By Judy Eftekhar
"Working eq," said McCrae - also known as doma vaquera or doma trabajo - draws on basic trail and livestock herding skills plus dressage techniques, both of which require partnership and precision. Factor in the speed requirements of working eq, and the results are a high-energy, fun and challenging learning experience - even for me, who hasn't mastered the lead change.
"Horsemanship is horsemanship. If you ride with control and in harmony with your horse, you can do anything. The two of you, as one, can stop and open the mailbox, cross a bridge, turn on the haunches or move laterally to head off a runaway calf. Or, you can put on fancy white breeches and get points in the show ring," says Barbier.
I attended the three-day working eq clinic in Grayslake, Illinois, with more than 20 of Jill McCrae's dressage students and guests in August. With large group morning sessions and smaller group afternoon sessions, the goal was to complete a course of obstacles similar to those in working eq competitions. Several Western riders from other barns attended, and two riders made a four-hour drive from Indiana with three Lusitano stallions and a Percheron/Thoroughbred cross. Breeds included Quarter Horse, Selle Francais, Thoroughbred, Appendix, Hanoverian and Peruvian Paso, in addition to five McCrae Farm Lusitanos.
"When my students became familiar with working eq, they asked for a special clinic. Dominique teaches privately here several times a year, so he was a logical choice for our master trainer. He has a long association with traditional Portuguese horsemanship. As far as we know, this clinic is the first of its kind in the Midwest," says McCrae.
While not well-known - yet - on the American riding scene, working eq began as a competitive sport in Europe in the mid-1990s. Championship matches are now held in France, England, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Mexico and Brazil. Competition is regulated by the World Association of Working Equitation. According to its Web site, the United States Equestrian Federation has preliminary rules and regulations in place.
Working eq competitions include: flatwork, with prescribed movements, similar to dressage tests; a precision obstacle course, similar to American Western trail classes; and a speed obstacle course. Some also include livestock herding. Performed with both reins in one hand and only at the collected canter, gallop and walk, working eq competition elevates to an artistic level the grace and precision needed for real-world work.
Riding Mister, the 19-year-old, solid citizen Appendix gelding I shareboard, I signed up with just a little trepidation. After all, the barn's focus is French classical dressage on those Iberian (Spanish and Portuguese) horses, which have a natural affinity for collection and lateral work. I needn't have worried. Though an intermediate rider on a distinctly American horse (in his younger days, Mister competed, I'm told, in three-day eventing and relaxed - or not - on trails), I found that the clinic format allowed me to start at my comfort level, then encouraged me to refine and expand.
Though competitive working eq courses vary, movements in common with trail classes include: circle barrels for the figure eight and cloverleaf; open, go through, and close a gate; ride a keyhole (circle a "herd" of, for example, caged chickens); cross a bridge and/or ditch; move forward and rein back in an L or T pattern; side pass over a ground pole; ride serpentines through vertically mounted poles, or pole bending.
Working eq adds obstacles such as: use a long pole to hit targets or pick up a ring, then place the pole and ring in a barrel; ride into a chute and ring a bell, then back out; go over a low jump; and pick up and drink from a jug of water.
"It was fun to see how we can use our dressage skills outside the arena. With something concrete, you appreciate how precise you have to be," says Bethany Jensby, McCrae's working student. She rode Papa, the barn's 19-year-old Thoroughbred gelding schoolmaster.
Before saddling up, we learned about rules and regulations and ways to train horses to negotiate the obstacles. We also viewed videos of recent working eq competitions in Brazil for inspiration.
"People in other countries have herded livestock for centuries, just like American cowpokes. Each region takes advantage of its native stock's abilities. Western trail classes, dominated by the Quarter Horse, demonstrate high levels of precision, stylized versions of what you need on the open range. Iberian horses and riders have to manage unusually quick, aggressive cattle. They also apply their skills in the bullfighting ring," says Barbier.
Each morning as a group we walked, trotted and (some) cantered on cue, honing control skills - and looking out of the corner of our eyes at the afternoon's obstacles. The challenge for many of us was to manage the collective energy surge in a group setting, which included geldings, mares and stallions, all of whom remembered their manners.
I re-discovered that the simple halt is not so simple, among other things. But maybe that's just us, as Mister's favorite gait is not the halt. Luckily, I had recently become extra conscious of the curb rein, which I found we really needed to maintain a civilized pace and stop on cue. Barbier offered each student individual opportunity-for-improvement pointers. My horse and I were - repeatedly - reminded that being on the bit and coming round would be quite useful before doing, well, anything. Another imperative was to "be very clear in your mind," a favorite Barbier theme, about what I want to accomplish.
Afternoons, with students divided into small groups according to ability, were devoted to negotiating various obstacles. One afternoon challenged riders to quench their thirst while mounted. Each rider cantered up to a stool, halted, picked up and sipped from a soda can, replaced the can on the stool, and cantered away.
One interesting obstacle added to this clinic involved approaching a mailbox mounted on a pole - really scary for some horses, which either refused to stand or backed away - and retrieving a beribboned package. For the keyhole, we had a choice - we could trot or canter an inner circle, come back out, turn, change leads and circle in the other direction. Or, if we weren't feeling too precise that day, we rode a wider circle on the outside, still having to change leads and circle again.
"I rode all the way with my students and learned tons," says McCrae. "For a teacher, the clinic reiterated how important it is to keep your hands low, correct, and together. That's the first step toward riding one-handed - something Western riders already know."
Some horses whose lead changes were impressive out of the keyhole, or around the pole bending and barrel obstacles, balked at the scarier mailbox, not to mention the bridge. Others found that their rock solid side pass was a different matter over a ground pole. Some Western trail riders, on the other hand, found the obstacles familiar, but were challenged to perform them at a canter.
"I loved it! Each obstacle was an enlightenment for ways we can improve," says Laura Alter, who rode her Lusitano geldings, Trofeu, age 10, and Siao Vo, age 11. "Our collected canter is usually calm and slow. It was a different matter to rev up for a timed event - not to mention getting the obstacles in the right order!"
For the last afternoon's "competition", riders walked a course of eight obstacles to fix the order in their minds. They then had to salute the judge, enter the gate, complete the course, and salute the judge in conclusion. About half braved the course at the canter, the others were graciously allowed the non-option of the trot. It was not a fault if reins were in both hands, and a stopwatch was nowhere to be seen. But maybe that's just as well, for now.
As for the future? The clinic was so well-received that another clinic is planned for November. Says McCrae, "The pilot clinic showed us ways we can make the teaching relevant and approachable. We'll work hard to make future working eq clinics even more fun and useful for students at a variety of levels."