Impulsion is not speed! We have all been there – the rider asks for more activity and the horse flattens or blocks his body, quickens the step, and makes no real difference his stride. True impulsion comes from the ability to ride the three previous scales of training – rhythm, suppleness and contact – and then increase the activity. Importantly, the rider must never seek to put in more energy than the horse can control given its age, physiology and level of training. Often, it can be more helpful to think of impulsion as connection.
The key to impulsion is that the power, once created, is contained without resistance. Only if the horse is supple and relaxed in his work and in the contact, the rider can begin to ask for more impulsion. If the horse lacks the basic rhythm, contact or suppleness, the only effect will be one of tightening and tensing.
All too often, you see riders rushing around their tests, thinking that they are achieving impulsion – the other side of the coin is that riders focus too much on the contact and forget to ride forward. It is a tricky balance, and one that only comes with experience and knowledge of the horse you are riding. Push for too much and you risk losing the rhythm and relaxation, don’t ask enough and the connection is gone.
As a rider, it is crucial that the horse is responsive enough from the leg and rein. If he is slow off the leg, it will be impossible to create enough energy, and if he is too heavy or too light on the rein it will be very difficult to contain it. For this work, transitions are your friend! Even the most basic transitions between the paces build the foundations for creating true impulsion. If your horse cannot go from trot to walk and back to trot again promptly and without resistance, it is a clear indicator that the responses are not yet refined enough to generate genuine impulsion. The more the rider can practise the transitions, taking care that the horse stays ‘through’ from start to finish, the easier they will find it to create energy and contain it in a soft and supple way. Once the basic transitions have been mastered, the rider can progress to transitions within the pace, making these subtler and more refined until both the forward driving aid and containing aid can work together to build the connection.
Achieving true impulsion is more a matter of feel than the previous scales of training. A rider’s experience allows them to make a judgement on how much impulsion to ask for. It is often a matter of trial and error, but a good coach will help a rider recognise when they have reached the perfect balance of energy and softness.
Next week… Straightness