Ask the Expert: Michelle Binder

Michelle Binder is the founder of Relational Riding Academy, a program that utilizes dressage as fundamental training for all horses performing in all disciplines. A rider for 40 years, Michelle first competed English and Western rail horses in Washington, then Thoroughbred Hunters in Kentucky. In 1987 she began pursuing Combined Training though USCTA Novice and Training levels. She settled into dressage in the Pacific Northwest in 1995. Over the years Michelle trained extensively with Sue Sherry of Michigan. She has participated in clinics and instructors workshops with many well known instructors, including Sally Swift, Mary Wanless, Gerhard Politz, Jeff Cook, Dr. Rudolph Vlatten and, most recently, Claus Bergener, GraND Prix Judge for the GNEF.

In addition to being an ARIA certified instructor since 1989, Michelle has been a professional trainer since 1994. In the 1997 show season, Michelle finished “V.P. Medly” 5th in the nation in USDF All Breed Awards for Arabian Sport Horses and 26th in the nation for all breeds. In 2006, “A Perfect Mr. Re” finished 8th in the nation in the AACAP Awards for Appaloosas in dressage. In 2007, King of Broken Hearts, a four year old Appaloosa stallion qualified for the ApHC World Show, trained and ridden almost exclusively by Michelle for Vision Quest Ranch.

Learn more about Michelle and Relational Riding at www.relationalridingacademy.com.

Ask Michelle a question now!

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Question:

I have my beautiful Arab cross mare Luna that we have been working off and on again, since discovering she can now tolerate being ridden. I can get her stretching beautifully into the bridle, compacting her body, bringing her back up, and LOTS of SWING! Now when asking for canter that's a different story. She pins her ears, and kicks out at the wall, drops her back and rushes into the bit. When asking I squeeze my ankle bones together, and lift my inside seat bone, she's not happy about it. Is there another method that we can try? She is canters on the lunge in side reins beautifully, perhaps she needs more time to develop the loin. What are your thoughts? Thanks!

Answer:

Thank you for your question. It seems like this mare has a history of going to work and being laid off for some reason, then being brought back into work. You are not specific about why she has had a history of difficulty under saddle. If you have exhausted your resources looking for lameness issues from your local veterinarians, equine chiropractors, farriers and massage therapists and she has been given a clean bill of health, you may have training issues to work through that developed during injury and attempts to recover her. Even if she is now not in pain, behavior problems can remain after recovery from back injury or trauma that caused her to become difficult.

It is important to look at our approach to training in cases like this. We can be tempted to rush through work too quickly when things are going well. If she is being good at the trot, let her work at a trot for several weeks, even up to three months, before you begin your canter work under saddle. Use your longe work to develop her balance, strength and fitness for the canter while you develop her carrying capacity under saddle at the trot. Use ground pole work and little jumps (12-inch crossbars) on the line to get her using her loin correctly in the canter. Practice many transitions on the line betweeen trot and canter until they are smooth and she carries herself equally well through both the up and down transitions.

When you start to ask for the canter under saddle, use your half seat to lighten your seat on her back. Don't try to drive her into the canter by getting behind her and driving your seat into her back to "push" her into it. Instead, get up off the horse's back and use your legs by bumping her with your anklebones instead of "squeezing." Too strong and steady a pressure might be causing you to pinch with your knees and accidently shut down the forward motion. A tap with your whip can help bring her into the canter if you are not effective with your legs. To help her stay balanced into the canter transition, you can ride a leg yield exercise and ask for the canter as you complete the leg yield either on the straight line or on the circle. Go quarterline to the wall and depart as you approach the corner, or ride a 20-meter circle, spiral into the 10-meter and leg yield out with your depart happening before you get back out to the 20-meter circle. It may take some carefully planned and strategically arranged departs for her to learn that there is no pain and that she can step smoothly into the canter under saddle. Hope these ideas help!

Michelle

Question:

How do I find a qualified trainer and instructor for a horse and my 10 year old daughter? I live in Pendleton, OR.

Thank you!

Rhonda

Answer:

It can be difficult to find a really qualified trainer. Certification is one possible answer. People who have taken the time to become certified have made a commitment to their work. I recommend looking for an instructor that is ARIA certified. If your daughter's interest is in dressage, look for a USDF certified instructor. In some areas neither of these organizations have representatives, but you may be able to find a CHA certified person who will have your daughter's safety in mind. In the absence of a certified trainer in your local area, you can consider bringing in a qualified trainer to do clinics and lessons for yourselves as well as a group of people seeking similar instruction. This can be more reasonable than you think and just requires a little online research and a few phone calls. If setting up a regular clinic situation is not feasible, go to the local shows and listen at ringside. As you hear coaching from the sidelines, listen for the trainers to say things that resonate positively with you for your daughter's learning experience. Watch how the horses go in the ring, and seek a trainer whose students appear to be having safe, pleasant rides and whose horses appear happy and sound. If there are no show venues in your area, talk to your local feed stores and veterinarians. The vets should be familiar with who is training competently in your area.

We rely on our relationships with our vets for referrals, and the vet community may be able to direct your search. Finally, seek out the 4-H Extension Service program in your area for recommendations for leaders, clubs and knowledgeable horsemen and women in your area.

Once you have some names of people to check out, call. Set up a meeting with the instructors that return your phone calls and handle you and your questions in a professional way. Visit the facility. Regardless of the age of the place, it should be neat and well kept with safety issues well handled. The horses should be in good flesh, tack in good repair, and the arena environment clean. Ask if you can watch some lessons to see what the trainer is doing with the riders. Make sure that your daughter is properly outfitted with a riding helmet, hard soled shoes or boots with a heel and long pants. Please, work with people who insist on safety and proper tack and attire for riding. Lessons should be safe, fun and educational and can be a great adjunct to young lives!

~Michelle

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Question:

The number of bits available for riders boggles my mind. What are the appropriate bits for dressage in the lower levels? What do you use when you move up to a double bridle? Is there a metal or alloy horses like the taste or feel of better? What should I look for from the horse when evaluating a bit? Does a fat bit feel better than a smaller (sharper on the tongue) bit to the horse?

~Gail

Answer:

Hi Gail,

Because of the literally mind-boggling number of bits on the market, this is a complicated question that shows you are thinking about the well-being of your horse. The best answer for the first point you make is in referring you to the USDF Rule Book for dressage (go to www.usdf.org for more information). In it, you will find a complete list as well as diagrams of the types of snaffles that are considered acceptable for dressage training and competition. It may take some experimentation to find out which bit your horse works best in, but the snaffle is your best choice for dressage, and in fact ALL training at the lower levels. No conversation should be had about the bitting or fitting of the double bridle until the horse is confirmed in the third level movements, so I recommend leaving that question until your horse is much further along in training.

There are many materials manufacturers are using to make mouthpieces. From sweet iron and copper to Aurigan, mouthpieces taste different and have different effects on the horse. The cowboys of old swore on sweet iron; copper is supposed to promote a "wet" mouth; other alloys are said to produce particular effects. I try to look for the right kind of foam, a bit that does not pinch the corners of the lips, one that the horse is happy to be soft and light in, and one that fits the horse's mouth. Responses to poor bit choice can range from head tossing, stiffness in the poll, stiffness of the jaw, sores on the tongue, lips or bars, as well as inability to bend or to have the appropriate bit response. The conformation of the horse's mouth can also influence your choice of bits. Some horses have relatively low palettes and require low ports in the curbs we choose. These horses may also prefer French links, Dr. Bristols or lozenge link snaffles that don't "nutcracker" upward against the palette. Some horses have thick, fleshy lips that make using higher diameter snaffles problematic, and for them, the thinner mouthpiece is more comfortable. Small-muzzled horses may be more comfortable in slightly smaller diameter mouthpieces because the large diameter snaffles and curbs keep them from closing their jaws comfortably. It is also very important to remember that the bit is only as severe as the operator and ANY bit in the wrong hands can inflict pain or cause discomfort in the horse's mouth. Riders must take care to educate themselves so that the simplest bit can be used to best effect.

~Michelle

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Question:

When working with a rehab project that is green (and off the track) would you ride the horse with a sore back and work to stretch and strengthen his unsoundness while riding or rehab from ground work and PT until his soreness is resolved. The horse's legs are sound and he has a good mind. Caveletti, walking hills, with short (10 step) backing sets (uphill)have been introduced as part of his rehab in ground work.

Answer:

The approach you are taking in working the horse carefully from the ground first to rehabilitate the topline I believe is correct. At RRA, we would look at why the horse's back is sore. We use massage and chiropractic extensively in the program and a horse that comes in like this would be given an assessment by both professionals. Massage can help relax tight muscles and loosen areas that are holding tension that shouldn't be. Making sure the spine is aligned and the sacrum is straight and level, the ribs are all "in" and the neck and poll are in proper shape is critical in these cases. The things that you are already doing as part of his PT are all great, with cautions about moderation on the backing. Make sure that the horse's withers don't drop as he is working backwards and that the legs move as equal diagonal pairs as he steps.

Before we ride a horse with back problems that have already manifested soreness, we longe. For some, we use side reins adjusted lightly to help the horse learn to reach over the top and push the poll forward to help elongate the neck and elevate the back. It is critical that you do not force the head in tightly or overflex the neck, but rather that you allow the horse to relax the head and neck forward, out and down. For others, we use a combination of side reins and a "butt rope" in a modified Pessoa Longeing System to help connect the back end over the top to the front end.

Be careful that your adjustments are correct whenever you use any kind of equipment to help your horse change his way of going, and always be safe! Cavaletti work on the longe is wonderful for horses overcoming back pain. Some other techniques you might try are TTeam Touch exercises advocated by Linda Tellington Jones like the sternum lift and the tail tuck, magnetic therapy (we use a "Mag-Boy" by Nikken) and LEPT (infrared equipment by Bio-Scan) treatments, which can also help restore mobility to a damaged topline. These are all hands-on therapies that are relatively inexpensive and that you can do yourself with just your hands and simple equipment.

Once the horse lets us brush and massage the long back muscles, has been given the all clear by veterinarian/chiropractor, can release the back upward in the belly lifts and seems reasonably pain-free, we will begin light riding. For horses with back pain, forward, downward stretching is critical to their rehab. When we start riding, we might choose a nicely balanced western saddle with a therapeutic foam pad as well as a sweat rug and thick cushy pad. We longe with the saddle before riding and when we sit on the horse, even if we are riding western, use a light forward seat to encourage stretching down. The opening rein work shown in the new DVD "any Horse, any Rider" is ideal for this kind of rehab. When the neck reaches forward, the nuchal ligament helps the entire upward ligamentous system stretch and elongate the topline, and strengthen the underline. This allows proper engagement of the haunches. For a better understanding of how the horses musculoskeletal system works, read "Tug of War: Classical vs. Modern Dressage" by Dr. Gerd Heuschmann.

So the important elements are the chiropractic and the riding technique you use to rehabilitate your horse. I acknowledge your courage and thoughtfulness in taking on a TB rehabilitation project like this. With good work and conscientious application of good techniques, your horse should recover and be a good partner for you!

~Michelle

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Sample Q&A

Question:

You once told me that there was no such thing as leg yield in canter. Why not? What about the definition of LY doesn't apply to canter? What about spiraling in/out on the circle, which, BTW is helping 'W' a lot these days in her canter work.

Answer:

Sue answered the same question for me once a long time ago. I will tell you what she told me: While it IS possible to perform a "leg yield" at the canter, (I believe this statement was immediately followed with "Why would you want to?"), the mechanics of the gait make it likely to be nothing more than a loss of balance out the outside shoulder. While it can serve to loosen the shoulders, it does so by a stepping away of the front leg that produces a loss of support for the torso and subsequently a loss of elevation, rather than producing more engagement and elevation. The answer has to do with the leading front and hind legs being on the same side rather than on diagonal sides as they are in the trot. Remember, the leg yield is an engaging exercise and a disengaging one at the same time. Leg yield at the canter tends to unload the carrying hind leg and opens the front leg away from the midline. So as with our discussion of other lateral work, we have to remember what we are trying to do with balance, engagement and suppleness, as well as what we are NOT trying to do. In canter it is better to ride the shoulder-fore, half pass and the counter canter rather than to push the horse out the outside shoulder.

Spiraling in and out on the circle works (if it is working) because we increase bend and engagement and this causes the horse to step more under with the inside hind leg, which increases jump. As long as the spiral out happens with a straight horse stepping into the outside rein and the spiral in comes from the outside as much as from the inside (also with a straight horse), the exercise develops bend and balance as well as straightness and jump by loading the outside hind on the spiral in and the inside hind on the spiral out.

As with all the exercises, you should maintain what the exercise gave you when you leave the exercise and continue normal working canter. It is here that we see the benefit the exercise had.

Modernists work the "leg yield at canter" because it causes the sideways "flip'n'flash" popular in the competition arena. Classicists do not perform the leg yield at canter because it can cause disorganization and disconnection rather than increase balance, connection and collection, important classical concepts.