Classical dressage in Mexico

Hi everyone!

It has been an exciting new experience for me to visit Mexico city and study with Luis Fernando Villegas in the beautiful art of Classical Dressage.

This morning we arrived at the stables early and I was introduced to his wonderful Andalusian stallion Paris. Paris is a blood bay and quite similar to my own Andalusian stallion Aporson Hacal.

I keep being amazed by the temperament of these beautiful horses. Even the stallions are calm and collected, very easy going.

During my first lesson we practiced shoulder-in on a 3 track, small circles with haunches in at a trot and then straight into a canter. When a horse does a canter departure, its very important that the haunches are correctly positioned slightly to the inside of the circle in order to get the correct lead. Otherwise the horse will often become unbalanced and depart on the wrong lead. Therefore the haunches in can prepare a horse for the correct lead.

Thereafter we practiced the Spanish Walk, one of the specific movements for the classical dressage. Spanish Walk is a great tool to teach an open shoulder as well as a great exercise to prepare for piaffe and passage.

We finished off with leg yielding from a walk and then directly into a canter departure and finally a huge passage!!!

Just when I thought the end was near, I was already tired after riding Paris, the ranch hand brought in a white Arabian stallion called Marengo.

Marengo is nothing like Paris. Paris tries to do everything he can to please you. Marengo on the other hand is strong minded and if you don't give the correct signals right away, he lets you know immediately.

The first time I asked for haunches in he decided that rearing was a great idea and much more fun than training.

I quickly realized that a toupher Celie had to step into the picture and change his attitude. As soon as I did, he became a wonderful ride with beautiful canter departures and a great trot.

However, Marengo has been tought to rear on command and will use it against you if he feels like it.

This was truly expressed when it came to the piaffe. When I collected him for the piaffe he decided that this was going to be a piaffe on 2 legs instead of 4.

Up up up we went...although I have tought horses to rear on command before and don't mind it at all, it's always a thrilling experience, especially when they go completely vertical.

He reared so high that I eventually had to grap hold of his neck with both arms in order to not slither off of his back like a rag doll.

When he was finished making his point we continued the piaffe and finished with a bow...by now I felt like I was on a see-saw. Up down up down... haha, that was quite the ride!!!

As my legs started to dysfunction, I thought for sure that we were done, but alas...:-) Here came the ranch hand with the 3rd horse, Kelele! He is a dapple grey Azteca stallion, just as magnificent as the rest of them.

Although I was eager to continue my lesson, my body just wasn't up for it and when Kelele, being a young stallion, thought that throwing his head around and trying to buck a little was the way to go, I said....TIME OUT!

Luis Fernando looked at me with a smile and said "You're tired" and I responded with a sigh..."yes, I'm tired"...

It's amazing, I ride many horses a day when I'm at home, but when you're with a trainer, riding a new horse, practicing extremely difficult exercises...you work! and I mean WORK!

I'm looking forward to tomorrow, and Luis Fernando is a very competent and skilled trainer who takes the time to really understand both horse and rider.

If any of you have questions to what I've written or wish to understand some of the exercises better, please feel free to respond to my blog or on facebook.

I will keep updating my status and my experiences...

Stay tuned for more tips on classical dressage and exciting equine adventures!

Perhaps tomorrow we will do the courbette?:-)

Celie