Charles Dekunnfy Clinic
By Jeannette Bair
Riding with Charles DeKunnfy is like traveling to Mecca. It is a unique and fulfilling opportunity that makes one feel that have come to the true origins of dressage. Charles is one of the true Masters and has never deviated from his program and beliefs in how the horse and rider must work together to achieve a positive result. In one of his beginning statements in his book, The Ethics and Passions of Dressage, Charles states rather simply, “Regardless of their level of training and athletic development, all horses should be relaxed”. Riding in or auditing a Charles DeKunnfy clinic emphasizes again and again this basic premise. Regardless of level of rider or horse, this is the formulation for each ride.
Charles asks each rider to begin by allowing the horse the “room” within the reins to move forward and freely thus providing the opening and opportunity for relaxation. A spook by the horse as they research their new environment, is treated in a casual and relaxed manner; to not take up too severely on the rein but rather provide a larger “opening” from which the horse can relieve their anxiety. Once the rider provides this initial sense of comfort, calm and welcome to the horse, they are then asked to take up the reins quietly yet definitive while being careful to ensure that the horse remains relaxed and feels the positive tension of the request without feeling restricted in their ability to move forward with energy, suppleness and balance. The reward for the horse is a ride with greater ease and success and the reward for the rider is the ultimate feeling of partnership with their horse.
Charles worked with me and my horse Woodstock FDF (Woodie) toward this goal. Woodie is a horse that carries a fair amount of natural tension and is unhappy when he feels he cannot perform what is asked or achieve the desired goal. Charles provided us with a calm and careful warm up using the walk work to establish a forward reaching rhythm with a natural and relaxed reach toward the bridle. All movement is expected to begin in the hind end, develop over the back and be received quietly in the front into well established but suppling hands, a firm upper body and abdomen strength and a steady and following seat. Woodie has a powerful hind end but as in all horses, will apply it to the level he feels is “enough”. “More” to increase the level of suspension requires patience and effective riding. As Charles says, “ a horse knows how to be a horse but a rider must learn to ride”. Charles asked me, beginning in the walk to ensure that my leg and seat remain quiet, firm and following thus allowing Woodie to come through, that my posture remain erect and aligned and that my hands remain quiet and in a position to be receiving of the energy generated.
Once we established a good forward moving but not running cadence at the walk, Charles then asked for the trot emphasizing the same basic elements to maintain Woodie’s balance, rhythm and relaxation. Woodie was very responsive and thus we were asked to take this same feeling and move laterally in shoulder-in and then leg yields and then to half passes. We were required to keep the rhythm and relaxation the same through each movement and were asked to repeat a movement to either confirm the goal had been met or to re-school until we gained the desired result. One of Charles favorite exercises is to ask for the execution of shoulder-ins and haunches-in on the center line. Woodie and I were indeed required to perform this request – there is no hiding from Charles on the center line and he knows it! It is however a glorious feeling when one performs well in such full view. Once our trot work achieved a level of acceptability, we were then asked to perform the same in the canter. We were expected again to maintain the cadence and rhythm and relaxation within this gait. Once the collected canter was well established we were asked for half passes, counter canter and then single changes. The same “repetition to reward” methods were employed. Once we had gained some success at these movements, I was asked to bring Woodie down the center line and perform two flying changes – that center line again! No hiding! Perhaps miraculously or more certainly due to the systematic set up of Charles, we were successful. Canter to walk transitions were our greatest challenge. Undaunted, Charles had me canter Woodie on a circle, then turn down center line to come to the walk. This helped keep Woodie straight and into the outside rein and leg while still well on his hind end and thus much more able to perform. We ended our useful and consistent lesson with a stretching circle at the trot which Charles always uses in his sessions both at the end but also intermittently during the lesson to allow the horse to stretch his back. This is a reward to the horse that Charles feels is essential and appropriate.
Riding with Charles DeKunnfy, as always was a delight, and served to re-confirm some important element s of a successful ride, calibrate where we were in our training and added some new exercises to add to our training toolbox. Charles teaching methods were tutorial and thus easy to follow for both rider and auditors. Charles delights all with his humor and panache. He is indeed a Master and I for one felt privileged to have the opportunity to ride with him and learn from him once again.