An important topic being discussed on social media at the moment is whether or not dressage is on the way to the so-called "modern dressage".
A therapist seeing the debate about whether riding at the top level in the 1930s and up to the 1990s was better than riding at the top level today, we do not necessarily think that it is the riders' abilities that are the problem. We have no doubt that the riders we have at the top level today are skilled, but we live in a world where everything has to go quickly. This is also clearly seen within equestrian sports, whether at the top level or at lower levels.
It is often clear to see that many of the horses who are at the top level have not had the necessary time to build up muscles and balance to be able to perform the exercises correctly. The problem is probably mainly that it takes a very long time to build up the muscles correctly on a horse, so that it has the strength and balance, not only to be able to carry its rider, but also so that it can perform the more advanced exercises.
If you look at the horse's body from an anatomical point of view, it is important that even before you ride the horse, you have to strengthening the front part (thoracic sling) and the back, so that it has the muscles to carry a rider. There is also a need to develop the back muscles as well as the horses balance before you can start working with the various advanced exercises. This is not only important when asking the horse to perform the various advanced exercises, but also incredibly important to avoid injuries due to overloads on ligaments, tendons and bones.
However, it is also essential that you keep the horse flexible with regular treatments of, among other things, massage, CST, chiropractic etc. to avoid the horse getting unnecessary damage and wear and tear.
Horses, that have to perform advanced exercises, should be seen as athletes. In humans, it is a given, that you train to gain the strength to be able to compete at the highest level, while at the same time taking care of your body with regular treatments. This should also apply to horses.
What we see in some of the top riders today is riding at the highest level, but unfortunately on horses that are not prepared to perform at that level. Therefore, unfortunately, we not only see horses that have problems performing the exercises correctly, but also horses that are heavily on the forehand, have an uneven gait, unable to carry itself, etc.
However, we don't only see the problem with "instant gratification" among the top riders, we gradually see it at all levels of riding, right down to beginners.
You understandably want to show off both horse and rider as quickly as possible, unfortunately this results in a lack of patience to develop the horse and riding. Here we often see that it is prioritized for the horse to go to the bit, perform various exercises so that you can show off, rather than as a rider to develop your own riding, in relation to balance, techniques and strength, etc. before jumping into the various exercises.
What we strive for is that instead of just seeing the horse as something to be shown off, that we see them as the partner they are. A training partner you enjoy spending time with and hopefully take the time needed for both horse and rider to improve and thereby create the special moments where you work as a team.
❤️AZ HORSE WELLNESS
