Posts Tagged ‘equestrian sport’

Dressage is an equestrian sport and art that involves a series of movements to create a balanced and ride-able horse. The first writings of dressage date back to Xenophon around 400 BC. Dressage today has evolved into a highly competitive sport with expensive, well bred horses competing for titles worldwide. When most people consider a suitable dressage mount, a warmblood or warmblood cross is the first choice. However, off track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs) make willing, suitable dressage partners. We will look at some of the considerations necessary in retraining an OTTB for dressage sport.

Every year, the racing industry has tens of thousands of off track Thoroughbreds looking for new homes when their racing careers were not lucrative. With the broad availability of off track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs), their inexpensive purchase price, and their proven athleticism, these off track Thoroughbreds can be retrained for second careers in many sports, including dressage. Retraining these Thoroughbreds takes time, patience, and understanding.

Career Thoroughbreds have lived a relatively narrow existence on the racetrack. Their days are very repetitive and they do not have opportunity to spend much time just “being a horse”. When you first start working with an OTTB, it is important to give them several months of let-down time so they can reacquire some of their natural activities, such as grazing with pasture mates. Many Thoroughbreds have various drugs or hormones in their system, and it is important for their body to flush these out before serious training can begin.

As with any green horse, building a solid foundation from the basics is critical. We do most of the initial work from the longe. This allows the trainer to develop herd dominance over the horse and allows the horse to begin learning his new balance without the weight of a rider. Thoroughbreds are bred to run, and generally this is their first inclination when faced with conflict or stress. For this reason, it is best to begin your longe work in an enclosed area such as a round pen. An enclosure will help prevent injury for the trainer or the horse.

Thoroughbreds on the track only have to possess a few physical skills: break from the gate fast, run fast and straight, come to a slow stop eventually. In contrast, the sport of dressage requires much more in the way of longitudinal and lateral flexibility, concentration, and obedience. Most Thoroughbreds on the track spend little time trotting, and this gait will need development in your dressage partner. The Thoroughbred’s naturally balanced canter is an asset, and the trot is the easiest gait to improve.

Initial work under saddle should consist of the same activities any green horse would need. Because Thoroughbreds tend to be very sensitive, and at times, high strung, it is important to keep work sessions low key and without tension. Thoroughbreds learn rapidly and retain lessons well, but they stop thinking clearly when stressed. They begin looking for a flight path. It is important to switch off exercises when this tension builds. Be sure your aids are not conflicting, as their sensitivity will pick up on a rider’s inconsistencies. Each horse learns differently, and it is important to discover how your individual horse learns best. One OTTB we retrained could not figure out how to trot. We began trotting him out with another horse, and he readily picked it up. Thoroughbreds on the track often work with another horse, and this method proved useful for this horse. We have worked with others that did not like the distraction of another horse close to them. It is important to help the horse transition the work on the longe to work under saddle. Kicking a horse in the ribs is not the universal horse code for “go”. It is a learned response. Because OTTBs are not ever ridden with leg aids, they must learn how to react to the leg and seat. They do, however, have a sensitivity to weight aids, as that is the main aid a jockey uses to communicate with them.

We have found that you may spend as much as a year or two in getting your horse to comfortably adapt to his new life. The first year, groundwork, general handling, and basic under saddle work are the focus of training. In the second year, outings to schooling horseshows are an excellent way to judge how your horse will handle a show scenario. Some horses develop much faster than this guideline. That is a bonus! As the trainer, it is important to train at the horse’s rate of learning to avoid stress that might trigger his flight tendency. Thoroughbreds are resilient horses, and have useful competitive careers well into their teens. Many are not in their prime until their early teens. It is not generally a problem if you have one that is slow to bloom due to their long, useful life.

Off Track Thoroughbreds make suitable dressage mounts for adult amatures and even some youth. However, it is very important to have a trainer that you work with regularly that understands Thoroughbreds. Their intelligence and sensitivity create a partner that is willing, but intolerant of rough handling. You must be firm but fair.

Lateral work comes easily for most OTTBs with which we have worked. Longitudinal (“roundness”) and lateral (“bending”) suppleness does not. The schooling figures of dressage are very beneficial to the athletic development and suppleness of these OTTBs. With the development of longitudinal flexibility in the horse, it is important to start flexibility within the gaits early on. A dressage horse must have three or four balances within each gait: working, collected, medium, extended. Asking for these transitions within gaits early on helps develop flexibility. You do not have to master every requirement at Training Level before you begin schooling First Level. Instead, you should employ the dressage exercises that will improve the horse.

Training an off track Thoroughbred for dressage is not much different than training other breeds for dressage. The first year or two is the biggest difference because it is necessary to recondition the horse to a life off the track. With care and concern for the horse, and a sympathetic trainer that understands Thoroughbreds, you can achieve many goals with an OTTB in dressage competition.

Author: Shannon McGlon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: WordPress plugin expert

Each equestrian sport is unique and demands different skills from the rider so their clothing is not just used for demonstration but also to help them move freely during competitions. A mass of clothes are made to provide head to toe safe-guard for equestrians. For equestrian activities, the essential items of apparel are the boots, chaps, gaiters breeches and jodhpurs for the legs, the jacket and body safety for the torso, and the hat for the head. It is essential to know about each one of the types of apparel, especially for a starter. Each person’s favorite might vary but it is necessary to be have knowledge about the basics before purchasing any clothes since horse back riding can be pricey and the clothes for this activity is no exception.

The horseback riding hat important because it protects the head from injuries from a fall which can occur in or out of competition and even with the best trained horse. The hat, with its hard shell and impact absorbing lining, provides a certain amount of safety for the horse rider in case of a fall. When you’re not horseback riding, it is still essential to wear them, since the horse may kick when you are on the ground.

Anyone in competition knows you should have a good set of leather or artificial leather gloves. For help in choosing gloves then read this helpful articles tips with details about artificial leather gloves.

If the horse rider falls, the helmet can become damaged and less effective in future uses so you should be sure to buy a new one. Every three or four years you should replace your riding hat as its protective ability decreases over time as the padding compresses with daily use. The classic horse riding hat, made of traditional velvet, is the first of the three basic hats available for riders. It is available in brown, black, or navy and has a hard peak.

You will also run across the skull cap with is a horse riding helmet that does not have a peak and can be seen worn by most jockeys. It’s now popular with other riders for leisure or competition and silks which are peak covers can be placed over the skull cap giving the appearance of a riding hat. There are also novelty silks ideal for young ones with eyes and ears sewn on them for example. The third one is the skull protector which is a horse riding hat similar to a cycling equestrian helmet so it is lightweight and ventilated, generally worn during warm weather or summer.

Riding headgear include chin straps, and they should conform to standards of hat safety. For example, the United Kingdom has three safety standards. Riding headgear should follow one of these standards for optimum safety of the horse rider so the chin straps should be able to secure the hat safely and securely on the horse riders head. A beginner should be sure to buy a hat that is comfortable, and all riders must remember to invariably secure their headgear when horseback riding. Riding hats are critical pieces of equestrian clothing that safe-guard the horse rider by reducing the risk of severe injury during potentially fatal falls. people who ride horses should not purchase a riding hat that used to belong to somebody else because the damage it sustained throughout the first ownership is not visible from the exterior and has a good chance to not offer as much safety, therefore invariably purchase new hats if you want to be sure.