Whatever mumbo jumbo is spread about – dressage is purely basic training for the horse to promote balance and suppleness. The end game is to produce a beautifully trained animal that is responsive to the lightest of aids and enjoys being on the same side as his/her rider. We see the opposite very often– angry horses tails swishing and teeth grinding, moodily plodding round and round in ever decreasing circles, with red and puffing jockeys wildly kicking and pulling!.

Dressage can be very boring – for both horse and rider, when it is not being done properly. If the rider gains enough experience, he or she can make the work challenging and interesting for the horse, they can both learn together – and the end product is a much more enjoyable ride, whether it be a hack in the Forest or the national dressage championships!

I shall try and introduce you to some of my horses and take you through their training programmes so that you can see how they progress. Each horse is different and their needs vary – some are happy to work every day and some need the variety of hacking. Before we begin I had better introduce myself and fill you in on my background.

Top

WHO AM I??!!

My name is Claire Moir (nee Morrison), on leaving school I went to Jennie Loriston-Clarke’s Catherston Stud (which was then in Brockenhurst) for a year as a student. There I not only gained tremendous knowledge of horsemastership, but also took my National Pony Society Stud Assistant exam and my BHSAI. I stayed on with Jennie after my year was up because she put me on to a 10 year old TB gelding who had broken down eventing. She said that she thought with a bit of work he could make the Junior Dressage Team – so I duly forked out £650 from my Post Office savings account and bought the horse who delighted in the name of Orlando Furioso! After weeks of walking exercise to rehab the leg, he started work and the next year (to cut a long story short) was put on the team for the Junior European Championships which were in Germany. He was the first horse I trained, and you always mess up the first one (if not the second and the third, but that’s life!) Bless him, he was marvellous and put up with my mistakes and eventually was just about Grand Prix level (which is the highest level that we compete at) He did two Junior European Champs, before arthritis set in and he had to retire gracefully and start a new career of teaching others. I have subsequently gained by BHSII and trained about 12 horses to advanced level and learn from each of them. They are all different and require different strategies to obtain their optimum performance.

One thing to remember is that a dressage horse is not born, it is trained, and they are only as good as the way they are ridden. Obviously some have more natural talent than others, but every animal can achieve a lot if well taught. They are also great levellers so you can think you’ve made it only to slide into a morass the next day!!

I have been lucky enough to ride some super horses which have given me great times – the best of all being a Hanoverian stallion who was a superstar. I started training him from a raw three year old and eventually he won the Elementary & Medium national titles and also won my fiancée and me a two -week holiday, all expenses paid in Antigua. He was a horse in a million..

At the moment, I have four horses in training starting with a 14 year old grand prix gelding who is a beautiful horse and who I am planning to sell (to try and help with the costs of my impending wedding in November!), then there is a bay 8 year old Trakehner gelding from Germany who went to this year’s National Championships and was in the top half of two classes so that was not too bad for his first year in competition. He is working at advanced level but needs time to strengthen up and establish himself, (he is in the pictures) his name is Uncle Sam IV and he is run by the Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy. Then there is another 7 year old bay gelding called also Dutch bred who I have only recently started riding for his owner, he will come out lower down the levels to get used to things but should be ready to go advanced by the end of the Summer if all goes according to plan..?! Last but definitely not least I am riding a super huge grey gelding by who is very talented and has been off for a bit but is now firing on all cylinders and going well, so we will be out and about with him in due course probably at elementary/medium level although he has mastered his flying changes and can pirouette for fun, so the future looks good – so far!

Last year I had my first go at being Chef d’Equipe for the Young Riders (18-21) at the YR European Championships which were held at Hartpury, Gloucestershire. This was a fabulous experience as they were such a great bunch of people and we gained the first medal in YR level since the 1980’s so it was a great achievement. There is a picture of the team here resplendent in their bronze medals.

European Young Rider Championships
Hartpury 2000

I shall try and share some of the things I have gleened over the many years of constant learning that is dressage. If anyone has anything they would like to ask or a problem that they have with their horse I would be delighted to try and help out – I will try and answer as soon as I can, but those people who try and get me on the telephone know that I win most prizes for being elusive – so I will do my best to answer you as soon as I can.

Dressage Links

NFED Directory Dressage

British Dressage

Top

 

More to follow very soon so don't miss out, join the NFED E'Mailing list.
Click Here

Do you have the knowledge & time to run a NFED special interest section?
No Internet skills needed, just provide the information by Email, fax or post.

If you are interested in becoming part of the NFED, or would like further details.
Please Email editor@newforestpony.co.uk or Phone/fax Steve on 01590 683808

CK Art Web services