Learning Center

With Dr. Gail Hoff-Carmona

July 2007 - This Month's Topic

Use Of The Aids

A horse is said to be “on the aids” when its body becomes like a compressed spring, full of potential energy that is ready to be released into kinetic energy similar to a bow being strung and ready to shoot an arrow.

A rider puts a horse “on the aids” through the correct driving action of the seat and legs together with the receiving action of the hand. The driving aids push the horse forward and the hands limit the upward and outward extension of the nose and neck so that the horse flexes at the poll, arches its neck and moves forward in balance.

It is important to remember, however, that the active driving aids must be separated from the retarding (hands) aids so that when the rider pushes the horse forward, the hand should only receive not restrict the motion. Likewise, when the rider actively restrains the energy by use of the hand, the driving aids should cease.

Forward impulsion causes the neck to raise up from the withers and, upon finding the resistance at the bit, it yields at the poll and assumes the correct head position.

When horse can maintain this position in all 3 gaits and simple school figures as well as upward and downward transitions, it is considered “on the aids”.

Effectiveness combined with discreetness in use of aids is the goal of a dressage rider.

Some simple exercises that will help a horse and rider better understand exactly how the rider “speaks” to the horse through the use of seat, leg and hand are:

• Walk - Halt - Walk transitions where the goal is for the rider to co-ordinate the aids well enough so that the horse halts without lowering the head, hitting the hand and stands squarely on all for legs with the hind legs engaged.

• Trot - Walk - Trot transitions where the rider predetermines the number of steps in each gait, counts them and learns to make smooth, well balanced transitions with the number of predetermined steps. This exercise will also help riders to develop better half halts and learn to use them more frequently and efficiently to maintain good balance. For instance, one can start with 10 steps each of walk and trot and then change to 10 steps trot followed by 5, 3, 2 or 1 step walk.

• Collected trot - Medium or Extended trot - Collected Trot transitions with predetermined number of steps similar to #2 above.

• Canter - Halt - Canter transitions where the goal is the same as in #1 .

Question 1.

(Click on box of your choice to see the answers)

When doing downward transitions (i.e., trot to walk), how do you think the seat of the rider should work?

Rider should sit down and lean back a little to keep horse driven up to the bit.

Rider should stretch body up and make lower back swing slower than gait of horse, release to allow back to swing a little more and then repeat until; downward transition is made.

Question 2.

What is the action of the lower leg during the downward transitions?

Legs should be taken off horse.
Legs should grip body of horse.
Legs should rest gently on the rib cage of the horse and pressure should be applied only when the rider feels that the horse is not active enough with the hind legs or engaging the hind quarters enough.

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