Cavalletti: For Dressage and Jumping

Each horse, no matter the riding discipline, benefits from working with cavalletti. Dressage and eventing rider extraordinaire Ingrid Klimke explains how training with ground poles and cavalletti is one of her secrets of success. Cavalletti training improves the gaits; promotes rhythm, suppleness, and cadence; and increases the fitness of your horse. This newly revised guide shows cavalletti work on the longe, provides valuable new ideas specifically for dressage work, and numerous updated diagrams for jumping gymnastics, along with all new color photographs.

ISBN-13: 9781570769276

Media Type: Hardcover

Publisher: Trafalgar Square

Publication Date: 10-16-2018

Pages: 156

Product Dimensions: 7.50(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.60(d)

Ingrid Klimke is a former international trainer of dressage, show jumping, and event horses, and currently competes for Germany as an event rider. She had always been able to call on her father’s experiences but has also been greatly influenced by Fritz Ligges, Ian Miller, and Anne Kursinski. She appeared at four Olympics, from 2000 to 2012. With her horse Abraxxas, she has won two gold medals in team eventing, at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2012 Summer Olympics. In January 2012, she was promoted to a “Reitmeister” (Riding Master, a special title of the German Equestrian Federation). Klimke is the second woman ever to be promoted as “Reitmeister”. Reiner Klimke 1936–1999. Dr. Klimke, one of the most famous and successful dressage riders of all time won Olympic Dressage team gold medals in 1964, 1968, 1976, 1984, 1988, and the individual gold in 1984 on his most famous horse, Ahlerich. Early in his riding career he competed in eventing and was a member of the winning West German three-day event team at the 1959 European Championships, and competed for West Germany in the 1960 summer Olympics. Klimke not only rode and trained, but also ran a law firm and served on several boards, including the FEI Dressage Committee. With his wife, Ruth (also a top show jumping and dressage rider), he had 3 children: Ingrid, Rolf, and Michael. His daughter Ingrid Klimke competes successfully at the international level in eventing and dressage and won an eventing gold at the 2008 summer Olympics twenty years after her father's last Olympic gold medal. His son Michael also competes at the Grand Prix level in dressage. Klimke died at age 63 in Munster, Germany.

Table of Contents

Foreword to the first edition Dr Reiner Klimke 1966 8

Foreword to the 1997 edition Dr Reiner Klimke 1997 9

Traditionaland New Experiences Ingrid Klimke 2011 9

1 The value of cavalletti work in basic training 11

Basic rules 11

Why is cavalletti work useful? 12

What does the rider learn? 15

2 Practical equipment 19

Different pole layouts 19

Using ground poles instead of cavalletti 20

Ground conditions 20

Equipment for the horse 21

3 Cavalletti work without the rider 23

Basic training in a natural outline 23

Free schooling 24

On the Lunge 30

4 Cavalletti work on straight lines with the rider 39

Basic rules 39

Various cavalletti layouts 39

Cavalletti work in walk 42

Cavalletti work in trot 48

Cavalletti work in canter 60

5 Cavalletti work on circles 63

Preparation 63

6 Gymnastic jumping 71

Introduction 71

Basic rules 72

Aim 72

Planning a schooling session 75

The basic elements of riding over fences 76

The jumping seat 81

Exercises in cantering over cavalletti 86

Typical mistakes and their solutions 95

Schooling the horse 99

Grids for novice horses 103

Bounces 114

More layouts for grid work 119

Common problems and ways to correct them 122

7 Training programmes 131

Basic rules 131

Four to six week plan for basic training 132

Four to six week plan for a dressage horse 140

Four to six week plan for a jumping horse 145

Ideas for young riders 150

Further reading 153

Index 155