Closson Dressage

14/11/2024

The whole philosophy behind my training is that the horse learns to happily and calmly follow the least amount of the riders aids. That we request something, ask the question, and that they have the tools and the confidence to answer it.

I’m bringing this up because I recently watched a video of someone loading a foal on a float. This handler has way more experience in this type of work than I am and I feel like I don’t have a place to even comment. Nevertheless, I wanted to reflect on our different styles of training.

The foal he was training to load was held just under the snap of the lead rope, and the pressure was continuous throughout the approach loading and then standing in the float. The horse kept a fast tempo from the start through each step, and it ran on from the start of the line all the way to the front of the float. It answered the question correctly, but I am not convinced it knew how it got to the answer. I am not sure that the horse learned to load as much as it learned to stay with the handler above anything else. It was tense, quick and stiff in its movements.

My approach uses a pressure release system. And the releases are based on even the slightest movement in the direction I’m looking for. I am looking more for how the horse answers the question than the answer. I feel like the answer is easily attainable in most situations and once you train the horse how to answer you can expand the range of questions you ask. I equate this to teaching problem solving or thinking skills.

So I thought I would post a video of me loading a 9 month old on a float his fourth time to demonstrate the calmness and quite confidence that I am focusing on. What a little champion he is and I love how confident and calm he is understanding the process with ease!

12/11/2024

I’ve had a few new faces at recent clinics and they have commented on the difference in my approach. With one gushing about how much it resonated with her. This is why I do my job, and it is so lovely to hear!

I see so many different riders. I suppose this is part of being a judge, that I cannot continuously help riders who will be competing in our championship competitions as they will become a conflict, so I do short intense periods with them or help over the non-competitive times of the year.

It is easy for my eye to quickly recognise an underlying weakness in the training and work to gain confidence and understanding and then ability in this area. Nothing in my training is about pushing the horse. And I do not believe in adding resistance to create a movement, or turning up the power when the horse is confused.

I do come from a different background, I am from Southern California where western riders and vaqueros influenced our handling and philosophies immensely. And then I went up the levels in the French/Spanish/Portuguese classical system before leaning into competitive dressage.

My super power is to recognise patterns in mechanics and I draw from a plethora of exercises to improve these that suits horses of different abilities, conformations, and levels.

I believe in the seat and the rider’s positions influence over the horse. I think balance brings correctness and that without this it is difficult to maintain effective aids.

And suppleness is my ultimate goal! Physically and mentally I believe a horse should first and foremost be soft and fluent and that you can add tempo over any movement once it’s base is established.

10/11/2024

How do you choose the mare you breed with?

I have choosen to breed Sophie not only for her personality, and my horses carry their own foals so that will pass to the foal, but also for her way of going. She is a proven competition horse who was trained through all the Grand Prix movements and performed them with ease.

I am hoping to create a filly from her because she is not only the most beautiful person, but she is also the most amazing horse I have ever sat on. I really want to carry her legacy on!

I am hoping to harness her type and create a “good” filly without having a horse of extremes. A foundation mare that is solid in her way that I can enhance in future generations with new stallion blood depending on my priorities.

🤞for a well rounded happy healthy filly!!

07/11/2024

Toledo is back with a demonstration of another favourite in hand exercise to check in with your horse. This can also be a slightly more complex question to ask them than the previous two exercises to keep their focus on you and get them to relax.

Here he is learning to cross hind legs and bend the ribcage. First and foremost I am looking for him to follow my aid with understanding and acceptance. To cross his hind legs under his centre (so inching closer to the girth line, and under the centreline of his body). And to bend his ribs, which includes not only a compression of the inside ribs but also an expansion of the outside ribs.

I want the rope to be soft and the transitions between tempo and/or direction to be fluent. Look at these aspects to get feedback on how your horse is doing, and if they are hard for you to gauge with your eyes, use your ears and listen for the fluency.

As the horse progresses up the levels I am looking for a more and more dynamic exercise. Toledo is only 17 months old in this exercise so it is daily basic.

05/11/2024

How do you choose a stallion for your mare?

I am new to this breeding game, but as all things in my life I dive head first in and learn everything I can. I am blessed to have great contacts and mentors that can steer me in the right direction so my learning is a bit fast forwarded.

I essentially break down what I am looking for into three aspects.

➡ The first aspect I look at is MECHANICS. I utilise my strongest area of training here, honed through years of riding, training, and judging different horses of all levels to evaluate the horse’s ways of going. Essentially I look to match the strengths of my mare with a stallion strong enough in those areas not to loose the attributes, and also stallion with strengths in a few decided on areas that I am looking to improve. For Sophie this is how the energy travels from her mid back over her wither and how she comes up/out of her shoulder. Her hind leg is excellent and I like how she uses her neck. I need to take special care not to loose her overabundant suppleness or pair her with something too powerful that I end up with a strange mix.

➡ The next thing I looked at was CONFORMATION. Not just the conformation of the stallion, but the combined conformation of the two of them. Sophie has a very refined head, an average leg length with very normal limits in the shape of her legs. She is a bit flat over her top line, and has amazing reach out of her neck and a beautiful long elegant shape to her neck. She has smaller bones but carries a full amount of condition on her frame. I match her with a stallion that will enhance what she has. A little more leg length, a little more height…. Being very careful that I only look to enhance one generation at a time rather than reaching for extremes and creating a foal that looks like a bred a Chihuahua to a Sharpei.

➡ The third aspect is PEDIGREE, and whilst I am totally a novice in this area, I am looking for a biological match that gives me a “type” so that when I hopefully get a filly I have strong genetic balance that still carries diversity in the lines. It is a dance to get this right. And even when evaluating some of the top performing stallions in the world I am surprised at what they look like on paper. She look completely hybrid yet I am convinced those top breeders have way more idea what they are doing than I do, and others look totally line bred and the outcome isn’t at all what I would want from a horse, nor representative of the lines they have tried to emphasise.

↪ I have heard that metabolic come from the dam lines so I am looking for TB blood on the sire’s dam’s lines. I believe that our conditions in Australia give me reason to invest in a strong metabolic system able to tolerate heat and recover quickly.

↪ I am trying to sex balance certain traits of certain stallions so looking, for instance, in Sophie she has Sandro Hit in her sire’s sire lines (the xy chromosomes) and thus her chosen stallions will have Sandro Hit in the sire’s dam lines (the xx chromosomes). Studies are still being conducted to isolate which traits are carried in which chromosomes but still feel practicing this gives me a more rounded and solid type.

↳ The next area of pedigree I am focused are generations 7-9 in the potentially breeding. I am looking for similarities in these lines that give me strength of type. So I am almost looking to make the base solid at this point whilst diversifying the more recent generations. So they come from a similar history if you will. Using the example of Sophie again I am looking for TBs such as Hyperion, Precipitation, Nektar, and WB lines such as Ferdinand, Abglanz, and Wedekind.

What else do you prioritise when choosing for your mare?

04/11/2024

Today marks a milestone, I sat on my first home bred horse! This young lad turned 3 years old on Saturday and two days later I got to sit on him for the first time. We were scheduled for Saturday but the rain 🌧️ held us off.

I dreamed of this horse, granted he was suppose to be a she, and not have any white on his face or legs, 4 years ago this month. I ordered the baby daddy and Sophie and I went off to embark on a new chapter of both our lives, her as a mum and me as a breeder.

This video marks the first time I am sitting on Toledo and being led around. He does not know how to go forward to my legs and is matching the tempo set by Annie who is leading him. I am using my legs in quite grand movements with my weight shifting and not always keeping the best rhythm with my aids in an attempt to mimic what might happen if he were to spook or have a confused moment. My job is to best prepare him for what pressure would feel like and how to reestablish confidence when he feels it.

02/11/2024

Arriving at the grounds to judge for potentially my last time at Clarendon and I am filled with emotion. Feels like an end of an era today. The outcome is still undecided and we can keep this place alive if we try. Sign the petition to support Clarendon. This venue has been the heart of our post in NSW as long as I have been in the country.

This venue has seen me go from a probationary G level judge to an A level judge over the years. I have spent nearly every month at this venue for years.

I met friends, caught up on the latest news and trends, built life long relationships….

I judged horses, competed horses, warmed up riders before their tests, taught protocols, earned my young horse judging credentials and mentored upgrading judges.

I feel honoured to be a part of this weekend and cannot thank the committee (Sue Scaysbrook, Michelle Beccio, Beth Turner, and everyone who makes these events happen) enough for all the energy you put in.
�Let’s keep this heart beating!

https://www.change.org/p/save-clarendon?fbclid=IwY2xjawGND-hleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHRr_U5JXHHX2mCBQg2-2_nsQuTuCKP7EWFixldDDCw01wyC76pF0HoIJ2g_aem_gtSpOhVYLcsBj-ncWdWttQ

Save Clarendon

26/10/2024

This breeding article gives us a lot of food for thought.

♦︎ ”…the biggest threat to the breeding of sport horses is that the majority wants the same; everyone is using identical bloodlines. In twenty years, we will only have ten stallions as sires to our sport horses.”

♦︎ “What I want, is something totally different, something new, something that is not popular – I like to have something that no one else has.”

♦︎ “How come you can sell an embryo for 50K, but if you have a 5-year-old, it must be a performer, nice to ride and have flawless x-rays?”

♦︎ “I believe that a mare must carry her own foal, and that the two should enjoy their time together in the field.”

♦︎ Horses are longer old than they are young

https://www.worldofshowjumping.com/WoSJ-Exclusive-interviews/Kees-van-den-Oetelaar-Breeding-has-nothing-to-do-with-money-and-everything-to-do-with-feeling.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawGKT4VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHVcxd9F0A4hz3GLhJefKvxImnfjJgYqkyyY9V_k2kZwvF5jdkAPnnMqSPA_aem_8SBPcy_Wzoi_OzSw_EFeJQ

“At the moment, the biggest threat to the breeding of sport horses is that the majority wants the same; everyone is using identical bloodlines,

21/10/2024

I love working with horses as I have the opportunity to continuously learn from them. Recently I have had a bit of a struggle with Toledo. He has been wearing the bridle since February and was just in a basic bit (RS Dynamic) and his mouth has been totally happy in the bridle, until the end of September….

For three days he withdrew his tongue and/or put it over the bit. I have never had a horse with these issues before and was well out of my depth. It was also random that he just started to do it out of the blue. During this time he would also sometimes screw his tongue around and stick it out of his mouth whilst standing in his paddock or getting groomed as well. This behaviour was completely abnormal for him. He had seen the dentist mid-August so whilst his mouth was changing it was not neglected.

His attitude was getting short and sharp at the same time. He had gone from being really laid back to much more abrupt in his responses. He would get the right answer, but I didn’t like how he was getting there.

After these three days I gave him a week off, then he was worked in a bit 2 more days with bit changes (Fagar Sara, Bombers Happy Tongue, Bombers Ultra Comfy Lockup, and Fagar Anna) before eliminating the bit from his training momentarily. I had a bit of data on what was helpful and the pattern of occurrence, but was no closer to a solution.

Today the dentist came back to check him, thank you Joe Raines for fitting him in! And he was losing two upper caps and still had a portion of the lower cap attached. He sounded like he had marbles in his mouth when his occlusion was checked. I had heard this when he chewed carrots on occasion too and he did have difficulty eating them.

I just love how they communicate with us! I could have put a flash on him or tighten his noseband or worked with another device to “band aid” the issue, but instead I wanted to understand why his behaviour was changing and sought advice from a few very generous and knowledgeable friends. We continued to explore options until we found the reason. And who would have thought he would have so much tooth eruption in such a short time. He turns 3 in a few weeks and has now lost his 2.5yo and 3yo caps, but will not have all of his permanent teeth until he is 5 (if I remember right).

I am so so grateful to the few people that consulted with me on strategies for dealing with this, your time and advice is so appreciated! And I promise not to buy every random bit I read a blurb about 🤣 And to anyone still reading, listen to your horse, keep exploring, there will always be a reason, we just have to be clever and find it!

21/10/2024

For all those Frutti and Soph fans out there. This is their half sister, same dam line.

Hope she finds the best of homes that can blossom her potential.

15/10/2024

This is one of my absolute favourite checking in exercises which Toledo does a brilliant job demonstrating for us as a 2yo.

It is increasing and decreasing tempo whilst walking in hand. I perform it on straight, curved and wiggly lines.

I have a loose rope and a stick of bamboo. I can use either if needed but the point is to have my horses connected to me and following the rhythm of my footfalls.

You can see him get a little bit faster and a little bit slower than me at times. And there is a moment where I raise the bamboo, and that the rope is less slack, but overall he is really well linked to me and even mirroring my steps with his front legs.

I have left the natural sound in the video so that you can hear the tempo of the birds chirping. This speed of this video has not been edited at all.

And yes, my horses are worked and led off both sides. If they are showing a dominance on one front leg I make a greater effort to walk them and approach them more often from that side as it turns their head to me, thus lightening the weight on the same side foreleg.

08/10/2024

You finish the test and you are elated with how your horse went. You look at your friend, who greets you outside of the arena, and you give her a high five feeling like you have just done a PB. As you are unsaddling your horse your friend shows you the mark, it is way lower than you expected and even the ranking has others ahead of you that make you wonder if the judge was even watching your test.

How familiar is this situation? We have all been there. I am a judge and I have been there. If this scenario is common and we all know we are going to have to deal with it at some stage if we haven’t already then how can we make the most of it?

Ok so here are some key things that you can do to turn this into a learning situation:

🦄 Firstly, hug your horse! They did an awesome job and you wouldn’t be able to have this much fun without them. And remember that it was so much fun until you saw your mark.

🎥 Have your test videoed so that you can review it along side the judges comments.

📝 Review the test papers. I find that the biggest benefit I receive from the judges is to go through my lowest scoresheet and see if I can find a theme. I isolate that theme, and look for a pattern in where it is being noted. Is it in my downward transitions, or when I go from a curved track to a straight track…

🙋‍♀️ If you don’t understand some of the judge’s comments then ask your coach, the judge that judged you on the day, or if you have a friend that is a judge then ask them.

🧐 Then I put your curiosity to work, and play with that the theme that the judge noted. I usually try to do this the day after the competition whilst the feel is fresh in my head. See if you can note a difference.

At a recent comp connection was noted on both of my horse’s lowest tests. Ok, I busted both of my hands earlier in the year so I totally have a blind spot in the area of pressure to my hands. That said when I played with the concepts that were noted on my test sheets, I loved the outcome. I had put one horse too steady and solid to the contact, and I hadn’t connected the other enough. I had a great response from my horses when I focused a bit more in this area.

Always remember we compete for ourselves and never the extrinsic outcome. Whilst medals are nice it is out of our control as to whether we win them and depends as much on the competition field as our own performance. So set some attainable goals for yourself before you go out and focus your attention on meeting those.

And if you have another test after the one that disappointed you, do your horse a favour and dismiss the emotional burden of disappointment. Your horse deserves to have you fully focused and positive in your partnership!

06/10/2024

Training a horse is like building a rock wall or pyramid (which is a symbol so often used and easy to visualise). The foundations must be strong and stable and be able to carry the weight that will be placed on them. This is the goal in my riding, my coaching and my training.

My lessons or training may seem disruptive to some. I stand back and evaluate the overall picture before we break it into parts that could be improved. I view the horse and the training as a whole, and assess the fundamentals that need more attention.

I always start here before refining the movements. Everything comes from that base.

03/10/2024

I would like to start a conversation about HORSE WELFARE. This is such a loaded topic and I am not seeking arguments here but I think we need to open the conversation and start exploring it. I have a lot of concerns about current perceptions on welfare such as:

✦ The term welfare is sometimes being used to intimidate or bully.
✧ It seems that you can use this term and the other party is immediately wrong. If you pull out this term, welfare is always right, and it is becoming she who pulls out the term first wins.
✢ I am hearing it from judges, rider, trainers and even spectators. This is not the intent of the concept. If we step back we can remember that welfare is about providing a good life for horses that is in line with their natural way of being.

✦ The SLO (social license to operate) is currently under public scrutiny and we, as horse advocates, want to and need to do a better job of ensuring the well being of horses especially those in sport.
✧ We are actually on the same side and everyone wants better for the horses. I believe the relationship with horses offers so much enrichment and that humans are way better individuals because of this interaction, as with those of dogs, cats, etc. And that the lives of the horses are, by and large, incredibly well maintained and better off than they would be in the wild, especially given the land and resources available to them today.

✦ Proposed solutions are short sighted
✧ Animal rights wants horses out of the grasp of humans. I believe the horse human relationship has so much to offer both sides and if you remember the film Free Willy many of marine biologists in the film told the story of their first encounter with marine life being in a marine park. This encounter lit the flame inside of them to create the quest for their life to be for these animals, yet here they were seeking to end the existence of the parks.
✢ We need to do better. It is not about ending the park, then no-one would become a marine biologist. Or in the case of horses our problems could escalate to people no longer caring about the land: from preserving it so their is space for the animals, to utilising chemical free weed control…

✦ The prosecution for incorrect behaviour needs to have parameters so that it doesn’t become a witch hunt.
✧ Take for example parenting, women’s rights to work, vote, attend university, or even the “me too” movement. When we look back we consider some of these events culturally barbaric, but at the time or in the context they were accepted.
✢ I am by no means excusing any misjudgment, but rather trying to look forward to being better which in turn with help out SLO. There will always be bad, hopefully the numbers or percentage of bad continues to diminish. Let’s put emphasis on the good.

Let’s not just be disgusted. Let’s be advocates for change. The knowledge of how to proceed with generosity and kindness and understanding exists. Let’s share it! What can we do as a sport and as individuals to improve. We are the brains trust for “better.” Contribute to the conversation!

29/09/2024

Meet Gem and Maya 🦄

Their journey started together in January when Maya, a 14yo young rider, purchased Gem, a 5yo green WB. Things started to unravel and about 6 months into their relationship she came to me to get a boost on her education and to consolidate some issues they had been having. Gem was struggling to balance and stumbling quite a lot. This caused her to loose confidence and her personality was starting to swing a bit.

She was also under weight and needed to put some condition on without becoming too hot for Maya to ride her.

The results speak for themselves in the videos. Whilst these videos are comparing under saddle to lunging the change to the mechanics of the horse are so clearly evident. To say Gem has found her feet is an understatement. She is becoming confident and kind and has learned how to socialise with other horses and behave with her humans. She is no longer reactive and scared about every stimuli or change of situation.

She has really blossomed not only in her work but in the entire holistic process that we undertake when training the horses. Her entire body has changed shape as well as her mind and she is so much for capable in her ridden work having a solid base of basics and consistent rhythm in all her paces. And she is in fabulous condition with more balanced hooves and weight and a now glistening coat!

We are so excited to hand the reins back to Maya and look forward to continuing their progress in lessons.