{"id":15062,"date":"2014-12-03T10:34:18","date_gmt":"2014-12-02T23:34:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/?p=15062"},"modified":"2015-01-22T07:15:03","modified_gmt":"2015-01-21T20:15:03","slug":"rozzie-ryan-talks-about-taking-jive-magic-into-the-fei-ranks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/2014\/12\/rozzie-ryan-talks-about-taking-jive-magic-into-the-fei-ranks\/","title":{"rendered":"Rozzie Ryan talks about taking Jive Magic into the FEI ranks"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TUPiaffe\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Making the Transition
\nRozzie Ryan talks about taking Jive Magic into the FEI ranks<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

After a spectacularly successful career in the lower classes, Rozzie Ryan\u2019s imported son of Jazz, Jive Magic is nibbling at the edges of making the break into the FEI ranks. Here Rozzie talks about the challenge in front of both of them.<\/p>\n

“I hope I am still letting him go at his own pace. Pretty much they tell you how quickly you can train them. I\u2019m pretty pleased with the way he is going. He is six and a half now, and he doesn\u2019t feel stressed or stretched in any way. We are working on the piaffe and passage. He is very interested in what we are doing \u2013 but always in the past I have been working with very hot horses, and they have been interested but with their interest comes excitement and adrenaline, he doesn\u2019t appear to complicate things like that. He appears to be very interested but doesn\u2019t run adrenaline, it\u2019s quite a novelty for me to have something that shows quite an inclination and is quite highly motivated, but doesn\u2019t run adrenaline with it, even though he\u2019s a stallion. I\u2019m really enjoying that. He is listening and concentrates well, but has a really really nice attitude to work with.”<\/p>\n

Do you think it is at least partly that horses like him that are specific bred for dressage find it easier because they have the strength and you are not having to push them the way you would have to push a horse that is bred to race\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

“I think with a lot of horses that is the case. Certainly he has quite an inclination to piaffe and passage, it is not a problem for him, therefore he is not struggling to do it, therefore it is not a big deal. I think that does make a big difference \u2013 but I have had other horses that haven\u2019t found things particularly difficult. Exellent for example, was kind of an over-achiever and he complicated things whilst you were schooling him. Obviously if the horse finds these things easier to do, it makes it a lot easier to train.”<\/p>\n

Watching the working session today, you were introducing the collected movements quite early, is that something you do with all your horses or something that you find works with him?<\/em><\/p>\n

“I find it works with him. I\u2019ve found with him, because he is such a big loose horse, I\u2019ve wanted to improve the connection. We\u2019ve been having help from Harry Boldt and he says now is the time to make sure you instil this in him \u2013 that he sits and uses his hind end. That\u2019s part of the basics and he is six and a half, he needs to know that. It doesn\u2019t stress him, it doesn\u2019t overly stretch him, for another horse it might be too much, but with him he feels great when he comes out of the stable, and I only play with it a little \u2013 even in rising trot at the start. Just shortening and going again, and shortening again.”<\/p>\n

\n

\"Warmup\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“I\u2019m just trying to keep him really forward and reaching but without wanting to support himself on the reins, so reaching softly and staying very balanced. I want a really good connection \u2013 through and soft.”<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Watching you work, it looked as if you were improving the extended trot by using the collected work, rather than getting the collected work from the extended paces? He seems to be one of those horses where the collection improves the extension?<\/em><\/p>\n

“For sure. I\u2019ve been trying to get him to sit more in his extended trot. He has a very expressive trot but he needed to sit a little more in it, and that really has helped him a lot. Sometimes too, just tapping a little bit on the top of the rump and then going forward in a bigger trot, trot to piaffe and then forward again. He seems to be very capable of holding a good rhythm in that, he doesn\u2019t go and then stutter back, it is not a big effort for him.”<\/p>\n

\n

\"TUTrot\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“He looks very enthusiastic in this photo, very expressive. He is pretty awesome to ride in the extended stride. It is not yet always controlled or balanced enough, and I get into trouble from Harry for letting it get too quick, so I am working on that. I guess often with baby horses, when you get power you get speed, and you have to get it straight in your mind, and their mind, that you can have power without speed. I do use quite a lot of piaffe \u2013 really half steps \u2013 before and after the extended work to get that across to him. I can\u2019t fault his enthusiasm in that photo.”<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

When you got your big trots slower it was more connected?<\/em><\/p>\n

“Yes, Harry has been chasing me for that, so I am getting used to slowing the extended trot down. If I can get him to sit enough and then give a little bit \u2013 every now and then I get him a bit too short in the neck when I am holding for too long. Once he starts taking weight on the hind legs I can give a lot more and keep the whole frame really good as well.”<\/p>\n

Is that a Warmblood problem area, that with their strength and their trainability they can also tend to be a little strung out behind with their hind legs?<\/em><\/p>\n

“I don\u2019t know that is a Warmblood trait \u2013 maybe it is a rider problem. Again I am used to riding these hot horses. Exellent is electric anyway and as you shortened him, he seemed to become more naturally active. Perhaps it is when you have a horse that is a little bit calmer, as you shorten, they might become less active. Maybe that is a rider awareness problem rather than a Warmblood problem. I am sure it is a problem with some Warmbloods, but I am sure there are some Thoroughbreds who have the same problem.”<\/p>\n

How did you introduce the piaffe and passage work to Jive \u2013 in hand, or did you have someone on the ground?<\/em><\/p>\n

“No, he and I just played around with it, and basically it just happened. I haven\u2019t worked him in hand because it happened quite easily just out of rising trot, just playing around shortening the trot and it was something he just offered. I have thought about working in hand with him but I haven\u2019t got around to it yet. I feel reasonably confident working them in hand. I worked Exellent in hand and I\u2019ve worked Stilton in hand. He\u2019s had a little bit of Harry helping him from the ground, but basically he has just offered it. I haven\u2019t interfered with it on the ground.”<\/p>\n

Do you take care to keep a clear difference between piaffe and passage?<\/em><\/p>\n

“With him he seems to already have quite a reasonable understanding of the difference. The only thing was his inclination was to be a little hollow, so I make sure that I keep him coming over the back in both the piaffe and passage, and we are still feeling our way there. I would certainly not say that feeling is entirely established, so that is something I work on all the time. Because he has this natural inclination to hold the rhythm, it hasn\u2019t appeared to be too much of a problem shortening and going forward again with the piaffe or passage.”<\/p>\n

Was it a problem stopping his working trot becoming passagey?<\/em><\/p>\n

“He hasn\u2019t shown an inclination to become passagey. He is naturally reasonably active and I think that helps. I think it is very easy to fall into the trap of not going forward enough, but I am lucky, I am surrounded by eventers so it is hard to fall into that trap at our place. If anything we are all fanging around too fast \u2013 I am lucky that I am working with a lot of other people around me, and the eventers live too dangerously not to go forward. There are enough eyes around, certainly with Heath \u2013 he seems to have eyes in the back of his head \u2013 so not going forward is not a problem.”<\/p>\n

\n

\"TUPir\"<\/a> “I love this shot. It is a working pirouette but he looks very balanced and powerful and up in front, but also I like his expression \u2013 he is interested and concentrating.
\nThis is one of my all time favourite photos, I love it.\u00a0I like the lightening tree in the\u00a0<\/em>background too!”<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

What are you working on in the canter?<\/em><\/p>\n

“In the canter I am trying to get it more active. Get the jump in the canter and at the same time trying to make sure I don\u2019t get him too short in the neck. That\u2019s where I think I sometimes get him too short. We are working on the collection in the canter\u2026”<\/p>\n

With working pirouettes?<\/em><\/p>\n

“I do use those, and again just shortening and lengthening. He didn\u2019t have a problem with walk canter, and canter walk so I have taken to doing the shortening work within the canter itself. I am working on the flying changes, which he seems to have a reasonable grasp of now. I wouldn\u2019t say they are 100% reliable yet but they are feeling really big and expressive, so we are really making headway there now.”<\/p>\n

Sequence changes?<\/em><\/p>\n

“No I haven\u2019t really played with them. When he is feeling really confident, I have probably done three fours at the most. I don\u2019t feel the sequence changes are going to be a problem provided that I make sure I have the single changes 100% reliable and straight and that he has it very clear in his mind.”<\/p>\n

\n

\n

\"TUChange\"<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

“I\u2019m happy with this shot. He is just getting the flying changes organized in his mind. When he gets it right, he feels really expressive.\u00a0<\/em>Here it does look expressive and he looks pretty confident, good through the neck.”
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Is it necessary with a younger horse to slightly give away your seat,\u00a0as you have done in this photo?<\/em><\/p>\n

“I was just going to say I look as if I am sitting forward a little bit. It wasn\u2019t necessarily a conscious thing. I\u2019m probably more of a feel type rider than a powerful-type rider and maybe that\u2019s my thing. Flying changes are a personal thing. I would think ideally I should be sitting upright, not leaning forward. I guess another rider might have ridden it a lot more powerfully. Ideally I would see me sitting more upright but that is the rider I am, I\u2019m trying to be sympathetic because he is only starting to get the idea organized in his mind, and you try not to interfere too much. \u00a0You try to set it up as much as you can, and then my thing is to not interfere.”<\/p>\n

You work him inside most of the time?<\/em><\/p>\n

“No, I work him outside. He is actually good inside or outside, it is just that the going in our outdoor arena is a little heavy so I don\u2019t work him an awful lot out there. I take him for a little walk every now and then, but mainly he works inside. We are in the middle of serving mares at the moment, but I don\u2019t have anything to do with that, so he only associates me with the riding, not the breeding work. He\u2019s got that quite organized in his mind and I find he has a really really good attitude at the moment even though he is in the middle.”<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t see it as a problem, a breeding stallion and a competition horse?<\/em><\/p>\n

“I really don\u2019t notice that much difference between the winter months and the breeding season. The only thing you have to watch is if he is serving twice a day and it is really hot, he can get tired. He is still only a young horse.”<\/p>\n

And reacting to other horses, is that a problem?<\/em><\/p>\n

“No, he is very good. If they are reasonably sensible I think they work out very quickly. It is clear in his brain, when he gets a saddle and a bridle on, that\u2019s it. He concentrates.”<\/p>\n

How do you plan a working session?<\/em><\/p>\n

“I play it very much by ear, by what I feel. I don\u2019t have a pre-conceived idea when I get on. Today I am going to do this. I usually have the same warmup. I warmup in walk, then rising trot, then canter and shorten and lengthen, and go back to sitting trot. Work on some lateral work. Some days I\u2019ll play with the piaffe \/ passage, and other days I\u2019ll leave it. Mostly I\u2019ll work my way through everything we are working on, but if I feel he is a little tired I might back off, and if he is a little fresh, he might get more work and we\u2019ll really work on the flying changes.”<\/p>\n

The lateral work hasn\u2019t been a problem?<\/em><\/p>\n

“No it has been very easy for him. I start lateral work on the circle. Just moving the horse a little bit off the leg into either bend, then shoulder in, renvers, travers\u2026 all on the circle and then on straight lines. Just making sure the horse is flexible and they understand that they listen to the leg.”<\/p>\n

How much work does he need?<\/em><\/p>\n

“Again depending on what he is doing. If it is quite hot and he is serving, then he doesn\u2019t get so much. I guess once the stud season dies down and the competitions are starting, the work load steps up \u2013 he probably works about 45 minutes a day.”<\/p>\n

Do you put him out?<\/em><\/p>\n

“No, he doesn\u2019t go out. He\u2019s got a stallion run he can go out in, but it is right near the mare barn, so he doesn\u2019t go out in breeding season. It would suit me much better for him to go out. I don\u2019t think standing in the stable twenty three hours a day is ideal, but if he comes out to serve twice a day and be ridden that\u2019s enough. Ideally I would have a yard for him to go out in.”<\/p>\n

When is he going FEI?<\/em><\/p>\n

“I guess he will tell me really. I don\u2019t think it is that far off, but I think he is good enough that I am not in a hurry to do it. I feel it will be this year, but I can\u2019t tell you exactly when. When I feel he is going to go out and do a good job. I don\u2019t have a timetable. I don\u2019t say one month doing the test at home, then he is ready to go out and do it. or six months at home and we are ready to go. I think it is very much up to the horse and how you feel about it. I feel it is fairly close, but I\u2019m not going to put a time line on it.”<\/p>\n

Is he the same horse at a competition as he is at home?<\/em><\/p>\n

“Pretty much. I\u2019ve been very happy with him. At the nationals he was a little bit spooky when I took him up to the top arena where they had those judges boxes, and I wondered how he\u2019d be heading straight towards one, but he was solid as a rock, he didn\u2019t look at anything. I was really really pleased with that because when I took him up there he was quite scared.”<\/p>\n

You spent quite a lot of time in Holland with Tineke Bartels, who has trained quite a bit with Anky van Grunsven and Sjeff Janssen \u2013 did you ever come to a conclusion about how useful those teachings of Sjeff\u2019s are?<\/em><\/p>\n

“Tineke has a very basic principle, that is very difficult to achieve, and it\u2019s making the horse totally flexible. You make him longitudinally flexible, and he has got to be able to reach as much as you want, but again without supporting himself on the rein. In the end you have got to be able to ride him as high or as low as you want to \u2013 and he also has to be laterally very flexible, and he has got to be flexible within the pace, you need to be able to control the tempo. You have to be able to do all that very fluidly and easily in all paces, all movements, any time you want. But that is very difficult to achieve. That is my interpretation of what Tineke was talking about, so you had control of the tempo and flexibility of the horse at all times.”<\/p>\n

\n

\"WarmUpC\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Looking at this photo, Sjeff would want you to drop the horse\u2019s head another half a metre?<\/em><\/p>\n

“Yes, that is what I\u2019m working on. I should be able to drop the horse\u2019s head I should be able to drop it as low as I want, any time. I\u2019m not saying I would necessarily ride around with the head very low for a long time, I have to interpret this and be able to feel I can control what I am doing. If I want to put his head up two feet, or down two feet, I should be able.”<\/p>\n

But you don\u2019t feel as Sjeff seems to, any compelling need to gymnasticise the horse by working him in the super round and low frame?<\/em><\/p>\n

“Far be it from me to say what Sjeff thinks. I\u2019ve only really read what Sjeff thinks, and watched what Anky\u2019s does, and they have been so incredibly successful that I don\u2019t really feel that I can comment on what they do. I totally admire the results they produce. But yes, if I want to put his head two feet lower than it is in the picture, I should be in control enough to do that without him supporting himself, just gently reaching more. I don\u2019t spend ages there, I guess it would depend on the horse. Jive feels so loose when you get on him, that I don\u2019t spend a lot of time down there. I guess that is because I don\u2019t necessarily feel comfortable with it, whether it is right or wrong time will tell. Because I am training by myself or with Heath watching or with Harry Boldt, I tend to work along their lines. I am working with this horse, particularly in the canter so I can get the neck longer. I do feel sometimes particularly in canter, that the neck comes too short. It is something I am working on.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pretty much they tell you how quickly you can train them. I\u2019m pretty pleased with the way he is going. He is six and a half now, and he doesn\u2019t feel stressed or stretched in any way. We are working on the piaffe and passage…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20301,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[20,475],"class_list":["post-15062","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dressage","tag-dressage-training","tag-rozzie-ryan"],"acf":[],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15062","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15062"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15062\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20469,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15062\/revisions\/20469"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15062"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15062"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}