Dominique Barbier Clinic
Mounted work
If the work in hand goes well, you are ready to ride. Mounted work is done riding a large square, using half the arena. First ride the horse in a big walk, using little or no leg, but mentally setting the pace. Barbier told us to think the rhythm, make the music and the horse will follow. Yes, you can carry a whip, or even two whips, but the leg and rein must be lighter than you can imagine. Hold each rein between the thumb and forefinger, with the other fingers loose and “playing” with the reins. (In the afternoon session, if a rider’s hands were unsteady, Dominique had the rider keep her pinky fingers touching the front of the saddle.)
After the big walk, it is time for shoulder-in. The directions for this were to bring the inside shoulder back, lean back a little (yes, lean back), raise your outside hand and point your eyes to where you want the horse to go. If the horse pulls, don’t pull back. Let the horse find his own self-carriage. It was OK to over-bend the neck; later you can lessen the bend (never mind your dressage test shoulder-in). The horse should bend and go on four tracks, crossing both sets of legs with a soft neck and self-carriage, with the rider doing next to nothing. ”If you have this, you have everything you need.”
If shoulder-in is successful at the walk, then sit the trot as slowly as you can go. Again, the goal is self-carriage. Some of the horses only had a fast trot, and this was very hard for them. They needed to slow down and not run. The slower horses were asked to step it up. If the horse is successful at shoulder-in, haunches-in is introduced. If haunches-in is problematic, then back to shoulder-in.
In the afternoon, we repeated the work Dominique did in the morning, not always with the same level of success, but with an understanding. Shoulder-in, shoulder-in, shoulder-in, rarely straightening. No leg, and holding the reins between thumbs and index fingers, playing with the rein with the other fingers. Let the horse carry himself. No “push-pull,” kicking, or even half-halting (yes, I know – hard for us to hear, but he was fairly adamant about that).