2005 Global Dressage Forum

Kyra Kyrklund on Collection

The highlight of the second day was Kyra Kyrklund on collection. Kyrklund was already a speaker at the 2004 forum and returned this year by popular demand. If you want to talk about an eclectic trainer, than Kyra is your person. Kyrklund is a multiple Olympian and has trained numerous riders and horses to international Grand Prix level. She openly admits that she experiments with different training systems (though she is not a user of the rollkur) and recommends any rider to use the 'tool box'. "See a lot of things, try them out and don't throw away the old ones because they might come in handy," she said. Yet, Kyra stayed clear-minded and jokingly added that "life is too short to make all the mistakes by yourself. Learn from professionals, be nosey."

Kyrklund defined collection as “the gathering of the natural forces of the movement of the horse to be able to control its center of gravity more easily. It is a state of readiness in the horse’s mind, body and movement for it to be willing and able to execute any understood exercise demanded by the rider.”

She asked her students Mia von Essen, Kristian von Krusenstierna and Sarah Millis to ride a circle round her and shorten the steps, gradually working towards a pirouette. According to Kyra, controlling the length and speed of the steps is essential in the training collection and the best way of developing the piaffe and passage.

Kristian von Krusenstierna displayed total control of Wilson’s steps by riding a half canter pirouette, making a transition into piaffe for a few steps before cantering on and finishing that same pirouette.

To make a horse light to the aids, she recommends riding counter canter - walk transitions. She prefers the counter canter because the rider doesn't need to worry about the haunches coming in as the horse stays straighter in the body more easily.

Text copyrighted Astrid Appels/Eurodressage.com, Images copyrighted Dirk Caremans -
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