{"id":26018,"date":"2016-06-07T16:36:18","date_gmt":"2016-06-07T06:36:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/?p=26018"},"modified":"2019-04-12T09:56:38","modified_gmt":"2019-04-11T23:56:38","slug":"george-morris-timeless-truths-part-four","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/2016\/06\/george-morris-timeless-truths-part-four\/","title":{"rendered":"George Morris – Timeless Truths"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"4-3-2a\"Words: Chris Hector and photos: Roz Neave<\/h3>\n

\u00a0George Morris\u00a0works with a\u00a0mixed of showjumping and eventing riders: Hilary Scott and Oaks Miss Scarlet, Danielle Butcher and Twins Zenith, Stuart Tinney was riding Kinnordy Genuine, Emma Smith on Ego Casablanca, Ian Hamilton and Corriegador while Emma Scott is riding Jenbern Monyana.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

George always focusses on\u00a0the issue of contact:<\/p>\n

\u201cFeel the hindleg in your hand, a steady hand. Today we have this fashion for hand riding, don\u2019t copy fashion, what is important is correctness. You must have elasticity from your shoulder to the horse\u2019s mouth, a straight line, a steady connection and elasticity of hand.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Elastic but firm;<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first problem is that riders drop their hand, they surrender their hand and the horse wins the battle of contact.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The next battle seemed to be the battle of the flying change \u2013 Stuart Tinney was having real problems with Genuine in the exercise which involved a change of lead within the circle \u2013 the mare would either canter disunited or drop into a trot. This time George had a new correction, one he tells us he learnt from the late Jack le Goff:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen she crossfires, push her over with your inside leg until she changes and watch the she doesn\u2019t trot, keep pushing her out with the inside leg. This is a different approach from the outside leg correction, but what\u2019s most important that she doesn\u2019t get into the habit of falling into the trot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not surprisingly, Stuart wins the battle. The next little skirmish is with Emma Scott\u2019s Monyana. Another of George\u2019s pet hates is horses that kick up behind in the change: \u201cIf he goes up like that, push and raise your hands. If he goes up, get his poll up. Don\u2019t put your outside leg too far back, that\u2019s like a fly asking them to kick up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once again a horse offends by kicking up behind in a change: \u201cLeg the sucker, clamp those legs, rip with the legs, that is a really huge resistance.\u201d\"Stuartcanter4\"\"StuartCanter7\"\"StuartCanter9\"<\/p>\n

Stuart Tinney works on changes with Kinnordy Genuine<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe psychiatrist of the horse is dressage. It is dressage that keeps him well physically and emotionally. Once a week, jumping riders should incorporate dressage into their riding \u2013 the eventers have to do it, and you can see the difference in their dressage.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the horses blows out and George is delighted: \u201cWhen the horse makes that brrr sound, that is the greatest sound because it tells you the horse is relaxed and accepting the aids.\u201d<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s enough, let\u2019s get galloping, another of those figure eights, over the vertical, tight turn right, over the oxer, tight turn left and back on the vertical.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis exercise is one of my favorites, it gets a very loose and forward rider. Just let the horse go forward and wait for the distance, wait to the base of the fence. \u2018Patience\u2019 \u2013 I don\u2019t like that word, it is a bit too sweet, it reminds me of all those \u2018baby sitter\u2019 instructors who are so sweet to the little darlings, they are always talking about \u2018patience\u2019. But it is true that when the training is slow, the progress is quick, when the teaching is quick, the progress is slow.\u201d\"jumpingworkout\"<\/p>\n

Exercise One: Blue Line; Exercise Two: Red Line<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is important with these fences is that the horse doesn\u2019t cut in, that it goes back to the track. The great Piero d\u2019Inzeo told me, let the horse go forward, then wait for the horse.\u201d\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cGive, give, give, be interested in giving. Of course you have to make a half halt with both your hands, but you have to get off the half halt. The half halt puts the horse on his hocks. The half halt for jumping is not as complex as for dressage, just take and give. Take for a maximum four counts, then get off. On the fifth count you are hanging on the mouth, that\u2019s too long.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great for horses and riders not to always have related jumps, not always obsessed with the measuring tape. Fast galloping work is important not for bending but for rotating the shoulder and fixing the haunch. Watch a horse in the paddock when he is travelling very fast, he might even be a little bent to the outside. At a certain speed, there is not much bending.\u201d<\/p>\n

And to the onlookers\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like the Coliseum, some of you are not here to see the equitation, but to watch the blood bath \u2013 as soon as I start to babysit, I retire.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now it was time to tighten the turns\u2026 over the vertical round the triple bar, over the Liverpool, tight turn back on to the vertical and this time go inside the triple bar to get to the Liverpool.\"Emma\"<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have absolutely no time to look at your horse \u2013 look ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

But even when we are galloping there are certain niceties that must be observed:<\/p>\n

\u201cSTOP! Is your stirrup twisted correctly? We must be meticulous.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe worst enemy of riding after rough, is stiff.\u201d<\/p>\n

read on below<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

George points out that this exercise is particularly good for Stuart\u2019s mare:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe figure eight helps teach her the outside leg, and this is good for her because she\u2019s a little bit of a hard-boiled horse. With a horse like this, you have to be super progressive, super gradual, so she starts to accept the outside leg. This type of horse forces you to learn tact.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cLet her go forward so you can shorten, shorten. If you don\u2019t let the horse open up in the turn it is impossible to compress the stride as you approach the fence. Let go, and at the fence, you package the horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

George was concentrating on Emma\u2019s big Carthago grandson: \u201cPackage him as close to the fence as possible. Drop him, drop him, package, package, drop him\u2026. Like everything in life, we have to get the feel, first by understanding, then by practicing. At the end of the day it is feel. You have to get there through the mechanical instruction process, but then it is feel. When you are at a horse show, watch, watch, watch. Look at Phillip le Jeune at Kentucky, he was the absolute winner, he rode every horse better than the others, he warmed up with tact, tact, tact. He out horsemaned the others, he was very sympathetic to the horses.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another exercise is waiting<\/p>\n

Over the vertical, tight turn to the oxer, over the wall, six to the Liverpool, and five back on the vertical. Stuart\u2019s mare stops on the final vertical. \u201cUse your spur, the whip is too strong.\u201d<\/p>\n

She stops again.\"StuartStop\"<\/p>\n

\u201cJust jump the vertical.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stops again\u2026 then jumps it.<\/p>\n

\u201cRepeat the whole thing. She\u2019s green and with these false ground lines, she is looking for a little out.\u201d<\/p>\n

This time the mare goes round the track in fine style.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to ask the horse to get clever with the construction of the fences, that\u2019s why there is a false ground line on the final vertical with the rail on the far side. Horses don\u2019t like false ground lines, but they have to work for a living. They have to become agile and intelligent.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cDone correctly, repetition is the teacher, but you have to ride very well to let the horse get the message of the question and the answer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow we are going to approach the vertical at a positive gallop, 350 to 370. The top riders have perfected fast gallops to deep spots \u2013 you need speed and round jumping. When the fences are delicate, you need pace to the base.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next exercise was the little vertical, tight left to the triple bar, over the oxer, vertical, then the wall and a tight turn left to finish.<\/p>\n

And when Emma gets her big camel to the spot, George is delighted:<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s perfect, now he starts working for a living. No one arrives at every fence perfect WORK IT OUT. The fence has to hold the horse, the fence has to round the horse, not you. Let the fence help you do the work. With any habit, first it is difficult, then it is easy, finally, it is beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

And some of the riders at least are getting good habits, three of them without being asked lengthen their leathers and take their feet out of the stirrups.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s good, whenever possible I take my feet out of the stirrup. Once a week I like to ride for 45 minutes without stirrups.\u201d\"NoStirrups3\"<\/p>\n

And just in case we hadn\u2019t got the message, for the third group, off went their stirrups, reins bridged and held in the outside hand, and it was on \u2013 sitting trot, rising trot, canter with their feet in front of the saddle, serpentines, shoulder in, half turns and leg yields, walk, counter canter, walk, counter canter through the corners and then to make things interesting, counter canter across the diagonal with a flying change. It was again a little scary. This was a group of quite advanced riders, finding it difficult to come to grips with what George calls a \u2018basic understanding of riding\u2019.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve come a long way, but oh dear, there is a long way to go yet\u2026 Let\u2019s hope that George keeps coming back for many years to remind us that riding is simple but demanding\u2026<\/p>\n

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

Morris, George H<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n