and coherent than anything else I have witnessed. In contrast to Sweden and the UK, there isn't a self-critical debate about the way to do things – their approach to horsemanship is deep rooted and self- confident. The Portuguese classical approach provides a clear logic and framework for working with horses and because of the continued use of Lusitano horses in bullfighting, this culture has faced very little pressure to change over time. Indeed, the horse retains a central place in Portuguese culture more broadly. But while the deep- rootedness and coherence of the Portuguese horse culture has ensured its longevity, it has also, I think, prevented it from travelling beyond its own borders and perhaps therefore, Charlotte riding Vip at Master Nuno Oliveira’s former farm, from being open to positive influence from Quinta do Brejo © Emma Noren other perspectives.

After a year of training under the Master, I achieved my I passionately believe that Portuguese classical riding has dream of riding for his Apassionata equestrian gala show – much to offer riders across the equestrian disciplines and a dream I would enjoy for three years and which took me throughout the world. But having moved now to work in to arenas all around the world. Cheshire, England, I am finding new inspiration in a new culture. There is always benefit, I am sure, to opening the Charlotte working with Equador da Encosta in Cheshire doors and windows to let new light and air in. © Ulrike Malm THE ART OF WORKING IN HAND

When riding, we want our horse to be able to carry himself and his rider as comfortably and gracefully as possible - ‘with lightness'. We should intend that through our riding, we will help the horse to become supple and free through his back and that he will attain - and maintain - the athleticism and poise for the work that we wish him to do. From this point of view we can see why it is beneficial to continuously school our horses, and - in the case of horses with a medical history - rehabilitate them. All of the movements that we see in a Grand Prix dressage competition, for example, can be used as exercises to help the horse and rider become supple, well balanced and harmonious.

But this is challenging for two reasons I will discuss here: firstly, in focusing our attention on schooling the horse, we can forget that we, as riders, are a fundamental part of the equation. The beautiful poise and harmony we seek requires not only a suitably gymnastic horse, but a similarly supple and balanced rider. But, just as our horses can have a ‘weaker rein', so too are we imbalanced between the left and right sides of our bodies. There may be impairment from old injuries; stiffness, or motor imbalances. And these impediments will, of course, be transferred to the horse as acute problems during a schooling While it is difficult to fully explore the method in this format, I session, or even chronic problems that develop in our hope I will be able to explain enough that you might be horses over time. Therefore it follows that we should be inspired to try them out with your horse. I will presume that he aware of, and work on, our own poise and balance if is not a very young beginner, but rather that you have some we are to help our horse improve his. ridden work under your belt and he understands the leg aids and is comfortable with rein contact. A further difficulty is that while an experienced and sensitive rider may be able to feel that a problem has developed in Good riding is about poise (the gymnastic ability of horse his horse (that he is stiff on the right side, for example), it is and rider to work harmoniously and gracefully) and position then very difficult to accurately diagnose the causes whilst - enabling and encouraging your horse to hold himself in a in the saddle. If a horse is stiff on one side, there are many manner that allows what you want to happen, to happen. potential explanations: perhaps his right hind leg is weak; or Another way to describe this is in terms of a combination of it can originate from somewhere through the top line (the flexion and collection. A horse in flexion will be contracting line from the horse's tail to the poll); or, as discussed - maybe his muscles a little to curve his neck - showing you a little of it isn't really the horse's difficult side but rather the rider's. his inside eye when you are on his back. On a circle, for example, this position affords an efficient way to follow the For these reasons I want to suggest that working from the shape of the circle whilst staying balanced and poised. ground should be a key element of schooling with your Collection refers to a state whereby the horse can harness horse. It can allow you a more objective and clear view his forward momentum - and carry his weight - chiefly of how he moves and responds to your aids, without the through the powerful hindquarters. It’s all about influence of your weight and physical idiosyncrasies on gymnastics, really. his back. By allowing him this grounding, and giving you a greater understanding of the mechanics of your The horse needs to be supple through the top line for all of partnership, you will be better empowered to achieve this to happen, and through work in hand we can help the harmony in your riding. horse to supple and strengthen his back without the additional weight and influence of the rider. We can see There are, of course, many different methods and how the horse carries himself and analyse exactly where he philosophies of working the horse from the ground. In my needs more help to get stronger. I can´t stress enough how observation and experience, good horsemanship requires important it is to build a strong foundation in walk. Arguably that we are always open to incorporating new ideas and it is in walk that the majority of our best and most valuable methods into our repertoire. Be reflective and find the work is done. Not only does working from the ground in methods that make sense to you and your horse. walk allow us to see the movements clearly, but it requires precision and purposefulness from the horse. In In each section of this series I will briefly introduce one particular, it is a very nice way for a horse to learn the particular method for working your horse from the ground. lateral movements. Whatever the movement we will ask the horse to perform, we must start by encouraging him to adopt the correct position. I do this by standing in front of the horse face-on - as always in a calm but purposeful manner.

I should say that before we can work from the ground effectively, it is important that the horse understands and trusts the whip. From the ground we can teach our horse that a whip laid to rest on his top line means halt.

By very gentle manipulation of his jaw through the bit, I ask him to flex a little and at the same time put the weight on the hindquarters. When doing this you will see the line of the muscle appear on your horse’s neck.

Feeling the whip on the girth means go forward - just as a light pressure from our calf at the girth is used as a ridden aid. With these two basic aids we have a start and a stop button. This will help your horse to understand the whip as a support and means of communication, rather than as a punishment. Therefore we can see that the understandings we develop in walk when working from the ground can be carried forward throughout our partnership with the horse.

So now we are ready to begin the work from the ground. The second step is that the horse starts to walk laterally around me. I stand in front of him with a relaxed body and only holding the reins with two fingers. We can touch the whip on his girth (just as we would with our leg aids from the saddle) to encourage him on. In this position I can analyse the horse since he is without the support of a rider's leg or reins. I can then see where he struggles (for example, through stiffness he may not cross his legs effectively while moving laterally) and slowly help him to strengthen through repetition of the exercise. Just as we may attend yoga classes and slowly become stronger and more flexible through repetition of the movements, so it is with the work in hand for our horses. Please bear in mind that is important to encourage and enable the horse to go Again I will encourage him into the correct position before forward in these exercises asking him to walk laterally around me - just as I did in the - don't allow the previous stage. fact that you These are small building blocks of understanding for the are in front of horse, which can eventually progress to in-hand lateral him to become movements. For example, from this basic position we can a stop sign. You progress to leg yields, shoulder in and counter shoulder in. must facilitate his forward momentum through your own position, movement and intent. As with everything in riding, success will come from the hours you put in to achieve the correct feel. Patience will be important since you will have a lot to think about at first, but you will soon begin to know intuitively how the exercises should look and feel. Asking a friend to video you can be a good way to review your progress. From these small foundations we can move on to much more t e c h n i c a l Next I move on to stand by the horse's side, by his head. movements. INTRODUCING LATERAL WORK LEG YIELD

Lateral work is important in both strengthening and suppling the horse´s top line (the muscles of the back which help the horse to carry himself and his rider with poise, balance and athleticism).

This is imperative for Iberian horses, whose particular prized qualities are their flexibility and agility, but of course all breeds will benefit from this work. If you can introduce lateral work from the ground it is then much easier for the horse to understand what you are asking for from the saddle.

In-hand work often also allows you a clearer view of how your horse is responding and developing than you would perceive from the saddle.

Remember that this is physically demanding work for your Horse. Even if you only feel three or four good steps, all progress is good - however slow it may seem. Your horse will be developing confidence in himself and in your relationship, and these small gains will soon build into something very Significant. And they will be all the more solid for the patience you have shown him. Adding a few more steps each time will develop his strength and flexibility. With the horse near my shoulder, I start to walk with him -purposefully, but steadily - on the trajectory of the leg yield. I am facing the horse and walking on the diagonal line that my horse is performing the movement on. It is important to have a plan and to move in clear and simple directions that your horse can make sense of. As well as working his muscles he is developing an understanding that will become the foundation of your ridden work, so it makes sense to use the same lines as you will use when riding. Of course this also makes it easier for you to keep a sense of your own position in the arena - it’s all too easy to become disoriented when you are on the ground and concentrating on what you are doing rather than where you are. Use the letters; think that: ‘At X I will move the hindquarters around me and then take the horse towards H,' for example. This keeps everything clear and straightforward for both of you.

I always start any exercise such as leg yield, shoulder in, haunches in or half pass by moving the hindquarters laterally around me, always allowing the horse to develop a forward momentum (we must not be a physical block in front of the horse - consider how your own position and movement are aiding or impeding his).

I want his inside leg to reach in and over his outside hind leg. We work at this slowly and surely a few steps at a time - until I see that he is strong enough to do the exercise without falling out through his outside shoulder, then we're ready to start to move on to the leg yield.

Likewise, I always end the sequence in the same way, since it helps the horse to prepare for the next lateral movement. Also if your horse loses his balance during the exercise, this will help him to regain it, and his composure, again. By this stage the horse will be familiar and comfortable giving flexion, moving his hindquarters around the shoulders; leg yield; shoulder in and moving shoulders around the hindquarters.

These are all suppling exercises which help the horse to soften his top line and work more easily under the saddle.

TOWARDS COLLECTION - COUNTER FLEXION

We have now come to the stage where we focus more on the collection of the horse, so that we can progress towards When I want to stop I place the whip resting on the horse. exercises such as the Piaffe.

SHOULDER IN

Standing by the horses head, as the picture shows, I ask for the opposite flexion. In other words - unlike in the previous exercises when the horse gave the flexion towards us - we now When you both feel confident with the leg yield you can then want him to look to the outside. move on to shoulder in. The shoulder in further develops the horse's flexibility and helps to engage his powerful If I am on his right side, my right hand now holds the outside hindquarters. rein and my left hand takes the inside rein.

A natural way to build on from the leg yield is that, upon It is important that I am aware of the change of rein, since the arriving at the wall from the leg yield, you keep the shoulders horse’s outside rein gives the horse a light support and the a little inside the track along the long side and then the inside rein gives the flexion. hindquarters on the track. Again, if the horse becomes confused or loses his balance (or you lose your balance) you can simply return to moving his hindquarters around you. When the horse can perform these movements freely without too much support from the rider then he is then ready to move on to the half pass.

HALF PASS

Once again I start to encourage the hindquarters to move literally around the shoulders on a circle - moving away from my whip and towards the flexion.

If I stand on the horse’s left side, his left hind leg now has a longer distance to travel with each strike and thus the horse will need to put more weight on his hindquarters and lighten his shoulders. By doing this he will start to work in greater collection. It is important that the horse’s ears are the highest point and parallel to the ground. If this head is tilting one way or the other it can be a sign that there isn't enough from his hindquarters or that the rider’s hand is too strong (or a combination of both).

In the beginning I start with just a few steps, so that a) the horse starts to understand what we are asking him to do, and b) because he needs time to develop the strength, co-ordination and suppleness required for the movement. Working in hand gives the rider the opportunity to walk the movement with the horse in the first instance – before an attempt is made in the saddle. This way both horse and rider can make sense of the direction of travel and shape of the movement at a controlled pace.

As with the ridden half-pass, the shoulders, rather than the hindquarters, should be leading and the strides should be even and rhythmical. The horse needs a lot of impulsion and high collection to be able to perform this movement correctly.

As always, I take this slowly - in the beginning I just ask for a few steps at a time without force or too much repetition. A few good steps of an exercise are much better than lots of unsatisfactory ones. I reward and encourage him when he gets it right and allow him time to process what I have asked him to do.

If you go wrong or feel unsure when trying this exercise, simply bring your horse to a halt, organise yourself and start again, methodically, so you both feel comfortable with what you are doing.

As soon as the horse finds it difficult or I think he has performed it well, I bring the hind quarters around again. I always start and finish the exercise in this same way. RENVERS A useful progression for each of these in-hand exercises - once the horse knows the movement well - is to ask a friend to sit on him while you take him through the paces again from the ground.

By doing this, you make the connection between ground and ridden work in your horse's mind, while at the same time further developing his physique in preparation for more advanced work.

The previous exercises should have helped your horse to become more supple, stronger and therefore ready for more advanced work. As I mentioned previously, there are, of course, many different methods and philosophies of working the horse from the ground. And in my observation, good horsemanship requires that we are always open to incorporating new ideas and techniques into our work. The key is that you understand the reason why you are using a particular exercise and that there is a logic to it within the ‘bigger picture’ of your training methodology. By reflecting on your practice in this way, we can only - though experience and time - achieve a greater feeling for, and deeper understanding of, what we are working When the horse does the half-pass well, I start to add renvers towards. along the wall. I keep the same flexion as in the half pass, just letting the hind quarters stay on the track and the shoulders REIN BACK inside, but the horse keeps the same position as in the half-pass. Again I just start with a few steps that slowly build Now that we have moved the horse laterally and suppled the into longer distances, as the horse finds his strength and topline, he is ready to move on to exercises that help him balance. As soon as the horse loses the position or finds it toward greater collection. The rein back from the ground is hard, I bring him back to hindquarters around the shoulders invaluable here, as it is an excellent way to help your horse to put his weight on his hindquarters, thus strengthening his back. When done correctly, it can also encourage impulsion TRAVERS and forwardness. When the horse is carrying his weight on his hindquarters with an engaged, supple back he can then move forward freely in a more collected manner. The use of rein back, followed by forward movement for a few steps, then rein back again, will also prepare the horse for more collected work such as Piaffer.

As the image shows, I then position the horse close to the wall and ask for slight flexion towards me. The next step - staying along the wall – is to take the horse’s hind quarters around and then continue down into a travers It is important that I don’t lose my position such that I end or haunches-in. up at the horse´s shoulder. It is also important that I walk on a straight line next to the horse, using the walls as an aide. These exercises will really help a horse to attain the higher collection necessary to move on to rein back and then Piaffe. If I don’t walk on a straight line then I cannot subsequently It can feel quite difficult for we riders to grasp in the beginning, expect straightness in the rein back. It is vital that the rein since the horse has the flexion away from us, so it is important back is straight - if only a few steps at a time to begin with. to start slowly and make sure you get the feel of what is your inside rein and outside rein, before you move on to the half pass. TOWARDS PIAFFE By now, you have achieved a nice straight rein back and see that your horse has his quarters under him, with an elevated Topline.

I ask the horse to come up a little bit with its head at the same time as I slowly start to walk. I will first ask for some impulsion touching on the same spot as the rider’s leg would otherwise have been. It is important to have patience - to not force it but to also be clear.

Once the horse starts to understand the rein back I can then, little by little, start to ask for longer sessions. We should then see that the topline is elevated as he starts to shift even more Now you can touch the whip up on the croup when asking of his weight to his hindquarters. him to go forward; encouraging him forward in collection; To complete the exercise and allow your horse to process what with small half halts to keep his poise, and helping him to he has done, it is useful to then ask him to come forward again, bring his head up - now you should see that he starts to by walking him back (you walk backwards to him give you half steps ´a very short, staccato that is almost Forwards) on the exact same line as you walked on at the rein on the spot. The stronger and more athletic the horse becomes back, again to make sure that the horse is straight. He should the more ‘on the spot’ you can ask him to perform. only have a little flexion towards you to encourage relaxation through his back. Just as he must be poised and ‘light’, so must you be. A As your horse’s confidence in this movement increases, you forceful or unyielding manner will not achieve good results can quicken the transitions between rein back and forward here - but clarity and confidence will help greatly. Be satisfied walk. with a little and let it take time.

If performed correctly this exercise is a great energiser for your JAMBETTE horse and you should feel that he becomes much lighter in the hand, moving with greater collection, and that he will naturally start to offer you a few ‘half steps’. Half steps are the precursor to Piaffer.

When eventually your horse is doing the Piaffer from the ground you can then also start to ask for a “jambette”. This exercise encourages the horse to lift his front leg up horizontally, which is the first step towards the Spanish Walk, but is in itself a very good movement to help your horse to release his shoulders.

As in the photo, I stand by my horse’s head and ask for a little flexion, then touch with the whip gently behind the knee. When the horse understands that touching with the whip gently on his front leg means he should raise it up, I then start to ask for a jambette in a forward movement - without stopping - so he simultaneously advances with his hind legs and learns to use this movement in walk. If Spanish Walk is a goal, we have the foundations here. I hope that these exercises will have given you some useful insights and techniques for working with your horse. It is my belief that work in hand is just as much as an art - and just as valuable - as riding itself.

Some horses will respond better if you tap gently with the handle of the whip behind the knee. As is always the case in our work with horses, the hours put in will determine the quality of the result, and mistakes are When my horse raises his front leg I reward him with a inevitable and necessary preludes to our learning how to create pat. I then ask him a few steps in walk forward before I harmony. Be patient with yourself and your horse so that you have ask again. I do this to sustain his desire to move forward. time to enjoy your journey together.