13 principles of working with horses from Vitaly Dyundikov

Photo: Stas Mulyar.

We continue to share with you the secrets and methods of work of famous riders. This time, Vitaly Dyundikov, an athlete and trainer based in St. Petersburg, spoke about 13 principles of working with his horses.

I get asked a lot of questions about distances, hardware, riding problems. All these points are important, but I would like to say a little about the main principle that I myself am guided by in my work with horses and persistently instill in my students.

Physical and mental health horses above all! Even when it comes to elite sports and professional-commercial sports.

For more than 15 years I have been training horses and participating in serious tournaments, with routes of 150-160 cm, when all the physical and mental resources of the horse are involved at the fullest level. And I can say with confidence that to get a high result, and, most importantly, to keep it for several years, you can only feel the fine line between increasing the load, progress, the need to reduce the load and recovery.

Often problems with the horse’s health, mentality, refusal to cooperate with a person are the result of emotional, psychological or physical overload.

For many years I have been working on the following:

* I sit on the horse when it has already run on the lunge. It is stretched, the muscles are warmed up, you can immediately get to work.

* I always treat the horse myself before getting into the saddle and immediately after work. * Active work lasts approximately 30 minutes, alternating with rest. * I try to avoid routine, change exercises to keep the horse interested. * I always praise the horse for the slightest positive moment. * If the horse has tried, done something very well, I immediately finish this exercise, do not force him to repeat the result many times. * Jumping days – 2 times a week. * Basically I jump low, exercises. I raise horses to a height shortly before the competition. * After the competition – always rest without work in the saddle. * Young, recently worn horses, I work under saddle 3-4 times a week, very slowly increasing the load. * No matter how great the potential of a young horse and its responsiveness in work, you must always remember that it still has an immature musculoskeletal system and nervous system. * Regular examination by a veterinarian, therapeutic and preventive measures to maintain the health of horses.

* And most importantly – positive, respect and love for horses!