Dual Activation Guide
By now, almost every stable is equipped with them – the dual alleys, which have become the trademark of dual activation, so to speak. The blue-yellow bars were developed by Michael Geitner, who created a whole training concept based on the special colour perception of our horses.
To understand the principle of dual activation, we should first turn to the horse’s sense of sight. Horses perceive colours differently than we humans do. The reason lies in the retina, which enables colour vision with the help of the so-called cones. While humans have three types of cones (= trichromatic vision), each of which is responsible for perceiving the colours red, green and blue and can see any colour with the help of these receptors, horses have limited colour perception due to dichromatic vision. Their retina houses only cones for the recognition of blue and green colour nuances. The missing red receptors ensure that red and orange tones are interpreted as yellow-grey. This results in a colour spectrum that makes the colours yellow and blue appear particularly intense.
The use of blue and yellow elements in the riding arena thus not only makes objects more visible to horses, it has also already been scientifically proven that brain activity is increased by blue and yellow visual stimuli, which in turn has a positive effect on the horse’s motivation and concentration. The linking of the two hemispheres of the brain is also promoted, so that balance and learning ability are also increased.
Michael Geitner has made use of this special feature and based his training concepts on this knowledge. Starting with position work, further methods such as flag training or (double) lunge work in the blue and yellow course build on the successes. But also when ridden, dual activation can be a varied addition to conventional work in the saddle.
Basics of Dual Activation
The first basic requirement for dual activation is to study the training method intensively. Michael Geitner has written down the concepts he has developed in detailed guidebooks. Those who do not have much experience with ground work can build up a solid basic knowledge of working with the dual alleys through a licensed dual activation trainer and work out the first exercises together under guidance.
Michael Geitner builds up his concept in several stages. The exercises are basically only carried out in the gaits walk and trot. An important prerequisite is that man and horse are motivated and work together in a concentrated manner.
According to Geitner, the preparations for dual activation, such as setting a course, are already an ideal mental preparation to start working with the horse in a focused way. During training, according to Michael Geitner’s concept, many right-left changes are particularly important to promote the activation of both sides of the brain. Through this, the horse learns to balance itself and coordinate its movements.
The training is divided into six units of 3 minutes each. These are interrupted by 1-minute rest breaks. The first two training intervals are done at a walk. After that, you move on to trotting. Even though the time system gives the training a fixed framework, one should nevertheless always watch out for signals of physical and mental exhaustion in the horse so as not to overtax it.
But first an overview of the different possibilities and training steps of dual activation:
Position work
The first step is the so-called position work. Here the horse should not only be led with the help of a rope and halter, it should build up trust with the help of specific leading exercises and accept that the human being takes the lead and always makes the right decisions in the horse’s interest, so that the horse can rely on its partner.
If the horse questions this sovereignty, this will be noticed again and again by attempts to enter the human’s „field“.
Flag work
Flag is used to activate the cerebral hemispheres evenly and to motivate them to cooperate. A first exercise is to have the horse walk through the dual alleys at a steady pace. The human walks backwards in front of the horse and moves the flag alternately from left to right. The aim is that the horse follows the flag attentively with its eyes and moves its head and neck towards the flag.
Lunge work
This is where the course work begins. A popular first exercise is the work in the square volte, in which the horse is led in a circle through four squarely positioned dual alleys. As it is moved through the alleys, it must straighten as it leaves the alleys in the quarter volte into stance and bend.
Another possibility of dual activation is working on the double lunge, the so-called lunge-walking. According to Michael Geitner’s concept, training is done without a bit. In addition, dual lanes and other course elements such as pylons are also used.
Dual activation in the saddle
The blue and yellow training aids such as the dual alleys or blue and yellow pylons can also be used for dressage work. Ridden work in the course promotes balance, coordination and concentration. With the help of the dual lanes, dressage lessons can also be learned and trained so that they can later be tested safely without a course.
The accessories – what do I need for dual activation?
The course
There are numerous possibilities for setting up a course according to Geitner. Ideas and inspiration can be found in the books on dual activation. The following materials are needed to build the course:
- Dual alleys
- Dual activation pylons
In addition, the following are also suitable:
- Cavaletti blocks in blue and yellow
- Foam noodles in blue and yellow
- A curtain in one of the signal colours
- Equiplace
SELECTED PRODUCTS FOR YOUR COURSE
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Michael Geitner Dual Alley 2.0 ®
£149.00£134.10
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La Gée
5.0
1
Mini-Block
£18.90£17.01
5.0 1
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Michael Geitner
Dual Track 2.0 single
£39.90£35.91
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SHOWMASTER
Training Tarpaulin
£9.99£8.99
Dual alleys
The dual alleys are filled with foam so that the horse does not find it uncomfortable if it accidentally bumps into them with its hooves. In contrast to conventional obstacle poles, the three-metre long alleys cannot roll away. In addition, it is easier to set up the course with the light alleys. For effective training, 4-8 alleys are suitable. The pylons are an ideal addition to the dual alleys. The horse perceives the pylons even better due to the height. To make the riding arena even more creative, other elements can be used, such as cavaletti blocks or foam noodles.
Equiplace
A special feature of the dual activation course is the so-called Equiplace, which Michael Geitner developed. This is also a foam bar that is placed squarely on the ground and is intended to provide the horse with a visually delimited resting area between the training intervals.
Further accessories for dual activation
Michael Geitner sees the flag training as an introduction to dual activation. The Geitner activation flag can be used as an aid in lead training as well as in lunge work and help the horse to achieve the correct position and bend through the visual stimulus.
The Geitner training halter is particularly suitable for lead training, but also for lungeing and for experienced riders for bitless riding. The noseband is connected to the rings, which is why pressure is created as soon as the horse pulls on the rope. It is therefore possible to influence the horse at any time. The halter is not suitable for tying up the horse, as it could injure itself in a panic situation. The Geitner training rope can be used for this purpose. With its length of four metres, it is ideal for position work and lead training in courses.
For lunge work according to Geitner, the cavesson is recommended. Like many of the products developed by Michael Geitner, it is multifunctional and can also be used as a bitless bridle, but also for leading. In contrast to conventional cavessons, the Geitner cavesson is made of light BioThane material and thus fits the horse’s head perfectly. The noseband is also flexible. If you want to start lunge-walking, you can use the cavesson in combination with the Geitner double lunge. The double lunge bridle is shorter than the conventional ones and is therefore ideally suited for beginners.
