What does Dr. Britta Schöffmann, sports scientist, dressage trainer and author say about the training of different horse breeds?
“Every horse is different, that is for sure. The individual differences lie in physical build and breed, but also in different character and temperament. Nevertheless, all horses have the right to be ridden and trained in accordance with their talent. Classical riding and solid dressage training are the basis for this. Gymnastics and training within the scope of the respective horse's possibilities serve to keep the horse healthy. The individual training is always based on the scale of training - rhythm, suppleness, connection, impulsion, straightness, collection. It is the basic framework for successful development. In the gentle and sporting training of the most diverse breeds, different priorities are set, always depending on the physique, temperament and character of the respective horse. The goal must always be to achieve the greatest possible harmony between rider and horse, regardless of the rider's level, riding style and breed of horse.” 

If good training is successful, even a Haflinger can shine in advanced dressage, a Dülmen wild horse can do a piaffe and an Icelandic horse can be successful in working equitation.

The Icelandic Post
Twice a very special quintet managed to win the EQUITANA Show Cup. In 2022 in Mannheim at EQUITANA Open Air and this year at EQUITANA in Essen. The team of five friends consists of 13-year-old Ida Blersch and 24-year-old Anna Maurer, as well as the three Icelandic horses Faxi, Bella and Saara. They all live in the southern German Aichbühl, where Ida’s parents run a training stable. Faxi and Ida grew up together - just like Anna, Bella and Saara. The two girls have deeply internalized the credo of the Active stable Aichbühl “

The most important thing for us is the good fundamental training of every horse,” says Julia Blersch, Ida’s mother and trainer of the two young talents. “The basis of the training has to be right. That may take a long time, but only on solid basic training you can continue to grow. And that is completely independent of breed and riding style.” Ida and Anna successfully compete with their Icelandic horses at working equitation shows up to elementary level, at TREC orienteering rides and at natural horse trail championships.

The horses live in a herd in an active stable, have a deep bond of trust with their two riders and are (almost) up for any fun. Highly motivated, they gladly take on pretty much any challenge. The girls ride them out a lot, but horsemanship and liberty dressage is also practised. Daredevil acts like the Hungarian post or the spectacular galloping into a moving burning trailer without a bridle is also part of the schedule. Along the way, the Icelandic horses are used for the pony circus and as therapy horses.

The solid gymnastic dressage training makes the horses rideable and flexible and then the gaits, especially tölt, can be shown correctly. One of the projects dear to the hearts of the active stable operators is their “Pony Circus”. Here, they regularly rehearse colorful programs with all the riding students, ponies and horses, which amaze the audience at farm festivals and Christmas shows.

Always at the forefront is daughter Ida - a 7th grade pupil who made her first public appearance as a princess in the pony circus when she was not even two years old. As well as Anna, , who is a nursery schoolteacher and a trained riding therapist. The horses are the top stars performing circus tricks such as lying down, sitting and rearing, but also performing Spanish walk and Hungarian post.

As a young child, whenever Ida was ill, she was allowed to watch videos of the master of the Hungarian post, the Frenchman Lorenzo. She made a firm resolution: “I’ll do that too.” And today, she stands easily on the backs of Faxi and Saara, jumping over obstacles or diving under them, just like her great role model. Anna thrills the audience with exquisite liberty dressage and circus arts. It is a spectacle that truly stands out and proves what can be achieved when horses are trained solidly and sensitively. The next project of the two are their young mares, which they train themselves: Anna’s Connemara Cessy and Ida’s Coco Chanel, an American Morgan Horse, another special breed that is relatively unknown in Europe. In Working Equitation, Coco and Ida were already ranked at elementary level in 2022. We are excited to see where their journey takes them and wish them all the best!

Highflying Haflinger
“Amani” stands for “wishes” in Arabic and “jewel” in Indian. The 18-year-old noble Haflinger stallion lives up to his name. He has fulfilled all his owner Franziska Keth’s wishes and is a real jewel. The pretty blond was born in 2005 on a small farm in Hesse, Germany, where Franziska Keth had been riding since she was eight years old. The farm owners, the Braum family, had long been dedicated to Haflinger breeding and bred Amani’s grandfather Argus, one of the first of his breed to manage to compete against large horses in an M-level dressage.

Franziska Keth accompanied all tournaments, breeding shows and events as a child and when Amani came from the stallion paddock in 2009 as a four-year-old, he was left to her to break in. “Amani was incredibly sensitive and wanted to do everything right from the start,” his rider recalls. “I knew immediately that he was MY horse.” It has remained that way to this day. Amani is still a stallion, has a high work attitude and is at peace with himself. He is not a bully at all, rides with mares in the trailer and is easy to handle even when mating.

The riding career of the two is exemplary. At their first start in a dressage horse class A in 2009, they immediately took second place and countless victories and ribbons followed in A and L classes. When Franziska Keth was 22 years old, she made the decision to ride M dressage with Amani and half a year later they were placed in their first M test. “Amani took a very long time to learn the flying changes - but that was certainly because I couldn’t teach them to him properly,” says Franzi Keth. Her trainer Christiane Braum accompanied her up to elementary level and attached great importance to getting the basics right. It is better to take a step back if the horse does not understand something. Franziska Keth still keeps it this way today.

The duo worked on lessons in the higher classes together “learning by doing” and even if it takes some time, an exercise that Amani has understood will last forever. The leap into advanced dressage was another big step, but this too has managed. By now his piaffe and passage is a dream and still shines with joy and ease in the dressage arena. However, Franziska Keth now applies Amani in a much more measured way. She wants to spend many more years with the horse of her heart. Amani became Hessian Eventing Champion at the age of 13, yet she decided that his career in the bush would end at that time. “We actually did eventing as a ‘balancing sport’ for the arena,” the dressage rider said.

“We had won the dressage hands down, then we rather stumbled through the jump course, as I just don’t turn into a show jumper. In country phase, Amani gave me the feeling of flying. It was unbelievable! But you should stop when it’s at its best, and that’s what I did for the sake of the horse.” Franziska Keth is renowned in the dressage world, but she needed support from family and friends. She knows about bullying in the warm-up ring, snide remarks when she turned the corner with her blond horse, just 151cm heigh, in a tailcoat.

The voices have died down, as often, the strong-moving warmbloods have to get in line behind the noble Haflinger. Amani lives a happy horse life, daily in the field and with constant variety in the training program. “We never do the same thing two days in a row,” says Franzi Keth. “Pole work, lunging, trail rides, groundwork, liberty dressage or we harness him - there is always variety involved.” And when asked if the wonderful horse has any bad habits at all, she remembers after some thought that Amani can not contain his enthusiasm in spring when it is turnout time.

More than once he has made his way with a waving rope behind him. But he behaves after a few days. Amani’s son, the nine-year-old All in One, bred by Franzi Keth herself, follows in his father’s footsteps and is already competing up to medium level in the arena. In addition, both gentlemen are now at home on the leased farm of the Keth family and in their free time they successfully work as kid ponies for Franzi’s two-year-old daughter. We wish the family many more wonderful years together!

From feral horse to dressage star
30 years ago, Britta Becker moved to the countryside and two years later she fulfilled her wish of owning her first horse. Of course, a horse on its own is not happy and so the decision was made to buy a Dülmen yearling at the annual wild horse auction. Number 25 was the choice - small, shaggy and timid with an extreme desire for individual distance, he quickly nicknamed ‘Little Donkey’.

Officially he was given the name Pinocchio and lost his shyness towards humans within a short time. Britta Becker worked extensively with the junior, did groundwork and went for long walks with him. When her mare became pregnant, Pinocchio was four years old and took over the pregnancy substitution by letting himself be broken in without any problems. Definitely a result of the deep trust that had formed between the two. Pinocchio learned rapidly what was expected of a leisure horse and was also very fond of children.

"I rode him at a riding-club nearby and after a while the question came up if children were allowed to ride him," Britta Becker remembers. That's how Jana Ruff came into the picture in 2001. The 14-year-old and Pinocchio were a real dream team. Together they took riding lessons, attended clinics and went to their first competitions.

The road led steeply upwards and from 2003 onwards they had to compete in the horse classes, as Jana was getting too old for the pony competitions. In 2008, the two competed in their first M-level dressage. At the age of 17, Pinocchio had a serious abdominal surgery, but thanks to his robustness he actually survived.

After the rehabilitation period, the dream duo was shining again. They started slowly in A to M dressage to finally compete in their first S dressage in the big arena. It is unbelievable what can be achieved despite conformation and with the correct training. "Pinocchio was a real fighter," recalls Britta Becker.

"He always knew what was at stake and gave everything." The competitors and supervisors in the warm-up arenas often had other ideas. For example, Britta Becker repeatedly received the friendly hint that the warm-up arena for the E dressage was located another place and Jana was sometimes downright bullied by other riders with snide remarks. The voices abruptly fell silent when the two of them placed in the front of the field and were able to ride the lap of honour. Most riders respected Jana and "Pinocchio 135" as serious competitors. Being bought as a ‘lawn mower’, he spent his life as a real sportsman.

In addition to performing in the arena, trail rides, ground- and polework as well as double lunge and jumping exercises, ensured that he had enough variety and always remained motivated. His unique character was not only evident at countless trade fairs and event appearances, but also at local events where he patiently facilitated pony rides for a good cause. He lived his life happily in a large box with daily access to pasture. As befits a pony, he was extremely greedy and smart as a whip. He passed away in 2016 but enjoyed 21 years of an exceptional life in the best of care and everyone who knew him remembers the 143-centimetre little wildling with joy.