The RDDA has an exciting range of clothing offered for sale. Sizes available are XS, S, M, L, and XL.

Hooded Soft Shell Jacket - $95- Colours: Crystal Quartz / Black / Red / Navy

Hoodies:- Women’s: $60 / Men’s: $67.50- Colours: Black / Navy

Poly Hoody - $67.50(Repels dust, hair & shavings)

- Colours: Black / Grey / Navy / Raspberry / Charcoal Heather

All clothing is to be ordered and paid for in advance. Only prepaid clothing will be ordered.

Deadline for Orders:May 1, 2014

Contact:Amy Harris-ZummackTel: (306) 533-8081Email: amyharris_2000@yahoo.com

Calendar

Regina District Dressage Association

RDDA NewsletterApril, 2014

Promotional Items

RDDA MerchandiseUpcoming Shows

May 31 - June 1Icebreaker Dressage Bronze ShowMoose Jaw, Sask.Deadline for Entries - May 23, 2014Contact: Krystl RavenEmail: ravenwood652@gmail.com

June 28 - 30Signs of Summer Dressage Bronze ShowSaskatoon, Sask.For more information: www.willowridgestables.com

July 5 - 6Gold / Bronze Dressage ShowSaskatoon, Sask.Contact: Krystl Raven Email: ravenwood652@gmail.com

August 23 - 24Sask. Dressage ProvincialsGold / Bronze ShowMoose Jaw, Sask.Contact: Krystl RavenEmail: ravenwood652@gmail.com

Congratulations to Betty Wells and her 11 yr old Hannoverian gelding, Denzello! Ridden by Lisa Wilcox, Denzello had a successful show seasonin Wellington, Florida.

Denzello is currently training and preparing for the head to head competition coming up in Gladstone, New Jersey on June 11-14, 2014. If he is selected as one of the top 8 he will be going to Belgium to train before the final selection for the World Equestrian Games (WEG).

March 30th, the RDDA hosted our now “annual” Fundraiser Supper at the Rusi Hall in Regina. Approximately 121 people attended making it a night of fun and socializing. RDDA merchandise was displayed for pre-ordering as well as a silent auction and a 50/50 draw.

The bar opened an hour before the meal - with options of steak or chicken, baked potato and salad.

sitting like that, that you are in a vertical position… not tilting forwardWorldldldldldldldldldldldl\\r leaning back (see Photo 3).

$900 profit was raised from the meal. The 50/50 draw made a profit of $317.50 and the silent auction raised $775 for a total of $1,992.50.

A big thank you to all who attended, donated and organized!

Fundraising

Fundraiser Supper

1. e

Dressage Spotlight

Betty Wells & Denzello

2 RDDA April, 2014

2015

World CupLas Vegas will host the World Cups of dressage and jumping in 2015, the fourth time the city will stage the dual events that are the only annual global championships for the two Olympic disciplines.

Las Vegas that bills itself as the Entertainment Capital of the World will be the host city for the Reem Accra FEI World Cup Dressage Final and the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping April 15-19, 2015.

Confirmation of Las Vegas for the World Cups means that North America will host two major championships in 2015 as the Pan American Games held once every four years will be in Toronto that summer.

THE LEGS: Get it Moving by Tracey Winter

In January, we discussed the role of the seat and how it is the cornerstone of all the aids. This month, we will be looking at the legs, their purpose in communicating with the horse, and where they should be positioned for maximum effectiveness.

In terms of the “chain of command” of the aids, the legs are “second in command”. They act immediately after the seat (although we are talking fractions of a second) - but act prior to the hands (which will be discussed next issue).

With the seat’s job title being that of “Interpreter”, the legs’ title could be that of “Motivator”. When we are first taught to ride, we are told that we “kick to go” and “pull to stop”, and that pretty much summed it up. Ah, if it were only that simple! The legs actually have multiple tasks to perform… and all at once, no less!

Coupled with the seat, it is the role of the legs to inform the horse whether he is to go forward (both legs at the girth) or sideways (one leg at the girth). Add the rein aids to the mix, and their role expands to inform the horse about how much to bend through the body. As far as the legs are concerned, this is done via the addition of the outside leg behind the girth, which controls the placement of the haunches relative to the shoulders. It sounds confusing, I know, but it really isn’t when you break it down. So not to worry! The technicalities of the aids in lateral movements may be addressed in future issues, but for now, we’ll keep it simple. And this is as simple as it gets: The horse should move forward when we close both our legs, and away from the pressure of the application of a single leg aid. Horses aren’t born knowing this,

as anyone who has started a young horse knows. It is a conditioned response.

Fortunately, most readers of this article probably have horses who are at least green-broke, and know these basics of the leg aids. However, though the horses may know and understand this, it is of utmost importance that we, as riders, understand the significance of our legs being in the proper position, so that we

can get the best response we can from our horses when we give those aids.

First and foremost, for the legs to be effective in expressing any sort of

Continued on Page 4 ...

Tracey Winter is a USDF Gold, Silver and Bronze Medalist from Wellington, Florida.

THE LEGS: Get it Moving by Tracey Winter

Copyright © 2005

(Second in a three-part series “On The Aids”)

communication to the horse, they must be in the proper position, which is with the ankle bone directly beneath the hip bone (see photo 3 on page 4).

If you read the January issue’s article on the seat, you are going to notice that the photos in this month’s article are the same. This is for the simple reason that where your legs are positioned directly affects the seat, and how you sit in the saddle directly affects where your legs are. Perhaps not to the extreme shown in these photos, but nevertheless, there is no question that each one affects the other. This means that if you aren’t sitting in a balanced position, with everything in correct alignment, then you will not be able to give effective aids to your horse, and thus, will not be able to influence him in the most effective manner.

The most common of the “errors of the leg” would be that the lower leg comes too far forward (see photo 1 on page 4). This usually happens when the rider opens the angle of the knee (see dotted line in photo) and tries to “grip” themselves into being “still”. The trouble is: This doesn’t work. Bad things happen when this occurs.

The reason it doesn’t work is that, when the lower leg comes too far forward, the leg is not in a place where it makes natural contact with the horse’s side. Due to the conformation of the horse, they are at their narrowest where the girth lies. If the lower leg comes forward to “cover” the girth, you will find that if you close your lower leg to give an aid, you don’t feel your horse’s side. This means that to make any sort of contact with the horse’s side (as in giving an aid), you will have to bring the lower leg back to do so. This causes a delay

Dressage Tips

April, 2014 RDDA 3

they are usually the riders with a quiet seat that doesn’t bounce around and just seems to move with the horse. This is because everything is in alignment, so that it is in a position to allow the body to travel with the horse… not in front of or behind the horse. It’s rather difficult, if not impossible, to have a relaxed pelvis that can move with (and therefore affect) the horse if it is not squarely in the saddle. If the lower leg is either too far forward or too far back, it causes the seat to come out of the position that makes it the most effective.

So you see, both the seat and the leg affect each other greatly. For the rider to truly be effective, all the body parts have to be in the right place. Any deviation will adversely affect the total body balance, and thus affect the balance of our horses.

With the body parts positioned as they are in that of the third photo, the body is able to sit in a relaxed state, allowing the hips to open and close with the movement of the horse. This makes the rider a part of the movement… not just an object sitting atop another moving object, trying to hang on and hoping for the best. The pelvis merely becomes relaxed and mobile, as there is no counter-balance issue to cause tension within the pelvis as it tries to anchor the body parts that are out of alignment.

As we all know, tension is the enemy of harmony, and in dressage, harmony and balance is what it’s all about. For our horse’s body to be in balance, our own body must be in balance. Through correct positioning, that balance and harmony can be achieved.

NEXT ISSUE: “THE HANDS”

...Continued from Page 3

THE LEGS: Get it Moving

in the application of the aid, and in a sport where the timing of the aids is as important as the aid itself, it can cost you… both in the training ring as well as the show ring.

There is also a bigger problem that occurs when the lower leg is too far forward… it changes your seat and puts you behind the motion of your horse. When your leg is in front of you, your upper body acts as a counter-balance and comes behind the perpendicular position that it should be in. In doing so, you transfer your weight to the back of your seat bones, putting you “behind the horse” and reducing the effectiveness of your seat aids. It’s more of a “defensive riding” position, seen more frequently with bigger moving, “bouncier” horses, and with riders who have a fear of being run away with, as they are in a perpetual state of bracing themselves so that they are “ready” if and when something bad happens.

The second most common “error of the leg” is that of the lower leg coming too far back. This most often occurs when the rider is purposely trying to get their leg under their seat, but instead of opening the angle of the hip (see dotted lines in photos 2 and 3), they close the angle of their knee. Again, the counter-balance effect takes place, and the upper body comes forward to offset the balance of the lower leg being too far back. Even if the rider is able to stay perpendicular in the saddle with the lower leg too far back, they will notice that the weight in their seat has shifted off of their seat bones and on to the pelvic bone. This makes it virtually impossible to use the seat as either a driving aid or a holding aid, as it has become “perched” in the saddle, and is completely ineffective.

The effect that the leg position has on the seat is profound. If you look around at people who have a really good, balanced position, you will notice that

Dressage Tips

THE LEGS: Get it Moving by Tracey Winter

Copyright © 2005

1. Photo !

4 RDDA April, 2014

1.

Photo #1:

Legs too farforward withseat and lower back collapsed

Photo #2:

Legs too far backwith seat perchedand lower backarched

Photo #3:

Legs in correctposition

April, 2014 RDDA 5

I have always been a bit of a dreamer. My parents raised me to believe that with hard work and determination anything is possible. I married a man who believes in my dreams as if they were his own. A man who encourages me to achieve my goals, and supports me no matter what.

This is how I ended up in Jupiter, Florida with my 2 year old son, Colton, and horse, Flamboyant. We arrived in early January and stayed until the end of March. This is something I have always wanted to do but with a young son and a growing company, I wasn’t sure it was a possibility. It is just a testament to how supportive my amazing husband is.

The first thing we did when we arrived in Jupiter was look into daycare for Colton so I could really focus on my riding while in Florida. After checking out seven different daycares we found the perfect one. This was Colton’s first experience in Daycare and over the course of three months he managed to catch almost every bug out there. We found ourselves at the Urgent Care office on numerous occasions. It was a very stressful time for us. By the last month of our trip he started feeling better, thank goodness.

Flamboyant stayed at Lady Jean Ranch just outside of Jupiter. This was a beautiful facility with a covered arena, lots of large grass turn out pens and many groomed trails. We had lessons every day and this was extra special for me because at home I ride by myself most of the time. We regularly rode with Crystal Kroetch and even had a lesson with the incredible Juan Matute. Albrect Heidemann also gave us input while we were training. I learned so much in every one of my lessons!

I was able to really focus on my goals while in Florida. I was able to watch top riders train and show, hit the gym daily and focus on both my health and Flamboyant’s. To keep Flamboyant in top shape, every six weeks he had treatments with an Osteopath from

Quebec and an incredible massage therapist from Alberta. He also had his feed program assessed and tweaked. We are always pushing to improve our training and performances in the show ring so it is important to make sure both Flamboyant and I are in top health.

We also went to three competitions while in Florida. We rode under seven different judges and had some very awesome results. With scores between 68 and 72 percent we placed top five in all of our classes even winning two classes and placing second in two classes. This was a huge accomplishment as some of the classes had over 30 riders competing. We competed against riders from the US, Canada, Mexico, Sweden and Germany! Very amazing experience.

I am very thankful for the incredible support team I had while in Florida. Crystal Kroetch was very flexible to my schedule with Colton and always made time for our lessons. Teressa Russel took excellent care of Flamboyant for me as I could not be at the barn all the time. My husband flew out for two of my competitions and my mother also flew out for a competition. Our competitions were not always relaxing because for some reason we seemed to ride first in nearly all of my classes. With a grey horse that loves to get dirty this meant many 5 or even 4

o’clock mornings! But we survived and although we have lots to improve on I am very pleased with our results.

Travelling to Florida has taught me so much. Both as a human being and as a rider. It was very stressful being on my own and so far away from home with my son Colton while he was sick but I learned how strong and capable I really am. I also have much more confidence in the show ring now. I have discovered that a competition is just a snap shot in time and my performance at that moment does not define who I am and what I am capable of. I watched riders I look up to perform not at their best but they still came out of the ring with smiles and confidence in their work. Although, that day was not perfect they still knew they were working in the right direction. I believe that I have also developed a better feel in the training ring. I know where I want to go with my training and have a much better idea of how to get there.

Flamboyant and I are now working towards the goal of entering the CDI ring in Florida next winter. I am very excited to see where the future takes us!

Dressage Snowbird

Showing in Florida by Shannon Sluser

6 RDDA April, 2014

The RDDA hosted an equine sports psychology clinic on March 22nd which was attended by 19 enthusiastic equestrians. The attendees ranged from recreational riders, competitive riders, coaches and judges.

The clinic was conducted by April Clay M.ED, a psychologist from Calgary Alberta. April has an independent practice with many years of experience in a number of specialized areas including sports psychology in which she works with athletes at all levels in various sports. She draws on over 15 years of experience as a competitive show jumper to enhance her knowledge of sports based psychology.

April’s book “ Riding Out of Your Mind: Equestrian Sport Psychology” provided the basis for this clinic. The clinic was divided in two sections. The First Level: Becoming a Thinking Rider and Level Two: Developing a High Performance Mind. The session was very interactive with participants sharing many experiences which were each acknowledged and addressed by April. It was also a great opportunity for equestrians to share experiences and knowledge amongst each other.

It was a fantastic learning experience and all participants were eager for their next

sitting like that, that you are in a vertical position… not tilting forwardWorldldldldldldldldldldldl\\r leaning back (see Photo 3).

RDDA Clinic

What’s Up

Member NewsJasmine Gerein - has a new young mare registered named “Bibi Dahl” (aka “Ivy”) purchased at the Olds Sale last Fall in Alberta. Ivy is a 4-year old Oldenburg (Notorius x 007). Jasmine also has just completed her Bachelor of Social Work and started employment at the Mobile Crisis Services.

Amy Harris-Zummack - also purchased a new horse ... a gelding registered named “Rossendale”(aka “Ross”) from Yankee Valley Sport Horses in Alberta. Ross is a 4-year old CWHBA - Selle Francais /Swiss Warmblood (Airborne x Rocks). Amy is a certified trainer & fully insured coach.

Congratulations Jasmine & Amy!!

Sports Psychology Clinic by Heather Stuart-Panko

ride and/or their next show to try and incorporate some of what they learned. If you would like to know more about April Clay or the equestrian material and services she has available, visit her website at:

www.ridingoutofyourmind.com