{"id":26840,"date":"2017-09-22T15:10:49","date_gmt":"2017-09-22T05:10:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/?p=26840"},"modified":"2022-04-18T12:24:16","modified_gmt":"2022-04-18T02:24:16","slug":"a-masterclass-with-a-master-george-morris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/2017\/09\/a-masterclass-with-a-master-george-morris\/","title":{"rendered":"A Masterclass with a Master\u2026 George Morris"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"\"Group\"Story by Chris Hector and photos by Roz Neave<\/h3>\n

The final sessions of George Morris\u2019 Australian clinics were conducted in the wonderful grassed paddocks at Wayne and Vicki Roycroft\u2019s Mt White property and George was in his element with space and natural obstacles to play with. We were all comfortably seated and Mr Singleton\u2019s travelling aviary were still chattering away cheerfully in the trees, as the next lot of horses and riders appear\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

The eventers were well represented in this group with Craig Barrett on the stallion, Staccato (the stallion was also represented at the clinic by his daughter, Panamera ridden by Stuart Tinney).<\/p>\n

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Craig and Staccato show some shoulder-in<\/em><\/p>\n

Emma Armstrong and Voortrekker, and making the long trip from Queensland, Kevin McNab and Gameplay, along with the showjumpers: Greer Butcher riding TP Gifted (out of an imported Voltaire mare), Chris Chugg and the imported mare, Colthaga, Shannon O\u2019Meara and Sweet Revenge, and rising showjumping star, Jamie Winning riding her young mare, Vangelo Mystique.<\/p>\n

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Once again, we start with the most basic of the basics: Walk \/ Trot \/ Walk: \u201cQuick transitions, that\u2019s what keeps the horses thinking in front of the leg.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

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And Chris Chugg is sent off to lead the group in a serpentine of four loops, in light seat (\u2018just touch the saddle\u2019) and making sure he doesn\u2019t bend the horse in the neck (\u2018bend the horse in the mid-section, not at the wither\u2019) in contact (\u2018perfectly steady contact, don\u2019t jiggle the bit\u2019). When track went downhill, the riders were to post the trot back uphill, in two point:<\/p>\n

\u201cStand in the stirrups, your back hollows slightly and is slightly out of the saddle. It is important that you are well forward with a short rein. That\u2019s two point or as the French say \u2018in suspension\u2019. It\u2019s a very good balancing exercise, especially uphill. Now back to slow sitting trot and a little shoulder in.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Vicki does a gear adjustment, everything has to be correct at a George Morris Clinic<\/em><\/p>\n

It was time for George to have a ride, and this time it was Kevin\u2019s Gameplay. Once again, the master was bothered about the tack: \u201cI don\u2019t like ring bits, the horse is reluctant to go to the bit, and his back is hollow, the croup is up, the back low, and the hind out behind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GameplayCavaletti\"\"GeorgeGameplayHalfPass\"\u201cI start with the back of the horse. Is the horse tracking straight? Is the horse walking forward? Is my seat connected to the horse\u2019s back? This horse has had very good work in the half pass. See that I keep my elbows close to my hips and my hands in front of me, not dropping on the shoulder. Watch how the contact is getting better as I work with my legs\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

next counter canter<\/em><\/p>\n

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Now George was riding counter canter to flying change to counter canter: \u201cthis is a very good exercise for eventers. If a horse doesn\u2019t maintain his canter rhythm without leg, then he\u2019s not in front of the leg. This horse has got to be lighter to the rider\u2019s legs.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Craig Barrett demonstrates counter canter<\/em><\/p>\n

All the while George was keeping his seat light: \u201cYou don\u2019t have to be butt grabbing, obsessed with heavy sitting, you have to substitute seat riding <\/em>with leg riding. <\/em>Close the hip angle and get your body forward. It\u2019s like riding with hands too low, it\u2019s a virus that emerged somewhere from the bowels of Europe.\u201d\"GeorgeGameplay\"<\/p>\n

After I get off Kevin\u2019s horse, it has to feel better\u2026or worse. It\u2019s like marriage, for better, for worse, mainly worse I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPrecision, repeat something over and over again, that\u2019s how you get the precision habit. Some people think it\u2019s boring. I don\u2019t. Repetition if properly executed is what teaches the horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

more follows<\/em><\/p>\n

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As usual, Chris Chugg is quietly experimenting with something fancy in a corner hopefully out of George\u2019s eye. Fat chance! \u201cWait Chuggie, you get in front of me. I\u2019m supposed to do the thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s time to start work on George\u2019s line of fences, starting with a little figure of eight to get the horses jumping: \u201cOnce you see the distance, don\u2019t attack the distance, don\u2019t over-rider, just soften and go with the horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

And Kevin has to pay strict attention to his outside rein in the flying changes: \u201cYou have to keep the horse on the outside rein for the flying changes.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Emma Armstrong and Voortreker see a distance\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Once again the group is to face the impulsion test of the ditch with trees behind it: \u201cThis is a very good group, but I would still anticipate the worst. Expect a stop. I would be very ready to go to the stick. That\u2019s the ultimate riding aid, the whip, the spur is often softer than the whip, the cluck softer than the spur, the legs softer than the cluck. Make that stroke behind the saddle a habit, the horse hesitates and it is automatic. Watch Ian Millar, he is an artist with the whip, you don\u2019t even see it.\u201d\"ChuggWhip1\"\"ChuggWhip2\"<\/p>\n

The riders are doing the line, a skinny, circle to the trip bar, five strides to the planks, and seven to the ditch:<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t circle, cold turkey to the ditch in a defensive position.\u201d<\/p>\n

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No problem over the ditch for eventers Kevin and Gameplay<\/em><\/p>\n

And we are getting some classy stops – Chugg on his grey mare, Jamie on her mare. Next time Chugg is ready, touches the grey and gets the ditch – \u201cthat\u2019s good, don\u2019t loiter there. This is simple, this track, don\u2019t complicate the seven, take your fence and get up there and wait. See Kevin made it so simple, because he is thinking. Get there and wait and the horse can back up.\u201d\"JamieWinning\"<\/p>\n

There\u2019s another way of doing it: \u201cThat is how not to do it – you take, take, then gun at the last minute, that\u2019s grabbing. The adjustment happens on the landing, not on the next fence. Keep it smooth, not stop\/start, stop\/start. Watch each other – this is not ROCKET SCIENCE. You don\u2019t have to invent the space shuttle, keep it simple, get on the distance early and your horse can set himself up and jump. Once you go 100% to the fence, as Paul Schockem\u00f6hle says, you can let him jump backward. If you start legging them to the fence, they get quick and flat and hit jumps. With the speeds you have to travel over modern tracks, you can\u2019t afford to stop and start.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Breeding jumpers? Thinking about the next breeding season? There’s a great range of stallions available from International Horse Breeders:<\/strong><\/em><\/span>\u00a0 www.ihb.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n

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Like Diacontinus – 2022 Grande Prize Winner<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This article first appeared in the November 2009 issue of THM.<\/em><\/p>\n

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