The scales of coaching are the stepping stones we use to coach our horses. They assist us consider the place our horses are of their training, and type the premise of how judges assess dressage checks. Often known as the German coaching scale, the scales of coaching are used internationally.
What are the scales of coaching?
The scales of coaching are rhythm, suppleness, contact, impulsion, straightness and assortment. Every builds on the others and works collectively to realize development via the degrees of dressage.
1. Rhythm
Rhythm is the regularity of the beats in all paces. The regularity is the right sequence of the footfalls and the tempo is the pace of the rhythm.
2. Suppleness
Suppleness describes how a horse is transferring by way of resistance and considers pliability, skill to easily modify the carriage (longitudinally) and the place (laterally) with out impairing the movement of motion and stability.
3. Contact
Contact is the smooth, regular connection between the rider’s hand and the horse’s mouth. Horses ought to go rhythmically ahead from the rider’s driving aids and search contact with the rider’s hand, going into the contact. The horse seeks the contact, whereas the rider gives the contact.
4. Impulsion
Impulsion is balanced vitality and shouldn’t be confused with pace. It’s the transmission of managed, propulsive vitality generated from the hindquarters into the athletic motion of the keen horse. Its final expression may be proven solely via the horse’s smooth and swinging again, and is guided by the mild contact with the rider’s hand.
5. Straightness
A horse exhibits straightness when its forehand is consistent with its hindquarters, that’s, when the longitudinal axis is consistent with the straight or curved monitor it’s following. A horse can nonetheless be described as straight when bending – the horse’s forefeet ought to all the time be aligned with the horse’s hind toes on straight and curved strains.
6. Assortment
Assortment is the elevated engagement and exercise of the hindlegs, with joints bent and supple, stepping ahead below the horse’s stomach. It’s the re-balancing of the horse carrying the overseas weight of the rider and instructing him to hold extra of the mixed weight on his hindquarters somewhat than on his shoulders.
progress via the scales of coaching
The development although these scales isn’t linear, and it may be irritating making an attempt to work out how all these attributes apply to your explicit horse. On the 2019 British Dressage Nationwide Conference, held at Addington Equestrian Centre, British workforce medallist Michael Eilberg captivated the viewers together with his rationalization of how the scales of coaching work — and generally don’t work — in tandem with one another.
“There are 4 basic items regarding the primary part of the scales of coaching: rhythm, stability, suppleness and leisure,” defined Michael. “These are 4 core qualities that you just by no means need to lose all through any work that you just do along with your horse.”
Michael laid out 4 poles in a sq. form with open corners, every pole representing one in every of this stuff.
“Once I get on my horse I management pace, course and description, and if I can begin to take an affect over these three issues I begin getting near linking these 4 qualities collectively,” he continues, transferring the poles one after the other so that they find yourself touching, in a closed sq. (pictured beneath), demonstrating how rhythm, stability, suppleness and leisure all feed into one another.
When that is established within the early phases of coaching, Michael explains {that a} rider can begin to work the horse ahead right into a stronger contact, in addition to introducing impulsion. He units up two bins exterior the sq. to signify every of this stuff, however explains that more often than not, if you begin to carry contact or impulsion into the combination, it’s initially on the expense of one of many 4 authentic “pillars”.
“For instance, I can herald impulsion, however initially solely on the expense of fine rhythm,” he says, inserting one of many bins in the midst of sq. and rolling away one pole to show this.
“So when that’s the case, I’ve to take a step again and reintroduce contact or impulsion to a lesser extent, solely as much as the purpose at which one of many 4 pillars breaks away.
“Ultimately, a horse ought to be capable to settle for contact and impulsion whereas additionally sustaining rhythm, stability, suppleness and leisure, after which it’s the identical course of with straightness and assortment.”
Including that it is a course of that takes years, Michael additionally reminds the viewers that upon getting all these qualities securely in place and dealing collectively inside your horse’s coaching, it doesn’t all the time keep that method.
“As years go by nevertheless, and your horse good points energy, this stuff do grow to be increasingly more set in stone,” he concludes.
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Credit score: Trevor Meeks/TiMedia Archive
Credit score: LUCY MERRELL
Credit score: Rose Lewis Pictures
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