The Third Edition of the international bestseller BASIC TRAINING OF THE YOUNG HORSE has just been released. This classic work by the late Dr. Reiner Klimke and his daughter, German Olympian Ingrid Klimke, provides the foundation for a basic education for the English sport horse, from foalhood to first competition.
One of the elements emphasized in the book is the importance of “loosening up” not just before, but after a training session:
“We like to begin by loosening the horse up over cavalletti,” they state [note: CAVALLETTI, another book coauthored by the Klimkes, is also available], “and going for a short hack after the training session, or else going for a hack before riding some dressage exercises in the school. Sometimes we loosen the horse up by cantering in a light seat on straight lines around the exterior of the school before going into the school itself. This preparatory work must be fun for both horse and rider, in fact, it goes without saying that it must be a good experience for the horse so that he is calm and prepared for training.
“Every session is made up of three parts: loosening up, working, and walking to end with. For the young horse, this means loosening up, working, and further loosening. Loosening up in walk, trot, and canter to get rid of tension is essential before the rider can drive the horse forward. With older horses (more than five years old) loosening up should last about 15 to 20 minutes.”
Get more great guidance in BASIC TRAINING OF THE YOUNG HORSE, available now from the TSB online bookstore.
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