What is a Transition?

• obedience,
• balance,
• suppleness,
• collection,
• extension,
• lightness, and
• the marks scored in a dressage test

Back to Basics

As you drive away from the scene of the near accident, analyse what happened to you and the car when you slammed your brakes on. Of course, the nose of the car dipped down, the car became nose heavy. In riding terms, on its forehand, and the occupants of the car were thrown forward. This is not what you want when you ask you horse to slow down or even stop. You are trying to get your horse to be light in the front, not heavier, and you the rider must stay in balance, not thrown forward up the horse's neck.

The message here is that unlike a car, a horse does not have a mechanical brake. Unfortunately, many riders cannot make that distinction and use the reins as the equivalent of the brake pedal, and just haul back and expect the horse to respond the same as a car. OK I realize that the scenario I have just described was an emergency situation. Luckily dressage is all about preparation and not sudden emergency situations, and it's fairly unusual for a tractor to pull out in front of a rider in a dressage arena or manege. Unless of course you are competing in Scotland and then anything can happen.

I remember competing in Edinburgh some years ago, and as I was turning the corner just past the C marker, to ride the medium trot from M to F, the row of ornamental trees that lined the arena were blown down onto the track. Luckily the horse was fairly laid back and we completed a very decent show jumping course with no faults down the long side. But that's another story.

In the Beginning, There Was the Voice

Take this lesson to the manege and on the lunge. Start by having a helper lead the young horse. Use your voice with a downward intonation and have your helper put a little pressure on the horse's nose with the cavesson. Your young horse will soon learn that he has to stop when asked so will not bother to lean against the cavesson. He will just respond to the voice. You have taught your horse that he does not need pressure on his nose or his mouth to slow down or stop.

Then Came the Seat

Take the same whip and point it the other way up. That's to say the handle is the highest point, the lash the lowest. Hold the whip in the left hand about five or six inches above the lash. Once again take your right hand, flat and bring it up against the bottom of the whip. Now move your hand backwards and forwards. Because the whip is supple at this end, your hand is easier to move.

That's the basic theory, and what you are trying to do with you seat and back. Keep it supple when you want the horse to go forward. Sit against the movement, being momentarily stiff when you want the horse to slow down or transition. That of course is putting the aids for a transition into its simplest form but the theory is sound.

The Aids

Let's use a transition from trot to walk as a starting point. Make a positive decision as to where you want the transition to be. That's important. If you don't use accuracy now, how will you know what you are doing is correct and positive, and how will your horse cope in competition when accuracy is everything. Initially your young horse will not be accurate, it takes time to learn, but you must still keep trying.

As you are approaching the marker, just stop the reins moving in harmony with his movements. Close your knees and thighs more firmly against the saddle, and by tightening the stomach muscles try to sit against the movement. That will dampen down the horse's movement through his back and make it difficult for him to move freely. Do not grind down onto the horse's back.

Try to think of you shifting your point of balance away from your stomach and up into your chest. The seat must lighten to accept and horses rounded back and restricting enough to stop the forward momentum. As soon as your horse goes down into walk, back off. Soften the rein and soften your legs and back. Stay in balance and stay in posture. You are now back into harmony with him and he can walk freely forward. Don't forget to reward the horse.

Easier Said Than Done

It's easy for someone like me to spout the theory and expect wonderful things to happen straight away. Not true. Bearing in mind all the movements in dressage, the transitions, especially the downward transition is the movement that your little darling will find the most easy to wriggle out of. What do you do if your horse now uses one of the normal evasions and earns you low marks in the arena and a headache in the manege?

The most common problem is that the horse will hollow his back and poke his nose out as soon as you even think "downward transition". This often happens with a horse that's a bit older and has been ridden with hands only. This also happens I might add, with a horse whose rider is trying to ride the classical way but just being too strong with the back. Anyway, how are you going to solve this problem?

The first step with this problem is to analyse your position, balance and the strength of your back. It's fairly easy to apply the back aid; it's a little more difficult to back off and let your body go into neutral just at the right moment. Are you grinding down on the horse's back during transition and are you dampening down the horse's movement too long. As soon as you feel the horse respond, soften your back, go into neutral. Feeling and timing is everything.

If you feel that the horse is just being disobedient or avoiding the work or has got into a bad habit, it really is just a question of not letting your horse poke his nose. You must block. Not pull back, that would be very wrong. Just block. As soon as your horse carries his own head and arches his neck in self-carriage, soften the rein. Once again, timing is everything. If you hold too long, the horse will just lean on your hands and then you're back to square one.

If your horse is really heavy and fighting your hands to come above the bit, especially in the trot to walk transition, this is what you do. As you apply your back, seat and leg aids, just move the bit in his mouth so that he does not have a solid object to lean on. A little non-rhythmic wiggle-waggle with your hands, as strong as it takes to get a response.

I am not saying here to saw the mouth; that would be a total no-no, and you must never do that. I cannot emphasize that enough. You just want to keep the bit "juicy" in the horse's mouth. Once again, as soon as the horse backs off and carries himself into a soft jaw, you back off, soften and keep the rein still and soft.

This poking the nose and hollowing the back sometimes happens in the upward transitions. I have found this usually happens with horses that have been used as for show-jumping or racing, and the leg aid to go forward is invariably followed by a jump or a prolonged gallop. The horse is just going into self-preservation mode and wants to see where he is going.

Use exactly the same techniques as the downward transition except do not use the back aid to dampen down your horse movement. Sit, but keep your body in neutral / harmony. Go with him. Follow the movement. Once again, as soon as your horse goes into self-carriage with a soft jaw, relax your hands and follow the movement. Reward him with inside hand.

Will Not Stand Square

Will Not Engage His Hindquarters During Downward Transitions

A Few Hints and Tricks From Nuno Oliveira

• To get a good trot transition you need impulsion, lightness and roundness at the walk.
• If you walk without impulsion in the transition to trot, the horse's head will come up.
• You must be attentive in transition; the horse must not change the position of his head.
• Do not throw the reins away in a transition.
• Do not take the reins in a transition. (Do not pull).
• It is very important the horse remains in the same position.
• The problem is to keep the roundness of the horse.
• Prepare the walk with lightness and roundness before the transition to trot.
• Thousands of transitions from walk to a little trot with the same lightness in the rein.
• Go and return quickly but not by force.
• Think of rhythm and lightness.
• Transitions on the circle are to balance and to bring the horse's weight to the hindquarters.
• Return to the collected trot by your back and not by your hands.
• Send your stomach to your hands.
• By sitting, collect the trot.

Summary

Transitions and the riding of transitions are where most people get confused and frustrated. That's normal. (If everybody could do it and it was easy, it wouldn't be worth doing). It's a huge subject that is fraught with problems, and every horse has a different way of coping with the exercises. Either it is lazy, confused, stiff or just plain disobedient. I'm sure I have not covered everything about this subject so please, email me if you have problems and we will sort it out.

As usual to finish this lesson I will quote from the Master Nuno Oliveira

The more brilliant the horse, the softer the aids.

Enjoy this lesson and don't forget I am here to help. Don't struggle on your own.

Lesson Number 12 - The School Movements

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