Classical versus 'Modern' Dressage

[Chevalier]

Classical versus 'Modern' Dressage


Why Classical Training Works and How Incorrect Riding Negatively Affects Horses' Health, by Dr Gerd Heuschmann

Take a look around at any horse competition - be it dressage, jumping, or showing - and you will probably see horses undergoing questionable schooling in order to win a ribbon.

Why? To get them into "the right frame" and hopefully win a prize.

Welcome to the 'get rich quick' scheme of the horse world; large sums of money change hands for well-bred horses who appear ready to win. But in the long run, the lack of foundation in these training methods becomes more obvious at the higher levels and they will not win so many prizes anyway.

In Tug of War, veterinarian Gerd Heuschmann says that a fundamental modification is urgently needed in the way young horses - and riders - are trained. Too many horses, he says, are forced into incorrect positions before their muscles - particularly those of the back and neck - are conditioned enough to take the added weight of a rider and the strain of the intense work they are asked to do.


Adding to this problem is the number of top-quality, purpose bred horses which are seemingly too tolerant of these fast-tracked methods, and so the damaging methods continue.

Dr Heuschmann explains why these non-classical methods are very bad for the horse, and many pictures of the horse's muscular and skeletal system accompany the text to help the reader understand why forced training is detrimental to the horse and its development.

Many photographs illustrate the right way and the wrong way - the "wrong" pictures are very enlightening and in many cases show horses in top-level competition.

In the news recently is the practice of Rollkur (hyperflexion of the neck), with the FEI holding workshops on the topic as part of its welfare initiatives. However, the FEI's position seems to be that the method "is not detrimental if used in a correct manner."

But Dr Heuschmann says that hyperflexion places enormous tension on the upper neck muscles and ligament system, and the back. He says working a horse in this manner will often cause the horse to have a straight, flat back line, with inactive trailing hind legs and little flexion in the haunches.

Horses need time to develop, and unfortunately trainers and riders are not giving them that. Dr Heuschmann believes that a dressage saddle should not be placed on a three-year-old, and the fashion of tight nosebands being used mindlessly should be abolished.

Judges, too, need to be educated about the difference between movements that are natural and those that are artificially forced.

As a veterinarian, Dr Heuschmann says he regularly sees horses showing symptoms that can be traced back to their incorrect training methods. "The biggest mistakes gravely affecting the horse's health and soundness are made at the beginning of its training, that is, during the phase of the horse's so-called 'basic' training."



Hey, what other books have you read or heard of that might be useful for arguing for medieval/baroque riding styles? I will post more titles of directly related books but for now it is your turn!

[gt1cm2]

The best person I can think of for you to ask this is Baroque who does classical training, in fact I asked her about good books yesterday I think so well timed.

I read a thread on another horse board the other day about how the different type of horse affects their dressage and which is more suited to modern dressage vs classical - I found this quite interesting.

[adrianf]

to be honest this is why i hate double bridles as i have seen too many riders force the horses head into position.

[Baroque]

A double bridle in skilled & tactful hands is an article of finesse.

However, most of the horses I've seen in double bridles in competition in recent years should not have been wearing them! If you can't do all the top level work in just a snaffle then you can't just jam them into a double bridle and force them to submit.

I can do all the advanced movements on my mare in a snaffle or cavesson including piaffe and levade & a bit of passage & Spanish walk. I'd like to see some of the so-called Grand Prix riders do that with their horses, I will use a double bridle or ride with a curb only to help keep the canter pirouette in place but for most of the other work a snaffle is just fine by me.

Nothing forced is ever beautiful. [Nuno]

What is happening is that the majority of these competition horses are completely ruined by their early teens [or even earlier] and end up with back and stifle problems due to not being able to use their bodies correctly. It is heartbreaking.

This is why I start riding my horses at 4yo and not as 2yo so that they have developed the correct frame before having a rider on them. This is also why I do not compete in dressage any more because I feel ill watching what people have done and are doing to their horses in order to win or place.

I'm a hater of tight nosebands as well. Especially the crank noseband which should be banned and users of it should be shot or impaled. I [by preference] do not use a noseband other than for a decorative purpose, so its always loosely adjusted so you can get 3 fingers behind it as a minimum.

As for Rollkeur, that practice is nothing short of barbaric and should also be banned at all levels. It ruins horses. And users of it should also be impaled and shot, preferably both.

On the breed characteristics of Baroque horses, the modern breeders of PRE and their xbreds are now breeding a horse which is able to extend as well as collect. If you look at the last Spanish Olympic team you will see that the PRE and Lusitanos they used are good at both, however in the most difficult collected work they shine more than the WBs because they are able to carry the weight better on the hindquarters. Therefore their piaffe and passage is the most expressive.

Remember WBs were originally bred as CARRIAGE horses before they were used for dressage and other things. That WB hard driving trot looks very nice in the show ring but I know what sort of horse I prefer riding! and its not a WB! I haven't ridden a Friesian but I hear that their canter can be rather bumpy in comparison to an Andalusian.

Books:
I like the Complete Training of Horse & Rider by Podhasky
and Training the Horse In Hand - the Classical Iberian principles by Dietz and most of Nunos books on classical training.
Sylvia Loch has also written some good books on classical training too.

I have also got Le Mange Royale, L'Hotte's & de la Gueriniere's books on equitation but haven't read them yet.

Haven't read that book you've quoted from Sasha but I reckon he's been reading my thoughts...

[gt1cm2]

[Chevalier]

Seeing that the discussion has shifted towards smooth gaits, you may be interested to check out this webpage: Gaits in General for Dressage:
Math & Variations on a Theme of Walk, Trot, Canter (or, Why the Old Classical Masters Were Right) at http://nicholnl.wcp.muohio.edu/DingosBreakfastClub/BioMech/BioMechGaits.html. There are some interesting thoughts in there!