Michael Barison con't. . . .

by Kit Ehrman

It seems like we're on a dressage kick, here at EI. The following text consists of the rest of my notes taken during a clinic given by Michael Barisone in 1995. I had the privilege of not only listening to Michael teach but of watching him ride his beloved horse, Comanche, during the lunch break.

From HorseDaily.com:

Michael Barisone has been a part of the American Dressage scene from the USDF Junior/Young Rider ranks winning his USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medals. But it was with Comanche the white faced KWPN Dutch Warmblood gelding by Naturel, that he rose to true prominence and became international team material. Since 1991 when they finished six overall and qualified as second alternate for the Pan American Games, Barisone and "Chuck" never missed the USET top 12. As a member of the 1998 USET Developing Rider Tour, they were the "clinch" ride that won the Team Gold Medal at the Nations Cup in Hickstead, England. Sadly "Chuck", who had developed serious health problems shortly after he returned to America, did not survive, despite a valiant effort to save him.

Michael and Comanche

Watching Michael and Comanche go through their paces was an eye-opener. The horse was magnificent and performed beautifully, listening to aids that were mostly invisible. The key point I came away with was that, through consistent aids, repetition, and skilled riding, you can teach the horse to respond to the lightest aid.

More Fine Points from the clinic:
When the horse acts up or backs off, stretch up and put the leg on more. When in trouble always use the leg. When the horse lifts his head up and hits the bit, slide the bit left, right, left, right, but don’t move the horse’s head left, right, just the bit. When a horse won’t take the contact on one rein, take on both reins and go forward, then it should take care of itself. Take/give, always give. Do lots of transitions within the gait to get the horse’s attention and focus. Do a little shoulder-in and counter bending to get soft. An open hand is a hard hand. A closed hand is a soft hand. Leave your hands’ connection with the reins firm, but when you soften, you soften with the wrists, elbows, and shoulders. Set up everything you do so that it will work. Ride the short side as a straight line. Take time to plot your path, and make the horse stick to it. This is good practice and training for the horse. Keep thumbs up, look up. Keep arms soft and elastic, with constant contact, like draw reins. In the trot, ride forward from the leg. In the canter, ride forward from the leg and seat.


Barisone & Neruda
HorseDaily.com

Canter/Trot Transitions
Close the inside leg, sponge inside rein, sit down, stop with the outer rein. Feel when your seat goes down, down, down, in each canter stride; then when your seat goes down, that is the time to use the outer rein to ask for the transition to trot.

Leg Yielding
When leg yielding, the inside leg pushes the horse out to the rail, keep both hands to the inside to slow the forehand. The forehand usually speeds up and gets ahead of the haunches in the leg yield, which you don’t want. Sponge the inside rein to keep the horse soft.

Ten-Meter Circle
In the ten-meter circle, or any circle, the hands move to the inside to guide the forehand around, while the inside leg is on. Sponge the inside rein.

Shoulder In
Ride deep into the corner, then straight out of the corner, then ask for the shoulder-in. Inside leg on, move both reins to the inside to move shoulders to the inside. Sponge the inside rein, steady outside rein. Look up to the end of the ring. Keep the inside leg on. Straighten the horse before riding into the corner, keeping your inside leg on so he doesn’t swing haunches in instead of moving forehand back to the rail. Ride deep into the corner. The inside rein should be very soft during the shoulder in. Test him by giving the inside rein, if he falls out he’s not listening to the inside leg.

Half halts
Half halts are a crock. You teach a green horse to go forward from the leg and to stop from the hand, then all of the sudden, in a half halt, you try to tell him to stop and go at the same time. What is that? When you use the leg, you must allow him to go somewhere.

The Double Bridle
The curb rein goes where snaffle rein usually goes, and snaffle rein goes between next fingers towards the thumb. When you want to flex longitudinally, use the leg first, then the curb (both reins always) by rotating the hands so that the curb comes into effect. Then give. Leg, curb, give, leg, curb, give, leg, curb, give. Eventually the horse will give in his jaw and pole when you apply the leg because he knows what’s coming next, so he “gives from the leg” and you don’t even need to touch the curb.

Canter Pirouette
From the diagonal, aim for the corner, keep inner leg ahead (at girth), outer leg back, reins to inside. In the pirouette ride the neck down with a soft inner rein. Approach in shoulder fore so horse is already bent, outside leg touches with the spur on every stride in pirouette. Move outside rein out to slow pirouette, move outside rein against neck to speed up the pirouette.

Tempi Changes
If you’re doing four tempies, count 1,2,3,change, 1,2,3,change, 1,2,3,change. If doing three tempies, count 1,2,change, 1,2,change, 1,2,change. Be quick in using the leg.

High Tense Horse
If you’re riding a high horse who lacks focus, never stay in one thing too long. Always keep them guessing. Do lots of transitions within the gait. Don’t stretch too low with reins too long because you can’t trust the horse. If the neck comes up, use your inner leg, vibrate inner rein, flex rein, but always give. Don’t hold the horse’s mouth. Do lots of figures. When the horse is tense, do everything you can to loosen the back. Move the horse in and out like an accordion to loosen back.

Flying Changes
Don’t do flying changes in the corner, because the horse will learn to do it on the balance change rather than listening to the aids. When introducing the flying change, ask for a change then don’t ask for a change. When they think you aren’t going to ask for a change, ask for a change. Ask for counter canter; then on the long side, ask for a change to true lead.

Sitting the Trot
Don’t worry about more trot when you’re trying to learn to sit the trot. Build the trot a little at a time as you become more comfortable.

Another video of Michael riding Neruda.


Visit Michael's website

One last note that is not horse-related, but if you like reading mysteries, Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention is coming to Indianapolis this October.

Happy reading and riding!
Kit Ehrman
www.kitehrman.com

Michael Barisone . . .

by Kit Ehrman

I have to admit, the day kind of got away from me. I’d think about what I might write in the blog and never came up with a topic I liked, so I’m turning to the past. After I stopped riding my horses over fences, I switched to dressage and loved it. I used to smile to myself when acquaintances, generally non-horsey folks, would ask me why I was “still” taking riding lessons when I had horses and knew how to ride. What I love about riding, and dressage in particular, is that you never stop learning.

I had the privilege of watching Michael Barisone give a dressage clinic near my home many years ago and thought you might find my notes interesting, especially those of you who ride dressage.


Michael and Neruda
Chronicle of the Horse

On the Bit . . . Basic Softening
Keep the inside leg on, steady outside rein, sponge the inside rein. If sponging the inside rein is not effective, flex to the inside and give, flex to the inside and give, flex to the inside and give, all the while keeping the inside leg on and a steady outside rein.

If they are leaning 10 pounds in the mouth, you have to use at least 10 pounds of pressure in the leg to get over the resistance in the jaw. If they think you’ll hold them, they’ll lean on you. If they lean, sit, use the inside leg, and vibrate the inside rein. Or sit, use inside leg, flex a little to inside, then give. You can also try moving the bit left, right, left, right, with inside leg on. If they get behind the bit, take the contact the push with leg. When the horse is soft, it is his bit. When the horse leans, say “Hey, it’s my bit.” and get it back with a steady outside rein and a vibrating inside rein, or a left, right, left, right movement of the bit (not the head). The minute they get heavy, use your inside leg and slide the bit, or flex left, then right. The outside rein helps control the shoulder. Keep a straight line from the elbow to the bit. As soon as the head comes up, correct immediately. Don’t be slow to correct. Let your shoulders be soft and keep elbows close to the body.

Half Pass/Trot
Do the diagonal. At X, start half pass by aiming at the letter. Aim front of the horse at the letter and push haunches to the outside (like haunches in), always keeping the front of the horse straight.

Canter Work
To be straight in the canter, always ride a slight shoulder fore, then the horse will be straight. Canter depart--count down to the canter, 10, 9, 8, 7, . . . 1, canter, all the while building the trot but keeping on-the-bit frame with the horse soft in his mouth with as much self carriage as possible. At canter depart, put inside leg on at the girth, sponge inside rein, steady outside rein, deep seat, slide outside leg back, squeeze with inner leg at the girth also. If the canter is too fast, hold with both reins, then give, hold with both reins, then give, hold with both reins, then give until you get the pace you want, always keeping the inner leg on. When cantering, don’t let him quit. He must know that he has to canter until you ask him to change gaits. “You should be able to get off and get a cup of coffee and come back, and he will still be cantering.” If he breaks, push him into the canter immediately. Don’t worry about how nice the transition is because you are teaching him not to change gaits unless you ask. In the canter, sit heavier on the outside seat bone. To slow the canter, as you feel your seat drop with each stride, close outside rein.

Fine Points
Always ride deep into the corners. Look ahead, not down. When you take with the reins, always give, even if you don’t get what you want, then repeat. Do not hold the mouth with pressure. They can’t lean if you don’t give them anything to lean against. Always think soft. When riding a circle, corner, or figure, both reins should be slightly to the inside, guiding the horse’s forehand around the circle. The inside leg keeps the horse out on the circle. The inside rein is a slight open rein. Do a little flexion, then give, little, flexion, then give . . . Keep the outer rein against the neck. The inside rein points towards your inside hip. Teach the horse to go from release, not from the push. If you ask him to go forward, and he doesn’t, use the spur. If he still doesn’t go forward, remove leg and boot him with it. Eventually he will respond to the release because he knows what’s coming. Ask nice, if you don’t get a result, ask again. If he still doesn’t go forward, clobber him with the aid--but let him go forward by softening the reins.

Here's a 2008 ride by Michael. The horse is Pasop, and it's his first Grand Prix:



to be continued . . .

Happy riding and reading,
Kit
www.kitehrman.com