NEDA Fall Festival 2011 - New England Dressage Association

The Yin and Yang of It
Arthur Kottas-Heldenberg Comes to New England
Hurricane Irene brought more to New England than high
winds and massive rainfall. Preceding it by a day,
Arthur Kottas-Heldenburg arrived at Kenridge Farm in
Kensington, NH, for a 4 day clinic on Friday, August 26th.
Both events were not anticipated by much time, but Herr
Kottas was, unlike Irene, fortuitous. Despite the ominous
forecasts, the clinic was uninterrupted by the weather, and
Herr Kottas, or Arthur, as he was quick to encourage participants
to call him, was the far more potent force. Irene was
downgraded to a mere storm by a master of dressage, and a
brilliant teacher.
Irene Greenberg organized the
clinic in exemplary fashion, having
been informed by a dressage friend in
Canada that Arthur had 2 days free,
and possibly 4, after a clinic in
Toronto. With very little time at her
disposal, she contacted as many people
as possible, utilizing Facebook
and the NEDA website. The results
were excellent; the clinic was filled
with a combination of dressage professionals
and individual riders, and
Arthur was able to show his talent in
instructing a varied group of riders, and demonstrating the training
protocol with a heterogeneous group of horses.
It was immediately evident that Arthur has an inner core
of classical dressage principles with which he would teach
and train, applying to each rider and horse. He exemplified
the commitment to the concept that these principles should
be applied at the very beginning of a horse’s training to make
it easier for the horse to advance to the higher levels of collection
while retaining the suppleness and elasticity of the
basic gaits that we see, or hope to see, in young horses. He
consistently urged the riders and auditors to consider the
“why” as well as the “how” of training: to lengthen the stride
of the gait, the back must be relaxed and the movement
should swing through it; to allow this to happen, the rider
should lighten the seat and allow the horse to stretch its
topline. Without a relaxed back that can swing, the engagement
cannot develop. Without the engagement, collection
becomes a shortening of the gait without a lowering of the
croup. Without the raising of the forehand, the lowering of
the croup is not possible without tension, which destroys the
gait. Yin and yang. The horse should be ridden with a positive
encouragement to contract the inside muscles of his body,
i The New England Dressage Association j
� BY ALEXANDRA DANE �
He exemplified the commitment to
the concept that these principles should
be applied at the very beginning of a
horse’s training to make it easier for the
horse to advance to the higher levels of
collection while retaining the suppleness
and elasticity of the basic gaits that we
see, or hope to see, in young horses.
so that movements such as shoulder-in and half-pass are not
initiated by an inside rein. To do so requires that the rider
allow the stretching and relaxation of the outside muscles of
the horse’s body: yin and yang. Most important of all, judging
by the earnest and heartfelt emphasis Arthur repeatedly
placed on it: the horse provokes a rider’s reaction, just as a
rider provokes the horse’s reaction – yin and yang. To ignore
this principle is to ignore classical dressage training.
Through all the intense teaching and focus on educating
the riders while improving the horses, Arthur retained and
demonstrated a whimsical sense of humor and an empathy for
his riders and horses. While I
was not able to be present at all
sessions, the reaction that I heard
was positive and very enthusiastic.
Arthur demonstrated in-hand
work on Saturday evening; I regret
that I yielded to my husband’s
heartfelt pleas that I not venture
out, and did not attend. Still,
Arthur worked several horses in
hand on all days of the clinic, so
that I have a feeling for what his
work sets out to accomplish.
What makes him a master is his ability to sense that the horse
is within a stride or two of giving the correct response, and
then praising him AS he is doing so; a training aid that is
more than effective, it is a game-changer.
Arthur Kottas-Heldenberg will be returning for clinics at
Kenridge Farm. He enjoyed working with the participants,
and found New England a hospitable and welcoming venue.
We are grateful that we will have the opportunity to have him
available in the future. The information will be posted on the
NEDA website, and you can contact Irene at irene.e.greenberg@gmail.com.
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