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Competition Managers New to Dressage Sport Horse Breeding FAQs

The following are some of the training philosophies of Henk van Bergen:

On “the edge”
On “mistakes”
On ”collection”
On “the beginning and the end”
On “the contact”
On “looking for good quality”
On “rider position”
On “push button”
On “warm up”
On “the lazy horse”
On “those great moments”

On “the edge”

Your horse’s little protests tell you when the work becomes difficult. By experience, we find where this edge is. Don’t go over the edge, but if you back off as soon as your horse resists, you will never make progress. Be brave enough to teach your horse. Progress is made on the edge. Make the work difficult sometimes, but don’t make it impossible.

On “mistakes”

Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. “Really Good” and “Wrong” are closer than you think. Mistakes are only bad when you don’t know you made them.

On ”collection”

Be sure your horse doesn’t build up speed when your leg asks him to be bouncy and collected. “Fast” is only the test at the racetrack. The better he is in front of the leg, the more you can stay collected. Never use leg and hand at the same moment.

On “the beginning and the end”

Pay special attention to the beginning and the end of your movements. Sometimes the beginning is promising, but then the movement fades. It is the finish that brings the progress. The finish of one exercise is the preparation for the next. If the movement is difficult, you may decide to end it sooner than you originally planned, but it should still be your decision.

On “the contact”

When your horse accepts the contact, his reaction to the leg will be easier and better.

Don’t try to solve problems with the contact by going faster, which will put your horse on the forehand. Most riders trot too fast and walk too slow.

On “looking for good quality”

“Almost Good” is a nice way of saying “Still wrong.”

On “rider position”

As a rider, are you able to keep your body correct and balanced not only when your horse is perfect, but also when you are in a difficult situation?

On “push button”

Your horse should pick up the canter as if you pushed a button. Make the first step and the last step of any transition or movement of high quality. A good beginning is half the job.

On “warm up”

In the warm up, don’t ride your horse so freely that he is not within your aids. Create the situation that he is round, soft in the neck and willing to reach forward-downward. Then you can add more power without going faster.

On “the lazy horse”

A lazy horse shouldn’t tell you, “This is my trot. Take it or leave it.” Ask for one gear higher than he offers.

On “those great moments”

When you get a fantastic feeling, don’t keep going until your horse gets tired. Ask your horse short questions, get an answer and reward him.

United States Dressage Federation