{"id":5608,"date":"2023-11-02T03:50:05","date_gmt":"2023-11-01T16:50:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/?p=5608"},"modified":"2023-11-02T16:56:30","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T05:56:30","slug":"steffen-peters-at-mary-hannas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/2023\/11\/steffen-peters-at-mary-hannas\/","title":{"rendered":"Steffen Peters: to be true dressage, we go back to self carriage…"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It just has to be the most sublime setting for a dressage lesson, in the distance the hills perfectly frame Westernport Bay as the perfectly manicured outdoor arena is bathed in the glow of an idyllic autumn day. It kind of adds to the picture that the guy standing in the middle of the arena happens to be one of the world\u2019s most genius rider \/ trainers, Steffen Peters.<\/h1>\n

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Watching him work, you can understand why Mary Hanna \u00a0is keen to welcome Steffen to her training stables, he is simply one of the most brilliant coaches I have ever seen in action \u2013 ever. Of course, it is not because he is telling his students to do anything different, Steffen\u2019s training is firmly within the boundaries of the German training scale, which is hardly surprising since Steffen was born and grew up in Germany, learning his craft with that great defender of the classical, progressive training path, Klaus Balkenhol.<\/p>\n

But there are lots and lots of dressage coaches who can spout the basic tenets of \u2018the scale\u2019 alas not with the subtly of insight of Steffen, not with that fine tuned feel that comes from riding at the highest level on a daily basis and not with the same gentle insistence that you do it \u2013 now, and perfectly.<\/p>\n

Steffen is not only a horse friendly trainer, he is a rider friendly trainer, encouraging and supportive, expecting his students to make their own decisions, and quick to comment – \u2018I approve\u2019 \u2013 when the rider has taken the initiative, and always with the most charming smile…<\/h1>\n

I\u2019d come to basically chat with Steffen about the state of the art of dressage in the world today and not get involved in the nitty gritty of his lessons, but I just couldn\u2019t resist pulling the notebook out as he worked with Sara MacDonald and Adlanta Rose.<\/p>\n

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Steffen is working with Sara on her flying changes, and his message, well it is simple: \u201cSimple aids, don\u2019t give quick aids, simple aids.\u201d<\/p>\n

And if the mare doesn\u2019t listen?<\/p>\n

\u201cNow you\u2019ve got to make your point, if she doesn\u2019t listen to a light aid, make your point, then ask again with a light aid.\u201d<\/p>\n

I find Steffen such a refreshing trainer since while he teaches with his eyes very firmly on the likely scores from the judges\u2019 boxes, at the same time, he is seeking to promote a style of dressage that is light and beautiful.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to decide when to ride with a bit more expression, but I agree, first you have to keep the safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cWalk a second. What do you think about that walk? It is a 7 but with a bit more work, it could be an 8.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steffen is super picky on rider position:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you sit to the left, your right elbow wants to go out. All these things are not important if you are riding an average horse, but this is an international horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

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And holy hell, you suddenly realize that he is right, what you always thought was a good horse, an excellent horse, really does look like a horse that you can see marching into one of those big arenas over the other side of the world with a flag on its saddle cloth\u2026<\/p>\n

Some more changes across the diagonal:<\/p>\n

\u201cThink about your geometry, you started your changes too early. Don\u2019t let the canter get hectic. Good \u2013 no more changes. She has got too concerned about the changes, you had your chance to make corrections, now leave it. Be careful that everything comes from your calf, if the calf is not enough, then use the spur. You can release tension in the changes by pushing forward with your calf. When you use your spur, the canter gets quicker, we like that in the pirouettes, but not for extensions.\u201d<\/p>\n

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It is time for a walk break, and once again, Steffen stresses that every second on the horse counts…<\/h1>\n

\u201cThere you have that longer walk, ask for it every day, expect <\/strong>it. You are sitting in a better position in the centre, if the driving aids don\u2019t work from there, make your point. Keep your legs underneath you so your stirrup leathers are perpendicular to the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShow the lightness, expression and beautiful self-carriage that is the essence of the sport. The way she carries herself, the judges expect a perfect square halt, don\u2019t disappoint them.\u201d<\/h1>\n

\u201cNow she is more sensitive, start to ride the half pass with your thigh and knee, then after a couple of strides, ride her with the lower leg.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay trot around the arena, and test the transition to piaffe but don\u2019t ride it. Test the connections, then go into piaffe. You are working too hard, trust her, the spur needs to correct, it can\u2019t maintain the piaffe.\u201d<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s rider position once again\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t lean back, give her back a place to go, don\u2019t contain her with your seat. Three or four honest steps of piaffe are better than five or six where you are begging her to do piaffe. 90% of piaffe is already established, she has the idea of piaffe.\u201d<\/h1>\n

\u201cOkay, let\u2019s walk. Heels down, give her a chance to listen to your calf, she\u2019s got to offer the sensitivity and length of stride\u2026 it\u2019s about simplicity and sensitivity. With this horse it is realistic to aim for 80%. She has to educate the judges a little. If you start out with a beautiful half pass, with a consistent angle in shoulder in, then they are ready to give you good marks. It is all a mind set \u2013 put it in their face\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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The next face that was entering arena is one of the most beautiful in international dressage, Sancette (sorry Mary). The Sandro Hit gelding is one of those horses with WOW written all over him, he has got movement to burn, but he also looks a little tricky to ride since he can use that same athleticism to escape the rider\u2019s influence by changing his frame, and Steffen, is quick to highlight the issue:<\/p>\n

\u201cBe picky, don\u2019t let him get too low, use your whip when he changes the connection (this is a feature of Steffen\u2019s work, the way he gets his students to use the whip, not as a good forward tool, but as a \u2018I didn\u2019t like that, pay attention\u2019 aid) <\/em>In the warm up he can relax, but you must make sure that every stride is steadily connected.\u201d<\/h1>\n

\u201cI like this frame, go to shoulder fore on the circle without changing the frame\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

And just to make it a little tougher\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the quarter line, shoulder in right, shoulder in left, without changing the frame.\u201d<\/p>\n

And Sancette tries to dive\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t accept it. It makes sense that he does it when we change the flexion, but do not accept it. Now that is a really good position, I love it, no matter what happens, don\u2019t let him change it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cNow on the quarter line again, and this time shoulder fore, not shoulder in, right then left, be fussy in the change over don\u2019t let him tip you forward when you correct him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c75% of the work with him is just guiding him in this consistent uphill frame.\u201d<\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cNow in the changes, dig your knee into the saddle to get the straightness. Everything depends on a true forward reaction to the leg.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Mary is riding a few steps of passage, Steffen wants a little more: \u201cKeep him in passage longer, so it is more honest, he doesn\u2019t have to do it better, but try to get so he offers the passage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In the piaffe, Steffen wants it quicker: \u201cThink about making it quicker, he\u2019s sitting, but if you get him quicker that it is easier for him on the transition out, and in the transition into piaffe, think about two steps for the transition not one, then you will get more activity, and the transitions piaffe, passage, piaffe, are from the knee to the calf.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/p>\n

Again in the extended trot, Steffen was stressing that it was not the movement that Mary had to worry about but the frame: \u201cAll you have to worry about is consistency in the neck and contact\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

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Later I remarked to Steffen that he seemed to have a very individual take on dressage \u2013 the world seems to divide into people who say \u2018judging in dressage is so corrupt and terrible and I am so perfect that I will stay home and ride for my mirrors\u2019 and the other side that says \u2018the judges are really corrupt so I don\u2019t care what I do, I\u2019ll do it to get some marks\u2019 \u2013 you seem to have found a very pleasant middle way, saying I\u2019ll ride for the judges but I\u2019ll ride for the judges in such a way as to make them appreciate a lightness and correctness, and draw the marks in the right direction\u2019\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI think you\u2019ve nailed it. The bottom line is that we all have to know what the international standard is all about, we have to educate ourselves, each and every year, at Aachen or the World Games, what the top five horses look like. What I liked when the question was asked at the WEG, what really stood out in the top three horses? The great answer from the judges was that they didn\u2019t just see expression and power, \u2018but we saw it with harmony\u2019. I think that is definitely where the sport is getting back to. I think we lost that for a little while and now I think the sport is right on a great track.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bottom line has to be that it is true dressage, that we go back to self carriage, suppleness\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Breed to Sandro Hit, or one of his many sons, for a successful and beautiful dressage horse, a top brood mare, or you might even get a top eventer like Chris Burton’s Bronze Medal ride at Rio, Santano! Go to<\/em><\/strong><\/span>: www.ihb.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n

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

Dressage star Steffen Peters teaches correct, horse friendly dressage… The bottom line has to be that it is true dressage, that we go back to self carriage, suppleness\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18497,"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":[81,4],"tags":[20,2445,105],"class_list":["post-5608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-dressage","tag-dressage-training","tag-horse-friendly-dressage","tag-steffen-peters"],"acf":[],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5608","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=5608"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5608\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67369,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5608\/revisions\/67369"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}