Insights from the Dr. Gerd Heuschmann Clinic

A quick summary of what you’ll be reading: 

• The common issues that riders encounter and solutions offered from these insights.
• How I was able to apply what I learned with my remote students around the world immediately after and helped them experiment with many successful moments.
• How I rekindled the “Go Button” with my energy-conserving pony with the reminders and insights from the weekend.
• A multitude of golden nuggets from observing the gorgeous transformations orchestrated by the brilliant Dr. Gerd Heuschmann.

Does your horse tend to spook* often? If so… how do you respond?

If pulling back on the reins in any way is your default, read on, dear equestrian… you’ll be challenged to experiment with doing the opposite. 

Does your horse toss his or her head or pull down on the reins*? These tips will also help you… 

*Of course these are going to be suggestions to help you ride better and in the moment for your horse and won’t necessarily resolve any underlying pain issues that might be going on… wanted to clarify!

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to attend an amazing Dressage Clinic...

It truly was an epic weekend of learning… I’m still reviewing my notes… it’s a small notebook, but I just counted… I ended up writing 40 pages worth of insights! 

It was truly incredible watching the variety of transformations with Dr. Gerd Heuschmann's guidance.

Lots of confirmations and reminders and little things I hadn’t considered. 

Here are the first three golden nuggets: 

1. Your entire essence has to say to the horse: “I give you safety”

2. In spooky areas: Lead with your legs, give with the reins
3. Contact is the Art of Giving: Never hang on the reins, experiment with all sorts of releases

This week, from applying what I learned, my remote lessons and my personal rides on Pepper have already proved to have an extra sparkle.

Pepper is typically on the more energy-conservation side, when he doesn’t see any jumps in the arena. 

Jumping truly gets him energized! So when the ‘dance-floor’ is clear, I’m often playing with ideas to inspire him. I get creative with finding exercises to help him feel his best. 

Just by adding these ingredients you’ll read more about below, it felt like his hand-brake had been taken away and we rekindled his “Go Button”. Phew!

For my remote students, each horse and rider also benefitted from the snippets of what I shared from the weekend. 

More horse sighs resulted, as well as a greater sense of ease and flow. It was wonderful to witness. It’s amazing how some of the simplest reminders can shift an entire ride, with a well-timed suggestion. 

I'd love to help you, if you're keen on experimenting with remote lessons as well. 

My current students are in Scotland, New South Wales, Perth, Georgia, California, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. 

Here's more info on how they work: Remote Riding Lessons

Now, for the rest of the insights…

Please note: 

These are my notes and not always completely verbatim. I hope you benefit from them!

1. When you first get on: Focus on the inner calm within…Breathe, and think “I’ve arrived” 
2. Cultivate a sense of elegance, allow your seat to swing with the motion, never pushing. 
3. Focus on straightness, using your legs to help create a sense of moving along on train tracks. Use your legs like applying medicine.
4. Be sure your stirrups are short enough to utilize your legs properly, with the inside of the calves. (Many Dressage riders ride with them too long).
5. Your legs can be thought of as applying them to your horse like medicine. Hug like you’re hugging someone you love/admire (George Clooney or ‘your spouse’ was mentioned) and then soften again.
6. Horses can warm up on a loose rein and allow whatever posture they are comfortable with. 
7. Accept the first trot your horse offers. (Think about how when you first wake up and need coffee before getting started.) Be a nice and friendly dance partner. Don’t demand things right away. Allow them to offer the energy. 
8. Think lighter seat, let reins go, and apply leg. You can experiment with holding the reins on the buckle with one hand and move it around like a joystick.
9. Play with sitting lighter and get up in a two-point position to allow the horse to really move out.
10. After the first bits of trot, allow and encourage your horse to go FORWARD. Let them Go! Low neck, nose forward, and it’s KEY to get them Straight. Keep focusing on creating symmetry with your legs.
11. Think “Activity”... not rushing, just an active, forward horse.
12. Another way to warm up: Slow sitting trot for 5-6 steps on a long rein and then release down to walk… Think “Sit on the Spot”... do this a few times and then move into posting/rising and add leg.
13. Continue to allow your hands to receive some energy and keep striving for nicer, softer, friendlier hands.
14. Remember: Contact = The Art of Giving. Experiment with all sorts of different releases. “Good hands know 500+ words” Keep your conversation very intimate and very subtle, and alive, to keep the conversation going. (No dead hands/silent hands)
15. Give to the heavy rein and ride to the loose rein.
16. Hand is made in the seat. Create softness inside of you for an elegant seat. Then for the contact, you can imagine you’re taking a little child’s hand, as if to say: “You’re safe with me and I’ll never harm you.”
17. When your horse’s head shakes a little, that’s usually a good sign of poll relaxation.
18. Play with mini half-halts: Outside hand squeezes a lemon, then gives 3 inches, come back, squeeze the lemon, then give ¼ inch, come back… keep playing/experimenting. NEVER hang on reins and never hold.
19. Inside hand can open slightly and create a light vibration, as if you’re attempting to make mineral water flat. (Shake the bubbles out gently). This helps when you feel resistance on the inside rein.
20. Shape your horse with your legs. Your outside leg is the driving leg and your inside leg is in charge of softening. 
21. Uneducated riders create problems with the hand. Good riders solve problems with the leg.
22. Never ask for roundness with the hands. Half-halts address motion and attention to the rider, but never address the form. Giving with the hands allows for roundness.
23. Experiment with closing your eyes while riding and breathe out. Imagine you are a ballroom dancer, elegant and forward thinking.
24. We bend horses, we don’t bend necks. 
25. You must be soft if you want a soft horse.
26. If your horse is spooky somewhere, give with the reins. Reassure your horse that all is well by applying your leg, looking where you want to go, and softening the reins. If you give the reins to the buckle in a ‘scary’ corner, you can show your horse they can relax and not feel trapped.  Your entire essence has to say to the horse: “I give you safety”
27. You can’t fix the mind of the horse, without fixing the body. Soften the back and then you have the mind with you.
28. Imagine you’re riding on a set of railroad tracks and your legs help create the symmetry to keep them on the tracks.
29. When your horse’s head comes up, give with the reins and come back with softer hands.
30. Never pull on the reins from the canter to trot transitions. Do a series of half-halts and then release the reins to bring the horse back to trot.
31. Never push a horse with the seat. Especially if the horse is an energy conservationist. You can add leg and then use your dressage whip like you're chasing baby geese with a ‘whoosh whoosh’ feeling, then relax. Immediately thank your horse when they respond with energy. 
32. You can create better responsiveness to the leg with turns on the forehand. It teaches excellent sensitivity and obedience to the leg. Go slowly and wait for every step. As soon as your horse has to wait for you, your leg has meaning.
33. Aim to get your horse to feel soft like butter to your legs. 
34. Suppleness is a guarantee for coolness. Physically Soft = Mentally Soft
35. Pros need 100% Seat and Hands… Yet you’re only a pro if you can use just 2% of each. (Inspires you to play with becoming lighter, for sure!) “Learn to be the softest rider ever, like a butterfly.”

I hope some of these insights gave you inspiration to experiment with your horse. Please check out Dr. Gerd Heuschmann’s website here: https://www.gerdheuschmann.de/

Special thanks to Evie of Silver Lining Stables: https://www.silverliningstables.com/ for hosting this clinic and allowing auditors to attend!

May the horse be with you. Always.

-Beth Lauren Parrish

https://www.inspiredriding.com