Training Piaffe and Passage with FEI Dressage Rider Michelle Baker
One of Australia’s most accomplished and decorated FEI dressage riders and long-time BARE Equestrian Rider, Michelle Baker, shares some at home training of the piaffe and passage. Her kind and empathetic approach have been the cornerstone to her success and a philosophy she stands by.
"Here is a little bit of how I am training the piaffe and passage with Raspberry. It’s a longer video than normal to show the training not just the good bits!
With a very extravagant front leg sometimes it’s hard to organise the balance and rhythm between the collected trot passage and piaffe. You can see here Berry has a very good desire to keep active and is very forward thinking, which I love.
The passage has a way to come with strength but asking for more now will disturb the rhythm. So I am just letting her find the passage slowly. Going into the piaffe can be tricky to keep the activity which can lose the rhythm. It’s not about chasing the horse to get the energy. It’s about creating the desire to go forward and then sitting quietly and giving the horse somewhere to go. You can see here as I go into the piaffe she nearly loses the momentum and I use a turning piaffe (pirouette) to help her find it again. (45secs into the video and again at 1min 40) This works well for Berry. It’s about finding what each individual needs.
She is green at this but I think shows talent. Berry is currently PSG so has plenty of time to perfect this." ~ Michelle.
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