Supporting riders in their pursuit of performance also means supporting them in their training. Focus on dressage with insights from Camille Judet-Chéret, a French International Dressage Rider, who shares a “typical” training session to work in depth and ensure long-term progress. Between confidence, fluidity, and elegance, it’s your turn to ride.
Getting Started in Dressage
Camille’s horses always begin their warm-up with 20 to 30 minutes on the walker. She then mounts and walks for 10 to 15 minutes. During this time, variations in walk tempo are essential. This forms the foundation of a good warm-up.
Next comes 20 minutes of stretching, alternating neck extensions and numerous transitions. This crucial stage ensures the horse is relaxed yet ready for the session. Finally, Camille includes light lateral work.
These steps allow the horse to start training in optimal conditions, with a more collected attitude. Now, let’s move on to the main session!
The Ideal Dressage Training Session
Camille rarely performs full dressage tests in training. Most of the time, she focuses on a single exercise and its preparatory steps. It’s the combination of these steps that ensures perfect execution. A session for Camille is structured into series of preparatory exercises. Let’s look at some examples of figures.
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The Pirouette
Start with a few shoulder-ins, followed by neck-to-wall and haunches-in movements. Continue with haunches-in on a circle, gradually tightening until executing the pirouette or half-pirouette as in the test.
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Flying Lead Changes
Begin with isolated, perfectly executed lead changes and straight diagonals. Only after mastering these exercises should you attempt lines of flying changes at four- or three-beat strides. Straightness, quality of the canter, and balance must remain your priority.
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Saving the Best for Last: Piaffe
When preparing the piaffe, start with multiple trot-walk-trot transitions. Your dressage horse must respond perfectly to aids, alternating half-halts and leg cues to maintain balance and collection. The horse should be supple and attentive to enter the piaffe smoothly.
Now let’s take a closer look at the end of Camille’s dressage sessions.
Finishing in Style
After a good session, it’s essential to allow the horse to relax. Camille performs neck extensions at trot and/or canter, depending on the session. Then comes well-earned rest with walk recovery (mounted) outdoors.
Camille’s Final Words
“Transitions within and between gaits are crucial in dressage. They are important exercises even for Grand Prix horses. In my opinion, they are truly the foundation of a horse’s training. They account for 80% of the work, regardless of the horse’s age or level. It’s never a mistake to practice transitions a hundred times!”
Camille also emphasizes the importance of adapting sessions to the horse’s level, age, and condition. Sessions can vary within a week and even from day to day.
©Photo Equisense
One discipline, one outfit
The perfect session requires the perfect outfit. Horse Pilot has put together a selection of products to help you train your horse in the best possible conditions. It is possible to combine comfort, design and technical performance!
Here are the products we recommend for a comfortable session:
- For your upper body, opt for a Storm and an Optimax to keep you warm in cold weather.
Once summer arrives, you can replace them with a Suntech polo shirt or an Atlas polo shirt.
- For the lower body, we recommend our X-Grip, which will ensure you stay firmly in the saddle (grip on the seat and inside of the knees).
If you prefer breeches with grips only on the knees, the X-Perform is for you.
- What is your favourite outfit for training?
