Reprinted from A Tip of the Hat-the Newsletter of the New England Dressage Association, April 2006; pp. 1 & 4.

HUBERTUS SCHMIDT IN FLORIDA
by Marcia Boeing

Morning of the 2006 USDF FEI-Level Trainers Conference, held at Mary Ann and Walter McPhail's High Meadow Farm in Loxahatchee, Florida, felt more like a New England late winter morning than what one would expect in mid-January in Florida. With temperatures in the 40s the night called for extra clothing for the horses, as well as the spectators. I saw many a familiar NEDA face bundled in parkas and spare coolers, a look familiar to those who attend our Annual November Symposium.

This year's International Trainer was Hubertus Schmidt of Germany, ably supported throughout the two days by Lendon Gray as moderator, and Chris Hickey as coordinator for the demonstration riders. The demo riders included a number of FEI riders seen frequently at NEDA competitions-Nancy Later, Silke Rembacz, Cesar Parra, Todd, Flettrich, and Oded Shimoni; as well as Michelle Gibson, Lynda Alicki, Karen Lipp, Catherine Morelli, Mary Ann Grant, Jessica Jo Tate, and Alison Sader-Larson. All riders in attendance had significant experience, not only in competing at the International level, but also in having developed numerous horses to the higher levels of the sport.

On the first day, Mr. Schmidt focused on exercises to develop the individual movements and it was clear from the beginning what his training "philosophy" was. Beginning with the first rider, Dr. Parra on his 2005 Olympic and Aachen partner, Galant du Serein, Mr. Schmidt emphasized that the benchmark for any training sessions was the maintenance of the purity of the gaits and the correctness of the movement. To him, the purpose of training was to make everything easier - not just for the rider, but for the horse as well.

Throughout each rider's session, he said again and again-no movement should be begun, nor, if started, continued without relaxation of the horse. He demanded of every rider that the horse be soft in the hand, loose in the jaw, and swinging through its whole body before asking for any specific movement. If a horse lost the swing in a shoulder-in, he required the rider to lessen the request and ask only for shoulder-fore until the horse regained the acceptance of the aids and maintained its softness and throughness. If, during a half-pass, the horse lost its rhythm, he cautioned the riders to straighten, regain the swing, and ask again. Better to use the entire length of the arena to get a few correct half-pass steps than to push the horse to get the entire diagonal line with the horse unbalanced and tight.

He also explained that every time we get on our horses, we must have a plan, beginning with consistency in how we warm them up. In keeping with his mantra that relaxation through the horse's body must come first, he consistently urged riders to allow their horses to be free in their movement early in the ride. Yet while he did not want to see any horse held tightly or leaning on the bridle, he also did not want to see any horse thrown away with loss connection or chased forward, so that it lost its balance. At every level and in every movement, he wanted to see the horse work within itself.

As this symposium was designed for the development and advanced education of trainers, particularly those teaching or competing at FEI levels, Mr. Schmidt frequently touched on the need for all riders and trainers to realistically assess the horse's abilities and shortcomings. With a number of the demonstration horses, he discussed their strong points as well as their areas of weakness. He discussed how very few horses are born with an 8 much less a 10 in all three gaits, and that part of the trainer's responsibility was to recognize what aspects of a horse's way of going could be improved and developed through methodical training and what aspects had to be accepted. One demo horse had a rather limited, flat action in the canter, but a spectacular trot. He commented that even the best trainer/rider could not endow a horse with talent his maker didn't give him, and therefore, we needed to be aware and accepting that not every horse has the potential for Grand Prix.

Conversely, he said he would not dismiss a horse that was hot a huge, spectacular mover by nature, as success at the higher levels more often lay in the correctness and quality of the movements rather than extravagance in the gaits. The degree to which a rider was able to adjust the pace within a gait determined the ability to perform the movements in balance and with impulsion.

The second day's focus was on riding specific sequences of movements within the FEI tests - Prix St. Georges to Intermediare to Grand Prix. While continuing to insist on the establishment and maintenance of relaxation and swing at all times, Mr. Schmidt added the demand for accuracy and forward-looking precision. One rider struggled with several lines of two tempis in which her horse's eagerness led to anticipation and mistakes. Mr. Schmidt reminded all that every time we got on our horses, we were training them. That the first time a mistake occurred, the horse was allowed the benefit of the doubt, but if repeated instances of the same mistake occurred without clear and immediate correction by the rider, then the rider was really training for the mistake. he pointed out that while we did not want to dampen the horse's eagerness and willingness to be forward, he was not allowed to take over, he must learn to listen and wait for the rider's aid.

Several riders were asked to repeat movements until they were performed on straight lines, ridden accurately and precisely from one letter to the next. Mr. Schmidt noted how little details like not arriving on the long side from a short diagonal a stride before the letter could cause lost points because the horse wasn't straight or properly balanced for the next movement.

Throughout the two days, while horses and riders were given walk breaks, Mr. Schmidt answered questions from the audience. Lendon was a tactful and insightful moderator, choosing questions both relevant, and sometimes controversial, from the many queries submitted y the trainers in the audience. Mr. Schmidt responded with humor and clarity. His command of English is very good and he had no problem making himself understood. Questions on the much discussed "rollkur" did come up, and while he did not outright condemn it, he did repeat his belief that relaxation and throughness, purity of gait and correctness of movements should be the foremost goal in all "methodologies" of dressage training.

In summary, the two days of the Symposium were loaded with lettle gems of learning that gave an insight into the nuances and complexities of all aspects that contribute to success at the upper reaches of FEI competition. Mr. Schmidt's belief in his training system and his commitment to doing what is right for the individual horse within that system were patently clear. It was especially helpful for me, as an observer, to hear the discussion, see the correction and relate that interaction within the context of a real-time movement. We, as students of this sport, are all too often either caught up in the confines of a very brief moment during a lesson ride, in which we have to hear, process and actualize instruction or required to absorb a technicality while sitting on the couch hoping to carry the learning forward into a ride on some future day. To hear, understand (due to Mr. Schmidt's clarity of communication), and see the correction or aid given by very talented and experienced riders on wonderful horses, enabled learning to a degree rarely experienced.

The "aha" moment for me came in the realization at the end of each day, that even at this rarified level, each rider is dealing with the same issues - straightness, throughness, connection, lightness, softness, responsiveness to aids - regardless of the gait, regardless of the degree of difficulty inherent in the movement, regardless of the level of competition. The things we as amateurs or lower level riders struggle to deal with are the same issues each of these riders deals with on a daily basis. Not one of them had the "perfect" horse, each of them came to the symposium with some "issues." Each of them was there to learn and work. It was a credit to them as sportsmen to have exposed themselves to this audience, and a reflection of their commitment to developing their own skills as well as to supporting the growth of the sport of dressage in this country that they took the time from their busy winter show season to share their experience with us. They are all to be applauded.