Graduating to FEI

Most dressage enthusiasts are interested in finding a horse within their budget to train to FEI level. But, says NICOLE TOUGH, the biggest hurdle is time.

It usually takes around four years to train a horse to FEI level, assuming they don’t suffer any setbacks such as lameness, injuries, or any other training interruption. Reaching Grand Prix level can take another year or two, and then even more years to improve.

And crucial to this end goal is the importance of using this time to our horse’s best advantage. As horses age, they lose their natural ability to be supple, and if suppleness isn’t developed and maintained at an early enough age, it is more difficult to achieve later in life. Training a horse to FEI level requires the dedication and discipline of a trainer to patiently develop their horse into an elite athlete. There are no shortcuts.

Following the theory behind this series of articles, that dressage training is comparative to the concepts we use for human education, and just as a percentage of students won’t progress to university, likewise not all horses will progress into FEI training, and less again will achieve their doctorate – Grand Prix.

The human schooling curriculum is based on the development, cognitive and otherwise, of an increase in capability. This is the same for training horses in dressage. Characteristics evident in both species are that there are talented individuals able to exceed standard expectations, with some students taking longer to develop, and yet others who have limitations on their ability to train through the levels.

Similar to both, are the time delays and interruptions to life that can get in the way. These can affect the training milestones, but it doesn’t mean that either human or horse lacks the mental aptitude or ability to progress.

In dressage training, we apply our ‘through the level’ milestones by way of the Young Horse classes and National Level tests, from Preliminary to Advanced. Just as a child should know the alphabet prior to learning to read, a horse should know the correct reactions to the leg, rein, and seat aids, and the first three stages of the Training Scale before learning to leg yield. I have written about the importance of following the Training Scale, with its logical order of development, in the preceding four articles of this series.

In an ideal world, a healthy horse, purpose bred for dressage and with good early handling, can be started under saddle (kindergarten) at age three. Following our ‘through the level’ milestones, they proceed through Preliminary/Novice (primary school) establishing regularity in all three gaits, basic suppleness on circles and straight lines with acceptance of the contact. After graduating from primary school with the ability to lengthen and collect, they move on to elementary, performing basic lateral work, able to make smaller circles, counter-canter and lead changes through the trot and walk.

At the start of high school, our ideal horse adds to their existing knowledge with walk pirouettes, trot and canter half-passes, extended gaits and flying changes. At this point, experienced trainers have also begun schooling the idea of piaffe and passage.

Our advanced high schooler has started travers in canter on the circle (working pirouettes), and with this greater suppleness, can perform steeper half-passes, is putting more changes together, and has started the counter change of hand in half-pass. Remember, some horses might be delayed and others might have natural talent and find the work a bit easier.

Now at university, our ideal horse has the strength and understanding to progress to flying changes every two strides, half and full canter pirouettes, even steeper half-passes in trot and canter, and their piaffe and passage is starting to look like piaffe and passage. They have fully developed extended gaits and can easily perform canter-halt transitions.

In a perfect world, our ten-year-old is on track to achieve their doctorate. They may not be quite ready, strong and balanced enough to perform the Grand Prix test in competition, but they have all the ingredients to keep developing the confidence, collection, strength and suppleness to do the Grand Prix from start to finish.

It is imperative to understand that:

• If your horse is not schooling Grand Prix by age ten, you are in the majority; and if your horse is, this doesn’t necessarily mean they will be a very good Grand Prix horse.
• There are many reasons our horse may not progress to FEI and achieve their Grand Prix, but this doesn’t mean they have no purpose or value.
• A horse who has never been educated can start learning dressage later in life, but they may not be able to be competitive FEI horses.
• Using dressage training to train a horse to be a well-balanced and enjoyable riding horse and training a horse to be a competitive at Grand Prix level are not the same thing.

Basically, all horses should be appreciated for what they can do, and if our horse is not following the ideal timeline, it is not a failure. As I mentioned previously, horses progress at their own individual pace.

Knowing what the training milestones are, and why their timing is important is a crucial part of being a good trainer. The best (and worst) thing about dressage is there is no finish line. We will always want to improve, and we need a lifetime to do it. But most importantly, there is much fun to be had and so much to accomplish competing at every level – Grand Prix isn’t for every rider or every horse.

For lessons or a clinic, visit Nicole Tough Dressage.