Vanessa Way tells us about working with Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester, a great insight into the famous twosome’s philosophy:
“I think you’ve got to get the horse balanced and you’ve got to get the engine quick. That’s what Carl always says. First of all we’ve got to get the horse forward off the leg. You’ve got to remember that for the horse to be on the bit, it’s because it trusts the hand and you ride it forward and catch the energy gently in your hand and you communicate it back.”

“That’s the big thing for me; response to the leg and when the horse is genuinely forward, you’re catching the energy, you’re not pulling back, the horse trusts your hand and it bounces up off the bit. I think maybe riders try too hard to create a frame, but at the end of the day, the horse creates the frame through correct training.”

Kit Houghton images
“Charlotte used to correct me because she used to say if I didn’t move my fingers she would chop them off. The thing is with your hand, it’s the communication. The horse’s mouth is like your own. I believe if you have a numb hand you have a numb horse. You want a chewy, light feeling rather than taking a hold. We don’t ride with strength, we don’t ride with hardness. It’s like taking a two-year-old child for a walk. It’s a nice feeling.”
“I think the bridle is still the most misunderstood thing. I think today there were some horses that didn’t trust the bridle enough and they were a bit light. Those ones we want to push from the hindleg and feel that they can take my hand and are positive.”
“The ones that are heavy need to take more weight on the hind legs, so it’s not always  on the forehand. There were a couple I kept throwing the rein at because I’m not going to hold them. They have to look after themselves.”

Read more, including what Valegro feels like to ride:

What is it like to ride Valegro? An interview with Vanessa Way