EJS Dressage

19/05/2024

Mega thanks to Sara Vanecek for another super fun long lining day. Always learning and definitely having fun!!!! (Thanks for taking over the reins at the end so I could watch him show off a little).

14/05/2024

We are very excited that Karin Persson will be back in town and available for some lessons at our farm on Memorial Day Weekend!!! In my experience, Karin is quick to pick up on a horse and rider’s weaknesses and with many tools to help improve the suppleness, balance, rider effectiveness and position (just to name a few). Contact myself or Jonna Adamsson if interested in a lesson.

14/05/2024

Kicked off show season this past weekend with Santero at the massively improved HITS Saugerties! I am so happy with our development this winter. His overall way of going is so much better than last year and even with a couple hiccups in the test we managed a 66.9%. Now that we’ve knocked the rust off, onwards and upwards looking forward to next show!!!
Thanks to everyone who made this show possible, especially Jonna and Jason!
📸 Jason Bannister

05/04/2024

It truly takes a village to keep these horses in tip top shape!! I want to say the biggest thank you to Dr. Andrea Sotela (Cavallo Veterinary Services) for her dedication to keeping Santero performing at his very best. Ever since I got him she’s kept her eyes on him consistently to ensure we never miss anything. He’s feeling like a million bucks and we can’t wait to get into the show ring soon!!!!

05/02/2024

26/01/2024

winter training >>>

24/01/2024

🙌

20/01/2024

I love to try different things on different horses. It gives me so much insight as we are all constantly learning!! Royce (owned by Julianne Richards) is perfectly demonstrating that being “on the bit” doesn’t necessarily need to entail a bit. Riding the horses properly from your seat and leg, they can carry themselves (when strong enough)!!!

11/10/2023

Better late than never recap from the GAIG/ USDF Region 8 Championships & Open show at HITS Saugerties.

Horse shows always bring highs and lows but the learning is invaluable! Santero is becoming a real show pro and that shined through this week both in the show ring and in the stable.

Day 1, I had the most amazing feeling that I’ve been getting at home but was able to recreate it in the show ring. Unfortunately, two huge mistakes brought the score down to a 67%.
Day 2, brought a lot of tension and a disappointing score but, I was still proud of our work and that we finished in the top half of a BIG Open Prix St George Championship as little fish in a big pond.

Many thanks to our big team who’ve helped us be so successful this season.

Onwards and upwards! 💫

11/09/2023

Why we should ride young horses forward and down...

It is a commonly accepted training principle that we should encourage young horses to have a low head carriage. But why is this?

The muscles of the horses back are still immature at 3,4 and even at 5 years old. This is a combination of being developmentally (age related), and physically immature, in the sense that they lack the muscle condition which comes from years of training-induced exercise. Of course the maturity of their muscles will come naturally with time, and as we work them through groundwork and under saddle. But how can we get to this point, while protecting these fundamentally weak muscles and avoiding musculoskeletal injuries further down the line?

By utilising the passive ligament mechanism, we can allow the horse to support the back and carry the weight of the rider with very little muscular effort. This allows the epaxial muscles of the back to be free to perform their primary functions in movement, rather than acting as weight lifters.

The passive ligament system of the back is primarily composed of, well ligaments, the nuchal and supraspinous ligament to be exact.

The nuchal ligament is a strong, collagenous structure, originating at the extensor process of the occiput (the back of the skull), forming attachments to the cervical vertebrae, before inserting on the spinous process of the fourth thoracic vertebrae. Here the nuchal ligament broadens in the region of the withers, before continuing as the supraspinous ligament running along the top of the spinous processes of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae and terminating in the sacral region of the spine.

This creates an inverse relationship between the position of the head and neck and the balance between flexion and extension of the spine.

Generally speaking, lowering the head induces flexion in the thoracic region (the back is lifted) and conversely, raising the head creates extension in the thoracic region (the back hollows/drops). This is because the elongation of the strong and elastic nuchal ligament created when the head is lowered, creates a forward traction on the high spinous processes of the withers, and travels through the supraspinous ligament to lift the thoracic region of the spine. Comparatively, shortening of the ligament raises the head.

This system has provided an evolutionary advantage to the horse, as while they are grazing, the weight of the thorax and abdomen is supported passively by the ligament with very little muscular effort over long periods of time (up to the 16-19 hours per day they can spend grazing in the wild). Equally, because of the stored elastic potential energy in the liagement when it is stretched for the head to be at ground level, the horse can quickly raise its head to gallop away at the first sign of a predator.

Furthermore, lowering of the head and neck, stretching downwards and forwards, straightens out the natural S curve of the horse's spine. This lifts the bottom of the S curve, the cervico-thoracic junction and the ribcage, which creates lightness in the forequarters when the horse is moving. Further back, flexion in the thoracic region, increases the spacing between the dorsal spinous processes as the most dorsal aspect of the spine is stretched out. This posture is particularly therapeutic for horses with kissing spines.

In fact, the degree of flexion of the back is most marked between the 5th and 9th thoracic vertebrae, but is also significant between the 9th and 14th. Consequently, the arching and lifting of the back takes place directly under the saddle and therefore works to support the rider.

This is particularly useful in young horses; it allows the young horse, whose muscles are not mature enough to carry the rider, the chance to support its back and lift the weight of the rider by moving the head-neck axis rather than using active muscle contraction.

This means that the horse can use its muscles solely for movement; creating a loose, swinging back, free of tension, and suppleness in the gait.

Here we have the opportunity for us to slowly develop and condition the epaxial musculature of the young horse. Which will create a foundation of strength and suppleness of the back and the core to support more advanced movements later in their career.

Comparatively, if this system is not used, and the young horse is pulled into a shortened outline, it is the Longissimus Dorsi muscle which takes up the role of supporting the weight of the rider. But theLongissimus Dorsi is not designed for weight carrying, it is primarily a movement muscle.

Muscles act in the direction through which their fibres flow; the Longissimus Dorsi works in the horizontal plane, originating in the sacral and lumbar region of the spine and inserting through the lumbar, thoracic and ending in the cervical region. The Longissimus Dorsi primarily acts to extend and stabilise the entire spine, while also acting unilaterally to induce lateral flexion of the back. You can see the Longissimus Dorsi in action when watching a horse moving from above; the large muscle contracts alternately on each side of the back in the rhythm of the gait to stabilise the movement.

Once the Longissimus Dorsi is required to lift the weight of the rider, the muscle becomes blocked and stiff. Muscles are designed to work through a process of contraction and relaxation; held too long in contraction (to carry the weight of a rider, or support a shortened outline) and the Longissimus Dorsi will fatigue. This will lead to muscle spasm and pain within the muscle. Not only will the horse lose the strength to carry the rider, but they will also lose the natural elasticity of the back which will reduce the fluidity of their gaits.

Over time with greater overuse and fatigue, the Longissimus Dorsi muscle will atrophy, requiring the recruitment of other muscles, such as the Iliocostalis, to take up the role of stabilising the back and supporting the weight of the rider. Other muscles which are equally not designed for weight lifting. And so the cycle continues and the performance of the horse suffers.

With this knowledge in mind, we can understand why it is so essential to make use of the passive ligament system, by striving for that forward and down head carriage. Furthermore, that we also allow our young horses regular breaks, working on a loose rein to allow our horse to come out of the outline, stretch out, and reduce the risk of fatigue.

I always marvel at the intricately designed systems of energy conservation to create efficiency in the horse's way of going. It is our role as a rider to have an awareness of and make use of these systems; to allow our horses to go in the most efficient and beneficial way for them possible, upholding their standard of welfare.

Image credit: Tug of War, Gerd Heuschmann

13/08/2023

Royal Santero dancing his way to a 🥇 finish on a nice 66.7% last weekend at Dressage at Kirby Hill!

12/08/2023

Had a great day volunteering!

11/08/2023

Being involved and giving back is a cornerstone of our philosophy!

08/08/2023

23/07/2023

Emily and five year old Hanoverian gelding, Heartsease, on his first off property ride. He was super!

14/04/2023

Variety in a horse’s training program is key for both their physical and mental well being, in my opinion. I try to keep the “work week” to 4 or 5 days including regular schooling, trail rides, and ground work. Additionally, riding on various terrain is so good for muscle development, balance and self carriage, tendon and ligament health, not to mention, it’s great for their brains to get out of the ring. Turnout is also HUGE for me. It’s important to me that they get out every day for as long as they’d like and with a friend, whenever possible!

11/03/2023

What fun we had yesterday with Sara Vanecek in the house!!!! Sara’s positivity and endless knowledge is inspiring. It was great to have a tune up on my long lining skills and I’m really looking forward to incorporating it back into the horse’s programs. I can’t wait for next time!!!
(And thanks also Sara, for the amazing action shots!!!)

21/02/2023

A little peek at some in hand work I’ve been doing with Eros... he’s never going to be a Grand Prix horse but doing these half steps helps to develop the strength and balance to help me improve his quality of trot and the introduce the “sit” needed for more collected movements. I included a little blooper because I think we can sometimes forget that we’re working with animals with a mind of their own!!

16/02/2023

Some clips from last week’s training with Royal Santero

27/01/2023

Some insights from one of my most recent rides on Royal Santero. Working through some of the Prix St George and Intermediate 1 movements.

26/01/2023

A little on this blustery winter day… one of my favorite horses that I’ve started! Lady Leannán in July 2020 at only her 2nd under saddle horse show in the Four Year Old Test.