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George on Chris Chugg’s Cera Cassiago<\/em><\/p>\n There\u2019s a reason George Morris has won his place in the firmament of great trainers. It\u2019s not his dry, memorable, facebookable one liners, though it\u2019s worth watching one of his clinics just for them. He has a system. A simple, tried and true, reliable system with an emphasis on rider position and use of the aids. It\u2019s been developed not just from sitting in the corner of the arena, but from decades of experience on the back of the horse. Having said that though, George is a great watcher, a tremendous studier, a studious reader and remains, to this day, a scholar of the sport he loves. He is a generous trainer and loves sharing his knowledge with those who work hard and are truly interested.<\/p>\n The day was set out with four sessions of three to four riders each, beginning with lower level riders and working up to some of our top stars, the gum tree studded arena in which it was staged making the baking heat bearable. No matter what level the horses and riders, the sessions had the signature George Morris system behind them. And you don\u2019t want to be late to a lesson. On time means 10 minutes early. \u201cI grew up in New York City. New York City is hustle!\u201d explained George.<\/p>\n Each lesson began the same way; gear and position check. The trainer was amassing a lot of information about how a combination went even before they moved, \u201cI see that bit and I see contact problems,\u201d George indicated to one rider. And to us coaches, \u201cGet people in a habit of looking straight ahead. Start with looking up and ahead at a point, then lean forward slightly so that they\u2019re in a squat. Step two, rise to take the seat out of the saddle, then displace weight into heels and sink back into the saddle. This is called weight displacement, the weight goes out of the seat and into the heels. The dressage school of sit, sit, sit, isn\u2019t always correct. This is a jumping clinic not a competition dressage clinic.\u201d<\/p>\n When George was happy with how the riders were turned out, it was time for work. First was the all important flat work so it was necessary for stirrups to be at flat work length and returned to that hole at the end of the lesson.<\/p>\n Morris is well aware that dressage and flat work can be easily bypassed by showjumpers and their instructors for the more exciting aspects of the discipline, but he had a warning and a reminder of the responsibility we have as trainers, \u201cYou can\u2019t be a one horse\/ one rider horseman. You must have a system built on scientific, modern thinking. The basis is dressage even though with the training for showjumping there are some differences. You have to have this basis for the horse\u2019s physical and mental wellbeing. Anybody can be the one great rider with a couple of great horses. Anybody can do it. But as instructors you have decades of horses and riders to help. There has to be the mentality and interest to do this type of work before you jump.\u201d<\/p>\n George explained how fast each pace should be and how to achieve it. \u201cThe horse walks about 6km\/hr. Make the horse go with your leg and crop, not your seat.\u201d Then he required a rising trot at about 10km\/hr, canter at 14km\/hr and finally a two point seat and slow gallop at 16km\/hr. He wanted the horses to have a good, forward tendency and work on their own. This was explained to Rangimarie Whatley in no uncertain terms, \u201cRangi, canter your horse. You baby the hell out of her, I can tell. Canter.\u201d George also isn\u2019t a believer in treats for horses, \u201cThey start nipping and it\u2019s no good for their mouth when you\u2019re riding. There are enough mouth problems here in Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n With rider position under control and the horses moving correctly at all gaits, George began to add some exercises, gradually and with good explanation; he is a communication king. The first was an exercise for turning and the American introduced it and broke it right down in an a manner that would not be easily forgotten. \u201cWhat\u2019s the difference between looking and seeing? Looking is focused at a point; seeing is using peripheral vision. That\u2019s important. Riding a horse is very much like driving a car. I\u2019ll drive with Paul Schockem\u00f6hle even though he goes fast as hell. There are some people here I wouldn\u2019t drive with.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFirst collect your horse with slow sitting trot, then look where you\u2019re going to go and then you turn. This is the order. Do it in stages. Even if it\u2019s very fast, it needs to be a habit. You have to concentrate because most people do it wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n The importance of good concentration kept coming up time and time again, \u201cWhen people get on a horse, they go brain dead, no matter how intelligent they are. Discipline is important, concentration is important because riding is a dangerous sport. Don\u2019t have a conversation with your student, educate them. We are teaching them to be horse trainers, though we don\u2019t tell them that. Horse training. That\u2019s what all this is.\u201d<\/p>\n Exercises were only executed a few times, with no drilling of the horse and he encouraged other coaches to do the same, \u201cIf you had a group, you could do this exercise four to five times but there\u2019s another lesson next week, so you don\u2019t have to do it to death. I watch Isabell Werth. She is a horse trainer. She plays with the horse. She doesn\u2019t grill them and grill them and grill them. She works them, she pats them, she gives them a loose rein. Don\u2019t go 45 minutes doing the same thing. Mix it up. An exercise need only be three to ten minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n Stirrups up and girths were rechecked before it was time to jump. Well aware of the horse\u2019s welfare, George explained, \u201cMost people in today\u2019s sport want to jump. We can teach jumping without actually jumping. Poles on the ground, cavaletti and cross poles can teach jumping without breaking the horses.\u201d<\/p>\n Before anyone took a fence, George explained his system further and the checklist he uses to progress horse and rider. \u201cThere are four basics of jumping that I teach:<\/p>\n 1. You\u2019re able to stay with the motion of the horse.\u00a0<\/em>(upper body)<\/em><\/p>\n 2. You\u2019re able to take a cavaletti and you have leg\u00a0<\/em>position with your heel down (lower leg)<\/em><\/p>\n 3. You\u2019re able to ride a line of sight and stop your\u00a0<\/em>horse at a certain point (eyes; direction and distance).<\/em><\/p>\n Release.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWith all these groups, I have to address all these cornerstones. Thomas Fuchs, Eric Lamaze, you\u2019ll see this system in all these riders. It is a system of success. It works for not just some riders but lots of riders. Beezie Madden, she\u2019s a great teacher because she teaches as she rides. And she can do that at all levels. This system accommodates all\u00a0riders.\u201d<\/p>\n Steps one to three were all addressed over the cavaletti while step four, the release, was practiced over a small cross rail then five strides to an oxer. \u201cAs you go over the jump, reach up and grab that mane.\u201d<\/p>\n George on Rangi’s horse<\/em><\/p>\n Rangi was having a few issues with her mount and George was quick to jump onboard. \u201cPeople, basically I hate teaching. No I like it but I sort of hate it. I like riding!\u201d and was that half a smile I could see? Not one to miss an opportunity to have a ride, George rode a horse each session, but along with most things Morris undertakes, there was also a purpose. He could show the riders and spectators exactly what he was looking for. \u201cJim (Scobie), this is what you do, it\u2019s popular today, you drop back in the saddle. You sit, it rushes the horse and makes him hollow. Don\u2019t sit back on the horse like that in between the jumps. Stay with the horse. Watch me. I don\u2019t have to do it by the seat of my pants like you do it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is half halt. When you execute it, you don\u2019t have to sit down. You do have to keep the horse in front of your leg though. He has to be up in front and light. This obsession with seat, seat, seat. No. Light. Use different seats, people, not a single rigid or static one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll take this horse. I\u2019ll keep this one. I don\u2019t care if he\u2019s 21. He can be in my birthday stocking next month. This is a horse that\u2019s content. He is submissive, light, forward and in rhythm.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood. Take a short break. These people were excellent. Leave me in peace for a minute on MY horse!\u201d joked the\u00a0master.<\/p>\n Session two saw some talented young riders and began the same way; gear check and position check. It then continued in the same fashion as the first group: flat work, stirrups up, cavaletti, cross rail to oxer and then and mini course. However, this time the work was a touch harder. It was assumed the basics were understood and George started to refine a little more, like a sculptor.<\/p>\n Hands were still a problem for these riders and George really wanted them to understand the importance of getting it right. \u201cIf the horse raises it\u2019s head, raise your hand. Horses hate you pulling down and having a broken line below the straight line. It puts too much pressure on the sensitive bars of the mouth. You people can\u2019t wait to pull the horse\u2019s head down! How often do you see me pull the head down? You have to wait for the horse. It\u2019s punishment\/ reward. If the horse raises his head or shakes, I raise my hand and when he softens and takes the bit, I lower my hand back down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can break the line above the straight line but not below the straight line. Don\u2019t see saw the horse\u2019s mouth. You can close your fingers and resist, but don\u2019t see saw.\u201d<\/p>\n You soon realise that the horse always comes first in the Morris system. Not only does he dislike the modern style of over flexing the horses, but the back should always be considered. \u201cTo walk from trot, sink into the saddle. When did people stop thinking about the fragility of the horse\u2019s back? The horse\u2019s back is fragile, don\u2019t be heavy.\u201d<\/p>\n This group saw the introduction of lateral work and George again broke the process right down, \u201cHow do we control a horse\u2019s shoulder? We have to control his feet. We use our hands via the opening rein or the neck rein but keep your hands up over the horse\u2019s wither. To take the shoulders left, open the left hand and push the right hand into the shoulder. This is rocking the shoulder. Get the horse responsive. If you want to affect the horse\u2019s shoulder, use the leg on the girth and both hands. If you want to affect the horse\u2019s haunches, use the leg further back.\u201d<\/p>\n This then lead on to turn on the forehand and leg yield, which George considers just the first step of haunches in rather than a movement in its own right.<\/p>\n Then it was cavaletti before the cross rail and oxer. These young riders were quite confirmed in the four step system of posture and instead of just looking at release, they had to practice short and long releases, but there were still corrections to be made. \u201cMost of you have a habit, you jump a jump and then you grab them, not just with your hands but with your seat as well. It interferes with the horse\u2019s gallop. Stay out of the saddle. I adjust my position all the time. It\u2019s a habit. I\u2019m old but I have posture.\u201d<\/p>\n Will Mathews demonstrates the release on Master Footloose<\/em><\/p>\n This was a great segue to practice the two and three point seat. \u201cWhen you\u2019re jumping a course you use both. Up and down. It\u2019s not always one or the other. What\u2019s important is the upper body.\u201d<\/p>\n Then it was time to try it out. \u201cTwo point around here and then just sink and slightly touch the saddle into three point contact, jump then back to two point after the jump. The upper body doesn\u2019t change and the hip angle barely changes at all.\u201d Being competent at using these two positions will improve the rider\u2019s timing.<\/p>\n There was more evidence that George is always watching and learning and expects his students to do the same, \u201cKeep it simple. There are two positions, both have the upper body forward to release the horse\u2019s back. Kevin Staut, Patrice Delaveau are the ones to watch for the two point seat. They don\u2019t change the angle of the hip. Laura Kraut and Ian Miller are good ones to see that too.\u201d<\/p>\n George only gets the riders to focus on one thing at a time and now the group\u2019s attention was on heels. Each rider popped over a jump focusing on nothing but their heels and lower leg position. \u201cI don\u2019t care what the horse does or what happens as long as their heels are down after they\u2019ve jumped that liverpool. To get heels, we do a two point seat and then it has to be maintained in the three point. No matter what happens, the heels must be down.\u201d<\/p>\n Eyes were next. Where the first group was riding to a point, this group now had to practice over three jumps. \u201cTurn left into a jump, straight for three strides, jump, six strides and turn right, jump, turn left. I don\u2019t care if they make a mistake, I just want them to concentrate on their eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n The progression to look for distances was discussed. \u201cDistance is a choice. I want you to jump over the liverpool. Let go of your horse a little bit just before the turn. Watch the top rail and sense the distance. If I\u2019m not sure I wait, I stay still. That\u2019s the recipe to see a distance. Look at it, let go, measure (so you know whether to move up or wait). If in doubt, wait it out.\u201d<\/p>\n After lunch, the third group of riders saw more finessing of the system and after the gear and position check, the main focus was on straightness, achieved by having good control of the horse\u2019s lateral positioning. The master sited the greats before him, \u201cSteinbrecht says, \u2018Make your horse straight and ride him forward.\u2019 Everyone should read Steinbrecht. \u201cYour object in straightening is to put the forehand in front of the hind quarter. When the horse travels, his instinct is to go crooked with the shoulder out and haunches in because he is wider at the quarters than the shoulder. You have to put the hind quarter on the track with your inside leg. If the horse is crooked, he does not have to shorten his pace and you cannot collect.\u201d Straightness was achieved using four track shoulder fore to three track shoulder in, making sure there was no change in the rhythm. Control of the forward part of the equation was practiced via transitions within the trot for a specified number of strides before shoulder fore and shoulder in were executed at the canter, leading to increased collection.<\/p>\n George then jumped on Rhys Stones\u2019 BS On Air to give a demonstration and to recapitulate what he had been telling the group. \u201cAs you turn, keep the neck straight with the outside rein. Mobilise the shoulders. I touch him with the spur because he\u2019s quite dead to the leg. You want them leg ridden; leg to hand. To start he needs to be active and in front of leg. Then straight with the forehand in front of quarters and inside hind on the track. For this I use shoulder fore. I want him active and regular. He must accept contact with his mouth. We have to get the horses on their hindlegs.\u201d<\/p>\n George riding Rhys Stones’ BS On Air<\/em><\/p>\n George worked the horse in turns, shoulder fore, a few poles and canter to get him up and soft in front and active behind before a stretch, \u201cLet the horse stretch but not rush. That\u2019s good for his back.\u201d Happy with how the horse was carrying himself, it was time to try some flying\u00a0changes.<\/p>\n Morris explained the progression, \u201cAt first people, teach your horse in full seat in all exercises. He has to learn acceptance. If the horse bucks, he goes backwards into the aids. Sit, get his head up and push. Then sit up out of the saddle and now the horse is ridden just off the leg. Most people pull the inside rein. You have to do it with your legs. The problem in this country is that you accept mistakes, you accept less than perfection. Perfect practice is important.\u201d<\/p>\n Stirrups up and it was time to pop over the cross rail and oxer. Again there was the warning of sitting in the saddle between jumps. \u201cDon\u2019t sit back after the fence. It\u2019s arse wrapping. Stay out of the saddle. You\u2019re indoctrinated with heavy seats, heavy horses. Keep it light! The horse has to carry you. You carry the horses here.\u201d<\/p>\n The focus was then on the different ways of riding the horse to the jumps. \u201cThere are three ways to ride; in front of, with or behind the motion of the horse. Which are the two correct ones? With and behind. Which is smoother? With is smoother. Behind is stronger. Teachers, watch the riders\u2019 hip angles. They are closed over the vertical and more open over the liverpool. That\u2019s where you carry the horse which is sometimes very necessary. But your object is not to have to do this all the time. You have to have this tool, even though I don\u2019t like it very much.\u201d<\/p>\n The whole time George was looking for good self carriage in the horses and the riders doing as little as possible. \u201cThat should be the holy grail in all riding: self carriage. The horse should carry us, but that is not easy to teach people or to achieve. Get on the internet and watch John Whitaker. Watch Nick Skelton. Does he get horses operating in self carriage? Oh!\u201d<\/p>\n This carried through to the next exercise getting the horses light and mobile with a single rail, triple and lots of bends and turns in between. Never for a second was rider position ignored. Heels down to control the leg and therefore not irritate the horse, staying out of the saddle, being aware of distances and knowing whether to ride to a fence or wait.<\/p>\n The final session saw some of our best jumpers take to the arena; Chris Chugg on Cera Cassiago, Vicki Roycroft on Congo and Amanda Madigan aboard Baluga. Even they weren\u2019t immune to the obligatory gear check.<\/p>\n Chris Chugg and Cera Cassiago<\/em><\/p>\n George continued to break down ideas so everyone could understand, \u201cWe are interested in having the horse round. That\u2019s bascule. It doesn\u2019t happen from your hands or draw reins. It starts from your lower leg, principally your inside leg. This is what happens; a horse is in the pasture naturally hollow. You put a rider on its back and it\u2019s worse. There are seven joints in the hind leg that have to flex, the most important, the hip and stifle. This engages the hind end. You get that with leg aids. Every exercise you want the hind leg under. When you engage the hind leg, the croup starts to drop and the ribs come out, the back comes up and the withers come up and as a consequence, the neck comes round. You lot are all obsessed with necks! The first question should be, is the horse active behind? Only then can he start to engage and get those seven joints flexing and bending.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s first. Impulsion. Not rhythm. How can you talk about rhythm if you don\u2019t have impulsion?\u201d<\/p>\n The riders first had to get their horses active with cadence, then straight, even on bent lines so small circles were included in the initial flat work. Next were lots of transitions and lateral work, including haunches in and counter shoulder in, stepping it up a bit from the previous group, before rising trot and resting the horse\u2019s back, but keeping enough contact so the horse didn\u2019t get quick. George warned against the canter to trot transition though, \u201cI hate that transition because when you go and shorten the gallop, they come back to trot and we don\u2019t want that.\u201d<\/p>\n Amanda Madigan and Baluga<\/em><\/p>\n Always with the final job in mind, that is to jump a course, spiraling circles were practiced, \u201cFirst circle is a maximum of eight metres. Ride three to four circles then go straight and repeat somewhere else. The base of the horse\u2019s neck has to be quite straight and stiff so the bend is in the body. Tight spirals are perfect for the jumping horse.\u201d<\/p>\n Everyone showed their flying changes before George jumped aboard Chuggy\u2019s lovely import, with a running explanation on what he was doing, \u201cWhat I want with this horse is that it engages and that is expressed with active paces; that the horse takes the bit, not by pulling his head down, but by you pushing him to meet the bit. First he has to be pushed against it from your leg and then away from the bit. I have to offer some resistance with my hand here so he pushes away from it. Equal pressure both sides of the horse\u2019s mouth. I don\u2019t carry my horse with my seat. No. I have legs and hands. As I push the horse, I have to keep him up in his forehand. You people think that it\u2019s wrong to elevate the poll because the horrible fashion of riding today is rollkur. It is horrible for the horse and horrible for its muscles. Horrible. The fashion today is over-flexed, rubber necked horses. No matter how deep I sit, I\u2019m not crushing the horse\u2019s loins as I\u2019m staying slightly in front of the vertical. The horse has to be light and responsive to the leg and I still keep him on the outside rein. Now I go into the second seat. His back comes up and he stretches.\u201d<\/p>\n Chris got his horse back and George wanted everyone to fully understand what his ride was about, \u201cSo, you watched, my question is what did you see? Impulsion! Can you see what they\u2019re doing to horses today? They\u2019re breaking horses\u2019 necks and ruining all the top line.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"_K3A3298\"](\"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/K3A3298.jpg\")
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\nI suggest you get Gustav Steinbrecht Gymnasium of the Horse. Ride the horse from the back to the front. Always have him in front of your leg.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n