Suddenly, and not so suddenly, I’ve developed an acute consciousness that dressage is a foreign language that I am learning, a system of body movements designed to enable me to communicate with my horse.

I ask myself, is my ideal goal to enter the arena with my horse, speaking this native language fluently, creating a smooth and flowing colloquy? Or, is my goal to enter the arena, speaking this native language clumsily, creating confusion that leaves me alone speaking a one-way soliloquy?

Last week while auditing a lesson given by Michael Etherly of Harris Farm, I heard his assistant trainer say something outloud to her horse that triggered my current stream of concsiousness. She was riding a shoulder in on the circle, and the horse’s rhythm bobbled momentarily as if it wasn’t certain of the aides, and then the rider said, “No, no GiGi, that’s not what I’m asking, just stay with me.”

Her comment triggered my memory of a DressageClinic.com video where dressage internationally acclaimed rider and trainer Catherine Haddad refered to her riding approach as “having a conversation” with her horses. It has been a year since I have watched Haddad’s video, but back then I watched it over and over, falling in love with her attitude and style. There was something incredibly beautiful about the idea of a horse and a rider sharing a conversation about the different movements and gaits and rythm -- collection, piaffe, passage, extended trot, etc. -- each partner finding pleasure in the other’s way of conversing; asking, listening, asking, listening, asking, listening.

I’ve heard many trainers conduct lessons in this same vein. “Ask your horse, will he move off your inside leg without swinging his haunches? Can he make his trot bigger, but not get any faster? Can he flex his hocks while you to just sit quietly and deeply in the saddle as he does a canter pirroutte? And if you ask him to come back to your seat at the end of an extended trot, through your seat, will he?”

So suddenly, and not so suddenly, this topic becomes very important to me.

To make the most of my relfection, I’ve created a list three criteria every good dressage conversationalist adheres to. First, before using an aid, they are clear about what they are asking for. Second, before they ask, they are clear about which part of their bodies they will use to ask the question. And third, when they ask, they evaluate the quality of their execution and their horses’ responses.

When I compare myself and my conversation skills to those I admire, I find myself manytimes guilty of practicing a twisted tongue. Sometimes when I ask for the passage, I get the canter on-the-spot. And sometimes when I ask for the piaffe, I get a sideways western jog. But its never too late to straighten things out, to clarify what I am asking for, to execute the movements more correctly, and to ride more like a pro.

Yes, I admit that as a practicing amatuer, I might, for just a moment, get even more twisted and turn my passage into an on-the-spot western jog, and turn the piaffe into a sideways canter. However, by placing my attention and intention on this topic, I will push through my hang-ups and soon find myself conversing with my horse fluidly, performing the piaffe and passage correctly, and as they were inteneded.

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