Maria Cooke

For over 450 years, the Spanish Riding School has been a centre for cultivating classical riding from within the baroque walls of the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. Once at the seat of the Holy Roman Empire, the School began in the 16th century, and continues today with dressage performances all around the world with its riders and their famous white Lipizzaner stallions. As the oldest and perhaps most well-known of the four classical riding academies in Europe (the others being in Portugal, France, and Spain), the Spanish Riding School has aimed to preserve and pass on the riding and training methods developed over centuries in Europe’s royal courts, for training its horses and riders up to the highest levels of haute école. These classical methods, so carefully refined over hundreds of years, have laid the foundation for today’s riding, and yet are far from being outdated. Rather, they provide a proven system for training the horse to the highest levels, and through the process, carefully develop the horse’s body to keep it healthy and sound. Besides its renowned performances, what is it that sets the Spanish Riding School apart from the other classical riding academies in Europe? And, with the school’s historical focus on classical riding, why is it so important today to continue the tradition and knowledge of classical training? Here, we’ll take a look inside the Spanish Riding School, explore the history of its riding, and gain insight from Philipp Burg, one of the School’s riders who is dedicated to preserving classical riding about his work, what makes the school unique, and the importance of classical riding today. Combining Spanish & Italian Equitation To begin, and to understand the traditional riding at the Spanish Riding School, let’s have a look at how the Austrian style of classical riding developed through its history. In the 16th-19th centuries, Vienna served as the seat of both the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg Monarchy, and therefore had great influence over an enormous expanse of Europe, with the empires extending from Italy northwards to Norway, and from Hungary to Spain. Early in this period, Spanish horsemanship became highly regarded throughout Europe, as the Spanish and their skills in mounted warfare became much admired as well as feared through their conquests in Europe and the Americas. As the Iberian style of riding spread across Europe, so too did the popularity of the Andalusian horse, which was thought of as best suited to the agile, highly collected Spanish style of riding, and perfectly fit for excelling in mounted combat. As Spain became part of the Habsburg Monarchy, many of Austria’s rulers were then born or raised there, surrounded by Spanish horses and equitation. This key connection is what would eventually bring Spanish equitation and horses to Vienna as we will see, and lead to the Spanish Riding School gaining its distinctive name. Meanwhile, likewise influenced by the Spanish style, horsemanship in Italy then flourished during the late renaissance, which continued to profoundly shape equitation in Europe. With Naples becoming a renowned centre for mastering the art of equitation, young aristocrats from all over Europe were sent to the Neapolitan School to learn to ride as an important part of their noble education. Here, a practical system of training was established that also embodied the values of the renaissance, with a focus on achieving grace, balance, and mastering riding as a noble art. These two key riding influences, the Spanish and the Italian, then flowed to Vienna as the Empires’ rulers sought to provide their court with Europe’s best horsemanship and horses. In 1565, Emperor Ferdinand, who had been raised in Spain, imported the first Spanish horses to Vienna, where the first stables at the Hofburg Palace grounds had also just been built, with the court’s nobility riding and receiving training in the Palace gardens. From this beginning, the Spanish Riding School and its Austrian tradition began to take shape. The Austrian Tradition of Classical Dressage In Vienna, riding masters primarily from Naples then passed on the Iberian-Neapolitan style of riding in the 17th century, shaping the riding style of the Spanish Riding School into one characterized by a quiet, kind manner with the horses, and an elegant, centaur-like style of riding where the aids, when best used, were imperceptible except by the most careful eye. The Austrian style became both practical and elegant; maintaining all the energy and agility required for the exercises of warfare, while also incorporating a sense of refinement, reflecting the Neapolitan focus on mastering riding as an art. Movements and exercises still practiced by the School today are both those originally developed for war, as well as those for court presentations. For example, the pesade (a collected rear at about 45 degrees), most useful for protecting the rider from oncoming attacks at war, often featured centuries ago as a core part of training, while the passage (an elevated, collected, and cadenced version of the trot) was developed for courtly presentations and parades, to elegantly and powerfully show off the horse and rider. One of the most influential riders at the School in Vienna in the 17th century was the Italian Giovanni Battista Galiberto, who became the Head rider of the Spanish Riding School, and published the first book on practical horsemanship for the Viennese court, in 1650. This marked a particularly significant yet little known moment in the School’s history, as the tradition of riding in Vienna had been until then, and continues even today, to be passed down primarily verbally, and from teacher to student directly. Before Galiberto’s book, the methods used at the School had never been formally written down, and amazingly, throughout its history, the School has always focused on passing on the tradition verbally in this way. Interestingly, in Galiberto’s book, Il Cavallo da Maneggio (The Manége Horse or The Riding Horse), which was also a great success, there are sections that indicate that he practiced and taught the shoulder-in at the School 100 years before foundational French master De la Guérinière, who is usually credited with its invention along with the Duke of Newcastle. This tradition of passing on the principles of riding and training verbally at the Spanish Riding School has sadly meant that, in its long history, the knowledge and experience gathered by many of its head riders has often been lost, without any written record to convey the lifetime of experience they had accumulated. Because of Galiberto’s efforts to write down the horsemanship he taught, we are able to gain a glimpse into 17th century training through his book, and see that the shoulder-in was practiced likely not first in England or in France, but in Vienna, 100 years before previously thought. Besides this treatise, there remain only a precious few more writings from the School’s previous head riders. The Austrian tradition of riding, which had made Vienna arguably one of the best schools in Europe, depended on maintaining a strong, unbroken chain of instruction from the most experienced head riders to the next generation, which continues to be critical for the School today. Riders with a lifetime of experience, having learned directly from those before them in the School, must always be available to pass on the full extent of their knowledge to the next generation for the classical tradition to continue. Nevertheless, key elements of the Austrian tradition have been successfully passed on through the centuries, such as the calm, gentle style of horsemanship, integration of military and high school (haute école) riding, a strong focus on developing the seat, and taking the time required to develop both horse and rider carefully and thoroughly. Even today, at the School riders perfect their seat on the lunge for years alongside their other riding, and young horses are given time to develop, being started no earlier than at four years of age. Typically, training takes about four years until they are ready to perform. This key principle of giving the horse the time it needs, and using classical training methods to develop the horse’s body, keeps the horse healthy and allows it to perform at a high level for much longer. The Beginning of the Lipizzaner Fifteen years after the initial School was set up at the Hofburg, there was an impetus for the empire to establish its own stud farm and produce its own horses for the Viennese court. In 1580, Archduke Charles II established a stud farm in Lipizza (Lipica in Slovenian, now located in Slovenia), using Spanish and Italian horses, and crossing them with horses from other European royal stud farms, such as from Denmark (Fredriksborg) and Germany (Schaumburg-Lippe-Bückeburg). Here, in Lipizza, resulting from the crossing of these horses, the Lipizzaner breed, now so iconic of the Spanish Riding School, was born. At this time, Lipizzaners existed in all colours, from chestnut and black, to palomino, paint, and even some showing spotted flanks, which you can observe in old paintings of the stud farm. It was only later, in the 18th century, that the Lipizzaner became selected for the white colour which exists almost exclusively now, leading to the characteristic white and grey coats of the Lipizzaners at the Spanish Riding School today. The Winter Riding School In 1729, the awe-inspiring riding hall that now serves the Spanish Riding School in the Hofburg Palace was ordered to be built as the Winter Riding School for the Viennese court. This hall, perhaps the most beautiful in the world and well-worth a visit, is fit with baroque columns and intricate stonework, reflecting the opulence of the Viennese court as the seat of two empires in the 18th century, and creating a stunning centre for classical riding. Today, the Spanish Riding School continues its work in this arena, with its riders astride their white Lipizzaners, and working their horses with the calm, quiet, and effortless appearance that is signature of the Austrian tradition. One of the School’s riders who is dedicated to mastering and continuing this tradition of classical riding is Philipp Burg, who can be seen riding with this same composed and effortless appearance, while bringing out the best in the horses. While visiting the School one morning to watch a training session and see the stables, I had the chance to catch Philipp working a couple of horses, and was struck by the amount of feeling with which he rode. Wanting to gain some insight into the School, and after exploring the riding hall, stables, and palace, I got the chance to meet with Philipp to talk about his work, riding, the Spanish Riding School, and the continued importance of classical riding today. Here is what he shared; Reflecting on Classical Riding with Philipp Burg Could you share a bit about yourself and your background? My name is Philipp Burg, I’ve been at the Spanish Riding School since September 2002 and started as an apprentice. This was at the age of 15 or 16, after the 9th grade, and I had already been riding for some time – I started riding when I was 4, as my parents have a small riding stable in Styria (located in Southern Austria), so I grew up with it. When I was 12 or 13, I saw a photo in a local newspaper of the Spanish Riding School and said to my parents – that’s where I want to go. Then, I had a test ride at the Riding School, though unfortunately I still had to go to school for another year. And then [after that], I started here. What distinguishes the Spanish Riding School from the three other three riding schools in Europe (Lisbon, Jerez, Saumur), and what makes it unique? Essentially, you can’t compare them – we work with Lipizzaners, whereas for example, the Spanish work with Andalusians, and they are two different breeds, and the history of the Spanish Riding School is also longer […]. With us, we really take care that the horses stay healthy and fit for as...... [Read more]

Just across the river from Lisbon, located amidst the pine forests, grasslands, and cork trees of the Ribatejo region, João Pedro Rodrigues breeds and trains some of Portugal’s top Lusitanos at his stud farm, Coudelaria João Pedro Rodrigues. Also the Headmaster of the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art, as a breeder João Pedro has won the most championship titles of any Portuguese breeder at the National Feira of Golegã, and bred the most Lusitanos competing at grand prix level as of 2021. Among his most well-known horses has been the legendary Oxidado, the unbeaten stallion with the most titles won in Working Equitation worldwide. So, what is it that has made João Pedro so successful at producing some of the country’s top Lusitanos? On a visit to his farm, and walking with him through his stables, pastures, and seeing his current and up-and-coming horses, João Pedro shared about his background, approach to breeding, and what has made his stud farm and horses what they are today. An Exceptional Background With his warm and energetic character, João Pedro described his training, experience, and the founding bloodlines he selected for his stud farm while we visited the mares, stallions in training, and yearlings still grazing at pasture. In his early years, João Pedro trained with classical masters such as Dr. Guillherme Borba and Luis Felipe, as well as other friends and students of Nuno Oliveira, with a focus on developing lightness and collection. Starting in 1980, João Pedro then joined as a rider at the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art in Lisbon. Now, João Pedro is Headmaster of the Portuguese School, and has been with the School for over 40 years. With this classical foundation, extensive experience at the Portuguese School riding and training the horses, and performing up to the highest levels of Haute École, João Pedro additionally went on to become a national judge for the Lusitano breed (APSL). For 10 years, João Pedro further honed his eye for correct and characteristic conformation, movement, and temperament among Lusitanos, scoring them at the country’s biggest and most famous national event, the Feira of Golegã. A Keen Eye for the Best When analyzing a Lusitano for its conformation, João Pedro looks at several key components that influence its movement and performance; a longer croup for a better ability to collect, a long, sloping wither for more freedom of the shoulders, a gentler angle of the shoulder for greater length of stride, and a ribcage that isn’t overly round, to allow the ribs to easily expand and contract and to keep the saddle in place. When it came to founding his stud, João Pedro combined two distinctive and renowned Portuguese bloodlines; the Alter Real (the Royal bloodline used exclusively by the Portuguese School) and the Veiga (one of the most respected and long-established Lusitano breeders in Portugal). João Pedro explained that in doing so, he combined the sensitivity of the Alter Real line with the bravery and baroque-type conformation of the Veiga horses, which had previously been developed for bullfighting as well as working equitation and dressage. Since the beginning, João Pedro has regularly used Alter Real horses such as Olympic stallion Rubi, and other horses such as influential Lusitano stallion Hostil bred by Guilherme Borba, and mares from the Veiga line. Now, João Pedro primarily uses two of his current stallions in his program, Rouxinol and Garimpeiro. One of the unique things about João Pedro’s approach has been that, when he began his stud farm, he would ride all the mares to test their performance – a rarity among Lusitano breeders, who typically focus on developing and riding the stallions almost exclusively. He explained that this allowed him to get to know each bloodline even more thoroughly, to the point where today he knows how they would perform, without needing to test each mare. Gaining this sense from riding the mares, he believes, has helped him in combining bloodlines to produce the top-quality horses he has. Watching the Lusitano Breed Evolve When asked about how he’s seen the Lusitano breed evolve over the years, João Pedro first noted that a breed often develops in a way that reflects the quality and types of riding predominant at a certain time. He explained that the Lusitano has been bred for functionality; shaped to suit the high-level riding of Portugal’s traditional disciplines, such as classical dressage, working equitation, and bullfighting. He says; “The one is connected with the other. Because if we do this type of equitation [for bullfighting], you develop a horse for that. If you develop horses only for sport, in a few years we don’t have the same horse, and don’t ride [as] traditionally […] as we [still in Portugal] do now.” In Portugal, with its long history of bullfighting and traditional Portuguese riding such as working equitation where canter is the working gait, in the past the trot among Lusitanos was often not as heavily selected for. As a result, among more traditionally bred Lusitanos, such as those for bullfighting, the trot is often quite short-stepped. “…if we do this type of equitation [for bullfighting], you develop a horse for that. If you develop horses only for sport, in a few years we don’t have the same horse, and don’t ride [as] traditionally […] as we [still in Portugal] do now.” João Pedro Rodrigues Now, however, João Pedro explained that because Lusitanos are being selected more and more for dressage and high-level sport, they have been selected over the past few years to be slightly larger, and have better-quality movements including the trot, which he says has improved the breed overall. Some purists may say this is changing the tradition of the Lusitano. However, as the breed is developed to suit predominant riding styles, as long as Portugal’s riding traditions remain, the Lusitano will continue to reflect this, while perhaps developing certain lines to reflect the increased interest in the breed for sport. An Eye on the Future Looking forward to the future, João Pedro continues to be ambitious; he’s focused on continuing to improve on what he’s begun, and produce even better-quality horses that go on to achieve more on an international level. Already having produced some of the best in Portugal, João Pedro shows that his training and experience has given him a keen eye for, and a deep understanding of the Lusitano, that continues to help make his farm and horses among the best in the country. There are many ways João Pedro continues his work; as Headmaster of the Portuguese School, as an established breeder, and as an international clinician and instructor sharing his lifetime of experience and knowledge. You can also visit João Pedro and his horses at home on his stud farm, where he has stunning country cottages for riding and training holidays, and hosting events in the Ribatejo countryside. Of course, visiting is also a fantastic opportunity to see his current horses for sale, as well as stallions available for breeding. With his rare depth of his knowledge and experience, and by breeding the Lusitano for high-level riding today, João Pedro is pushing the recognition of the Lusitano forward on the international scene. And, having become one of the top breeders in Portugal, and with his characteristic energy and enthusiasm for his work, one can expect much more from him and his horses to come. If you’re curious to learn more or connect with João Pedro, his work and his horses, you can explore his website JPRlusitanos.com, Facebook or Instagram, or see him at work at the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art.... [Read more]

As one of the four great classical riding academies in the world, the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art aims to preserve and pass on the classical riding principles of the 18th century, that were refined and practiced in Portugal’s royal court. These principles, developed across European courts during the baroque era, have laid much of the foundations of riding today. And, while the School focuses on preserving and performing 18th century court riding, many of its riders have also gone on to become some of Portugal’s top international riders in dressage and working equitation. Based in and around Lisbon, with its main performance stable located in Belém, and a second training stable at the beautiful National Palace in Queluz, the School is one of the few remaining places left where one can see riders perform up to the highest levels – including all the airs above the ground of haute école. Whether visiting the School at the stunning Queluz Palace, or at the School’s more central location in Belém for a performance, it is a unique opportunity to see traditional riding, explore the equestrian culture, techniques, and art of 18th century Portugal, and discover how the School has been instrumental in forming Portugal’s national breed, the Lusitano. If you have the chance, there is also an Equestrian Library at the Queluz Palace, which is dedicated exclusively to equestrian books and pieces of art, which is well-worth a visit. The School itself – far from simply reflecting the habits of a bygone age – works to preserve the now-rare classical knowledge and expertise from the 18th century, which enables its riders to train and perform at the highest levels. In doing so, the School demonstrates that the knowledge and experience required to master the 18th century riding principles not only enables its riders to train to exceptionally high levels, but can also prepare them for success in competition. Riders including Daniel Pinto, Miguel Ralão, Gonçalo Carvalho, Pedro Torres, and Nuno Palma are some examples of dressage and working equitation riders who, having trained at the Portuguese School, went on to compete and win international titles, or represent Portugal at the Olympic Games. “I think that what helps riders of the School first is our normal riding; teaching horses to do passage, piaffe, pirouettes, tempi flying changes… the difference with other riders is that they have the knowledge of a degree of collection that others don’t have.Why? Because, when you do a capriole, a levade, a courbette, you reach the maximum [levels] of collection, and you don’t normally achieve that level of collection with the German horses outside, because they don’t learn it.” João Pedro Rodrigues Thus, the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art serves as an important link between past and future; preserving some of the most foundational principles and extensive knowledge of riding, continuing its tradition, and so providing a strong foundation for riding in Portugal today. During a visit to the training stables at the National Palace in Queluz, after walking through the sprawling gardens and seeing the riders demonstrating their skills with their characteristic bay Lusitano stallions, I had the opportunity to sit down with the Headmaster of the Portuguese School, João Pedro Rodrigues. Reflecting on the School, it’s history, work, and horses, João Pedro provided insight into what makes the school unique, and has enabled many of its riders to be successful in competition. Some History João Pedro began speaking about the School by first describing its history: “Picaria Real was the name of the [original] Royal Academy; and our King John V was married to the Austrian princess, Maria Anna of Austria […]. Portugal at that time [in the 18th century] had a lot of wealth, with gold coming from Brazil, so the king at that time in Europe was a king with a lot of power […], and he wanted, like the other kings and royal courts in Europe, to have a big academy in Lisbon. They say that he was also influenced by his wife to develop the academy – by the princess Maria Anna of Austria, the Queen, because she was used to seeing the Lipizzaner horses in Vienna.” Of course, the Lipizzaners Maria Anna had been used to seeing were those of the famous Spanish Riding School, another of the four great classical riding schools in Europe. “The School [existing today] was created in 1979 with the purpose of being the continuation of the Royal Academy that was existing in Belém, where there is now the Coach Museum, which was the [original] riding hall… […] The purpose of the School is to keep the tradition of the equitation of the 18th century, adapted to our days.” And so, King John V first established the Royal Academy at the National Palace in Queluz, where the School now maintains its secondary training stable. However, in order to expand the Academy, it was then moved to Belém, where the Portuguese School now primarily trains and performs. Just around the corner from these more central stables is the National Coach Museum João Pedro mentions, where the original riding hall of the academy can be seen with its spectacular frescoed ceiling. When he formed the Royal Academy, King John V also required excellent horses. This led him to establish Portugal’s iconic national breed – the Lusitano. As João Pedro explained; “…to develop the Academy, he needed a breed to support the Royal Stables. So, in 1748, he founded the stables and the [royal stud] Alter do Chão, and the breed; the Alter horses as Lusitano horses. People sometimes think that it is another thing, the Lusitanos and the Alter; no, the Alter is a bloodline within the Lusitano breed, and it is the oldest line.” This Royal Alter stud farm continues to breed its characteristic bay Alter Real Lusitanos, with the School selecting the most talented stallions for its stables. It also remains one of Portugal’s most important and iconic Lusitano breeders. What makes the Portuguese School unique? The Portuguese School stands out among the 4 great riding academies in Europe in that it focuses on remaining particularly faithful to preserving and showing the classical riding and equestrian culture of the 18th century. João Pedro explained; “We try in our school to be the closest to the equitation of the 18th century. But in all the schools, Vienna, […] Saumur and Jerez, we all adapt to modern times. However, the things that we show that are close to the traditional, classic ways of riding – it’s for example the numbers we call Picaria Real, where the horse does piaffe, courbettes, low courbettes like in the old times; we do caprioles, have horses in the pillars, horses around an isolated pillar making pirouettes, circles with the haunches inside, so we try to show the public what [it was like] in the 18th century, and we also have the games of the court. These are the old games that were in all the academies of the 18th century. The other schools for example, they don’t show that; these two numbers we want to show to the public are close to the way of riding in the 18th century. Our school has a focus; that is, we try to show the maximum of what was existing in the 18th century.” The Portuguese horses, tack, and traditional costumes used by the school are also kept close to what was present in the original Royal Academy; even the horses being selected from the same original and founding royal stud farm, the Alter Real. However, what allows the school to remain most faithful to the riding of the 18th century is perhaps the source of its training methods: a book from the original Royal Academy, called the Luz da Liberal e Nobre Arte de Cavallaria, by Manuel Carlos de Andrade. This book outlines the complete training of the horse from the original Royal Academy, and makes the Portuguese School unique among all the other schools in Europe in that it is the only one whose methods are codified in a single, original written source. João Pedro explained; “In 1790, Manuel Carlos de Andrade made the fantastic book, or treatise, the Luz da Liberal e Nobre Arte de Cavallaria (The Light of the Liberal and Noble Art of Riding) and in that book he explained all the work from the time the horse was born at the Alter [royal stud], and came at a young age to the Royal Stables where he was started, until he could achieve all the dressage that was normal in all the academies in Europe in the 18th century, including the airs above the ground which was the maximum [level] of the equitation of the 18th century.” Thus, the Portuguese School has something unique; a written source for training, which allows it to remain close to the original techniques and style of riding of its 18th century court. What helps the School’s riders become so successful in competition? “I think that what helps riders of the School first is our normal riding; teaching horses to do passage, piaffe, pirouettes, tempi flying changes… the difference with other riders is that they have the knowledge of a degree of collection that others don’t have. Why? Because, when you do a capriole, a levade, a courbette, you reach the maximum [levels] of collection, and you don’t normally achieve that level of collection with the German horses outside, because they don’t learn it. Outside of these schools, of these academies, there aren’t too many people that do this. So, the difference between Pedro Torres, Gonçalo Carvalho, Nuno Palma, Carlos Pinto, Miguel Ralão that went to the Olympic Games most of them, [and other riders] is that they have a degree of knowing in riding that is more sensitive than the others, and they need to have that experience.” And more sensitive to the horse; you’re talking about changing the balance of the horse. “Everything; the relationship between legs and hands, and the balance of the rider because you need to be very sensitive. You can be a very good rider but a little hard, which you see sometimes in dressage tests; some are hard, and you see others [where it seems that] the horse goes and does everything freely. So, what is nice when you see someone riding? It’s to give the most freedom to the horse, and you see the rider on top but you don’t see how he works, with the leg, hand and stick as quiet as possible. So, that is what we call a sensitive rider.” Classical Foundations for Modern Riding Whether visiting its second stable within the gardens at the National Palace of Queluz, or seeing a classical performance at the School’s main stable in Belém, the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art presents a unique opportunity to see riding up to the highest levels, and experience the classical riding and culture of 18th century Portugal. If you find yourself in Lisbon, it is well-worth a visit to both of the School’s sites, as well as the Equestrian Library and the Royal Academy’s original riding hall – now housing the National Coach Museum. The School, by preserving the principles of its original Royal Academy, enables not only the preservation of classical training, but provides a classical basis that has led several of its riders to go on to succeed internationally in modern competition. In this way, the Portuguese School is not only instrumental in preserving the traditions of Portugal’s history, but providing the classical riding knowledge to maintain Portugal’s strong riding culture today.... [Read more]

Just west of Lisbon, inside the Palace of Queluz, lies a hidden gem for riders dedicated to the art of equitation. Amongst the ornate baroque rooms and expansive French gardens of the Queluz Palace, lies an unexpected surprise: The Library of Equestrian Art. Unique in the world, this library is dedicated solely to equestrian books and art, and holds about 2,000 books and pieces of artwork created over the past 500 years. Best of all, it is completely open to the public. Here, anyone can see foundational riding texts and stunning classical images that document the development of riding and especially dressage as we know it, from the works of Pluvinel and the Duke of Newcastle, to more modern horseman such as Nuno Oliveira, covering every aspect of horsemanship, horse care, and, of course, classical training. This rare collection belonged to the exceptional rider and scholar Dom Diogo de Bragança, who was the 8th Marquis of Marialva, and so part of the royal family — and is the author of the highly respected book Dressage in the French Tradition. His entire collection of books and art on horsemanship is what is now made available to the public in the library, since it opened at the Palace of Queluz in 2015. While discovering this unique collection at the Palace may come as a surprise, the Palace of Queluz has been deeply connected to the development of classical riding in Portugal ever since the 18th century. In 1726, Portugal’s Royal Court established its first Royal Equestrian Academy (Real Academia Equestre da Corte) at the Palace of Queluz under the reign of King João V, which went on to refine and lay out much of the foundation for classical Portuguese riding today. This beginning at the Palace also gave rise to the creation of the Alter Real stud, which officially established the Portuguese Lusitano breed to produce horses for the Royal School. This school, which thrived through the 18th and 19th centuries, continues to inspire the riders of the current school; the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art, which remains one of the four most renowned classical academies in the world. Thus, it seems only fitting that the library be housed here now, where much of Portuguese classical riding has developed and flourished on its grounds. Still serving as a secondary home to the Royal Portuguese School of Equestrian Art today, the Palace of Queluz offers a place where Portugal’s tradition of equestrian art continues to be brought and kept alive. Just outside the library windows, at the far end of the elaborate hedgerow gardens, the riders of the Portuguese School can still be seen practicing with their distinctive bay stallions, and performing the classical exercises and haute école movements described in many of the library’s books. If you have the opportunity, be sure to visit the Palace in the early morning to catch the riders at work with their young horses, before heading to the Equestrian Library within the Palace, and to the School’s main stable in nearby Belém. On walking into the library itself, one is immediately struck by the impressive and beautifully intricate old engravings on the walls, of horses performing piaffe, passage, shoulder-in, levade, and even of riders jousting. Here, riding theory that has been carefully recorded and curated by accomplished equestrians over centuries is preserved and kept alive — and seeing a glimpse into their daily exercises, methods, and tack is truly fascinating. One of the most important titles on display in the library is the Luz da Liberal e Nobre Arte da Cavallaria (The Light of the Liberal and Noble Art of Riding) by Manoel Carlos de Andrade, from 1790. This beautifully illustrated book formally outlines and describes the classical Portuguese methods and horsemanship of the Royal School, which provides a foundation for the training methods still practiced and preserved by the riders of the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art today. In many ways, this book makes the Portuguese School unique among the four great classical riding academies in the world — as the Portuguese School is the only one whose methods are formally codified and laid out in a single book. However, the library’s texts also extend far beyond Portuguese classical riding, and with 1,400 books on training and horsemanship, it is a treasure trove of knowledge that demonstrates the real depth and breadth of the art and science of riding. This, above all, shows the uniqueness of equitation: it reveals its complexity that often requires a lifetime to master, and its ability to capture the hearts and minds of horsemen and women over hundreds of years to write so extensively about its various details. “If it was so simple, you wouldn’t have people that have been writing books [for] centuries until now. There are still people writing books about riding, because [even] today you find another solution for a little problem to achieve the purpose that we want — that is, the horse to be ridden as sensitively as possible.” João Pedro Rodrigues In sitting down with João Pedro Rodrigues, the Headmaster of the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art to talk about the Library of Equestrian Art, he pointed out that the library demonstrates the complexity of mastering equitation as an art and science. Having spent over 40 years working with the School, been a judge for the Lusitano breed for 10 years, and being a successful breeder of Lusitanos himself, João Pedro has a wealth of experience, and shared his thoughts on what the library holds. Here’s what he shared: Some people think that riding is more about sitting on the horse, but I find more and more that it’s incredibly important to read and to study. “If it was that, you wouldn’t have a library with 1,400 books — you’d have one book. If it was so simple, you wouldn’t have people that have been writing books [for] centuries until now. There are still people writing books about riding, because [even] today you find another solution for a little problem to achieve the purpose that we want — that is, the horse to be ridden as sensitively as possible. And because of that, almost every month and year there are new books about riding. And in other sports, maybe there are not so many books; I’m not an expert, but I don’t know if in tennis or football there are so many books explaining how to get to a good result.” Yes; it’s much more technical that people think. “Much more, because it’s the only sport that involves two living [beings]. …But we need to get [the horse] understanding everything, so we need to transmit our feeling to the horse and the horse needs to transmit his feeling to the rider, so that the couple, the team of rider and horse go [together] in the perfect way.” In all its complexity, there is so much to gain from studying the work of riders throughout history. It gives us the opportunity to learn from their lifetimes of dedicated experience, and learn much more, and much more quickly, by integrating and building on their insights. So, what are some of the most important titles for equestrians in the library? What would you say are the most important equestrian books that are in the library? “You have so many. You have La Guérinière, Xenophon, you have Pluvinel, Newcastle, de La Broue; the Portuguese books [of] Dom Duarte, Manoel Carlos de Andrade — all the books from the 16th, 17th, [and] 18th centuries are very important for Portugal. You also have the books from the 19th century, but in that case we have many books from outside [Portugal], from the French tradition of riding; Decarpentry, l’Hotte… many, many, there are many. Also, in Portugal from the 20th century, we have the books of Dom Diogo [de Bragança], and the most important are maybe the books of Nuno Oliveira, and some from the military but not from beginning of 20th century, like [the work of] Meneses and others.” As João Pedro describes, there is plenty to explore — and with so many great riders’ works here, there are many new titles to discover. While sometimes forgotten by modern riders, there can be incredible value in reading these older texts, whether at the library or in newly republished or translated versions. They provide a detailed, foundational education in training and riding up to the highest levels, which is not often taught today. They also provide a deeper, theoretical understanding of riding, our horses, and applying different techniques that can allow us to better identify how to bring out our horses’ best performance. Studying in this way can be invaluable to mastering our equitation, both as a science and as an art. Walking through the library allows us to peer into the development and refinement of equitation over several centuries, with a wealth of information and titles for riders all in one place. While many books are in other languages as well as English, it is well worth a visit to see the impressive amount of knowledge on horsemanship compiled, the beautiful engravings of riders demonstrating their various techniques, and be inspired by the dedication to and refinement of the art of equestrianism by riders through the ages. You can see the Library of Equestrian Art during its open hours at the National Palace of Queluz (Palácio National de Queluz), just 20 minutes west of Lisbon. For students of equitation and especially classical riding, it is a unique opportunity to see the largest library collection of equestrian works, and explore the development of riding as we know it.... [Read more]

Working dedicatedly to share her passion and spread the knowledge of classical dressage, Christina Wunderlich is a sought-after trainer and teacher, and the head rider at Oliveira Stables, the now well-known classical stable located in the epicentre of the modern dressage world in southern Germany. With a highly approachable, direct manner and a tireless sense of humour, Christina specializes in training students and horses in what is called Vertikal, a system of classical riding passed on by the teachings of Portuguese rider Manuel Jorge de Oliveira. This type of classical riding, influenced by both the dressage methods of classical masters including François Baucher and Nuno Oliveira, and methods used in tauromachic or bullfighting riding, focuses on bringing the horse into a state of “vertical” balance. By training the horse to become flexible, and carry more weight over engaged hindquarters, over time the horse can achieve a classical state of balance wherein the horse elevates its forehand, and becomes light and agile in order to begin, shift, or modify any movement at any time. In the past few years, Oliveira Stables has also begun using Vertikal to rehabilitate competitive warmbloods, as this technique carefully conditions and enables the horse to use its body in a healthy way. Christina and the team at Oliveira Stables have been able to retrain these horses, which had fallen out of modern dressage and show jumping due to having difficult physical or temperamental issues related to their previous work, to become healthy and sound again, and to go on to work daily at a Grand Prix level. Surprisingly, despite her ability, Christina never planned on becoming a professional rider — she had instead studied to become a veterinarian, and completed her degree of veterinary medicine at the University of Munich. However, after developing her riding with Manuel Jorge and much dedication, Christina was asked to step into the position as head rider at Oliveira Stables, and has since been instrumental in its growth and the dissemination of classical riding knowledge. Christina has a way of pin-pointing key issues, clearly explaining how to improve them, and encouraging riders to put their everything into bringing out the brilliance in each horse. While often very busy between riding, teaching, and leading the riders of Oliveira Stables, I was able to sit down with Christina to hear about and share her insights about her story, her work, and Vertikal, and what makes it unique. Christina’s Story Before meeting Manuel Jorge de Oliveira, Christina grew up as an ambitious amateur rider. She started riding when she was 9 years old in an English riding school, but quickly took up Western, and even competed locally. When her mother — also a rider — fell in love with Lusitanos and switched to classical dressage, her mother met and began working together with Anja Beran. It was at an event Anja had held where Manuel Jorge was riding, that Christina then saw him for the first time. She recollects; “…when I saw Manuel riding at that event I thought “wow, this is riding.” […] I thought “wow, he is riding completely without any aids” — it looked like – the horse was beautiful underneath him, and it looked like he was doing nothing.” After this experience, Christina looked to start her young Appendix mare in classical training, but heard that because of the mare’s breeding, that she wasn’t ideally suited to classical dressage. Thinking that she couldn’t pursue classical work with her Appendix mare, Christina shifted back to Western and then to dressage, becoming a student of Gerd Heuschmann’s. While now Christina critiques many common dressage practices including working the horse long and low, she reflects that; “I did a lot of low, forward and down (long and low). It’s what you learn, and at first you don’t question that. And at first it sounds logical, at first you think “Of course, it’s a bridge, and when you put the front down the rest comes up, then the horse works with the back.”” She understands this mechanism of working the back very differently now. Vertikal training particularly focuses on not overburdening the forehand with the head and neck lowered, but rather on engaging the hindlegs to carry more weight such that the back can round with the forehand elevated. While being typical of correct classical training, this also preserves the health of the fore legs and hooves by lightening their stress load. When her mother began organising clinics with Manuel Jorge around Germany, Christina went to audit, and she happened to watch Manuel Jorge giving lessons to two riders on Icelandic horses. This critical moment showed her that for this type of training, it didn’t matter what breed of horse she had. She says; “I thought, if they can do it with their Icelandic horses, then I could also do it…I didn’t have a great big Lusitano or a Warmblood or something, I just had my Thoroughbred Quarter Horse mare.” This can be seen as one of the most notable aspects of Vertikal — that horses of various breeds can be seen successfully practicing and benefitting from the work. From Lusitanos and sport Warmbloods, to Arabians, Icelandic and Criollo horses, and even the odd Percheron — all can be seen to develop physically to become stronger, more flexible, and to move in a better balance with Vertikal work. After this pivotal clinic, Christina finally began: “Then I asked if I could have a lesson with Manuel, and then it all started… I followed him very closely. Every time he was in Germany, I always loaded up my horse and went to the clinics, so I did a lot of driving with [my mare] Hanky Panky, and I went to all the clinics with Manuel with her.” Christina also took the opportunity to further learn in Portugal at Manual Jorge’s stud farm, Coudelaria Oliveira Martins; “I had the idea that I could just visit Portugal for two weeks. I went and when I was there, my attitude and my riding changed so much in those two weeks that I just wanted to go back, and then my stays there got longer every time.” When you practice this kind of riding, it goes to your heart because without your heart you cannot do it — you need a lot of feeling, and you have to rely a lot on your feeling. You cannot just say, “Ok, I have to put the head down and go forward.” You have to have a lot of feeling for the asymmetry of horse, the type of horse that you have, the energy that the horse needs, or the rhythm that the horse needs, as it is so individual. Of course, all the horses [we have] do shoulder-in, all the horses do travers, but the question is not what movement you do, the question is how you do it. Christina Wunderlich When Manuel Jorge brought a horse to Germany to perform with at events, to Christina’s surprise he asked her to ride the horse whenever he was away in Portugal. She explains that; “This was really my big chance. Manuel really gave me a big opportunity.” As she began to ride more and more, and get feedback from Manuel Jorge, she continued to develop as a rider. Then, when her mother established Oliveira Stables in 2015, Christina began as simply a rider. However, within a few years, at a time when no other head rider could be found to continue leading the stables, Christina became its head rider, and has been ever since. She says; “My plan was never to be at the front of Oliveira Stables, or to give as many clinics as I do now – it was never my goal. Basically, I wanted to be a vet!” However, while it was never her goal, she has become a cornerstone of Oliveira Stables, inspiring and teaching many horses and riders, to discover how much more there is to riding and to understand how to bring out the best in the horse. When I asked about her work and about Vertikal, this is what she shared: Oliveira Stables has grown a lot, and has inspired a lot of people. What do you think it is about this type of riding that seems to inspire more people than other types of riding? Because it gets more to your heart. Because you’re not looking for goals like winning medals. When you practice this kind of riding, it goes to your heart because without your heart you cannot do it – you need a lot of feeling, and you have to rely a lot on your feeling. You cannot just say, “Ok, I have to put the [horse’s] head down and go forward.” You have to have a lot of feeling for the asymmetry of horse, the type of horse that you have, the energy that the horse needs, or the rhythm that the horse needs, as it is so individual. Of course, all the horses [we have] do shoulder-in, all the horses do travers, but the question is not what movement you do, the question is how you do it. What do you think are the most important lessons you’ve learned from Manuel Jorge? Corners! My first lesson with Manuel was only about corners, and I think it was one of the most important lessons of my life. Also, doing things even if you are not sure if you or your horse can do it. Being more free in the mind – I learned this with Manuel… not to be stuck in the mind but to be free and flexible, and to just do things without really thinking about it. And then the asymmetry – I think I only really understood this when I was with Manuel. I’m not saying that I understand it completely – I think this is something that you need a lot of years of experience with, and with different horses to really understand it, but so far as I have understood it, until now it was Manuel who taught me. Also, the energy. I think Manuel, and also his way of riding really made me develop my personality, which was not possible before. Only Manuel and his way of riding and giving lessons, and his way of sometimes just not thinking about if the person who he’s working with is really an experienced rider or not – he just gives you the capacity to do things and that’s made me, I think, another person. Yes, we’ve talked before about how it can make you develop a lot as a person. Could you talk a little bit about why you think that is? Why is it like that? That’s a very difficult question. I think it’s because you have to go into your feelings, to do what we are doing. You cannot just blame it all on the horse. You cannot say, “Yeah, well, the horse is just stupid and that’s why he doesn’t do it.” It’s more like, “Where’s my mistake; what am I doing wrong? Do I have the correct line, do I have the correct rhythm, do I have the correct position, am I using the correct amount of leg; the correct amount of rein, or is my seat in the middle?” All of these things. So, you have to reflect on yourself a lot more than you do in other types of riding, I think. When you look at today’s sport horses and especially in dressage, what do you think are the biggest issues? It’s the focus. They are focused on winning. And I think the image of, or focus of a lot of exercises is just wrong. So, the image that is then published and that people love is wrong. And I think the biggest problem is the ambition to try to put the horse and the rider into a perfect frame. That is, in their world, the same for every horse. So, there...... [Read more]

If there is one thing that distinguishes a master rider, that results from years and years of working with horses up to the highest levels, it is having an extraordinary sense of “feel.” This intangible quality is invaluable, enabling a rider to simply “know” what is needed in any given moment, and have the ability to harmoniously and seemingly effortlessly influence the horse to bring out its best through training. One rider that truly demonstrates this is António Borba Monteiro. A master classical rider and trainer with a lifetime of experience, António has a level of skill and feel that transforms the horses he works with, often dramatically improving them within just a few minutes. He also has a tremendously easy, kind, and second-natured way with his horses, whether they are young and still slightly wild, or trained up to Grand Prix and haute école. Antonio spent almost 40 years as a Rider and later Master Rider at the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art, classically riding and training horses up to the highest levels of haute école. At the school’s performances, António rode the capriole, and in training was often the rider others would turn to for assistance with a tricky horse or training problem. Having come from a family of riders, António has been deeply involved in Portugal’s tradition of classical riding since he was very young. His uncle, Guilherme Borba, co-founded both the Portuguese School in Lisbon and the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Spain, and became an esteemed breeder. Two of his horses, Hostil GUB and Rico GUB, went on to become extremely successful, and highly influential stallions for the Lusitano breed. His relatives were also friends and students of classical riding master Nuno Oliveira, who lived and worked nearby. In fact, it was Nuno Oliveira who told António when he was ready to join the Portuguese School as a rider. And, when Nuno departed for Australia decades later, it was to António that Nuno Oliveira entrusted and left all his horses, clearly recognizing his skill. If there is one thing that is unmistakeable about António’s riding and his depth of “feel,” it’s the sense of harmony you can observe when he rides and works with horses that makes you want to understand what it is about him that allows him to achieve this so easily. Today, António continues to ride, train, and generously share his knowledge with riders at his stable, Santo André Lusitanos, located just north of Lisbon. Once having belonged to his grandfather, this beautifully historic and quiet estate is hidden away; a riding oasis at the edge of the city, framed with eucalyptus trees. In an insightful and candid interview about his perspectives on riding, I was able to sit down with António and talk about his work, philosophy, horse training, and more. This, I found, illuminated some of the key insights behind his incredible feel and ability. I’ve also incorporated some notes on his thoughts, to elaborate on and explore some of his ideas. Here’s what António shared. How would you describe your philosophy of working with and training horses? “…it should be sustainable: I should ride “from the horse,” and try to understand him the best I can, and build something with him that he could build with me.” When you say sustainable, do you mean by preserving the health of the horse, for example if they are trained well, then they stay healthy? Or, to develop a good relationship, and in that case they work better with you? “Yes, it’s all that. And also, believing that he gets joy in building something with me. If we don’t believe this, it’s a little strange for me. Then it’s always making, making the horse do something. But in my experience, I always see that the horse gets more excited with the work and he starts checking for himself what he wants to do. Like, if I do an exercise one day and he did it, he understands it, it’s because it’s in his “code.” And because he has good work, good energy, and good performance he’s in good [form].” Already, António brings out one of the most fundamental ideas of his work that allows him to create such a high level of both harmony and performance with horses: This idea is that he rides “from the horse;” meaning, he looks to the horse to thoroughly understand it from the inside out, and discover how to develop training to bring out the horse’s best. “We need the balance because we need stability. So, to understand the horse’s balance, it requires a little sensitivity and to know a little physics, but I think it’s also something that we can understand instinctively. We can understand if the horse is falling forward, or backwards or sideways. It’s like if we build a table, and when we finish we put the dishes on and they all slide off. So, we start to put the legs on one side bigger or on the other side shorter. So, it’s a little the same – we need to understand where the horse’s centre is.” António Borba Monteiro He carefully observes each horse, looking for example to the horse’s reactions, biomechanics, conformation, and temperament to inform training. By doing so, he learns and understands how the horse functions as an equine and an individual in detail – the horse’s nature or “code.” Then, rather than simply applying a pre-conceived method, training is developed based on the horse and its nature. By basing training on the horse in this way, through genuine curiosity, understanding, and kindness, training evolves to bring out the best in each horse as it is customized to the horse’s temperament, the biomechanics of its conformation, and so forth. This leads to a comfortable, healthy horse, curious about and stimulated by his work, and a harmonious partnership between horse and rider. This is what can make both the horse’s healthy physical development and the partnership sustainable and successful over the long term. António then went on to describe his focus on creating a partnership in which the horse can find joy in his work – something that can only arise out of establishing genuine harmony; “It’s a little difficult to explain that [a horse] with a bit, with a saddle, with someone on him, that he could get pleasure in that work. It’s difficult to explain this. It is something that we should practice, we should feel it. If you don’t do it, you can never speak about it. You can never say this or feel it. It is something that is always in our heart. When we ride, [we should make sure that] we are not aggressive with the horse all the time. Sometimes it is ok, it doesn’t matter, but all the time… we don’t like to do something in which we are always fighting, always making the horse go. We like to see the horse free, going on very elevated movements, so… if we could do that on the horse, that’s better.” Could you tell me a bit about your background, and everything that’s shaped your riding, your knowledge, and your approach? “My background was family; it was people that like horses a lot.” You learned to ride with your uncle? “With my uncle and with my grandfather… everyone in the family, they all ride. If they are not ill, they ride. We can see in the films of the arena of Nuno Oliveira they are always there riding, it’s nice. So, the background was family. And then when I started to ride more professionally, it was the people that rode here – it was friends of Guilherme, people who came from different countries to ride in the Portuguese manner; Dom Diogo [de Bragança], professor Celestino da Costa… And all of them were students of Nuno. Nuno had his arena here close by on the farm, but in some buildings that we rented. My grandfather invited him to come because he had his arena on the other side of the river. It was far, at that time it was very far, with no bridge, and they came here because my uncle Guilherme wanted to get better at riding.” The riders who studied with Nuno Oliveira, including Dom Diogo de Bragança and Celestino da Costa who António mentions, have been among Portugal’s most prominent riders and teachers in classical riding. Dom Diogo de Bragança in particular is highly regarded for his work, including his now-classic book, Dressage in the French Tradition, which gives detailed insight into classical riding theory, history, and practice. António went on to describe how the farm – now the home of Santo André Lusitanos – was a lively destination for parties and equestrian shows, drawing high society from the city to experience equestrian life. He explained; “…society at that time was traditional, very connected to horses, because [in the country] we always had someone in the family who would do bullfights, or sing Fado music; doing 2 years around bullfights, 2 years singing Fado, 2 years just riding well; at that time with a lot of French influence, from Baucher.” François Baucher was an influential French classical trainer of the 1800’s, who you can also read about in the article series Making Sense of Baucher, starting with Making Sense of Baucher: Part 1. Do you still use Baucher’s work? “A lot of things. It’s a tool… Sometimes, we have problems with the horse which we must decompose into parts to see if we can find where the problem is. Baucher’s method helps, […] and we can [tend to] forget it until we find something that we don’t understand.” What do you think are some of the most important things you’ve learned for riding and training? “Most important, is that you love it. And then you have a lot of people that have written about it, from ancient times like Xenophon, or King Dom Duarte. So, what we see in them is a soul that loves and wants to see what is better for the horse and for the rider, and if we take that position, we always learn with everybody. So, I have a library, my uncle had his library, and we have a lot of books we can read. It’s also something that we like to do; it’s studying. We know that it’s not enough [by itself], so we should have talent and be able [to practice it], and see if we can discover something when we are sitting on the horse, to follow his rhythm, follow his nature, and try that things come, also with a lot of technique, a lot of science, a lot of engineering, a lot of aerodynamics, a lot of mental inclination; studying the mind of the horse to understand the small things he does, the way he likes things, and the way he reacts.” Here, António explains another key to his work: of always looking to learn from others. This open attitude allows him to learn and so benefit as much as he can from diverse riders. This also includes horsemen throughout history, such as Xenophon from ancient Greece, whose writings are the earliest on horsemanship that we have, and King Dom Duarte of Portugal, whose foundational writings delineate 15th century Portuguese riding. Whether they are modern or historical, António remains focused on learning as much as possible, and remaining curious about the work of others. I know you were often the rider at the School where if someone had a problem with a horse they would give the horse to you. What do you think helped you help those horses, or why were you able to do that? “First, wanting nothing.” Wanting nothing from the horse? “Wanting nothing from the horse and just seeing, trying to understand what causes the problem. So, for example a problem that horses have a lot is sensitivity on the back. So, for example a spooky horse, he...... [Read more]

As with people, horses often tend to be slightly asymmetric. However, many riders don’t realize that challenges they face in their riding can often develop from issues with the horse’s straightness, stemming from this asymmetry. Issues such as the horse pushing in or out in one direction, being heavy on one rein, having trouble picking up one canter lead, or struggling to maintain rhythm in one direction, are just a few examples of the symptoms that can appear due to a horse’s unaddressed asymmetry. This is because if the horse is stronger or more flexible on one side, it will naturally move slightly crookedly in all exercises because it will then use this asymmetric musculature to perform them. If we want the horse to overcome these difficulties and perform all movements more beautifully and easily, it is our task to first enable the horse to do this by straightening it and so bringing both sides of its body into balance. Here, we’ll explore exactly how we can identify a horse’s asymmetry, why straightness is so important, and what we can do to help straighten a horse and so improve its movements. This, as we will see, becomes key for setting the horse up to progress to higher levels of training. Understanding the Horse’s Asymmetry The master French horseman Jacques D’Auvergne astutely said;  “Horses do not come straight, and the horseman with all his knowledge and art will spend all his life to correct this imperfection.” –  Jacques D’Auvergne, as qtd. in Miguel Tavora’s Dressage Principles and Techniques By nature, horses often tend to be stronger and suppler on one side compared to the other. This means that they often develop more musculature on one side of their bodies, which we can sometimes see on the croup, neck, or shoulder, for example. If we stand behind the horse and observe the hindquarters, we may even find that one side is bulkier than the other, which can reveal the horse’s stronger side (Dr. Thomas Ritter, Straightness: Stiff Side vs. Hollow Side). This imbalance in the horse’s musculature is much of what contributes to a horse’s asymmetry, and the resulting unequal areas of strength and suppleness correspondingly lead to a slightly crooked way of going. This means that the horse will generally tend to perform exercises and positions on one side differently than on the other. We can feel these differences quite markedly when we ride. For example, the horse may bend more easily to one side than the other, push in or out with the shoulders on curves or in turns, track in or out with the hindquarters in certain directions, and move laterally to one side more easily than the other. We may observe these differences on either side, depending on whether the horse is crooked to the right or to the left. Looking back through the old texts of riding masters reveals that there are varying opinions as to which asymmetry – to the right or left – is more common. However, it’s important for us to remember that asymmetries in riders can also cause asymmetries in the horse to appear. Thus, in looking back on these old texts it can be difficult to truly tell if the differing opinions we find are indeed due to differences in the horses, or due to asymmetries of their riders as well (Dr. Thomas Ritter, Straightness: Stiff Side vs. Hollow Side). Gustav Steinbrecht, the renowned author of The Gymnasium of the Horse was of the opinion that horses were more often crooked to the right. However, looking beyond whether this is accurate, we can find that Steinbrecht describes asymmetry extremely well, and we can look to his detailed writings to learn a great deal about how crookedness appears. For example, he writes;  “It is a generally known fact that green horses have more difficulties on one side than the other and that most horses initially have these difficulties on the right hand. …most horses are naturally crooked to a certain extent in that they tend to assume a false bend to the right. This false bend is produced in that their right hind leg does not step straight underneath the load but to the right of it so that the left shoulder tends to fall away toward the left with the result that the horse leans onto the left rein and refuses to accept the right rein.” – Gustav Steinbrecht, The Gymnasium of the Horse Steinbrecht packs a great deal of information into this small paragraph, and in the next few sections we’ll unwrap exactly what he means to understand the horse’s asymmetry, and what we can do to improve its straightness, movement, and balance. Let’s begin by finding out how we can observe and analyze an asymmetry ourselves. How do We Identify the Horse’s Asymmetry? To observe a horse’s asymmetry, we can first analyze how the horse moves freely on the lunge, and in particular how it bends its body and positions its hindquarters. We explored how to do this in the article The Conformation of Balance, where you can also read all about it. Here, we will focus on understanding how the horse’s asymmetry affects its movement freely on the lunge, and how this crookedness then translates to and appears in work under saddle. With horses that are asymmetric, we can observe on the lunge that in one direction the hindquarters tend to track to the inside while the shoulders push out. In this case, we can notice that the inside hind leg does not take as much weight as it would if it were to track underneath the horse. This extra weight avoided by the inside hind leg is then displaced onto the outside shoulder, which then pushes out on the lunge. This is precisely what Steinbrecht means when he describes that the inside hind leg doesn’t “step straight underneath the load” but rather to the side of it. When one hind leg doesn’t track straight under the horse and take the proper weight, this displaces extra weight to the diagonal fore shoulder and leg, which then tend to push out. When the horse travels on the lunge in the other direction, we may see the opposite problem: That the hindquarters track to the outside while the shoulders push in, which causes the horse to make the circle slightly smaller and the lunge line more relaxed. This is the same asymmetry, with the horse moving in the same crooked manner, simply with the direction reversed. This asymmetric way-of-going is even more easily observed from the saddle when we ride. Taking a look at the illustrations below, we can see more clearly what Steinbrecht means. Understanding Asymmetry to the Right Let’s first take a closer look at what happens when a horse is crooked to the right. Horses that are crooked to the right are typically stronger on their left side, and in particular tend to be stronger in their left hindquarter than their right. We can observe this because the left hind leg will track underneath the horse and so carry more weight, whereas the weaker right hind leg will track “to the right of the load,” which results in it carrying less weight. This causes horses crooked to the right to tend to travel to the right (on the right rein) with their hindquarters slightly to the inside, in a quasi-travers or false haunches-in position. Steinbrecht explains that due to this asymmetrical strength in the hindquarters, horses crooked to the right will tend to push out onto the left shoulder, and struggle to move the right shoulder (and foreleg) up and forward. This is because the horse carries extra weight on the left shoulder, which tends to collapse the right shoulder slightly. As a result, the horse will often lean on the left rein, especially while travelling to the right when it becomes the outside rein. Both the shift of the hindquarters to the inside, and the extra weight placed onto the left shoulder tend to contribute to the development of a false bend. In the false bend, the horse flexes at a single point near the base of the neck rather than through its whole body, while the rest of the neck and body remain fairly straight. This sharp angle between the neck and the body prevents energy and impulsion from flowing fluidly through the spine from the back to the front of the horse. This tends to disconnect the forehand and hindquarters and so bring the horse behind the aids, which can result in multiple issues such as inconsistent contact, rhythm, and transitions, for example. Understanding Asymmetry to the Left For horses crooked to the left, the same pattern of issues occur with everything simply reversed. Horses that are crooked to the left are typically stronger on their right side, and in particular tend to be stronger in their right hindquarter than their left. Because of this, the right hind leg tends to track underneath the horse while the weaker left hind tracks “to the left of the load.” Such horses will tend to travel to the left (on the left rein) with their hindquarters slightly to the inside, likewise in an almost travers or false haunches-in position. Because horses crooked to the left struggle to bring their weaker left hind leg underneath them enough, this transfers more weight to the right shoulder. These horses tend to push out onto the right shoulder and collapse slightly on the left shoulder, which reduces their ability to reach up and forward with the left foreleg. Thus, these horses usually offer a stronger contact on the right rein, while they, in Steinbrecht’s terms, “refuse to accept” (and so maintain an unsteady contact on) the left rein. Descriptions of Asymmetry in the Old Texts It’s worth noting that in texts from the old masters, riders often refer to an asymmetry in terms of the horse having a “stiff side” and a “hollow side.” In this case, they refer to the “stiff side” as the stronger side on which the horse carries more weight, because the horse pushes towards this side, making it feel heavy and resistant. The “hollow side” then refers to the weaker, contracted side towards which the horse tends to be bent. For example, for a horse crooked to the right, the left side would be referred to as the “stiff side” and the right as the “hollow side.” However, what they refer to as the “stiff side,” while being the side on which we feel more resistance, actually tends to be the slightly suppler side, as the horse lengthens this side naturally, and bends it more easily. Meanwhile, the “hollow side” actually tends to be the stiffer side because it is weaker and contracted. This is why horses typically have more trouble bending and so stretching this side (Dr. Thomas Ritter, Straightness: Stiff Side vs. Hollow Side). Why is Straightness so Important? Though the issues caused by crookedness may appear small in simple exercises, these tend to become magnified when the horse is asked to perform more advanced work. This is because more advanced exercises require higher levels of suppleness, strength, and balance, which the horse cannot maintain if its musculature remains very asymmetric. Therefore, as riders we will always encounter greater issues if we attempt to do more advanced work without first adequately straightening the horse. It’s important for us to remember that it is our task to enable the horse to perform more demanding exercises by ensuring that it becomes equally strong and supple on both sides of its body. Thus, if we want to progress beyond the basics, we must help straighten the horse. Besides ensuring the horse is sufficiently strong and supple for higher level training, there’s one key reason why straightness is so important for increasing the horse’s capabilities. And that reason is: “Throughness.” Throughness, or Durchlässigkeit (meaning “permeability” in German), refers to the ability of the effects of the aids to pass...... [Read more]

As an outspoken critic of François Baucher’s work, Gustav Steinbrecht described his critiques of Baucherism in his classic book, The Gymnasium of the Horse, as he advocated for following the training methods of the Old School. While both horsemen lived in the 19th century, Baucher and Steinbrecht had quite different approaches to training the horse – with Baucher seeking lightness and balance, and Steinbrecht seeking “throughness” and collectability. Yet while Steinbrecht’s Gymnasium can sometimes be painted as if opposed to Baucherism, it can also be used effectively to complement Baucher’s methods. Master horsemen such as Nuno Oliveira have done just this, and shown that we can benefit from combining both methods. In particular, Steinbrecht’s critiques of Baucherism can be extremely useful if we use them to understand potential issues in training that Steinbrecht had observed, and design our training to prevent them. Taking the best from both methods, we can benefit from the knowledge and experience of both horsemen. Here, we’ll explore two of Steinbrecht’s greatest critiques of Baucherism, and how we can use them in Baucherist riding to develop lightness, balance and “throughness.” Steinbrecht’s Critiques Among Steinbrecht’s critiques of using Baucher’s methods, his most fundamental were that; The horse can develop a false bend if flexed only ever in the neck or flexed too far, which prevents the aids from passing through the whole body of the horse. This can put the horse behind the bit and on the shoulders. In part as a result of this; The horse may not develop enough impulsion, and so may perform movements without sufficient energy. First, we’ll look at the issue of developing a false bend.   Bending, flexions, and flexibility of the neck Baucher teaches us that attaining flexibility of the neck and relaxation of the jaw can be key to attaining lightness and balance. He writes;   “We know the contraction of any one part of the horse reacts on the neck, and that the stiffness of this part prevents the proper execution of every movement.” “The equilibrium of the whole body is perfect, its lightness complete, when the head and neck remain of themselves easy, pliable and graceful. On the contrary, there can be no elegance, no ease of the whole, when these two parts are stiff.” François Baucher, New Method of Horsemanship, 9th edition Thus, we can use his flexions with the horse at a halt to release resistances and increase flexibility especially in the neck (though also in the hindquarters) to bring the horse into greater lightness and balance. As with Baucher, Steinbrecht also focused intently on developing flexibility. However, he went about it in a slightly different way. Steinbrecht put more emphasis on suppling the horse’s entire body primarily through careful bending exercises as the basis of all further training. This key bending work is done in motion to help develop the flexibility of all the joints, and so prepare the horse to begin to collect (eg. by flexing the joints of the hindlegs). He writes;   “The more this flexibility has been developed, without detriment to the thrust of the hind legs, the more perfect in every respect will be the training of the horse. All riders who consider it necessary at all to work the horse, therefore diligently try to remove any resistance in the throat-latch, neck, back, and hind legs, and they can often be seen bending and working these parts for hours.” Gustav Steinbrecht, The Gymnasium of the Horse  The correct bend of the horse for these exercises, Steinbrecht explains, is one that extends through the entire spinal column, with a slight flexion in the ribcage, and that also bends the hind legs slightly. He explains;   “The lateral bending of the neck enables the horse to turn, to properly travel on curved lines, and to perform the movements on two tracks. Since this lateral bending of the neck is always connected with a correct, corresponding bend of the spine and of the hind legs, it simultaneously acts as a moderating effect on the thrust and prevents too heavy a contact.” Gustav Steinbrecht, The Gymnasium of the Horse This definition of a correct bend can also be very useful to a Baucherist rider seeking lightness. It tells us that with this bend through the whole body, where the hind legs are also flexed, this can very slightly shift the weight back and lighten the contact. In comparing Baucher’s flexions and Steinbrecht’s bending work, we can see that Baucher focused on increasing flexibility in key areas – such as in parts of the neck – in order to unlock resistances throughout the rest of the body. Baucher performed his flexions at the halt, as he found resistances easier to release when they had no momentum. Working in this way allowed him to quickly improve the lightness and balance of any horse as he released resistances, such as those related to any natural asymmetry. Steinbrecht, on the other hand, focused on gradually building flexibility throughout the whole body at once, and so used bending exercises with the horse worked in motion. Now, while Baucher’s targeted method allowed him to increase flexibility, balance, and lightness very efficiently, what Steinbrecht observed is that practicing flexions only in the neck could also easily be overdone, leading to hyper flexibility and instability of the neck. This, he found, could lead to a “false bend” if the horse is then consistently asked to flex too much in the neck when in motion, without the corresponding bend in the entire spinal column and hind legs. This creates a tendency for the forward and restraining aids to become “trapped” in the false bend, causing the horse to go behind the bit, and onto the shoulders. This, in essence, is Steinbrecht’s first critique of Baucher’s work. Steinbrecht found that Baucherized horses could become too flexible in the neck, by being flexed only ever in the neck and not through the body, and flexed too far, to the point where the stability of the neck would be lost. With this, the ability to drive the hindquarters towards and underneath the neck would also be lost, which would then limit the horse’s ability to develop impulsion. He explains;   “As necessary as a flexible and agile neck is for the fully trained horse, it must also be connected with perfect steadiness. This is so because for every bend and position of the neck, the joining surfaces of its vertebrae must remain sufficiently in contact to thus be able to transmit the driving as well as the restraining aids. If, however, the neck is bent too much at individual points so that the area of contact between the vertebrae in question becomes too small, a false bend appears at which the rein action from the hands as well as the driving aids are broken; to use the customary term, the aids are stuck in the incorrect bend. This produces the most dangerous type of “being behind the bit” in the horse since now the rider is no longer able to correctly hold the weight and work the hindquarters against it or drive them underneath it.” Gustav Steinbrecht, The Gymnasium of the Horse  Nuno Oliveira, who combined both systems also echoes Steinbrecht in describing the importance of maintaining some stability in the neck once it has been suppled, in saying;   “The horse may not be called submissive, nor in forward action, if the base of the neck is not in a stable position or if the neck is too yielding, flinching from the contact of the bit and the action of the reins.” Nuno Oliveira, Reflections on Equestrian Art So how can we combine the best of Steinbrecht’s and Baucher’s systems? It seems it’s about using each in slightly different circumstances to achieve different things. Baucher’s flexions at the halt are incredibly useful when our goal is to; Efficiently increase the horse’s flexibility (especially in the beginning of training), Enable the horse to become light in hand, or to; Release specific areas of resistance especially in the neck, jaw, and throatlatch that are related to a horse’s natural asymmetry, in order to bring it into better balance throughout training. Because Baucher’s flexions are quite efficient and targeted, we can use them when there is a specific area of resistance to release, or to increase the horse’s flexibility to prepare it for working in lightness. Then, once sufficient flexibility has been achieved, we can take care not to flex the neck laterally too much so it maintains enough stability. These flexions are very efficiently used, as Baucher suggests, with the horse at a halt. However, when we work the horse in motion, bending the horse through its entire body as Steinbrecht describes can then allow us to better flex the hind legs and enable collection. This also prevents a false bend from occurring, and so keeps the horse from falling onto the shoulders and becoming behind the aids. A key to achieving this proper bending is in attaining sufficient ribcage flexion. Using the inside leg to flex the ribcage and guide the inside hind leg slightly under the horse, we can then use well-timed half-halts on the outside rein to lift the outside shoulder if it becomes overloaded, to transfer weight back to the inside hind leg. Taking care that during bending work, the horse is bent through its whole body further ensures the horse’s lightness and balance as it shifts the weight back slightly onto correspondingly bent hindlegs. Thus, Steinbrecht’s comments on developing a false bend can be incredibly helpful to understand the importance of both flexibility and stability in the neck, and so help the horse become both light and “through,” as the aids can move freely through the horse. This brings us to Steinbrecht’s second criticism which, as we will see, is closely related to the first.   Creating sufficient impulsion Perhaps Steinbrecht’s most often-cited criticism of Baucher’s work was that his methods did not encourage enough impulsion. Steinbrecht had two main reasons for this criticism. The first reason relates again to maintaining enough stability in the neck. Without enough stability, he explains, it then becomes very difficult to drive the hindquarters towards and underneath the forehand, which limits impulsion. He describes this by writing the following about Baucher;   “He suppresses and destroys thrust not by overloading, as this is done by careless riders, but prevents its action by removing everything against which it could be directed.” Gustav Steinbrecht, The Gymnasium of the Horse  By this Steinbrecht means that by making the neck too soft and flexible, one removes the necessary stability in the neck, “against which” thrust can be directed. Impulsion then becomes more difficult to develop because it becomes harder to reliably build and channel it forward from the hindquarters to the forehand, connecting the horse together. If the horse doesn’t develop enough impulsion, and the stability of the neck is also lost, the horse can then become like a snake, and feel as though the hindquarters and forehand are disconnected. As Steinbrecht observed, the horse may then perform movements without enough energy because the necessary impulsion cannot be built up and directed to the forehand. Steinbrecht’s second reason for his criticism was that Baucher worked extensively in place and at a walk, which Steinbrecht found did not develop enough impulsion. Nonetheless, there is also great value in working this way, as Baucher realized. Baucher explains that, at the halt or the walk, it is much easier and more efficient to target specific areas to work, or to release resistances. This is because issues stemming from problem areas tend to gain momentum and become more difficult to resolve when the horse is set in motion. Baucher also realized that a horse’s movement is determined by its component parts – and if those parts are in a position that would make a movement difficult (by being asymmetrical, or having the weight in the wrong place, for example), it is in those parts...... [Read more]

François Baucher’s training methods brought a unique system of developing a horse in lightness, yet his techniques countered some of the fundamental, prevailing ideas of horse training in his time. His methods continue to offer a philosophy that at times significantly differs from German School riding that we now see most commonly in dressage. This has led to quite a bit of skepticism, criticism, and controversy over his methods, as his philosophy offers an alternative view to some common, closely held beliefs about the proper training of the horse. Here, we’ll explore the key differences between Baucherism and Steinbrecht’s Gymnasium, and see how their different philosophies became reflected in their different techniques. Steinbrecht’s Gymnasium In his time, Gustav Steinbrecht was one of Baucher’s most outspoken critics, and authored the classic handbook of horse training, the Gymnasium of the Horse. As a student of Louis Seeger (a passionate anti-Baucherist), Steinbrecht commented very critically on Baucherism, while he explained and advocated instead for the training techniques of the Old School (following the methods of François Robichon de la Guérinière and the Marquis of Marialva). These Old School methods and Steinbrecht’s work then became a foundation for German School riding. But where did Steinbrecht’s and Baucher’s philosophies actually differ?  On what specific matters did they see things differently, and how did they train differently?  Sometimes amidst the disagreement we can come across between these two horsemen, it can be difficult to objectively and precisely examine how and why they approached training differently, in order to get the most from their different points of view. 3 Key Differences Between Baucherism and Steinbrecht’s Gymnasium To bring some clarity to the controversy between Baucher and Steinbrecht, and so to some of the differences between Baucherism and German School dressage, here we’ll look at the following 3 key differences between the two systems: Working the sources of movement, or working the movement by the movement?Where Baucher sought to improve the horse’s movement by working the physical sources of movement, Steinbrecht and the Old School sought to improve movement through working the movement itself. Seeking continuous collection, or constant collectability?Where Baucher sought to develop a horse to collect itself and then remain in balance continuously, Steinbrecht and the Old School sought to create an easily collectible horse, and to shift the horse’s balance forward or backward depending on the movement.  Creating independence from the aids, or keeping the horse connected by the aids?Where Baucher sought to make horses light and so ultimately, mostly free of the aids, Steinbrecht (and the Old School) sought to keep the horse continuously connected by the aids. Comparing Systems Given the strong disagreement between Baucher and Steinbrecht, and general disagreement between the French and German Schools, it’s extremely important to clearly and objectively analyze their methods to fully understand and get the most out of them. While some think that these systems are opposed, they simply work the horse in a different way, through different systems of understanding.  Nuno Oliveira is one interesting example of a master rider that successfully combined both systems, depending on the needs of the horse. When asked by his long-time student Bettina Drummond about this, he confirmed that of course, he used both systems. She recounts: “Then when I went to Mr. Oliveira, I said “What you just did to disengage the horse forward in the shoulders was Steinbrecht.” And he said “Of course.” He quoted me the page number in the book. And I said, “Wait a minute, you are training me in the French system; what is this German stuff coming in?” I had this concern that I was going to start pulling on the reins and cranking on the horse’s mouth if I do anything German. He looked at me as if I had completely lost my mind. And he said, “Steinbrecht is just Baucher on the other side of the Rhine. It is just put on a different muscle structure and a different equilibrium on a horse.”” Bettina Drummond, Eclectic Horseman Now, let’s look at the key differences between these systems in more detail. Working the sources of movement, or the movement by the movement?One of the biggest differences between Baucher’s and Steinbrecht’s work is how they went about developing the horse’s balance and improving its gaits; either by working the sources of movement, or the movement itself. Baucher sought to fix any issues that showed up in movement (asymmetries in flexion and activity in exercises, weight on one or both shoulders, etc) at their roots – the physical parts of the horse’s body that when used together, created the particular movement and issue. He didn’t attempt to improve issues directly by working the horse in the problematic movement itself, because he understood problems in motion to be the symptoms of underlying resistances in the body set in motion. Greater movement, in his view, simply added momentum to these resistances, thus making it harder and more inefficient to resolve them in the movement itself. He found that it was much more efficient to resolve these issues by breaking them down and releasing resistances in the separate parts of the horse involved in the movement, such as in the neck, hindquarters, and particularly in the jaw. This led him to develop his various flexions and mobilizing exercises in place (at a halt), and often in work at a walk. He explains; “We now know which are the parts of the horse that contract the most in resistances, and we feel the necessity of suppling them. Shall we then seek to attack, exercise and conquer them all at once? No; this would be to fall back into the old error, of the inefficiency of which we are convinced. The animal’s muscular power is infinitely superior to ours; his instinctive forces, moreover, being able to sustain themselves the one by the others, we will inevitably be conquered if we set them in motion all at once. Since the contractions have their seat in separate parts, let us profit by this division to combat them separately, as a skillful general destroys, in detail, forces which, when together, he would be unable to resist.” François Baucher, New Method of Horsemanship, 9th edition And so Baucher diligently worked to resolve the underlying issues in the parts of the horse individually, such as by increasing flexibility in the neck or strength in the hindquarters. Only once these issues were resolved and lightness and balance were established, would Baucher then ask the horse again for greater or faster movement. Baucher found that this slow work at a halt or in walk allowed him to work the horse more meticulously, which improved the horse’s flexibility and strength more quickly and precisely. This also allowed him to discover small resistances and resolve them before they could manifest as larger issues when the horse moved faster or performed more complex exercises. Steinbrecht, on the other hand, worked the movement by the movement (following the methods of the Old School). He focused on generating and maintaining the forward-going “thrust” of the horse as the fundamental key to all further training. This is embedded in his most famous axiom, which he states in saying; “As the first main principle of the art I urge every rider to “ride your horse forward and set it straight!”” He explains the meaning of riding forward and so preserving thrust, by explaining; When I say forward I do not mean driving the horse forward in the fastest and most extended gaits, but rather for the rider to take care to maintain an active thrust of the hindquarters in all exercises such that, not only in movements in place, but even when moving backwards, the forward motion, namely the desire to move the load forward, remains in effect. Why did he see thrust as so important? Steinbrecht saw thrust as the basis of everything. He understood that it was only through motion that one is able to shape the horse through training. Without movement, Steinbrecht believed there would be nothing to control, and so no way to influence the horse. Further, Steinbrecht thought that thrust must be secured in order for the hindlegs to correctly take increasingly more weight as collection is developed through training, yet while ensuring appropriate contact can be maintained. He writes; Only after the thrust has been developed fully and correctly will it be able to securely withstand the later rearward displacement of the load. If thrust is not fully developed, the shortening aids find no support. Premature collection either produces horses without impulsion or disobedient horses. The drive forward is the basis of all dressage training and cannot be established securely enough. Thus, his training (and eventually that of the German School) focused on working the horse in freer paces to thoroughly develop thrust, and he worked the horse very little at the walk. In his view, work at a walk or halt was highly advanced work which could only be included later in training. Because these exercises involved less thrust, they would require a horse to already have a thoroughly established thrust for adequate contact to be maintained, and so for the trainer to use these exercises effectively. Instead of working the sources of issues in movement and improving them individually à la Baucher, Steinbrecht also focused on always working the horse as a whole using seat, leg, and hand aids together. He writes about resolving the various issues that may arise in movement by saying; Although these inadequacies often become apparent at a quite defined location, it would be foolish to want to overcome them by locally limited exercises. Rather, their origin must always be searched for in the whole and must be overcome by joint activity of hands, seat, and legs. As we can see, while Baucher found it much more efficient to work the movement by breaking down issues and improving them at their physical sources (with slow, deliberate, and pinpointed work), Steinbrecht found it important to always work the horse as a whole by coordinating the aids in freer paces, in which he could work the movement by the movement. In comparing these two approaches, General Faverot de Kerbrech (a prominent student of Baucher’s) noted that the Baucherist system appeared particularly good at improving the balance of even horses with difficult conformation, because of its focus on improving the horse’s position, balance, and lightness before movement. He explains; “The ancient horsemanship would work the movement by the movement, by giving the instinctive forces of a horse a more or less correct direction; but it was never capable of making light an ill-built horse, because it did not know the means for changing its natural balance. I had understood that the education of a horse lies in his equilibrium, and all my studies aimed at finding the way to improve the defective balance of a horse, since I was convinced that a well-balanced horse was almost trained [‘dressé’]” Faverot de Kerbrech, as qtd. in Racinet Explains Baucher In a nutshell, the first key difference is that Baucher worked the sources of movement – the physical areas of strength or weakness to improve balance and collection, in order to then improve movement. Meanwhile, Steinbrecht (and the Old School) worked the movement by the movement, to indirectly improve the horse’s body and so develop collection.  However, Baucher and Steinbrecht also had different goals and methods when it came to achieving balance and collection – and this is the second major difference we’ll explore. Seeking continuous collection, or constant collectability?While both Baucher and Steinbrecht aimed to develop balance and collection through training, their approaches were quite different. Baucher sought to develop horses that remained continuously collected (in balance) through all gaits and exercises, whereas Steinbrecht and later the German School sought to create horses that were constantly collectible, with a balance that would be actively shifted according to a movement or exercise. This takes some explanation. For Baucher, it was of great importance to keep a horse in balance at all times (equal weight on all four legs). This would give...... [Read more]

Over his career, François Baucher refined his methods considerably. But while his earlier work (the first manner) became quite well known, his second manner, which first appeared only in the 12th edition of his New Method of Horsemanship, sadly didn’t achieve the same reach. Thus, there’s sometimes some vagueness about his philosophy and methods, as it can be easy to find only his first manner (especially in English), which can at times appear to contradict his later ideas. For example, the opposition of hands and legs, or the effet d’ensemble (combination of effects) in the first manner appears to contradict his later, famous principle of “hands without legs, legs without hands.” So how can we understand how Baucher’s methods evolved? And what are the key differences between the first and second manners? What Caused Baucher to Revise his Methods? The change in Baucher’s methods, and the reason the second manner didn’t spread as far as the first appears to be influenced (at least in part) by the terrible accident he endured mid-career. His injuries from the accident diminished the strength in his legs, and even caused him to stop riding in public. While he was likely developing his new ideas before the accident, it seems the accident accelerated or confirmed the changes he was making to his methods. In the second manner, we see that much less emphasis is put on the legs, by separating the hand and leg aids with the principle of “hands without legs, legs without hands.” With this, Baucher greatly reduced his use of the effet d’ensemble, and introduced the descent des jambes, or the temporary and complete release of the leg aids. It seems the accident pushed him to become ever more efficient with the aids, and by not sparing extra strength where it wasn’t needed, he thus increased his horses’ lightness to both hands and legs. While Baucher published his new methods in the 12th edition of his New Method of Horsemanship a long 9 years after the accident, Racinet points out (in his book here) that limitations of his contract with his publisher had prevented him from making any major changes to his book any sooner.  So, by the time Baucher published his second manner, it had been almost 10 years since he had been touring Europe with the circus and demonstrating his work in the spotlight, and so his second manner did not get nearly the same exposure as the first. What are the Key Differences Between the First and Second Manners? While Baucher’s revisions were significant enough that it would have been of benefit to rewrite the entire method, the 12th edition of his book simply adds on the second manner as an addendum to the first manner – despite appearing in places to contradict it. The fact that his earlier and later ideas were never unified with their differences has likely and understandably added to some confusion about his methods. To bring some clarity to this situation, we can distill the most important changes in his methods into the following 3 key differences between the first and second manners: “Hands without legs, legs without hands”In the first manner, Baucher puts much more emphasis on using hands and legs at the same time, using the effet d’ensemble (from the 5th ed. onward) to bring the horse into balance. Baucher wrote that (in the 9th edition) after thoroughly suppling the horse’s neck, throat, and hindquarters; “We must now reunite these forces in their true centre of gravity, that is, the middle of the animal’s body, [and] it is by the properly combined opposition of the legs and hands that we will succeed in this.”  “The combination of effects means the continued and exactly opposed force of the hand and legs. Its object should be to bring back again into a position of equilibrium all the parts of the horse which leave it, in order to prevent him from going ahead, without backing him, and vice versa: finally, it serves to stop any movement from the right to the left, or the left to the right.  By this means, also, we distribute the weight of the mass equally on the four legs, and produce temporary immobility.” While of fundamental importance in the first manner as a means to bring into and keep the horse in balance by distributing the horse’s weight, by the second manner Baucher realized he could use a soft flexion of the jaw to achieve lightness and balance instead.  That is, Baucher would ask for a soft yielding of the jaw and mouthing of the bit to confirm the horse’s lightness, and he began to see this process as fundamentally necessary to enable balance. As the soft mobility of the jaw and mouth replaced much of his use of the effet d’ensemble, the opposition of hands and legs was then left only for teaching a horse to stop (introducing immobility), calming a horse, or momentarily regulating a gait. However, even with teaching a horse to stop, Baucher writes in the second manner (as translated by Racinet) that; “To stop his horse, the rider will at first use the ‘effet d’ensemble,’ but soon, the hand will suffice to stop a horse straight in his shoulders and haunches.” Thus, reducing the use of the effet d’ensemble drastically reduced the need for the legs, and opened up the possibility of introducing the descent des jambes, or temporary and complete release of the leg aids. At the same time, Baucher began to increasingly separate the hand and leg aids, making them more efficient. This led to Baucher’s setting forward his famous axiom in the second manner of “hands without legs, legs without hands.” As Racinet explains, “Baucher was led to set forth this principle out of a concern for “economy of the means.” Indeed, if one cares about lightness, one will try to avoid “bombarding” the horse with forceful and sometimes contradictory signals. If one succeeds in keeping a horse in proper balance through a combination of aids (the aids acting simultaneously), it means that perhaps the legs have had to correct the errors or excesses of the hand, and vice versa. These errors have been unaccounted for; the result is safe, but the manner was coarse. There has been lack of opportunity. If the hand or the legs act alone, they will have to reach their optimal threshold of efficacy. The rider will become efficient and subtle; the horse will become attentive and calm. But the horse will become not only calm but also highly sensitive to the legs, since hand and legs will no longer erase each other’s conditioning…” This allowed Baucher to refine his methods into a new kind of riding, where, if the horse was kept in balance, hand and leg aids would then be used (separately) only to begin a movement or transition or to modify a gait or position, but never to continuously maintain it. The aids could otherwise rest, allowing for both the descent de main (release of the hand, introduced by La Guérinière) and the descent des jambes (release of the legs).Baucher explains (as in Racinet Explains Baucher) that separating the aids and so making them more efficient allows one to reduce their use to the point where the horse can move in balance on a complete release of the aids. “By using only one force at a time, whether that of the legs to give impulsion or that of the hand to operate the transference of weight needed by such and such a movement, such and such a gait, the rider can assess instantly the degree of appropriateness he has displayed. If he commits an error, he can correct it at once; he knows its cause, and the poor horse, being no longer tossed about between these two opposite wills of hand and legs, identifies himself so much with the thoughts of his master that soon these two intelligences make only one, the horse keeping his perfect equilibrium without the help of his rider’s hand or legs.” As we can see, Baucher shifted from using the opposition of hands and legs in the effet d’ensemble to using “hands without leg, legs without hands” as a general rule in the second manner. He achieved this by prioritizing the soft mobility of the jaw to create lightness and balance, and by using the hand and leg aids separately (for the most part), which led him to be able to ride on a complete release of the aids. Ramener: The classical headset – from prerequisite for balance to its resultBaucher’s perspective on and use of the ramener or classical headset (forehead of the horse vertical with the poll being the highest point) also changed quite drastically.At the time of the first manner, Baucher believed that asking for and setting the horse’s head into the classical position (with a ‘direct flexion of the head and neck,’ where he would ask the horse to bring the head into a vertical position) was a crucial prerequisite for developing lightness and balance. He writes in the 9th edition that; “This is the most important flexion of all; the others tended principally to pave the way for it. As soon as it is executed with ease and promptness, as soon as [a] light touch is sufficient to place and keep the head in a perpendicular position, it will prove that the suppling is complete, contraction destroyed, lightness and equilibrium established in the forehand. The direction of this part of the animal will, henceforward, be as easy as it is natural, since we have put it in a condition to receive all our impressions, and instantly to yield to them without effort.” He writes that this lightness created would then be confirmed by the horse gently mouthing the bit;  “The horse will have completely yielded to the action of the hand, when his head is carried in a position perfectly perpendicular to the ground; from that time the contraction will cease, which the animal will show, as in every other case, by champing his bit.” Now, while he saw perfecting the ramener as the prerequisite for lightness and balance in the first manner, by the second manner Baucher saw it completely differently.Instead, he saw the classical headset as the result of lightness and collection. Baucher increasingly found that the ramener would come about on its own through developing collection and maintaining lightness with a soft and mobile mouth. Thus, he stopped seeking for the classical headset directly through the ‘direct flexion of the head and neck,’ and instead focused on perfecting the soft mouthing of the bit (to confirm the softness of the jaw and to release contractions), as well as on developing collection.In addition, Baucher also began to see benefit in performing flexions with the horse’s head high and almost horizontal. He would then ask for the softness of the mouth in this position and, as Faverot de Kerbrech, a student of Baucher’s explains (in Racinet’s book); “One relaxes the jaw, the head being high and almost horizontal. Then only should one allow it to near the perpendicular line. But with a horse prepared in this way, the ‘ramener’ comes about fast and soon becomes easy to maintain.” This leads us to the last major difference between Baucher’s first and second manners: Raising the head and neckIn the second manner, Baucher introduces work with the head raised in the first stage of the horse’s training. This, he found, functions to shift the horse’s weight from front to back by lifting the withers, and so helps to improve the horse’s balance. As Faverot de Kerbrech explains; “During all this first period of the training, one must seek to raise the neck as much as possible. It is upon the weight that one acts by demanding this elevation” Baucher recognized that, biomechanically, the lower the horse’s head, the more weight is placed on the forehand. Thus, as he sought to create lightness and balance by shifting the weight back (as dressage training aims to do), he found that lifting the head and neck enabled him to essentially lift the withers, and cause the horse to bring its hind end further underneath itself and to ‘sit’ more on its haunches. He explains in Main sans Jambes (as quoted in Racinet Explains Baucher); “Now one should not let the horse ‘bury himself’ and lower the neck in order to set the head vertically, because the lower the...... [Read more]