Lesson points from Sylvia

1) Always look through the horses ears. Do not lead with your head or your
upper body
2) Use your outside leg slightly behind the girth and the rein against the neck
to turn the horse with the outside aids. This is essentially a turn on the
haunches
3) Do not block the horse turning by moving the inside leg forwards. It should
be at the girth, passively, to allow the movement
4) Weight the inside stirrup and seat bone this does NOT mean tighten or
use your inside leg
5) To halt, pull up and back with your centre
6) Shoulder in should come from the body turning off of the track to move
the shoulders off you should look between the horses ears and your body
should be straight pointing off the track. Then push to remain going
forwards on the track.
7) Never collapse at the midline because you put weight on the back of the
horse, keep it central
8) To rein back, never lean back, just place both legs behind the girth. By
leaning back you cannot lighten his haunches for him to pick them up and
move backwards

Dressage books from Sylvia:

Progressive Dressage Andre Josseaume

1) In order to shift the weight on one side, it is necessary only to put the
weight of the upper body on the seat bone, putting more pressure of the
foot on the stirrup. DO NOT MOVE THE UPPER BODY
2) Think of tipping the balance on the haunches, the shoulders,
horizontally, left and right

First period programme

Simultaneous active of both legs

Always educate this through all scales and levels of training, with
progressively lighter action.
Make the action slightly behind the girth first with the calf, then the heel,
then the spur if necessary
Do not use continuous pressure always release and take the leg off
Be energetic with the leg although you aim for lightness (brush with the
calf) all laziness/stubbornness should be met with strong and energetic
legs. Impulsion is dependent on the lightness of the leg aid
Increasing lightness = increasing impulsion. Develop impulsion in walk to
the maximum. Before each period of rest, ask a few strides of extended
walk and then surrender everything immediately so as not to make him
lazy

Give leg aids in the walk alternately, with each leg giving the aid when the
hindleg on the same side is engaged (right leg action when the right
shoulder moves back)
Retain contact during extended walk with neck stretched out

Action of the hands

There are three types of hand aids active, yielding and resisting
The hand ACTS by closing the fingers on stretched reins with slight
elevation of the hands without pulling back at all
The hand YIELDS by opening the fingers and moving them slightly
forwards and down
The hand RESISTS by forming a wall which the horse comes up against.
Keep the hand steady with the fingers closed tightly on the reins, and
tighten the elbows against the body

Descent (surrender) of the hands

A rapid and vertical lowering of both hands the instant the horse yields in
his mouth. Contact is done away with momentarily. HOWEVER the horse
must remain in the position he was given. Should the contrary happen,
bring him back to the original position

Resistance and contractions

ALL resistances are expressed by contractions of the jaw and resistance in

the mouth
Resistances of weight originating from bad balance. These are contended
with the use of half halts
Resistance of force originating from muscular contractions of the jaw and
against the action of the bit. These are contended with by vibrations.
Flexions are used to destroy contractions of the mouth and thus, decrease
resistance
Flexions are useful at all stages of training

Flexions

Start by asking for lateral flexions.

On the ground, use light traction on the right rein to pull the head
slightly to the right. Then a light traction of both reins and wait until the
horse yields. If the yielding of the mouth is slow in coming, vibrate the
left rein. Once he yields, stop all action and stroke and praise. Repeat a
few times then move onto the left
Next ask for direct flexions
Raise the horses head with an upward action of the snaffle
Exercise traction forward to rear but avoid backing and keep the neck
raised
If horse doesnt yield, use alternate traction left to right. Yield as soon
as horse yields
Do flexions before and after any work

Mounted in this order, ask for lateral flexions at the halt, lateral
flexions at the walk, direct flexions of at the halt, direct flexions at the
walk.
Ask for lateral flexion by: opening rein to bring the head slightly to the
right, then close the fingers on both reins to ask for yield. If he doesnt
yield, vibrate a few times with either rein, preferably with the outside
rein. At the slightest yield, reward by loosening the fingers and a
descent of the hands, and stroke the horse. Initially ask with the hands
held low, especially the opening rein hand.
Ask for direct flexion by: elevate the neck by raising the hands
vertically. Tighten the fingers simultaneously on both reins. If horse
doesnt yield, vibrate with either of the reins. Once yielded, descent of
hands and stroke.
Opening rein

Opening rein is a simple rotation of the wrist with the fingers up.
Execution: simultaneous action of both legs to give impulsion. Move the
right hand to the right and forwards, keeping the elbow near to the body
Indirect rein

The purpose of the indirect rein is to place the head to the side in which it
is performed, and increase weight on the opposite shoulder. This rein
alone cannot cause the turn (to the left with the right indirect rein)
because there is no direct effect on the horse as there is with the opening
rein.
Simultaneous action of both legs
Move the right hand to the left and forwards, the finger nails turned a bit
upwards
Passive left hand.