Category Archives: qotm archives

louise
Past Questions of the Month are listed below in chronological order.  Just click on the Question to pull up Bill’s Answers.

Concerns about a friend’s new trainer

My good friend started riding with a new trainer in town. He has very different ideas and he seems really tough on the horses. My friend’s horse, normally a very nice, quiet guy but a bit limited in the talent department, now is very tense and unhappy looking. Should I say something to her or keep my opinion to myself? I would hate for this to come between our friendship. Read More

What’s the difference between cadence and suspension?

BILL—Let’s go to the USDF Glossary of Judging Terms for starters. As is the case with much of our dressage vocabulary, many terms don’t exist in isolation but usually in relation to other ones. CADENCE is defined as “the marked accentuation of the rhythm and emphasized beat that is a result of a steady and suitable tempo harmonizing with a springy impulsion.” [Bold face addition mine] You could imagine it not only visually but aurally—the marked sound of a rhythmical, repetitive drumbeat. Read More

Warm up on a loose rein?

QOTM: I try to ride my mare on a loose rein so she’ll relax. When my trainer gets there she tells me to shorten my reins a lot because my horse is too quick, borderline running away at the trot and no where near being round or on the aids. She wants my horse to basically ‘earn’ a longer rein by going slower and giving in. Will that really help relax her? Read More

Whiskers on dressage horses?

I recently went to a schooling show that offered hunter/ jumper and dressage classes. I am thinking of trying some dressage so I went to watch. There was a very fancy horse doing 4th level. I talked with the rider after and noticed the horse’s whiskers weren’t clipped. I asked if she didn’t clip because it was a schooling show and she told me she had stopped clipping years ago and really didn’t know anyone who clipped whiskers or ears anymore. Is this ok in dressage??

BILL— It is more than totally OK in dressage, even at the biggest recognized shows. At the moment there is no specific FEI rule, but in some European countries where dressage obviously is very popular, it is literally against the law to trim whiskers or inside your horse’s ears. This is a horse welfare issue, not an aesthetic one. A horse’s whiskers are part of his tactile sensory apparatus, and to deprive him of them seems unfair and unkind. Many top trainers in the US have a European background, so it seems perfectly normal for them to allow the whiskers to be natural. In the dressage world you won’t get a sideways look. Read More