jumping

The session starts with a warm-up on the flat where Michel lets Catapulte move as free as possible. Then, the work session consists of going over several lines of fences that Michel will adjust according to the mare’s reactions.

To start with, Catapulte has a tendency to rush to the rails. As the session progresses, we can notice that Catapulte wonders about it and tries different solutions to feel comfortable jumping these fences. Michel lets her express herself as free as possible. At the end of the session, we can notice that Catapulte made good progress in terms of the quality of her jumps as she manages better her balance and her approaches.

Michel begins this session with a good flat work warm-up including some relaxation work at a trot, stretching the neck down. We know the importance Michel gives to this phase of neck stretching in order to let the energy flow all along the top line. This position is to seek especially at the beginning of the work as it enables the horse’s joints and back muscles to get into place. That’s an excellent exercise to get ready for the next phase of work.

Michel gives also a great importance in maintaining the arms very supple and flexible whatever the gait. It will enable the rider to maintain a constant contact with the horse’s mouth which is essential to get the horse to be trustful and to loosen his movements.

We’ll notice the strong canter rhythm as well as the bending in the turns.

The session goes on with a line of cavalettis to make sure the mare is responsive. The rhythm has to stay steady as well as the track that has been previously determined by the rider.
 

Michel emphasises on the importance of preparing each aid or action and each part of the course.

The session continues with getting over a few lines and combinations of jumps over which Michel needs to maintain a constant rhythm while staying in control.
 

Michel sets-up some exercises that will enable Day Dreamer to focus and be serein before and after a fence. Marine, the rider, implements Michel’s advice regarding her position and her mind frame in order to reassure her horse.


At first, approaches are successfully managed. After practising the exercise several times, Day dreamer stays steady and approaches fences calmly, without rushing. However, he keeps rushing when landing out of the line, Michel adjusts the exercise to get the horse to be more focused and to push from behind to maintain a steady canter.

By the end of the session, the horse goes over the line calmly. We can notice that it helped improve his jumping technics. He goes over the grid and then turns behind it in a steady rhythm with a good engagement of the hind-legs.

 

Michel is conducting a gymnastic exercise over a jump in order to try to relax his horse to the utmost.  Michel himself must work with as much mental and physical relaxation as possible, all the while remaining in control of speed and accuracy of line.  This exercise is based on a repetition carried out while calm and with good humour, but always while requiring a good level of effort and determination from the rider.  It is an exercise that is in-between flatwork and jumping.  The rider maintains an attitude similar to that of a dressage rider.

The reins, however, are long enough to permit the horse to stretch his neck out as much as possible, especially during the approach phases.

The exercise over cavalettis and the line of cross-poles encourages a regular canter, and the horse to be right over the middle of the obstacles.  You can notice Michel's relaxation and his hands accompanying the movement almost to an exaggerated degree during the take-off and over the obstacles.  The horse has practically always a regular, constant canter.

After the mare went over the set-ups few times, Michel rearranges the fences to make sure that Catapulte doesn’t shift on landing, and to encourage her to push off with all 4 feet.

The idea is to not constrain the horse, but to let her find the solution by herself with the help of the exercises.
At the end of the session, we can clearly notice that Catapulte has improved her take off bounce of her forelegs in front of the fences because of better propulsion on the approach and a better overall balance.

However, Michel recommends not having the horse jump big while on the lunge line. It’s better, first of all, to emphasise the repetition of correct movements, straightness, calmness, control and the horse’s attention and thinking. The goal is to correct issues calmly, still allowing the freedom of movement for the joints and muscles, especially in the back…
…and all that in a joyful and relaxed atmosphere.

The session starts with a warm-up in a varied terrain: transitions, figure-eights, lead changes… Michel takes advantage of the slope of the ground to encourage the mare to find her balance. He’s also trying to place himself in the same conditions as on a course and consequently he works on his position: speeding up, slowing down, wide turns, tight turns….

 At the beginning of the session, lead changes were not always successful. Michel doesn’t focus on that problem, and continues his work calmly. He knows that everything will get back to normal as soon as he has established correct communication between him and Zeta.

 After the warm-up on the flat, he works on several lines of fences. Some cavalettis, some combinations and different kinds of fences, like a water jump and a log oxer. He’s mainly looking for a steady canter. To reach that goal, he’s using, among others, some rubber foam poles to set up the tempo of the canter strides between two fences. He varies the exercises often, still with the idea of not fixating on issues.

During this whole session, Michel adapts his position to cope with the challenge of each exercise, and with the mare’s attitude. A good point of reference for every rider wanting to work on his/her position and looking for references and practical advice in that matter. Towards the end of the session, Zeta is doing good lead changes, and the control in the lines of fences is more than satisfactory.
 

The cavaettis set-up enables them to work on the quality of the turns. Michel notices that his students have a tendency to want to turn too quickly after the jump while leaning to the inside of the turns. Michel urges them to stay straight on the approach, over the fence and on the landing.

The second exercise consists of going thru a line of verticals set for 6 or 7 strides. The riders have to be able to re-establish their base position immediately upon landing. For this, they have to, among other things, use their gaze better.

The session continues with a series of exercises allowing the 3 riders to test their ability to control the speed, the path, and their position.

Luca uses his hands too much to control his horse. On the contrary, he has to prioritise his mind and his position. The goal is to put together a course calmly with a steady rhythm without using his strength.

So Michel sets up an exercise that will enable Luca to lock in good habits.

Michel rides the exercise on Vivaldi du Seigneur , a 7 YO horse (Haras de Hus). His student Marine rides the same exercise on Charles De Gaulle, another stallion owned by the Haras de Hus.

Using poles that are 2 metres long is even better. It will allow you to test your ability to keep the horse straight. If the horse drifts from the line’s median axis, it will soon exit the exercise. Using 4 metre poles makes it more difficult to notice this.

If the horse tends to rush or accelerate, place the line’s last landing spot
3 strides from the school’s wall. One should remember that - in most cases - simply imagining a 2.50 metre wall at the end of the line is sufficient for solving this problem.