Gerhard Politz Clinic Oct. 15-16, 1997
Garland Farms, Dahlonega, GA
It had been a year since I had last ridden for Gerd. When he was in town for a clinic in March, I was sick. However, perhaps the year away from his discerning and correct eye was a good thing after all. Pikasso (Han/TB) is six and a half now and much better in front of the leg than he was a year ago. We were able to follow Gerd's directions and got some really good results during our lessons. He was complimentary about Pikasso's willingness to go forward now because it had really been lacking before! He admonished us about the general lack of suppleness but gave us some very good exercises and insisted we be consistent in doing them. For an adult amateur who has raised her young horse and is learning along with him, I was really happy with our lessons.
Gerd stresses the basics and if you don't have them, be prepared to work on them! Gerd likes to sit outside the arena at C on a platform like a judges stand. He can see the accuracy of the figures as well as have a better view of both sides of the horse and rider.
The first day was a review of the basics of the seat, legs, and hands so that the second day we could actually work on specific goals. No one in the clinic was immune from Gerd's insistence of correctness. The inside hand and inside leg ( at the girth, not behind the girth , mind you!) were responsible for creating bend on the circle. The outside hand and leg controlled the shoulders and haunches. The outside rein needed to feel like a bungee cord - stretchy and connected, not slack and floppy. The inside rein was flexed and released when the horse gave at the poll. He had the riders simply bend their wrist inward to create the flexion. No more motion than that was needed.
Gerd also stressed riding correct school figures. He explained the 20 meter circle as being a clock with 4 positions: 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, and 9:00. You should ride from position to position- 12:00 to 3:00 to 6:00 to 9:00 and so on. He also pointed out the locations of these positions depending upon what part of the arena you were riding your 20 meter circle. If you were riding the circle at C, C would be 12:00, 3:00 would be 4 meters past M, 6:00 would be the center line 20 meters from C, and 9:00 would be 4 meters before H.
To improve Pikasso's suppleness, Gerd had us do a slow but methodical warm-up. We walked on a long rein but with contact, getting Pikasso to really stretch down and over his topline to the bridle. Pikasso is still immature physically (improving though) and prefers to hold his back rigid and down and not use his abdominals to lift his back and really step through with his hind legs. A sure sign he is holding his back is his clamped tail. Once his back is up and swinging, he lets his tail go to swing as well. We walked for a good 10 minutes and did 4 loop serpentines back and forth across the length of the arena, really emphasizing the change in bend and getting him to give in the poll and bend in his ribs. He is especially stiff on his right side.
The next step in ensuring suppleness was performing leg yield at the walk, head to the rail. We would cut our corners so that we were at a 30-40 degree angle to the track. If I was tracking to the right, we would leg yield off the left leg with flexion to the left. The idea is to get Pikasso to cross his left hind over his right hind and maintain a regular walk rhythm down the rail. Well, Gerd had to correct my timing of the aids. I was using my left leg too much and too fast. Once I slowed down my aids, things improved. To the right, Pikasso was resistant (bending right and engaging the right hind is difficult for him). We would be tracking left, head to the rail, and leg yielding off the right rein. He would try to resist the bend by swinging his haunches to the left, thereby straightening himself and becoming perpendicular to the rail (90 degrees). I had to hold him better with my left leg while using the right leg for the bend and impulsion. After repeating the leg yield in this manner several times in each direction, I could feel Pikasso give in his poll and release his back. After that, we proceeded to trot and canter on two 20 meter circles changing directions out of each circle continuously - a figure eight. I shortened my reins to get my hands out in front of me. It helped me push him out and down to the bridle. He likes to hollow and come above the bit. Once he was really pushing with his hind legs and stretching to the bridle, I was able to let him chew the reins out of my hand without him rushing, falling on the forehand, or coming above the bit.
After the warm-up, we spent some time on collected trot and canter, which at this point really had lots of energy and bounce. I continued to flex him briefly and occasionally to keep him supple over his topline while stepping through energetically with his hindlegs. The auditors burst into spontaneous applause when Pikasso finally unlocked his body and started strutting his stuff. The tail was no longer clamped and his back felt so good! I could really feel the swing with my hips.
Gerd has an article in the November 1997 issue of Dressage and CT called "The Stretching Circle" that is really good. He also taught a symposium on exercises and schooling figures in our area October 18 and 19. I attended the symposium on Saturday and got some great ideas on different schooling figures I can ride outside of my lessons. Riding alone, I have a tendency to wander aimless around the arena and the various schooling figures will add structure and interest as well as supple my horse.
Gerd is scheduled to come back to North Georgia in 1998 for three clinics at Garland Farms. The dates are April 17-19, July 17-19, and October 16-18. Auditors are welcome and we have a nice indoor with a 20x60 dressage arena. E-mail the webmistress if you'd like more information.
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