Boost Your Dressage Scores with learning theory

Boost Your Dressage Scores with learning theory By Manuela McLean Director, Equitation Science International Dressage judges play an important role in the education of both riders their horses. The marks comments they provide can inform rider coach of the level of training achieved any areas that need more work. But can you turn them into clear training strategies that will boost your dressage scores? In this series, Dr Andrew Manuela McLean, founders of the Australian Equine Behaviour Centre (AEBC) Directors of Equitation Science International, will explain dressage judging against the backdrop of learning theory the equitation science training scale. Breaking down the judging criteria into training deficits to help you rectify the problems. Last month, Horses People Editor, Cristina Wilkins, set the scene for this series introducing Dr Andrew McLean s revolutionary proposal to align the judging system to how the horse learns, explained why this could make dressage judging easier, more objective transparent. This month, Manuela McLean continues making sense of the current judging system against the backdrop of learning theory the equitation science shaping scale helping you develop clear strategies you can build on to improve your next competition performance. In last month s article, Andrew McLean mentioned that the reflections of the judges the marks they award need to be objective. He argued that this can only be done if there are clear directives or criteria for each mark given, that the marking should reflect a scalar training strategy. It is widely accepted that the horse s education or training progresses in a series of steps - something which is reflected in each of the different levels of competition - from Preliminary to Gr Prix. In dressage, horses have to demonstrate they can perform at one level before moving on to the next. Through this series of articles, my aim will be to explain many of the judge s comments against the backdrop of learning theory to give riders ideas of how to apply it in order to rectify a particular training problem. When training each response it is important to shape or improve it progressively. The Equitation Science Training Scale follows the learning process in a clear simple way: Basic Attempt, the horse offers an approximation of the correct response. Obedience, the horse offers an immediate response to a light aid. Rhythm, the horse maintains rhythm tempo from a single light aid. Straightness, the horse maintains line is straight. Contact, the horse maintains connection outline; refinement of contact develops into engagement as the horse develops physically. Harmony displayed between horse rider. Page 32 HORSES PEOPLE Phone: 07 5467 9796 admin@horsespeople.com.au Photo by Kerri Afford Photography www.horsespeople.com.au HORSES PEOPLE Page 33

The Equitation Science Shaping Scale If we were to apply the Equitation Science Training Scale to judging, the levels from Basic Attempt to Harmony would incorporate the marks from 4 to 10. JUDGING vs.training SERIES Harmony Contact Straightness Rhythm Obedience Basic Attempt Horse is under stimulus control of hler/rider (anywhere, anytime) Horse maintains connection & outline. Development of impulsion, engagement, throughness, collection. Horse maintains directional line & straightness Horse maintains rhythm & tempo Horse offers an immediate response to a light aid Horse offers an attempt at the correct response The shaping scale of training helps us stage our training to achieve small goals track the progress until the responses are perfect. Image courtesy of Equitation Science International. All marks from 0 to 3 would reflect the following: incorporate the following: 0 = No movement shown 1 = Major disobedience 2 = Minor disobedience 3 = Resistance Using the proposed Scale, it is easier to see that a rider horse consistently scoring 6 s but not 7 s is likely to have straightness issues. He will need to train straightness in all transitions movements to score 7 above. How horses learn Understing applying learning theory helps us train responses in a way the horse can underst retain. Horses learn responses through the process of trial error (Operant Conditioning), e.g. he nuzzles plays with the gate latch, it opens he is rewarded with a nice feed of grass the other side or some company. Because he gained a reward, he does it again may even do it more often: he has now learnt to open gates. In training, the ridden or led horse is rewarded for a response primarily by a release of pressure. Judging with the Equitation Science Training Scale Mark 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Qualification No movement shown Major disobedience Minor disobedience Resistance Basic Attempt Obedience Rhythm Straightness Contact Engagement Harmony, perfection Criteria Horse does not perform movement or performs an opposing response Horse bucks, rears, leaps, bolts, spins, pigroots Horse kicks out at rider s leg, moves head excessively Horse lifts or lengthens neck, rider has to use strong aids, not relaxed. Horse performs recognisable movement in correct gait Horse performs movement immediately from light aids Horse performs movement in correct rhythm, tempo stride length, rhythm selfmaintained Horse s foreh hindquarters are on the correct tracks, neck spine are correctly aligned, head is vertical Horse is in correct frame, back is soft swinging, hindquarters pushing, rein, leg seat contact is consistent Horse shows suppleness, impulsion, throughness, back is up hindquarters are lowered, collection Horse rider movements flow, horse is responding to invisible cues Reward based training In training, the ridden or led horse is rewarded for a response primarily by a release of pressure. The pressures can be leg or rein aid, posture, voice, whip, spurs, bit, the environment. The horse is freed from pressure the moment he gives the desired response; the rider s connection of seat, rein leg, maintenance of posture is what maintains the movement gait. As trainers we need to identify the pressures or aids we want to use to train each response, we must use different aids for different responses then systematically train our horses by applying the aid releasing it as soon as he responds correctly. The pressure of, let s say the rein aid, is used to motivate him to trial a response, when he stops, that rein pressure is released to a very light contact (like holding hs) he therefore learns that rein pressure means stop. Sometimes a horse manages to reward himself for an incorrect response by making the pressure go away. Rearing bucking, for example, can be learnt as an incorrect response or disobedience because when the rider loses balance control he inadvertently releases the pressure. Pressure-release training is also called Negative Reinforcement, the negative term is meant in the mathematical sense - taking away a pressure. In the beginning it might look a little rusty but with good timing shaping it can be refined to postural cues light aids. Using a scratch at the base of the wither paired with a good boy, when the horse has performed the correct response enhances his learning. Scratching is proven to have greater positive effects on horses than patting. In fact, patting was shown to make horses accelerate, if you ve tried patting a young horse for the first time, he will just about have a heart attack! Scratching is referred to as Positive Reinforcement, meaning the addition of something pleasant to increase the effectiveness of learning. Clicker training, where the clicker is used to mark a response food is given a moment later is another form of positive reinforcement. Studies have shown that the use of both positive negative reinforcement together enhance learning even further. The road to harmony The pressures should become so refined that they are imperceptible become cues associated with the response. Postural cues such as the seat, core, back, elbows, thighs, calves heels are used in dressage the use of the voice is permitted in some disciplines. These cues are learnt by being simultaneously paired with the signal or aid (pressure) the horse already responds correctly to in a process called blocking (as in stacking building blocks). In blocking, no aid or posture is removed until the response occurs. For example, the rider applies a seat cue, adds rein or leg pressure maintains these till the horse responds correctly. It is also called learning by Classical Conditioning where a cue or posture is given just before the aid used. This is how animals learn the postural cue for responses the reason why it appears as if the trainer or rider is doing nothing is in complete harmony with their horse - the ultimate goal of dressage training. 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The FEI Training Scale In training we also require the horse to be able to develop stronger reactions for certain responses, for example, when going from a canter to a halt. Although the basic aid will be the same as in any other downward transition, our posture cue pressure aid will need to be stronger for these sorts of responses for our horse to underst that the difference between canter-halt canter-trot. In the beginning it may take a stronger aid to go from canter to halt but with practise this can also become more refined to an imperceptible postural cue. The postural cue must be given first for the process of Classical Conditioning to work. For perfect training the horse should be relaxed but attentive or, in other words, have some level of awareness. In some instances horses can become hyper-aware this can lead to dangerous behaviours such as, rearing, bucking, bolting or leaping.. They will require some re-training, sometimes from an expert, to allow for easier hling or riding. In these cases it is important to keep dems aids very clear consistent, one thing at a time, even more importantly to have correct timing of the release for training to be effective the horse to become relaxed. Relaxed horses are not only those that are so by nature, they are the easy ones! Those that become relaxed through consistent training are the best. Horses are different As trainers it is our responsibility to know that mentally, horses are not like us. They are unable to recall their memories unless they are in the same or a similar situation. For training to be effective the horse to become relaxed it is important to keep dems aids very clear consistent - one thing at a time, even more importantly to have correct timing of the release. They cannot imagine, develop abstract ideas or reconstruct events plan for the future. The horse s memory is strongly linked to his senses may be triggered by a sight, sound or physical cue. This almost makes it easier for us to train because what you see is what you get. Sometimes horses become adrenalised we need tools to help them relax, at other times they may be half asleep or inattentive we need different tools. When a horse feels completely secure, he is calm responsive his security is directly related to the consistency of his environment his training. Image source: FEI Dressage Judges Hbook Online Short Course Colors & Sparkle In last month s article Dr Andrew McLean argued that the FEI Training Scale, which dressage judges rely on, does not aid towards clear objective judging because it is not scalar enough; that is, it does not describe a succession or progression of training steps like a learning theory based shaping scale does. (See illustration on Page 34). Indeed, most dressage professionals now agree that the FEI training scale is really a set of directives or qualities to aim for during all stages of training. An example of how it fails being scalar is straightness, which currently lies after impulsion. It is impossible to imagine that a horse could have impulsion or maintain an even contact if it is not straight, says Andrew. The elements of a training scale should be objective directly observable where possible, some of the elements of the FEI Training Scale, for example suppleness connection, are not easily observable or objective. Some horses, for example, already look more supple than others without any training, so suppleness is not an easy training criterion. The FEI training scale was first seen in a cavalry manual published in 1912, the same year dressage was first seen at the Olympics. What is quite clear in its first description is that many of these qualities were not singular - they were included together. The FEI training scale fails to acknowledge the very first steps in learning - the basic attempt obedience (responding to a single light aid in all the basic rein leg responses). This may have been because in the early days, the horses were mostly military mounts were expected to be already trained to rhythm level. In the judges hbook (above), the description of the FEI training scale shows the interaction of all the parts; in other words, its scalar elements are even more reduced. Other authors have changed the position of some elements, for example Erik Herbermann who places straightness before impulsion. This shows lack of community of thought. How horses learn Discover a new world of training By world renowned trainer & coach Dr Andrew McLean Online Course! Videos Animations Images Diagrams Knowledge checks Improve the connection between you your horse in one simple course! 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Applying an aid Responses need to be correctly trained reinforced regularly so they become habits for the horse to learn to respond to posture light aids. The following training statement is an easy way to remember the timing: Please Do it! Thank you! Posture cue Light aid Increase pressure Alternative pressure (e.g. whip-taps) Release pressure Scratch Each of the basic responses needs to be shaped or improved following the Shaping Scale from a Basic Attempt towards developing Obedience (the horse responds immediately to a light aid), Rhythm (the horse maintains tempo from a single light aid), Straightness (the horse maintains the line pushes evenly with both diagonal pairs). Training this way will produce a light connection or Contact of the rider s seat, h leg, which then leads to throughness, engagement later, collection. When shaping the responses it is important that relaxation is prioritised, for the correct biomechanical development of the horse also for his general wellbeing. In the beginning of training up to Novice level dressage, the aids need to be used individually but, as the horse progresses through the grades, the aids are brought closer together to create the lateral movements, to almost be on at the same time to produce movements such as pirouettes which are a composite of shortening, turning yielding aids postures. When shaping the responses it is important that relaxation is prioritised, for the correct biomechanical development of the horse also for his general wellbeing. Of course, it is only necessary to apply the do it part of the statement if the horse either doesn t respond to the aid or if he is a bit delayed to respond. If you are using alternative motivating pressures such as whips /or spurs they also need to be trained in the same way, preferably, as separate aids. If the horse doesn t respond to the light aid then it is important to repeat the process until there are 3 improved or correct responses. Perfect practice Horses learn well if repetitions are performed in 3 sets. For example to improve a trot to walk transition, ride these transitions frequently, every 8 or 10 strides. During the first set you should see an improvement on the 5th to the 7th time. Give your horse a short break (1 or 2 minutes) including scratching, then ride a second set. The transition will generally improve show itself earlier - on the 3rd to the 5th repetition. Once again, give the horse a short break if you are applying releasing the aid consistently with good timing, in the third set, your horse will show a marked improvement in the 1st to the 3rd repetition. Repetitions during future training sessions will consolidate the response. The basic responses: All dressage movements are based on these four mobility responses: Acceleration: This includes all upward transitions making clear distinctions between up a gait, quicker steps, longer steps, at a more advanced level, higher steps. Deceleration: Downward transitions making clear distinctions between down a gait, slower steps shorter steps. Turning the forelegs (in both directions). Yielding the hindlegs (in both directions). As training develops the horse is clear in all signals, is steady in the rhythm, straight accepting a light contact of seat, leg rein, there will be an improved suppleness, throughness engagement a lowering of the hindquarters as collection increases. Page 38 HORSES PEOPLE Phone: 07 5467 9796 admin@horsespeople.com.au www.horsespeople.com.au HORSES PEOPLE Page 39

Without developing self-carriage at Contact level, collection will not continue to develop because will be no lowering of the hindquarters raising of the wither. Testing for selfcarriage of rhythm, straightness contact frequently then adjusting or correcting as necessary is the way to keep progressing boost your scores. The quality self-carriage of the rhythm, straightness contact in the different paces movements is what leads to the higher scores that judges define as engagement, in turn, they will lead to true harmony between horse rider, when the movements appear seamless flow from one to the other with minimum effort. Inconsistencies in training losses of self-carriage affect horses will make them anxious or confused in some way. These will be identified by the judges as tension. Anxiety is primarily displayed in the responses of fight (bucking, biting), flight (tension, accelerating shying), freeze (a horse will not move) or major dullness. All these reflect holes in our training their appearance is a sign that we need to take a step or two back before any further progress is made. Retraining the basic responses will be necessary when they are light consistent, you will achieve relaxation. Testing for self-carriage (softening the rein contact for 2 to 4 steps or taking the leg off for 2 to 4 steps), are important parts of training something that riders must do frequently to check the quality of training. As riders or trainers we need to continually think about our training. Hopefully everything will just be merrily ticking along, but when things don t go to plan we need to question our practices; Self-carriage wins Riders lose marks when the horse is not in self-carriage - i.e. the horse may be leaning on the bit be too strong causing the rider to lean back brace against him. In this case the horse may also be trying to avoid the strong pressures by opening his mouth instead of responding to the aid. He may be behind the contact or behind the leg which means he is not maintaining his speed tempo from a single light leg aid, the rider is using excessive or constant leg aids to maintain the gait. Testing for self-carriage (softening the rein contact for 2-4 steps, or taking the leg off for 2-4 steps - are important parts of training something that riders must do frequently to check the quality of training. Losses of control, bad behaviours, delayed responses, heaviness to the aids incorrect responses show a lack of self-carriage, will receive the lowest marks in dressage tests. The judge s remark resistance in a movement is associated with a resistance to the aids, which may be the result of using pressure-release incorrectly - i.e. the rider is being too hard or too soft, releases to late is generally inconsistent imprecise with the aids. At Rhythm level a loss of self-carriage will show as a tempo which is too quick or too slow. The stride length could be too short (e.g. not tracking up in a working pace or overtracking in an extended or lengthened stride) or too long. Often the judges will comment that the horse lacks impulsion or is not forward enough it may be up to you to work out exactly what they mean - is the problem the tempo or the length of stride? This is important to know, as the aids for tempo stride length are different the rider may need to re-train one not the other. At Straightness level in the Shaping Scale the horse may drift through the shoulders or hindquarters (fall in or fall out) he may show crookedness appear to swing his hindquarters. More often than not, the rider needs to correct the drifting by placing the horse s shoulders on the correct track, this is done by re-training the turn response. At Contact level self-carriage losses will show up as the horse being too low in the frame /or overbent, or being too high /or above the bit. These issues can be associated with rhythm straightness (meaning that they can be fixed by re-training or improving rhythm straightness) but when neither of those are clearly visible then the problem with the frame is directly related to the engagement connection between horse rider. Remember that the horse has to develop great physical strength to maintain a correct frame in self-carriage it takes time. Are we giving clear aids? Do we release the pressure when he responds correctly? Do we always get at least a version of the desired response? Can the behaviour be explained by something else, maybe pain? (Remember that your horse is not being naughty nor vengeful). Are our aids quite different for each response? Do we have behavioural problems to resolve? Why do they happen? (or how are they being reinforced?) Is our horse in self-carriage? Do the responses occur obediently, from light aids does he hear your seat? Is our training progressive are we still progressing or have we reached a stalemate? Is our horse alert attentive? And do we know how to help him when things go wrong? Why do we need to resort to a gadget or additional equipment? Do we use them ethically? Is the horse confused? In the next articles I will be giving specific training strategies reasons why things go wrong. I will explain what the judges comments mean, how to identify the training issues the training strategies that will resolve them help boost your dressage scores. Manuela McLean, NCAS Level 2 (Dressage Specialist), BSc (biology), Dip Ed. Manuela co-developed the AEBC training system co-authored Academic Horse Training with her husb, Andrew Mclean. One of her most recent achievements is coaching training Joann Formosa her stallion, Worldwide PB to gold medal success at the London 2012 Paralympics. In just 6 months Manuela trained Worldwide PB to be a competitive Paralympic mount, to be responsive to verbal postural cues to the lightest of aids. A national coach of dressage, Manuela s focus is on teaching riders how to train maintain the basics in their horses, creating a true foundation for higher level dressage. Manuela has ridden competed at FEI level in dressage advanced Three Day Eventing. In great dem as a clinician she travels to teach riders of all ages throughout Australia to New Zeal, Canada, Denmark, Finl the UK. At Obedience level in the Shaping Scale, a loss of selfcarriage is seen when the horse frequently breaks in the gait or is displaying a major or minor disobedience such as bucking, rearing or bolting. From the judge s perspective, the remarks will be that horse s back is not up, that he does not look round enough, they might say the horse is not through enough lacks engagement. 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