..I am taking a break from my regular articles to report on horse goings-on in Ireland, Holland, and Great Britain

                                HORSES AND RIDING IN IRELAND

     My first days of teaching and clinics were at the Eclipse Centre in Kenmare, county Kerry , in southern Ireland . It is a truly beautiful resort, with facilities for kayaking, rope climbing, trekking, and all manner of other sports besides their horse riding and training. Also available are beautiful newly-built apartments for anyone wishing to stay in the area. The stables are built on the plan that many horse stables in Europe are-big horse stalls that all face outward into the yard. In this case, they face the outdoor ring, which is surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery that I have ever seen. It is a good thing that I become very focused when I teach, or I would have been gazing at all of the beauty around me most of the time.

     The horses are all wonderfully trained and most quite docile, with the occasional pony deciding to wander into the middle of the ring as ponies have a tendency to do.

A lot of the horses at Eclipse are cobs, which look quite a bit like our up and coming Tinker breeds, often multi-colored with copious feathers on their legs. Indeed Judy Kroneberger, who is the stable manager and chief instructor, has been struggling with managing a mite problem. The horses go out on the moors to graze and come back invested with mites who find their feathered legs especially inviting. Eclipse has had to medicate them and in many cases trim their legs. Their ministrations were working, however, and the problem was almost solved.

     One really nice feature of their riding horses is that they are also all used for pony trekking, which obviously is a general term as horses also are used.  This is much like our trail rides. Many people from various occupations come to go on these treks-they are vastly popular in Ireland with the general public. Whereas in the States on a weekend afternoon we might see a matinee or go miniature golfing, the Irish pop off to the local stable to ride through the beautiful countryside. At Eclipse they were checked out for various staying-on skills, and then go round for a ride that can last for various amounts of time. The weather does not seem to matter much. While I| was there, it was quite chilly one day with a fairly con stant rain, but that did not seem to deter anyone. They just donned their “macs” and off they went.  This results in the school horses being very bomb-proof, which made the teaching a bit easier.

     There are not many indoor rings in this section of Ireland . It certainly does rain and get cold, but nothing like the bone-chilling winters that we endure in the Northeast. Eclipse’s plans are to build an indoor ring soon which will also include a rope climbing course, but for now the lessons have continued throughout their winter. The horses are kept out in the pastures as much as possible, but brought in when the weather is especially inclement. The cob types that they generally use are very hardy and the weather did not seem to bother them at all. Indeed, it was sometimes difficult to find their skin through their thick coats when grooming them!      

     The concept of Centered Riding, and approving instructors, is just starting to catch on in Ireland , England and Scotland . In Switzerland and the |Netherlands there are more instructors teaching Centered Riding than in the much larger United States , but it was so much fun to introduce the concepts in Ireland .  Everyone was hugely accepting of it, and were thrilled to find the new things they learned carrying through to their riding. One woman riding a green cob horse that she had recently purchased had become a bit frustrated that the horse did not move forward for her. By showing her how to use her body correctly, she was able to work less and allow the horse to move more freely and straighter. Another student brought in a large gorgeous bay Thoroughbred who had been used as a steeplechaser.

      Racing and steeple chasing are very popular in Ireland . You see signs advertising races on every street corner in a town or pub. (Not that I had been in every pub!). It is quite common for riders to purchase ex- racers and jumpers. Indeed the famous Grand National Steeplechase in Aintree , England had just been run. Many people, myself included, are somewhat baffled by the fact that this race has not been modified. It is a grueling distance, with huge fences in cluding the infamous Beecher ’s Brook. Many horses are injured and some killed in this race, and yet there have been no changes in order to make it safer for the horses.  

     Fawn, the horse that had been raced that came to the clinic, was quite “upside down”. She carried her head very high and had a very hollow back and could not engage through her haunches. This was a result of her past use and training. Karen had to use a running martingale on her just to ride safely so that Fawn’s head did not go beyond the angle of control. Because of  the extreme forwardness of the horse and her nervous nature, Karen had become accustomed to riding the horse with a fairly stiff hand and wrist and rode a bit behind the motion in a bit of a self -defensive manner. I taught the rider to actually ride a bit forward of her horse’s motion on purpose and also use a giving hand. We were quickly able to do away with the martingale. This enabled the horse to start to raise her back and lower her head correctly, not by a pull on the mouth.  I also taught Karen how to use half halts in jumping position. At the end of20the session Fawn was trotting around with a very light rein, and started carrying herself “long and low”, which allowed the horse to be more comfortable and less afraid of being pulled in the mouth.

     Probably the most interesting session involved teaching Rudy, who had ridden Grand Prix dressage, but who brought a horse in training at the “M” Level, which is close in approximation to our Level 4 in dressage tests. The horse he brought was a lovely, talented Trakener gelding. One of Rudy’s goals was to correct the horse’s collected walk, which was too tense. I watched him warm up and it was immediately apparent that Rudy was riding the horse with a cramped wrist and also with his shoulders a bit rounded. This prohibited the horse was stretching into the bit, and also interfered with a correct and forward moving half halt. I did Centered Riding body work with Rudy to make him aware of how to correct these problems, and at one point worked with him off the horse on the ground. We worked on the transitions being through and relaxed. and I asked him to breath out through his down transitions. The walk became less tense and the horse started stretching into the contact. At one point Rudy overcorrected his horse as he said it wa s anticipating the next movement, but actually it was the rider that was anticipating and therefore the horse became tense. Once Rudy became aware of this, we worked through many transitions through circles and bending lines and horse and rider enjoyed themselves and improved immensely.  They immediately booked five straight lessons for my return in June, which was highly gratifying.

     The Irish people I met without exception were cordial, kind, and very down to earth. The men still mostly wear the caps and tweed coats that we are familiar with watching movies of rural Ireland . The pubs are very family oriented as in England , resembling a casual restaurant more than a bar. Unfortunately, the economy has affected Ireland most than some of its neighbors, and this situation is quite worrisome and was a topic of conversation, but on the whole people were very optimistic. I was not able to attend any horse shows or events, but hope to during my trip in June.

SummersDressage@aol.com