Ingrid Klimke talks about the benefits of cavalletti work

When should we start cavalletti work with our young horses?

“When my four-year-old is on the aids and in rhythm, then it is time for cavalletti work. Start with one, then two, three, four. Never more than four, if there is a problem they can jump over four, they can’t jump over eight. Start with them on the ground, then stand them up – it is always good to have a professor horse lead the young ones through.”

“Aim the nose forward and downwards, think it will go all the way to the sand – “let his nose right down to the sand” – as my father said. Often people, especially dressage people, are afraid of rails on the ground, and also of paddocks. Stallions must go out in paddocks like all horses, dressage horses should do poles. Let him stretch, give the rein, good, pat him, let him see, I can take my freedom, I can even take more.”

“Why train test movements all the time, until the horse doesn’t want to do it any more? Try something different.”

“We put cavalletti on the circle with many exercises, this makes the horse so supple and so smooth.”

“The hindlegs must be energetic under the centre of gravity, that means the hindquarters get much more muscle, the back gets so much stronger, and the horse really shows himself. The horse has to have energy from behind, the motor is the hindlegs.”