05/03/2020
Manolo Mendez Dressage
We thought it was a good time to share again Manolo's training philosophy for those who are not familiar with his methodology and are curious.
Manolo has been training his way and followed his fundamental principles of training for wellness since 1974.
With every year and with every horse he works with, it becomes clearer to him that there is no neutral point in training.
Every step matters and the posture we ask our horse to travel in has a direct bearing on his wellness both mentally, emotionally and physically.
Manolo’s Training Philosophy. He says:
"My style of training emphasizes a soft, swinging back, making sure all the joints in the body including the hindquarters are moving freely and evenly, and making sure I have even diagonals in all paces. I will ask for this before I ask the horse to seek the bit.
It is a conscious decision rather than a training error on my part.
I encourage the horse to distribute his weight evenly over his four feet, and to become a partner.
In the early stages of training, I encourage him to be free with his head and neck, to keep the poll supple and the troatlatch soft and open, and to travel with his eye level with a point between the stifle and the hip depending on his conformation so his muscles build from strength to strength.
I do not ride purposefully behind the vertical nor do I shorten or compress the neck.
The horse learns to relax through the poll and jaw and to carry himself and me with ease.
I use this early work to develop straightness, balance, rhythm, flexion and regularity in all paces – a crucial basic foundation.
Along with riding, I use in-hand and bodywork to encourage the horse to use its entire body.
Before I ask a horse to work, I want to know his history. Has he had problems or an incident that would leave him mistrustful of people and resistant or defensive? If the horse does not like me at the start of his training, I spend time with him to become a friend. Only when the horse’s trust is established will he work in a positive way, relaxed in body and mind.
I only take the next step when the previous one is solid and the horse is physically and mentally comfortable with the work. Then, and only then do I ask for more.
If the horse becomes confused, I do not add to his confusion, instead I take a full step or half step back and allow the horse to re-establish his confidence and balance before progressing to the next step.
I adhere to the principles of traditional dressage and Article 401, which preserves the horse’s body instead of wearing it down, and gently nurtures his mental wellbeing, so that the physical, mental ans emotional aspects work in unity.
Many horses today have become so far separated from their essence, or the harmony that comes from the mind, body and heart working in synchronicity, that they suffer needlessly each day of their lives. I witness this damage as part of my work.
My work is about sharing with others the importance of the partnership, the joy of the dance that can be experienced by horse and rider when body, heart and mind are working in a shared partnership. The horse is a partner and athlete in the dance and as such, should be treated with the greatest respect, care and consideration.
The goal of my training approach is to help the horse reach his potential with his full and willing cooperation and without pushing him beyond his mental and physical abilities."
Manolo Mendez' Fundamental Principles of Training for Wellness:
1. That the horse is not damaged in the body or mind by his training;
2. That the training is a partnership between horse and rider, with horse and rider equally willing to learn from one another;
3. That each horse is trained according to his strengths and weaknesses as an individual, and never pushed beyond what he is physically and mentally capable of;
4. That the horse’s beauty and strength increases, not diminishes, over the years of training,so that at fifteen he is better and fitter than he was at five.
To learn more about Manolo’s timeless, traditional training approach visit:
https://www.manolomendezdressage.com/manolo-mendez/manolo-mendez-dressage/articles-by-manolo-mendez/
and join this group where you will see his approach live:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/OnTheRoadWithManoloMendez/?ref=share
You must answer the group questions to become a member.