{"id":25853,"date":"2018-05-12T13:44:20","date_gmt":"2018-05-12T03:44:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/?p=25853"},"modified":"2021-01-30T13:10:57","modified_gmt":"2021-01-30T02:10:57","slug":"george-morris-timeless-truths-part-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/2018\/05\/george-morris-timeless-truths-part-one\/","title":{"rendered":"George Morris – Timeless Truths – Part One"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GeorgeMorrisBackgroundStory by Christopher Hector and\u00a0Photos by Roz Neave<\/h3>\n

If the role of the trainer is to re-state simple truths over and over again, there is no trainer in the universe who can do the job anywhere near as well as George Morris. The most amazing thing is that even if you are a serial GM clinic attendee, I\u2019ve been addicted since 1988, each time those timeless truths come packaged in a whole new set of startling sentences, each time with insights that are as fresh as tomorrow\u2019s dawn…<\/strong><\/p>\n

So it was yet again at the 2011 Clinics at SIEC. At the age of 72, George shows no signs of losing the cutting edge of his wit, or the acuteness of his ability to read horse and rider.\"GeorgeIntro\"<\/p>\n

At last, it would seem that Australian riders are appreciating the unique opportunity that time with George represents, and clinic organizer, Vicki Roycroft was delighted with the flood of applications for this year\u2019s event, although the world wide wacko weather almost put an end to the whole thing when blizzards closed the Atlanta airport.<\/p>\n

\u201cI managed to get to Los Angeles and when I arrived there, I found they had erased my seat. I gave the young lady behind the counter first my decrepit old look, then my Hitlerian look, it\u2019s like training a horse, repeat, repeat, repeat, and I finally was upgraded and made it here\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

What a nice line-up of horses greeted the master in the first group: Hilary Scott and Pro Ratina (an imported mare bred top and bottom to Pilot), Jamie Kermond and BWP Lincoln (by the great Indoctro), Jamie Grant and Vedette (another imported mare, this time by Cassini I out of a grand-daughter of Lucky Boy), Vicki Roycroft and Kartoon (by another great, Quidam de Revel), Danielle Butcher and the amazing Anglo Arab, Twins Quantum and Amanda Madigan and an exciting daughter of Vivant, Vigo.<\/p>\n

In case you missed any of the countless stories I have written on George and his teaching, he is a stickler for detail and hates lazy or slack behaviour. \u201cIt\u2019s a problem, jumping riders take short cuts, they can\u2019t be bothered adjusting their stirrup leathers. Most of them end up riding in a chair seat, and what causes a chair seat? Short stirrups. In my system we have three, four, five lengths, and now I want your leathers at least two holes longer in a riding length. We have a riding seat, a jumping seat, a dressage seat and a racing seat, and you have to acquire all four.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

And of course, even in walk, there has to be total concentration: \u201cI know you are only walking, but don\u2019t tap with your legs. One blow with both spurs if necessary, but don\u2019t tap, tap, tap, and raise your hands. I don\u2019t want low, fixed, dead hands – don\u2019t drop your hands. Your arm must be flexible with a supple elbow oscillating at the walk with the horse\u2019s mouth. The contact must be even on both sides, invite the horse to stretch to your hands, and if the horse raises its head, lift your hands and softly push the horse to the bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GeorgeMorrisJammedHands-Mar11\"Don’t drop your hands…<\/em>\"GeorgeMorrisCarryHands-Mar11\"<\/p>\n

Supple elbow…<\/em><\/p>\n

It was into trot and right from the first step, George wanted the riders to establish a rhythm. Trot eight to ten strides, transition to walk, three or four strides then back to trot, working all the time on making the horse light to the aids. George was concentrating on contact: \u201cClose your hand, don\u2019t drop your hands. There should be a straight line to the horse\u2019s mouth, and none of this left \/ right pulling \u2013 I HATE THAT!\u201d\"GeogeMorrisEvenContact-Mar11\"<\/p>\n

The contact must be even on both sides<\/em><\/p>\n

If this feels like the most basic of dressage lessons, you are right…<\/p>\n

Next the dressage lesson<\/em><\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

It is a very good basic dressage lesson, and if half a dozen of our top riders can benefit from it, I suspect we all can. And I suspect that lots of it has to do with being \u2018meticulous\u2019, one of George\u2019s favourite words:<\/p>\n

\u201cRide deep into the corners, be meticulous about your dressage. Now come out in shoulder in, and remember that you fix the haunches and displace the shoulder. Think first about riding the hind legs, you are too busy riding the horse\u2019s neck.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DanniShoulderIn\"<\/p>\n

Danielle and Twins Quantum… shoulder in<\/em><\/p>\n

Time to canter: \u201cFor the canter we want the horse on the outside rein, with the outside leg slightly back and we prompt with the inside leg. There is a slight flexion to the inside, and the inside leg gives the impulsion.\u201d\"GeorgeMorrisAmandaCanter-Mar11\"<\/p>\n

Amanda and Vigo<\/em><\/p>\n

Cut to canter \/ walk \/ canter transitions \u2013 lots of them. Eight to ten strides canter, two or three strides walk, canter, walk, canter, walk, then a half turn in canter to proceed in counter canter. But still the riders had to work on contact:<\/p>\n

\u201cTake for two\/three give, give, don\u2019t hold. Take and give, that will give you self-carriage. These are exercises to collect, collection not by draw reins, but by correct riding.\u201d<\/p>\n

And it is not all contact: \u201cEverything is legs, legs, legs, everything is bringing the horse to the head, not bringing the head to the body. You are all obsessed with seat, I\u2019m obsessed with leg.\u201d<\/p>\n

The spectators are speculating \u2013 which one will he pick to ride? It\u2019s Jamie Kermond\u2019s Lincoln, a horse that has shown a tendency to go above the bit and that is just why George has selected him\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t pull the head down, drive the head down. Low open stiff hands affects your position, you need steady but supple contact\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

As always George is a horse appreciator (Riders, even spectators can sometimes feel the rough edge of his tongue, but I have never ever seen him put down a horse)<\/em> and he likes the Indoctro gelding: \u201cThis is a lovely horse. Oh what a horse.\u201d\"GeorgeLincoln-Mar11\"<\/p>\n

Oh what a horse… BSW Lincoln!<\/em><\/p>\n

George is just sitting there, letting the horse find its own balance, riding tiny canter voltes: \u201cI don\u2019t push the horse, I don\u2019t work \u2013 the horse works. The first thing is to get the horse in front of my legs. Watch my hands, it\u2019s not this zig zag garbage, that\u2019s cheap. I hate this current riding style, bringing the head to the body. Classical riding is to bring the body to the head. This is a leg based system with motion of the horse. This is a system to teach the horse to carry himself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sure enough, the horse is longer, stretching to the bit and looks so much more settled when George is finished with him, and Jamie is counselled to change his ways: \u201cDon\u2019t set your hands on the wither, the hand belongs to the mouth, not the wither, don\u2019t fix your hands so stiff, copy what I did. Self-carriage is the Holy Grail of riding, it is not so popular today, with all this helping, helping, helping.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over a jump, George is no fan of the famed American crest release: \u201cAmanda, not that crest release, hold your hands alongside the neck.\u201d\"GeorgeMorrisamandaRelease-Mar11\"<\/p>\n

When you halt, you halt in precisely the right place: \u201cStop at a specific place, come to the second corner then halt. This is specific riding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Specific riding but the horse is allowed the freedom to make mistakes\u2026 when a horse bungles its way over a jump, George is happy:<\/p>\n

\u201cLet the horse learn not to twist and hang, don\u2019t help the horse. Let the horse be awkward and teach himself not to be awkward.\u201d<\/p>\n

And don\u2019t get the impression that George spends all his time abusing his students, he is equally quick to praise, so when Hilary Scott finishes her line with a lovely corner into a square halt, of her own initiative, \u201cHilary that is dressage\u2026. Beautiful, she is a great student.\u201d\"GeorgeMorrisHilaryCanter-Mar11\"<\/p>\n

Hilary and Pro Ratina<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we are doing is a combination of French and German dressage and Italian jumping and some people might think the light racing seat is old fashioned and out-of-date, but look at Eric Lamaze, look at Rodrigo Pessoa, and to ride like they do requires very good dressage, legs and stirrups not just seat.\u201d\"GeorgeMorrisRebezoRodrigoPessoaLR\"<\/p>\n

Rodrigo and Rebozo at Kentucky<\/em><\/p>\n

As George points out on numerous occasions, the halt is the beginning and the end of the Grand Prix dressage test, and every halt should be a dressage exercise. \u201cThe horse stops in front of you, you should feel like he\u2019s walking (into the halt).\u201d<\/p>\n

The position of the rider\u2019s foot is critical at all times \u2013 the rider can be battling through the toughest of GM\u2019s tough lines and he doesn\u2019t care that you made it to the other side leaving all the rails in the cups, \u201cAdjust your stirrup, drop your heel, this position displaces your weight to your feet.\u201d<\/p>\n

And if you think all this is very complicated and hard to understand, you are wrong, as he tells Amanda Madigan: \u201cCome on Amanda, don\u2019t be so complicated. You make riding complicated my dear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even when he likes what he sees, he wants more. Jamie Kermond turns super tight on the top of a Liverpool to make the seven stride distance George wants and is rewarded with a \u2018perfect\u2019, followed by \u201cbut repeat it, so I know it wasn\u2019t luck. You really have to be on the ball on the top of that Liverpool to get the seven \u2013 it is not as easy as it looks, you have to have conviction. It is not just the jumping \u2013 the riding is critical. The trick is to not rush the Liverpool.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Each and every item of tack is critically evaluated, with the emphasis on the critical: \u201cI don\u2019t like these white \u2018happy mouth\u2019 bits. If I see a \u2018happy mouth\u2019 bit, I can guarantee the horse has an unhappy mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Every jumping exercise is related to a dressage exercise, thus George had the riders jumping a line of three jumps, but the second he dropped his hand, they were to stop \u2013 right in front of the last jump.<\/strong> It was an exercise to shorten the horse \u2013 to illustrate the range of responses associated with the half halt: first half halt, halt, then rein back.\"Georgeexcercise1<\/p>\n

EXERCISE ONE<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an exercise to teach the horse to shorten by full halts. When you halt, stretch your spine, make sure your weight is in your heel and with the contact in both hands, elevate the poll. When you stop, don\u2019t grab with your legs, your leg should be just in contact, if you grab then you are using conflicting aids.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was about halting, it was also about travelling fast: \u201cThis sport is half way to racing, especially today, in the jump off is always boils down to racing and that means you have to get off the horse\u2019s back and adopt the principles of Caprilli, much of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The second group of riders was also an interesting lot. Hilary Scott and Danni Butcher must have been vying for the \u2018Chris Chugg \u2013 who can ride in the most sessions\u2019 award, since they both went out one door and came right back in again, this time Hilary was riding Oaks Miss Scarlett (another imported mare, by Papillon Rouge), while Danielle was riding the Thoroughbred ex-eventer, Twins Zenith, Stuart Tinney was riding Kinnordy Rubino, Emma Smith on the ginormous Ego Casablanca (by Camelot Ego Z out of an Aachen mare), Ian Hamilton was mounted on Corriegador (an interestingly bred gelding, a three quarter brother to Conquistador, out of the same mare and by a Clinton\/Darco stallion) while Emma Scott is riding her up-and-coming and very talented young eventer, Jenbern Monyana.<\/p>\n

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

As might be expected, the riders get a solid workout on the flat before they are let anywhere near a jump. Contact is once again a major issue, Corriegador is coming above the bit, but George does not want Ian to over-react. \u201cResist in exactly the same proportion as he resists.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the flat work, George expects riders to know the correct terminology for manege riding, and woe betide the rider who confuses a half turn with a reverse half turn \u2013 and it is not pedantry since they will be using the reverse half turn as an integral part of the next exercise. Over two fences, reverse half turn back over the fences again. It is an exercise in loosening up and getting with the flow of the jumping: \u201cRide it loose, don\u2019t stop and start. Keep the pace, keep the position, don\u2019t sit down.\u201d\"34\"<\/p>\n

EXERCISE TWO<\/em><\/p>\n

Then things start to get more interesting, over a triple bar (with the top two rails at the same height) cut between two on the jumps of the treble and over the water jump and then round over a wall.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll start with you Stuart, when you see a stride, soften and drop your hands.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is the other eventer, Emma Scott, who wins the most effusive praise, \u201cyou are an excellent pupil, not quite in the \u2018pet\u2019 category yet, but close. Repeat the exercise and progressively make it faster, tighten the line. On that tight turn from the water to the wall, don\u2019t chase it, just think it. Horses are built by these exercises, not by course jumping.\u201d<\/p>\n

And as Emma rides the line, George bellows: \u201cSTOP.\u201d The angle of her stirrup iron is not perfect. \u201cNow do it faster, faster. Yeah, there we go, don\u2019t protect this horse to death. Despite you, he was better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"36\"EXERCISE THREE<\/em><\/p>\n

If Emma\u2019s stirrup angle fails to pass muster, Danni has total melt down since she is once again using the red \u2018Disco\u2019 irons that incurred the master\u2019s displeasure last year. \u201cYou need heavier irons. Proper stainless steel traditional stirrups \u2013 if you lose one of those, it is easy to get it back. Plus they look beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now there was another gymnastic \u2013 a line of three oxers:\"37\"<\/p>\n

\u201cHorses have to be taught to be clever. After the quick stuff, now we have the triple of oxers to help shape them. Don\u2019t help the horse with your body, help with your voice, and keep the horse straight to get the bascule. This exercise gets their shape back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Veteran GM watchers know that while it is okay \u2013 indeed desirable \u2013 to deliberately stop in front of a fence, circling is a real no no. \u201cDon\u2019t circle in front of a fence, don\u2019t complicate it, it is called horse jumping, let the horse go to the jump.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still George was worried about the quality of the contact: \u201cWhen the horse resists, don\u2019t take your hands back behind your hip, shorten the rein and fix the hand. NEVER side to side NEVER. The first step to submission is a properly shortened rein. The next step is to fix the hand, and the third and most difficult is to wait for the horse. It might be 30 seconds, it might be three minutes, it might be eight minutes. How old are you Emma? Twenty-two. You are much too young to understand, it is impossible at twenty-two to wait.\u201d\"BigOxersStuart\"<\/p>\n

\u201cWho is your teacher?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been working with Stuart.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the great Dr Neckermann came to the Los Angeles Olympics, we had a great jumping team, and he said to me, \u2018George, don\u2019t think I\u2019m rude, but I think your students ride better than you.\u2019 You are good because you are aggressive and smart \u2013 smart and aggressive can conquer the world, aggressive and stupid can do nothing good. Stuart, it is great that even though you are a great rider, you come to this clinic, you are putting yourself subject to abuse, you are an inspiration to the other riders\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

(There was, I understand, a degree of cluck clucking in the web world at George\u2019s alleged rudeness to his students, with a few of the smaller minds vowing that they would never subject themselves to such treatment \u2013 they have no need to worry, George would not even acknowledge their existence, he only gets tough on students he respects\u2026)<\/em><\/p>\n

In part two,\u00a0George Morris is back with more jumping magic \u2013 don\u2019t miss it\u2026<\/p>\n

\n

Breed to the best bloodlines from Europe, go to<\/strong><\/em><\/span> www.ihb.com.au<\/a> and make your choice, from stallions like Chacoon Blue, combining two top lines:<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

This article first appeared in the March 2011 issue of THM.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If the role of the trainer is to re-state simple truths over and over again, there is no trainer in the universe who can do the job anywhere near as well as George Morris. Each time those timeless truths come packaged in a whole new set of startling sentences, each time with insights that are as fresh as tomorrow\u2019s dawn…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25866,"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":[6],"tags":[71,67],"class_list":["post-25853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-show-jumping","tag-george-morris","tag-showjumping"],"acf":[],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25853","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=25853"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25853\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57232,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25853\/revisions\/57232"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}