After the Intermediaire I Championships in 2005, Jane and Mak were invited to train with the US Olympic Team Coach, Klaus Balkenhol, at his facility in Germany. Jane wrote the following article for the New England Dressage Association Newsletter describing the three months she spent moving Mak up to Grand Prix under Klaus' expert eye.

 It isn’t everyone who gets to live their dream, but back in October, 2005, I was one of the fortunate few. Since I was made aware of Klaus Balkenhol many years ago, I always wished I could train under him and that chilly October my wishes came true. What struck me over the years, and made me envy those who had trained with him, was that his horses always looked so happy and agreeable in the show- and warm-up rings. I also was drawn to his training method, which maintains the classical principals of dressage.

During my time in Germany with Klaus we had many discussions regarding the classical German system and the direction he feels dressage is going in the future. For me, this was heaven. Maksymilian, my Dutch Warmblood, and I flew over together with the Dutta Corp. and they got me all the way to the doorstep of Klaus’ farm in Rosendahl, Germany. Mak and I arrived at eleven o’clock at night German time. I had been awake for 30-odd hours because I was too excited and anxious to sleep. I have to tell you, flying with horses is a great experience when you go with good shippers, and these guys were the best. Mak arrived in great condition, walked right into his stall with straw to his belly, drank from the automatic waterer and generally acted like he had never left Europe in the first place. He settled in and I went to Tuny Page’s house where I stayed and slept for 12 hours. The next day was Sunday and Klaus was just coming home from a clinic. As he walked into the barn I got to see his fantastic smile again and felt right at home. Judith Balkenhol was a very welcoming hostess and graciously helped me get settled. As I looked around, I had to pinch myself. I was just so grateful to have been invited to train at Balkenhol’s stable.

Monday we got right to work. Ten o’clock in the morning was our first session, conducted in Klaus’ beautiful outdoor arena. He said to me, “I remember you from Gladstone. You need self carriage! How is the piaffe, passage, and one tempis? Let’s see your warm up.” Right to work we went. Over the first week Klaus and I got to know each other and he got to know Mak. He firmly concluded I needed to change my program as Mak was lacking self carriage and correct impulsion. (Impulsion is the horse’s desire to CARRY ITSELF forward; it is the push phase of the hind leg, not hock flexion in the air.) Mak was forward, strong in the hand, slow to the leg (for a Grand Prix horse), and if I didn’t change our routine we would stay off the B-list and never have a chance to make the A-list. (The B-list is 64% Grand Prix average while the A-list is 68% Grand Prix average.) Klaus felt six months of a new routine were needed to start, and two years of showing Grand Prix would be the right time line for Mak and me to reach our full potential in the show ring.  I know dressage training takes time so I was game to follow Klaus’ training program and see where we ended up. The first week was very important to make our first impression and start to change.

The first month we concentrated on Mak. When Mak trots his natural inclination is to go on his forehand with outward push until he is out of control, extending the trot. In long and low, Mak ran forward against the rein. In round and deep he would also run forward against the rein. I concluded he was a horse that always needed to be ridden up. Klaus changed my mind and my routine. Klaus asked that when I got on that I always walk 10 minutes before I pick up the reins. When I did pick them up, if Mak ran forward, I would simply perform a half-halt, give-reins. This meant that I could still half-halt again. My first trot had to be long and low, if Mak ran off, half-halt, give let him fall forward, half-halt again, give rein, until Mak would balance himself. Klaus felt that if I did not demand the balance of a lower-level horse in Mak that he would never get strong enough to support himself in the Grand Prix. Mak had to first develop a self balance before he could develop the self carriage of a Grand Prix horse. The new warm up took around 20 minutes trot and canter then I was allowed to pick him up. The first month was Mak’s basic’s do-over month.

The second month Klaus got after me as a rider. To be a good Grand Prix rider, one’s standards need to be much higher than at the other levels. You must train the horse to listen to lighter aids but know how to correct them when they are even slightly late in their reaction. I had to do more transitions but with a different feel. It was an electric reaction we were looking for to get the horse quicker behind. I also had to change my timing and feel for the passage. Mak needs to take short high steps, constantly doing a few steps piaffe, then a few passage, back to piaffe and so on. Another change to my routine that Klaus helped me with is that, in the Grand Prix test, you need to be a few movements ahead of yourself. If you aren’t, then when you go from the extension to the passage, piaffe, passage, then you are going to lose quite a few scores if you are not three moves ahead. I rode the passage then the piaffe; they needed to blend with passage on the spot. It was work to stay as strong in the back as Klaus is during the whole ride. I still need to get better at this.

The third month things really started to come together. My new training program was starting to get easier, and Mak was getting stronger. My new level of expectation was getting more solid, and my timing as working better. Klaus said the most important thing was time, and to solidify everything in the test to a seven, then start to go for the eight’s and nine’s. I always needed to have Mak’s self balance before the self carriage in our warm-up, but now I knew what Mak was capable of and my expectations were very high. I needed to always use month one as a solid foundation and month two when it was very important. We were now able to talk about showing and start to come up with a program for my long-term goals. Klaus felt Mak needs time and a few years to mature into this level.

The next steps in our training are to solidify what we know, and get stronger. I loved my time in Germany and I wanted to stay but it was time to come home and train. The Balkenhol’s were wonderful hosts and I felt very at home there. I can’t wait to see Klaus again at the Fall Symposium and watch his fantastic system. As far as Mak and I are concerned, we will keep on learning and trying to do our sport to the best of our abilities. I want to go to Klaus’ again, but who wouldn’t.