Stretching Carl said stretching was very important for the horse, both mentally and physically, and he made the point that a horse was not training in the right way if it would not stretch. He noted that horses that have been ridden short in the neck have had their balance interfered with. He clarified that the horse may not be relaxed enough to stretch at the start of the ride, that it might be difficult or even unsafe to stretch at the beginning, but horses must learn to stretch during training, so stretching may be best approached later in the ride once the horse is a little tired. pass’, as he was not yet strong enough to be off the floor and ‘straight’ in the lateral work. It was vital to keep the swing in the half pass, so at this stage in his training, it meant he could not yet be ‘straight,’ so in Carl’s opinion, was not ready for competition. Strength Carl emphasised how important strength was in Dressage horses, and how it took time to develop sufficient strength to sustain the highly cadenced, expressive trot and canter that earn the really big marks for a whole test. Horses training with professionals at his yard did not compete until they had developed sufficient strength to maintain the elevation and cadence in their trot and canter for many minutes. He said he understood it was hard for riders who rode only 1 or 2 horses to work at home for long enough to develop this strength without competing, but explained that early in their careers, his horses would go to an event, be ridden briefly in a forward downward stretch, then they would be unsaddled and taken home again. They would definitely not compete at this stage. Charlotte Dujardin showed that the chestnut was able to produce a really beautiful airy trot and canter, however Carl showed us that he would only be asked Looseness When a horse stretches, if he is relaxed, you will see his back and neck muscles loose and moving. A Dressage horse should not just train the movements (eg Grand Prix), but should be athletic. Athleticism means he can go forward & sideways and collect while keeping swing in his back. Charlotte rode an elegant 7 year old chestnut by Royal Hit and Carl explained that he could produce a very expressive trot in the half pass if she allowed the quarters to trail slightly, but that he would slow down if she rode him in a more parallel ‘competition half Carl Hester and Uthopia on their way to winning Team Gold for Britain at 2012 London Olympics