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The following articles and extracts are taken from the Classical Horsemastership
International magazine. Back copies and memberships are
available by contacting Classical
Horsemastership International Head Office.
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Halts - Immobility |
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| In order to advance the schooling of a horse
which has been given a certain degree of balance, it is essential to stop him properly
every time a halt is demanded. he should not halt in a sloppy fashion, either
stretched out, his head at liberty, or stubbornly hanging onto the bit. As he halts
his haunches must be slightly lowered. At the halt, the neck must keep its correct posture, and when a direct flexion is properly demanded , the lower part of the jaw should show a slight relaxation. There are so many horses who are not quiet because they neither know how to stop correctly, nor go from the halt to any other gait. It takes tact and, above all, patience, to make a nervous and irritable horse stand absolutely immobile. To begin with, neither the spurs nor the legs should be in contact with the horses sides; nor should the contact with the hands be too strong. What is important is that the horse halts and then stands still, neither incurving his body, nor fretting impatiently. When this has been obtained (voice and patting help very much) the rider must try to make the halt correct, so that the horse is stopped by the rider's leg action which is followed by the intervention of the hands. To accustom nervous and irritable horses to leg and spur contact, these last should be progressively pressed to the horses' sides, behind the girth. Then with spur pressing but not tapping, the horse should be made to go from the halt to the walk. This is to say that while keeping the contact of the hands, the pressure of the spurs, already in place, must be increased. |
Only when the horse has advanced one or two
steps ahead can the rider's hands relax, and can the spur pressure be stopped. The system gives magnificent results in dressage. Francois Baucher taught it and described it in his own works on equitation. During the course of dressage training, it is often necessary to return frequently to correct halts, especially from the trot. The transition from the halt to the trot, and from the trot to the halt, is one of the keystones of good dressage training, and makes the horse properly collected. The horse must not halt with rigid hind legs, but rather by gently lowering his hindquarters in such a way that the rider feels this gentleness in the saddle, rather than a rough action. The horse must not only know how to halt correctly, but must also remain motionless for as long as the rider wishes. Whatever may transpire, noise, movements, and so on, nothing should make the perfectly trained horse budge until his rider asks him to move. The rider must have a great deal of patience which will permit him to eventually obtain the desired immobility. After the horse has been trained to halt, and remain immobile while alone, without other horses in the riding school, he should then be taught the same immobility while other horses surround him. Nothing should make him fret as the others circle near him, trotting and cantering. I believe strongly in adhering to this minutiae of training, I do not think I am wrong to do so. In reading the works of the great masters, it is soon apparent that immobility and halts are problems to which they devoted much of their attention.
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Backs, Performances and Acupuncture (Extract from Classical Horsemastership
International newsletter Three) |
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There is a long list of both performance and behavioural problems that are attributable to back pain. The list encompasses most of the problems that are commonly called 'training problems', however veterinarians are often called upon to try and help these horses. For equine acupuncturists, this type of problem often makes up a large portion of their practice, because acupuncture is often best recognised for its success in treating back pain and consequently helping performance problems. While some horses learn to overcome these pain related performance problems, others do not and are usually sold. When horses are treated for back pain and saddles are fitted properly, these training problems often go away over night. In many cases, however, training techniques and rider balance must be changed, and mouth and foot problems corrected, or the back and behavioural problems may return If signs of saddle-induced injuries are found during a physical exam, they indicate there has been a problem with a saddle, either past or present. If a poorly-fitted saddle has been used on a horse for any length of time, these will be residual back pain and probably subluxations of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. It is this authors experience that the residual back pain will probably require treatment with acupuncture and chiropractic, as saddle-induced pain often stays for many years if not untreated. Performance problems can result in anything from mild protest about being saddled to an unrideable bucking bronco. The reactions seen include the following 16 points: 1. Objection to being saddled
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THAT
WINNING FEELING BOOK REVIEW by Christine King |
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| 'That Winning Feeling' - is a motivational
book about achieving your personal best, whoever you are, whatever you are doing. Jane Savoie applies the Science of Positive Mind Power. Psychocybernerics - to riding, showing ways you can train your mind and shape your altitudes to replace negative perceptions with creative, constructive and practical ideas. The books deals with concepts such as luck, worry, dreams, 'losers limp', commitment, criticism, frustrations and inspiration. Strategies covered include relaxation exercises to cope with stress and tension, the use of 'Imaging' as a tool to achieve desired ends, the 'As If' Principle (i.e. to think and behave "As If" you are already experiencing your wants and needs), and Positive Speech - "What you say is what you get." All of these strategies Jane Savoie applies toward ourselves as people and riders, toward training our horses, and toward competition. |
This book for me personally is a constant source or
"tool kit" for motivation and inspiration. I have begun to use the
strategies presented to improve my riding attitude, with success. Jane Savoie in a
"down-to-earth", practical expression of the subjects covered has created a book
that is a pleasure to read. Anecdotes of her own and others experiences make the
principles demonstrated easy to relate to and use. As a novice rider, with a lot of
self-defeating habits I found this book has had a profound effect in all areas of my life
as well as my riding, and I am definitely developing "That Winning Feeling" Jane Savoie: Born and raised in Massachusetts. Attended Massachusetts University and received a BS in Animal Science. Rode hunters as a child, evented in college, specialized in dressage in 1976, when she moved to Vermont. She ran the Riding Programme at the Vershire School Stables 1976-80. Since 1980 she has been a freelance Dressage Instructor and travelling Clinician. In 1992 was named as a candidate for United States Olympic Team. 1992 USA by Trafalgar Square Publishing, North Pomfert,
Vermont |
| Membership to Classical Horsemastership International Magazine Back Copies of CHI Magazine You may purchase back copies of the |
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