Heike Kemmer Clinic at CNDC

The twelve lucky riders soon learned that Heike was a demanding but fair teacher. She was very clear in her instruction and was focused on several themes with all the rides, regardless of the level. First, she made sure that all the horses were moving forward with good rhythm and impulsion from behind. Second, she emphasized the second step on the training scale, relaxation, returning to certain exercises throughout the ride when relaxation needed to be reestablished. Suppleness was also established in the relaxation exercises. Finally, only when rhythm, relaxation and impulsion were clearly in place she worked on lightening the front end by getting the energy driven from the hind with the driving aids and proper use of half halts and transitions for collection.

Most rides started with rising trot, twenty meter circle work to ensure the horse was relaxed and could work through the back. The circle work could include shoulder fore/haunches in, renvers, yielding in to smaller circles and yielding back out. Heike asked that many riders move their inside lower leg closer to the girth and step into the inside stirrup to ensure that the inside leg effectively worked both as a driving and suppling aid. Once the horse showed relaxation at the trot, Heike asked for similar exercises at the canter on the twenty meter circle. She made sure that after each phase of the ride, relaxation was reemphasized without losing impulsion by giving the reins at canter and trot without loss of rhythm or desire to move forward.

The next set of exercises varied depending on the level of the horse, but included shoulder in on the long side, transition to forward walk in shoulder in and then back to trot, several times along the long side. Once the horse was moving on the aids with good rhythm and suppleness ,Heike would ask for center line starting with shoulder in to half pass. Half pass work had to continue to show good forward impulsion and as a training aid, she asked for taps on the shoulder for certain horses. Also, canter/walk transitions took on a new flavor under Heike’s keen eye. She demanded that a forward working canter transition into three or four strides at most of collected canter with uphill so that the last stride come under into a good clear walk transition. Heike stressed that the upward transition be into a good working canter to keep the forward impulsion. When a rider completed a set of exercises, the horse was asked to relax and stretch on the twenty meter circle before going back to more collected work.

In addition to the riding portion of the clinic, both the riders and auditors benefited from brief symposia provided by sponsors of the clinic including Joachen Schleese of Schleese Saddlery on saddle fit, Dr. Joanna Robson of Inspiritus Equine on horse anatomy and diagnosis of pain issues for performance horses as well as Sandra Gebo and Sherri Lafoon of Elk Grove Milling on their unique feeds. Also, at an informal dinner at the Dressage Center, Heike showed a video of her freestyle ride in Hong Kong and shared the joy of her success there with the clinic participants. She also answered many questions from an eager audience - Volker Brommann took the prize for the most questions - and the discussion was both informative and lighthearted - much fun for all after very serious riding during the day.

In summary, participants of every level benefited from Heike’s insights and instruction. We certainly wish her good luck this year and hope we will be able to see her compete at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky this fall.

Heike Kemmer Clinic

March 26 - 28, 2010

General Observations/Learnings