A heavy breed of horse in the dressage arena? It might not be the norm, but a breed as large as a Clydesdale can show lightness, finesse and cadence.Gharson, a 12-year-old gelding belonging to Nicola Read, is 18hh and weighs 900kg and he competes at elementary level dressage.You wouldnt expect such a heavy horse to have a natural aptitude for a discipline that requires lightness, impulsion, balance and cadence, but he has certain conformation traits that actually help him, says Nicola.Breaking down preconceptionsOn the whole, dressage judgeslove Gharsun. However, Nicolahas experiencednegativity fromother competitors.They usually say, Oh look,somebody has brought a carthorse when they see him inthe lorry park, before they seehim strutting his stuff.Luckily I have thick skin and hearing comments like that fuel my determination to go out there and nail it. I enjoy proving people wrong and breaking down those preconceptions.Below, Nicola explains Gharsons assets as a heavy horse breed and how she overcomes any drawbacks to his size in the dressage arena:1 Body lengthDraught breeds tend to be shorter inthe back, which helps them to sit up andcarry themselves. Having a powerful backend also gives them that extra strengththey need to lift and lighten the front end, explains Nicola.They tend to be quite close behind, andin my experience, this gives them a hugeadvantage when it comes to lateral work.2 PacesNicola asks for a lot of shoulder-in whenshe is riding to encourage lift in front.Gharsun has a great over-track in walkand a naturally rhythmic trot. He alwaysachieves good scores for all his paces, sheexplains. He is very light in the hand andpushes well from behind, so his collectivemarks are usually very good too as longas my riding doesnt let him down.3 Small circlesSuppleness in such a large horse requires time, patienceand clever schooling.Suppleness is essential for coping withsmaller circles and serpentines innovice tests, says Nicola. A horse ofGharsuns size has considerably less roomto move in a dressage arena compared toother horses, due to his overall size andlength of stride.When we are competing, where somehorses may have four strides between aquick succession of movements, Gharsunhas only two. For smaller circles he notonly finds the suppleness more difficult,but also balance and strength to cope with the tighter turn.4 SupplenessI start suppleness work by usingshoulder-fore in our warm up as we rideacross the diagonals, explains Nicola.We then move into shoulder-in, anduse leg-yield to increase and decreasethe size of a circle. This involves changes of bend and counterflexion on thecircle, which help with suppleness.I also incorporate pole work into ourtraining; fanned poles on a circle orriding a circle over a square of polesbuilds flexibility and core strength.5 Transitions and length of strideHe has a great walk to canter, whichis eye-catching in such a big horse, saysNicola.He used to struggle with lengtheninghis stride due to his breed type, as he hada tendency to lift his knees higher ratherthan extend the leg, so it took a while toteach him medium trot.I found that doing lots of pole workreally helped teach him how to lengthenand shorten his stride, while alsomaintaining lift through the shoulder.6 CanterClydesdales typically dont find cantereasy, due to their build and the closenessof the back legs.This can cause them to tilt. Its a littlebit like a reverse trike, with one wheel atthe back and two in front. I have toencourage Gharsun to part the back legsto improve his balance and engagementin canter.To address the issue, Nicola uses traversand walk pirouettes.Doing this followed by a quick cantertransition helps with balance and, overtime, strengthens the quality of the pace, enabling the horse to cope with corners and have better balance on a circle.7 Small spacesThe height and length of a heavy horsesuch as Gharsun makes working in atight arena very hard work.Keep schooling sessions short andtheir frequency to a minimum, advisesNicola. I am mindful that because he ismuch bigger than your typical dressagehorse, he will be far more prone to injury.It becomes even more important tolisten to your horse and ease off if youfeel they are starting to show signs ofdiscomfort or struggling with the levelof work.8 HackingGharsun does lateral work when heshacking, making the most of long straightlines, which means his movements arentinterrupted by regular corners. He alsohas more room to practise lengthening hisstride and the change of scenery keepshim interested in his work. He schoolsin an arena twice a week.You will frequently find us canteringbareback round the fields in the summertoo, adds Nicola. It works on my corestrength and Gharsun seems to find itmore fun without a saddle.9 Not just a cart horseNicola says the challenges posedby Gharsuns size have been the mostrewarding in the end.I dont think these horses should bedismissed as just a cart horse, which I dohear people say, she adds.Clydesdales have the physical andmental ability to compete in manyspheres, you just need to be prepared totake extra time in the training processand allow much longer for them to growand develop, to reduce the risk of injury.I have really enjoyed the process oftraining in a different way and thinkingoutside the box.I wouldnt go backto riding a finer breed now.Main photo by Lottie Elizabeth Photography; copyright Your Horse Library/Kelsey MediaRelated contentWhat are the correct aids for riding leg yield?Stop your horse hollowing in transitions with this advice from Emile FaurieHow to improve your halt on the centre lineWhat is give-and-retake in dressage and how do I ride it?The post Not just a cart horse: heavy breeds can excel in dressage too appeared first on Your Horse.