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Wednesday 28 February 2018
February News From Team Derriere Equestrian ~ Spring Really Is On The Way!
Thursday 22 February 2018
What is 'contact', in the Scales of Training? By Laura Luyton Derriere Equestrian Sponsored Rider
What is 'contact', in the Scales of Training?
By Laura Luyton Derriere Equestrian Sponsored Rider
According to British Dressage, the most tried and tested ways of understanding a horse's way of going are the German Scales of Training; six proven elements of training that are sequential on a horse's training.They are: rhythm, suppleness, contact, impulsion, straightness, and eventually, collection. As a rule, the training scales are approached in that order, but there are times when one 'scale' is skipped over, to work on another. BD states to members: "Until the horse works with rhythm, it will be difficult to make him supple, and until supple, contact will be spasmodic, and until the contact is true, impulsion will be elusive."
Belgian rider Laura Luyton, Derriere Equestrian Ambassador rider, agrees that the scales are of a higher standard as the horse's training advances. We asked her to discuss contact, the third 'scale of training', and one of the hardest areas of flatwork to correctly achieve.
Contact - the third 'scale of training'
"A soft, yet consistent rein contact and targeted flatwork training help to get the horse working forwards into the contact," says the high-profile rider, who contested the European Children Junior Young Riders Championships in the Netherlands in 2017.
Here are her top tips:
1. Aim for the horse to working forwards into the contact; don't ever think about directing his head down, or back - working forwards helps achieve equine self carriage.
2. For an optimal rein contact, the rider should aim to carry the hands and keep them level, without trying to interfere with the horse’s head carriage too much.
3. Ensure your arms don’t straighten, which is an indicator of tense shoulders. Tense shoulders usually lead to a fixed hand, meaning the rein contact isn’t elastic. (See point 4!) Obviously, a great sports bra like the Derriere Sportief helps achieve relaxation!
4. Aim for a light, even, elastic feel in both reins; this is really achieved by aids from the legs and seat, not the hands. The legs are applied as a driving aid; the horse steps under more and gains 'throughness'.
5. ‘Carrying the hands’ really starts at the shoulders – when you are schooling, try to think about establishing a good rhythm with sufficient self carriage, without ‘holding’ the horse – the hands can actually be quite light.
6. For a good rein contact and a correct torso position, drop the elbow comfortably and relax it. This is the key to having a good rein contact; not a fixed hand.
7. Don't collapse the hip to the outside, which imbalances the horse. Remember, your body weight needs to be in the direction of movement. To correct or avoid a collapsed hip, sit up tall and make sure your back isn’t slumped.
"The Scales of Training are used by all nations as helpful checks on the way of going for the rider when doing a movement; they're also used by judges when marking a movement. It's useful to keep them in mind when you're training, e.g. when you're working on contact, looking back at your rhythm and suppleness," Laura adds.
To conclude, Laura also advises keeping in mind the importance of ‘personal comfort’ in the saddle. "If you are working to improve your flatwork, good riding underwear is a boon," she says. "Consider padded underwear like the Derriere range, especially the Derriere Equestrian Performance Padded Panty; remember - when the rider is comfortable within the saddle, there is less likelihood of compensatory misalignment of the spine and pelvis; and a comfy ‘personal area’ means a more effective partnership with the horse!" 
Derriere Equestrian Belgian rider Laura Luyton was part of the gold medal winning Junior Team at the CDIOJ in Saumur in 2015. She's consistently successful in the Kur classes, winning the Dressage To Music on her 10-year old Westfalian gelding Dark Chocolate at the 2017 international CDI Lier Sint-Truiden and Saumur dressage contests, riding for Belgium.
Saturday 17 February 2018
Baby, it's cold outside
Baby, it's cold outside
Here at Derriere Equestrian, as horsey fanatics, we
know that the base layer is probably the most important clothing layer, at this
time of year! Take our gorgeous DE Zip Skin garment...
It doesn't just look good - this piece of technically-advanced riding apparel
is moisture wicking, and is made from an all-way stretch fabric that keeps you
cool in the hot weather, and warm in the cold, ensuring thermoregulation is
maintained during horse riding or other exercise. Fairly priced for its
superior climate control benefits, the Zip Skin even provides UV protection.
So, what are
the benefits of moisture wicking garments? We have used a high-tech sporting
fabric in our 'skin' tops, consisting of 80% Polyamide and 20% Elasthane.
The predominance of Polyamide makes the Zip Skins and
their sister product, the round-necked Pocket Skin,
extremely tear-proof, sweat-resistant and abrasion-resistant. Importantly, the
garments let the skin breathe, preventing discomfort caused by overheating when
you ride. The wicking fabric draws sweat away from the body to the surface of
the garment where it evaporates, to keep you dry in the saddle. The
carefully-balanced mix of Polyamide and Elasthane means the Elasthane fibres
offer elasticity and stretch, for a comfortable, form-fitting garment that
moves with you - there's nothing worse than a restrictive clothing layer, if
you're show jumping, for example! Polyamide-based technical tops are also easy
to wash, don't need ironing, and dry quickly on a radiator - perfect for the
winter months, when we are often washing our horse riding clothes more
frequently!
Layers 2 and
3
So, once you have your slim-line, moisture-wicking,
insulating horse riding top, where do you go next? Essentially, you're looking
to create thermal insulation, which involves conduction (exchange of heat
through contact with your skin), convection (via the movement of air between
the layers), and radiation (creating warmth beneath the garments).
So next, you need your mid-layer riding top - this is
used to trap the air between the bottom two layers. Depending on the weather,
this can be something like a fleece or a softshell riding jacket. Don't be
tempted to just choose a thick layer in the cold weather - more slim-line
layers are more beneficial, and offer mobility and comfort.
Your top layer will be your outer coat - this is a
protective layer creating a barrier from the wind and rain. If this isn't
hi-viz, you may even add a fourth layer, like a reflective waistcoat or tabard,
for visibility in winter - another reason not to choose thick layers, as you
still need your mobility to comfortably ride your horse or pony!
In the same way that we may start a training session
with an exercise sheet on our horse, we usually start our ride or schooling
session wearing all of our clothing layers. As we exercise and move around, our
body reacts by increasing blood flow to the skin's surface. It is essentially
taking the heat from within the body, to the top of the skin. At this point, we
often remove our outer layer or coat, to avoid getting too hot and sweating -
although if you are wearing a technologically advanced base layer like the DE Zip Skin or Pocket Skin, the
moisture wicking material does remove the sweat, and passes it through the
layers of clothing.
Remember,
winter time can be a glorious time to ride and enjoy our horses, if we are able
to work around the changing temperatures and fleeting daylight, and plan our
riding wardrobe!
Friday 16 February 2018
The history of riding trousers and breeches - and why Derriere is leading the field
The history of riding trousers and breeches - and
why Derriere is leading the field
Do your ridingbreeches provide optimal comfort and
performance? Do they work in harmony with your undergarments, so the fabric
surfaces come together in a symbiosis that eliminates chaffing? Or are your
old-fashioned jodhpurs causing discomfort associated with the seated element of
equestrian sports, and perhaps not flattering your shape?
If you’re
wondering whether your riding comfort in the saddle could be improved, no doubt
you’ve looked at saddle seat savers - those memory foam or gel-based-wonders
that cushion our derrieres beautifully, and allow us to ride our horses more
comfortably, and focus on our training. But maybe you should also take a look
at your riding apparel? Your underwear is key before you start to look at your breeches, seamlines and fabrics.
Is it time
to upgrade your horse riding breeches?
Fashions in
equestrian riding-wear have undoubtedly come a long way in recent years; let’s
look back to the last few centuries. Jodhpurs are a nineteenth century
invention - the first pair is said to have been tailored in 1890. These practical,
long trousers were snug from the calf to the ankle, with reinforced fabric
protecting the inner calf and knee from rubbing. According to the Gentleman’s
Gazette, jodhpur pants started out as traditional formal wear in India,
getting their name from Jodhpur, the capital city of Marwar. In the late 1800s,
the resident ‘Regent of Jodhpur’, an avid Polo player, aimed to produce a riding
garment suited to polo; he adapted the long Indian ‘churidar’ pants, flaring
the garment along the thighs and hips. 
Although
these ‘jodhs’ came to British shores around the turn of the nineteenth century
after Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, European Ladies didn’t really start wearing
them until the 1920s, when some daring females shifted away from riding
side-saddle; you may recall Lady Mary from ‘Downton Abbey’ doing this very
thing. One of the first high-profile women to adopt the wearing of jodhpurs is
said to be fashion icon Coco Chanel, who transformed the ‘practical’ jodhpur
into a fashion statement, both on and off the horse. But today, jodhpurs are
more commonly worn by children and young riders.
Breeches and jodhs
Although
many people refer to riding trousers as ‘jodhs’, what they more commonly mean
in this day and age is breeches, which are shorter and tapered at the ankle,
and actually descend more from military riding wear than from the Jodhpur polo
pant that we have just described. Army officers routinely wore riding breeches as
part of their service dress, presented with strapped and laced leather field-boots.
The bottom of the breech was secured by buckles or buttons; Velcro was later
the fastening of choice on riding breeches, and now ‘cuffs’, like Derriere’sFlexi Cuff System, are more commonly seen, for comfort at the ankle.
Derriere’s fashion-forward riding breech
Derriere Equestrian’s ethos when it comes to
riding breeches is much closer to Ms Chanel’s fashion flair than to the Marwari
polo players’ heavy cottons, or the army’s cavalry twills. Derriere has taken the
international heritage of creating practical riding clothing with a stylish edge,
and has created two fabulous breeches made from a blend of Cotton, Microfibre
and Elasthane.
The Derriere Equestrian Treviso Training breeches
feature a unique Flexi Cuff System, providing a seamless flexible design for
ultimate comfort and support of the rider’s lower limb musculature. Like the
Treviso breeches, the Cannes Competition breeches are designed to promote
optimal comfort and performance and work in harmony with the Derriereundergarments, ensuring all fabric surfaces come together to eliminate chaffing
and discomfort. They also boast the Flexi Cuff System and are available in men’s
and ladies’
styles.
If you want to make a fashion statement, flatter your shape and enjoy
a comfortable ride on your horse, Derriere’s riding breeches are the ones for
you!
www.derriereequestrian.com
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