The Ultimate Guide to Dressage with Horses

dressage for horses
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Why do we need to learn about dressage & lateral work?

How do you collect a horse? A lot of people think that horse collection exercises such as lateral work and shoulder-in are only for those who want to do dressage with horses.  They think it is complicated stuff that will only be used when we want to do dressage exercises and possibly compete.  This is so not the case! You do not need to be a dressage rider to learn how to collect a horse! It’s actually really important for all horses to protect their long term health. Lateral work helps our horses to develop lightness, softness and collection.  So many horses are always working on the forehand and this makes it difficult for them to do many things – from backing up softly to being able to turn easily to open and close gates.  Horse collection causes much discussion among riders, with many ideas about how to get a horse collected.  I’ve found that it’s not as complicated as we might think and lateral work is the key. In it’s simplest terms, lateral work means going sideways.

All horses and riders will benefit from lateral work, from the happy hacker, to the showjumper, the western horse and the side saddle horse – whatever the discipline, whatever the breed, lateral work will help them to move in a more comfortable and balanced way.

What do we mean by lateral work?

Lateral work is movements either in hand or under saddle that cause a horse to go sideways.  They can simply be going sideways in a straight line, or they can also be moving sideways while moving forward.  Lateral work can be done while moving forward in a straight line, maybe along a fence, or while moving on a circle.  That’s the simple explanation! Horse collection exercises begin by helping a horse begin to move sideways. And there are many out there that will really help improve your horses posture, like shoulder-in & out, leg yields, hindquarters in & out & many more.

How can lateral work & horse collection exercises benefit our horses?

A lot of horses are routinely pulling themselves along with their weight on the forehand, even when they are just out in their field.  It’s much more biomechanically beneficial for them, particularly when they are working, to be able to shift their balance to the hind end and have less weight on the forehand. That’s where dressage with horses comes in!

When the horse is balanced on their hind end they will find it easier to carry out the movements that their handler or rider asks.  When their weight isn’t down on their shoulders and front legs it will be easier for them to step out to turn lightly and with softness.  If they are doing dressage exercises and they are in balance it will be easier for them.  All of this will benefit their bodies physically and help to avoid work related strain.

dressage with horses

If your horse gets tense when asked to work you will often feel that they are holding their breath (much like we can do from time to time!).  We know ourselves that when we hold our breath we tense up our muscles and find it hard to relax, horses are no different.  The two fundamental lateral exercises that I start with – shoulder in and shoulder out – can really help with this.  As the hind end takes the weight and your horse reaches out with their front legs it will open their chest and encourage them to breathe.

Lateral work improves our horses’ strength, flexibility, balance, suppleness, self-carriage and softness.  That helps our horses to be healthier, more athletic and happier in their work.

How does lateral work benefit us as horse owners?

Finding the shift in balance opens up so many possibilities!  We find that true collection and self-carriage is not a head position, but comes from that shift in balance to the hind end and the lighter forehand.  We will find true collection when we are working with our horse in-hand and under saddle.

I teach lateral work first on the ground, then in the saddle.  One of my favorite exercises to start with is shoulder-in and out. By working on the ground we improve our understanding of how our horses move, how they place their feet and how they balance themselves.  We take that improved understanding with us when we are in the saddle.  This means that when we ride we can be aware of where the feet are and how to get in time with them to make it easier for our horses to do what we ask.

Does this sound like it’s all about working in an arena?  It really isn’t – just think about it – you’re out on a hack or trail ride and you come across a gate to open.  Have you ever got into a tangle with a gate?  I know I have!  When we’re reaching for the gate and our horse keeps moving away, then when we’ve grabbed it our horse decides to push towards it instead of moving sideways to open it?  I think we’ve all been there…  Imagine moving your horse towards and away from the gate with no effort… that their lateral movements helped instead of hindered.  That you could shift their weight backwards and forwards as you needed to deal with the gate.  Getting lateral work good can help us in all sorts of situations, not just the traditional dressage with horses training in an arena.

horse training tips

How do we get started on lateral work?

There are lots of exercises that work on collection and lateral work and it can seem like a huge challenge.  But we don’t need to get too complicated to make massive changes for ourselves and our horses!  I’ve figured out a simple way to teach your horse the first two lateral work exercises, shoulder out and shoulder in, without any force or gadgets. 

Learning these two simple exercises will open up a whole world of more balanced working for your horse & helping your horse begin to collect.  They will set up a foundation for horse collection. I teach them in a way that isn’t forceful and encourages horses to be soft and responsive.  It encourages people to be soft and responsive too!

shoulder-in

When you join you get instant access to 4 training workshops:

  • Workshop 1: Shoulder in & out foundations: Begin developing your horse’s topline, bend & balance.
  • Workshop 2Shoulder in & out groundwork:  Creating bend & softness & asking your horse to collect.
  • Workshop 3Shoulder in & out riding: Transferring weight from the forehand, developing lightness & balance
  • Workshop 4Advanced shoulder in & out: Developing collection together.
shoulder-in

Where should we do lateral work training & horse collection exercises and what equipment do we need?

Training for lateral work can be done anywhere.  You might have access to an arena, which would be great, but it can also be done in a field, or a corner of a field taped off maybe.  Just find an area where it is safe to work.  It’s useful to have something straight to follow, like a fence or a wall, but a line of tape or poles is also fine. 

I would recommend starting the training on the ground without a bit at first.  You could do it in a conventional headcollar, but my choice would be a rope halter with a 12ft rope attached.  A rope halter gives you that bit more feel than a headcollar does.  The 12ft rope gives you more space to move around your horse as you work.

horse collection exercises

Mind you – don’t miss the everyday opportunities for training & asking your hose to collect!  How about doing some shoulder in dressage movements when you are bringing your horse in from the field?  You could work along a fence line, or along a track.  If you’re short of time this is a great way to do a little bit of work when you’re carrying out a routine task.  It will benefit you by helping your horse to keep their attention on you, and it will benefit your horse by helping to keep them supple.

Dressage with horse & horse collection exercises

So when will my dressage training start Elaine?  How can I start working on horse collection exercises? What do I need to start to collect my horse? You might well ask…  Here’s my suggestion.  the first exercise I recommend that is the easiest to learn for you & your horse, and which will help you & your horse work towards collection, is shoulder-in and out. In fact, I’ve created a whole step by step course all about shoulder-in and shoulder out!

Just work your way through my online dressage course and see where you are at the end of it.  I predict that you’ll find learning how to collect your horse is coming more naturally, your horse will feel softer in your hands and through their body, and you will be finding it easier to progress to more advanced dressage exercises. 

Just for example, I’ve seen many people struggling to learn flying lead changes with their horses over the years.  When they found success it always came down to balance, impulsion and their horse being responsive to a request for a lateral movement.

Benefits of shoulder-in and shoulder-out

  • Shoulder-in can help to reduce weight on the forehand & develop lightness.
  • Shoulder-in will improve your horse’s balance & bend in his body.
  • Shoulder-in is perfect for novice, new & inexperienced horses!

Common mistakes when learning lateral work & dressage with horses.

I think the most common mistake to avoid with lateral work is not doing any!  It’s so powerful for horse and person I think everyone should have a go.  But seriously, when you do start, there are a few pitfalls that you can avoid:

  • Certainly at first, stack the odds in your favour.  Avoid working in an area where your horse gets worried and finds it hard to concentrate.  They will find it much easier to listen to you in a place where they feel safe.
  • Keep the momentum – your horse will find it much easier to respond to you if they are moving and feeling forward.  You’ll find it easier to direct their bend and direction too.
  • Don’t do too much too soon.  Be ready to reward the smallest try, just one correct step.  Then quit on a good note.

How do people feel about training to do lateral work & dressage exercises?

I always love hearing how people get on with my training courses and how they have helped both them and their horses.  Jane from Australia had this to say about the Lateral work course:

“I had no idea how to help my ten year old horse, Nero, shift weight from his forequarters to his hindquarters while I was riding… I was helped enormously by Elaine’s clarity in this program.  Nero understands it now – so I feel great!  This training is broken down to simple clear logical steps that make it easy to follow and then achieve.”

Get started with the shoulder-in & out dressage exercises today here.

Enjoy the new dressage book by Elaine Heney

Elaine Heney dressage book


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1 Comment

  1. Tuxe life

    We love your advice and training
    We always read you from Spain!

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