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Earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to ride my horse Harvey in a weekend masterclass with Ingrid Klimke. It was such an amazing opportunity, and I learned so much! Ingrid is such an inspiring and accomplished rider, and I loved getting to learn from her.

So, in this week’s video, I wanted to take the time to share with you some of my takeaways from the masterclass that I thought might be helpful:

Cavaletti for Engagement – In the masterclass, Ingrid had all levels of riders using cavaletti to help get their horses more active and engaged. She explained that using cavaletti is a great way to get your horse to engage their hind end without forcing them to do so. Plus, it’s a great way to keep your rides entertaining with all the fun patterns you can set up! Of course, you want to start with just one pole at first so that your horse can get used to it. Ingrid says to space poles 2-3 feet apart for the walk, and 4-5 feet apart for the trot depending on your horse’s stride. As you ride over the poles, really aim for the middle, and let your horse reach and stretch towards the poles as you ride over them.

Get Your Horse to Stretch Down – With each horse and rider, Ingrid worked on getting them to stretch down with the nose out both in the warmup and at the end of the ride. To make it even harder, the wanted the riders hands to stay together and in front of the withers in the stretch. This can be tricky, but it really allows you to give more refined aids. The stretch is a very important gymnastic exercises to make sure the horse is using their body correctly. Especially with the young horses, Ingrid had riders couple stretching at the canter while riding in a half-seat to really allow them to move their bodies.

Hand Position – Ingrid was really particular about keeping your hands a fist width apart. She explained that this is beneficial because your reins will press slightly into your horse’s neck, which helps with straightness. Plus, with your hands closer together like this, you can have “rubber wrists” meaning you can give smaller more refined aids with your wrist instead of pulling back with your elbow all the time.

Work on Halts – Even if you don’t have a horse with fancy gaits, you can still improve your test scores, and one great way to do that is by practicing your halts! From her own experience as a kid, Ingrid says that practicing your halts is a great way to boost your score no matter what horse you are riding. Try practicing your halts a few times each ride focusing on halting from your seat. With a better halt, I know you will improve your score at your next show!

Enjoy Your Horse – This tip was by far my favorite from Ingrid. During the masterclass, she gave a whole speech to the riders and audience about the importance of never losing sight of how much you love your horse, how much you love riding, and how important it is to keep your horse’s mental confidence a top priority. And I agree! It’s all about the journey, and having fun with our horses. We all progress differently, and you should be proud of how far you’ve come!

I hope these tips from the masterclass are helpful! Let me know in the comments below which one is your favorite!

Happy Riding!
Amelia

00:00 Introduction
00:58 Cavaletti
02:21 Allow Your Horse to Stretch
04:46 Hand Position
06:23 Halts
08:23 Love and Enjoy Your Horse/Final Thoughts