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Monsieur Baucher and His Art:
a Serious Word with Germany's Riders

Louis Seeger

Translated by Cynthia Hodges

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Modern day dressage is split between adherents of the Classical School and those who are "competition" riders. Some techniques meant for competition derive from the training system of Francois Baucher. Louis Seeger, a contemporary of Baucher, was a dressage master in Berlin who trained with Max Ritter von Weyrother of the Spanish Riding School. He was also the instructor of Gustav Steinbrecht, author of "Gymnasium of the Horse." Seeger was compelled to write "Herr Baucher und seine Kuenste. Ein ernstes Wort an Deutschlands Reiter" in 1852 after witnessing what he considered to be incorrect training techniques used by Baucher. He tried to warn riders that these methods would be very destructive to horses' training, and that the Classical principles were to be preferred. Seeger predicted some of the problems that can now be seen in high levels of competitive dressage.

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I. Introduction

Do not forget that the forward movement is the soul of the art of riding, and the impulse for that comes from the hind end of the horse! Seeger

Baucher achieved fame throughout Europe with his book: "Methode d'equitation basee sur de nouveaux principes." Seeger was a student of Max Ritter von Weyrother & taught Gustav Steinbrecht at the Royal Riding Academy in Berlin. Seeger countered Baucher's theories with this 1852 book. He rode Baucher's horses & saw him train often. According to Seeger, Baucher's method was "dangerous because the inexperienced can easily create this hollow caricature of the noble gaits and are surprised that such a result can be achieved so quickly."

According to Seeger, Baucher just took "all the incorrect methods from the Duke of Newcastle and from all of those who were trained by the old Italian schools, and made them into "his method to the ruination of the art of riding and to the confusion of riders everywhere."

"Baucher robs the horses of their impulsion. They do not travel on the bit because they are not given the necessary aids by the rider. Their hind ends lack the springy motion of the haunches. The forehand shows no self-carriage or free shoulder movement. There is no lifting of the legs with energy, and no strength in the steps."

II. Tack

A. Bits

The bits Baucher uses are straight and unjointed, and have a small, flat port. There is also a reinforcing strap around the chin-chain.

This bit is a light, less effective one, and used on horses who are not yet fully trained for as long as they refuse to take a steady contact. For the complete training we need to use a lever-like shank for a period of time (Weymouth), and then finish the training with a lighter bit.

The underlying snaffle (bridoon) has unusually large appendage rings on the main rings. These extra rings allow the hand to pull the horse's head and neck down, because the taught snaffle reins are crossed through the rings and press against the jaw. (Note: the modern Baucher bit is the only snaffle bit that exerts pressure on the horse's poll.)

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In the work of the horse in the snaffle and noseband I use now [in Phase III] two snaffle bits with four individual reins and put the dropped-noseband between both bits. The lower snaffle approximates the underlying bridoon of the double bridle, which is used more for the raising of the head and neck, while the other works more to putting him on the bit. [More information about the double snaffle at http://www.cynthiahodges.com/dressage/pages/doppeltrense.html]

Seeger also put the dropped-nose band between the curb and the snaffle on the double bridle to prevent the skin at the corners of the mouth from getting pinched.

As a very useful preparation for the bridling with the curb, I make use also of the Pelham in place of the lower snaffle for a while. Because the Pelham bit corresponds to the form of the snaffle and has a chin chain, taking with both reins on one side has more effect than taking with the double snaffle, and the horse grows accustomed to the pressure of the chin chain.

B. Noseband

Baucher can do without a noseband because he never directs the horse with a constant contact, so it never has the opportunity to escape the harsh effects of the bits by ducking the jaw, which the noseband is meant to prevent. A definite contact is not seen very often and never continuously, but a frequent aid on the right side of the Weymouth and the so-called "piano- playing" is, which is probably meant as a replacement for the missing contact. It is not sufficient for there to be no contact between the horse and the hands holding the reins.

To encourage the yielding of the jaw at the beginning of the horse's training, he pulls mainly on alternating Weymouth reins using the shanks to flex the jaw and to force the head and neck to either sides and down.

C. Saddle

Baucher's saddle has the form of the English saddle, but is different in that it facilitates the forkseat. The forkseat is the only one Baucher knows and uses; the chair seat and our classical seat are made more difficult by the design of the saddle. The high seat and cantle facilitate the foreward tilt of the hips. The saddle also allows for the constant use of the rider's weight on the horse's forehand.

In the training of the riding horse, we also use the forkseat seat in order to put ours and the horse's weight on the forehand to develop the carrying power of the shoulders. We then make the transition to the normal seat or to the chair seat according to whether the back or hindquarters need to develop more strength.

D. Spurs

Baucher's spurs have straight, short necks. Our rowels have either small points all the way around or are completely smooth.

In earlier times, people used to ride with long, upward-curving, swan neck spurs, which were attached closer to the heel than to the sole of the boot. The rider could then employ the spur effectively without having to lift the heel. Baucher uses the same spurs, which are straight, short, blunt, and close to the sole of the boot heel, from the beginning to the end in his training.

Seeger believed that both types of spurs should be used in the training of the horse, alternating between the short, blunt spurs and the common, five-pointed roweled ones. On green horses, he usually used the blunt spurs more often than the sharp ones. In the further training, he switched between the blunt spurs and the ones with the small points on the rowels.


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[footnote - He who shuns the long-pointed spurs used by the dressage masters is in the wrong. For example, the hock is prone to deforming infections when not engaged correctly. --- The use of such spurs causes each horse to become more energetic, his body pushes mainly from the hips foreward into the reins. If the steady constant rein contact is reached in this manner, then the framing of the horse is an easy matter. ]

Baucher's blunt spurs explain the nasty necessity of his severe aids. No one would be able to communicate to the horse with such ineffective spurs the aids to the degree in which he would become attentive to the leg aids, namely knee pressure and stepping in the stirrups, which the Old School prescribed.

III. Aids

Seidlitz taught that it is not possible to turn correctly without any leg aids. Oftentimes, even the sharpest spur is not enough. A harsh riding whip is best to use effectively, so that one can do without it completely at some point. This is especially important in dressage training.

Baucher has a rule regarding hand and leg aids: always use the leg before the hand, never use hand and leg simultaneously, also never use the hand before the leg.

We employ Baucher's use of the legs as well, but only when we wish to overburden the horse in the front, with the intent of using the carrying capacity of the shoulders rather than the haunches. If we wish for the weight of the horse to be carried evenly on fore and hind legs, that is, to be balanced, then we use hand and leg at the same time. If the horse is sufficiently prepared to transfer the weight to the back through the flexion of the haunches while remaining in balance, we cause him to do this with a half-halt.

IV. Phase I.

The first phase of riding is aimed toward developing the pushing power of the hindquarters.

Baucher began with the green horses as with as the fully schooled with light taps of the whip on the chest and shoulders while simultaneously pulling on the reins, causing the horse to step toward him. The horse responded by bending the jaw or neck to the side or to the chest and sought escape by stepping back.

It goes against our nature, as Baucher demands, to encourage a horse to retreat behind the bit by tightening the reins and rewarding it when it refuses the contact. We regard hiding behind the bit as the root of all evil.

Baucher follows our method in that he lunges the green, stiff horse in a cavesson. Once the horse is mounted, he is not ridden foreward, but is made to stand in the same place and is flexed according to Baucher's technique.

The purpose of our preparation is to acquaint the horse with the rider and to make the horse accustomed to obedience, while preserving the forward impulsion of the gaits.

Baucher's first lesson goes against nature. In Seeger's opinion, it is the first of many causes of the decrease in impulsion, which made his horses so uncomfortable when he rode them. The lack of forwardness forced Baucher to visibly use the driving aids of leg, spur and whip in training, even in his presentations.

A. Flexions

Baucher, steadfast in his fundamental efforts to supress the natural, foreward striving instinct of the horse, did not allow it to move foreward immediately after being mounted, but as before, forced it to bend. The more the horse expressed natural impulsion, the more it was forced to flex. If the horse showed energy by leaping around, then Baucher would dismount and continue flexions in-hand.

What Seeger found disturbing was the positioning and flexing of the head and neck while all four legs were on the ground, not through foreward riding. Every experienced rider is careful not to bring the horse behind the bit with such premature bending, nor will he dismount after the horse refuses to move foreward and continue ruining the gaits from the ground.

Baucher's second phase of preparation consists of making the hindquarters flexible, and is better suited to supressing the foreward impulsion than the flexions on the forehand. The hind limbs, which are the main initiators of foreward impulse, are put in unnatural sideways movements. The horse places one hindfoot over the other one in a sideways motion.

Baucher intended to destroy the natural strength of the hindquarters and paralyze the neck through this turning so that the horse cannot use them directly against the rider.

With this unnatural positioning of the head and neck, Baucher laid the foundation that caused the collapsing of the shoulders. The free shoulder movement of the horse is only acquired through gradual raising of the head and neck (and lowering of the haunches). Therefore, when the green horse is lunged in side reins, the length may not hinder the horse from having relative freedom of side to side motion and the horse should be able to stretch his head foreward.

The flexion on the forehand will also supress the power in the jaw muscles, the extensor muscles in the neck, and the overall strength of the horse, because with side-stepping or crossing-over hindlegs, the horse can do little to defend himself against the rider. Neither can he use his head and neck when these are continuously forced down and from side to side.

The sideways flexion of the head and neck at the halt through increased pulling on the rein on one side causes the extensor muscles in the neck to weaken. Through such artificial positioning of the head, even with the forehead to the shoulders, whereby the horse withdraws from the bending influence of the hands by leaning on them, the evading extensor muscles tire in the head and neck, and the horse no longer has the strength to hold them up. If the head and neck are then positioned correctly an increase in even pressure on the bit is offered, the already weakened extensor muscles in the head and neck must soon give in. The horse can thereby excape the pain, at first encouraged with pressure on the bits, caused more through the tensing of the neck muscles. The length of resistance lessens with every lesson until finally the retreat behind the bit becomes habit and even the tiniest aid on the reins will be enough to induce it.

B. Carriage

Through his low positioning of the head and neck, the four legs acquire the forward- leaning position and two of the diagonal legs step foreward, but the kind of motion that results is not the effective kind that encourages the development of the carrying and pushing power of the hindquarters. Instead, the effect of the increased over-weighting of the forehand causes the horse to drag his hindquarters.

Seeger said they had no other method to increase flexion in the haunches than the driving foreward of the hindlegs and the corresponding transfer of weight from the head and neck to the hindquarters. In order to not disturb the mechanics of the movement during this training period, nothing other than the foreward reaching movement of the hindlegs should be used, because the haunches are suited to take such weight by nature.

Only after sufficient training can the transfer of weight be induced with the rider's hand. When this is possible, he exercised the hind foot in various directions. He said the rule of moving sideways is that the horse moves one hind foot in front of the other, but never over or next to the other hind foot.

C. Gaits

To the Classical riders, the quality of the gaits is the most important aspect, so they avoided all that can destroy the impulsion. In the first foreward riding of the horse, they did not intentionally use and train the pushing power of the haunches, position the head on the vertical, to the side, or properly, but if these things occur, then it was only a result of the driving aids and use of the hands, which offer a steady support, or as one says, the fifth foot. Naturally, they needed a steady neck position for this, as well as a bit that was as mild as possible but still a useful working snaffle in skilled hands.

Baucher shows that good, powerful gaits are less important to him than preventing resistance in the horse. The horse is trapped. This dressage is a sham. Instead of the horse being strong, the person makes him the dominated subject, which is attainable, but at the price of the natural strength, the general utility, and practical value of the horses.

Most tellingly of all of Baucher's entire system is the saying, "The more power the rider has over the horse, the more he will find himself on the ground," especially in regards to his early in-hand bending of the forehand. On page 147 of his "Methode d'Equitation" (edit. 1843), he says the walk is the "mother of all gaits!" Seeger considered the mother of all gaits to be the one in which the horse has the fewest feet on the ground, namely, the trot. When the trot is trained to the highest energy, it offers moments when not a single foot is on the ground, just as in the school jump.

If the horse takes a contact on the hands, and the rider has begun to develop the pushing power of the hindend for the most part, the Classical method strives to produce in him full freedom of the shoulders. Only now does one worry about the forehand. This freedom of the shoulders occurs with a raising of the head and neck to the degree that their weight lies no longer on the forehand, but rather over the forelegs. The horse can then move the front legs more freely from the shoulder, and thereby engage the pushing power of the hindlegs. The work in which we try to develop the full shoulder freedom by raising the head and neck is called "dressiren" (dressage).

In every dressage session, the rider should carry on until the horse not only gives in the stifle, but until the stifle flexion is confirmed once and for all. During this initial phase, the horse must be ridden forward if he comes behind the bit in order to re-establish contact. Going forward is also a reward for when the horse obtains results in training. While Baucher's training of the horse is geared towards lowering the head and neck from the beginning to the end, Seeger made a distinction between every lesson in the training of the horse. There are three separate phases. The first phase of riding is aimed toward developing the pushing power of the hindquarters. The second is the dressage phase where one raises the head and neck, thereby balancing the forehand. The third is the real training, which consists of the balancing of the forehand and haunches, and the honing of the horse's skills

1. Walk

From the very first foreward movement of the horse, Baucher prefers the shortened walk. To that he adds short intervals of tight turns. A good while later, he adds the trot, but this is also shortened.

In Baucher's own words, the horse becomes stronger in his "forces instinctives" but he makes no use of them. To understand the means by which the horse is dulled, one must recognize how movement in the short, restricted walk and especially in the frequent turns, which are done through the use of the outer leg and rein, supress the impulsion. In Baucher's turns, the outer foot is over-burdened, and the result is the tendency for the horses to not use the pushing power of that leg.

This tendency is suited well to creating perfect submission in the horse and in imposing one's will on him, but it comes from the habit of not using the strength with which it can defend itself against the rider. Finally, the horse is no longer in a position, if the rider uses these same tools, to put this strength to use.

2. Trot

The trot is the most important gait because it is the basis for the other gaits and because their perfection or ruination depend on the trot's development. The foundation of everything is the school trot.

Baucher's procedure is opposite to the Classical way of riding the horse in the beginning. In this period, Seeger tried to let the horse stretch in his outline through lengthened walk and trot, and preferred to trot out as freely as possible. The tight turns hinder the development of the gaits, so he avoided them as much as possible and rode on straight lines. His purpose was to use the trot as a means of furthering the development of the horse's strength.

Baucher has always tried to give his horse a direction with the flexions of the forehand that differs from its natural, instinctual one. He has suppressed the natural tendency for the horse to defend itself against the rider, and placed it in the position where it is made a slave. Seeger did it differently. His initial riding phase had, apart from the purpose of developing the impulsion of the hindquarters, the goal of the horse engaging in a voluntary cooperation with the rider. Seeger worried less about the forehand and sought to bring the horse to the point where it took support on the hands. This can usually only be done in lengthened strides, and has nothing to do with making the horse supple or agile.

3. Canter

If the strides in the trot were trailing, instead of pushing, the canter strides were hopping, instead of jumping - caused by Baucher's totally ignoring the flexion in the haunches through which the springing power of the hocks is developed. This reaching under is essential for collection, as this prepares the horse for the canter and makes him maneuverable

The canter consists of a series of bounds, which become more elastic, regular, and consistent as more weight is shifted from the forehand to the hocks. The spring-like quality of the hocks is thereby increased.

When the horse lifts himself in the right lead canter, the left hindfoot is the only weight carrier. The pressure causes it to yield through increased flexion of the stifles. This develops the springiness of the hocks. In the swinging forward of the body, this left hind foot is free to lift, but not as high as the other. The stepping down of the feet happens in opposite order; when the left hind foot as the first steps down, the carrying capacity of the haunches is still dominant, as soon as the right hind foot and simultaneously the left forefoot take the ground, the impulsion begins to work and the body has the tendency to bring the center of gravity more to the front. With the stepping down of the right forefoot, the center of gravity would come more in front of the middle of the horse if the rider would not direct the weight through a half-halt on the rein onto the left hindfoot before the right forefoot steps down. Through that, the springiness is renewed for the next stride. Maintainging the horse further in this gait requires less rein work than that necessary for the first stride

On Baucher's four-beat canter: in canter right, the left forefoot reaches the ground slightly before the right hind leg with horses heavy on the forehand, which then over-burdens the too early lowered (left) forefoot

To improve this situation: in the canter right, in stepping down in the second beat, the right hind foot should be made to support the mass of the hindquarters earlier than the left forefoot supports the forehand. In this way, the gait becomes closer to the school canter with four beats and the tendency to be irregular is corrected.

On Baucher's horses, on the second beat, the forefoot steps down earlier than the diagonal hind foot. It takes over a part of the weight from the hind foot that is already on the ground, and it therefore makes that hind leg too free: it cannot come forward and lift forward the body mass from the hock, also the outer hind foot can only push forward from the hip and fetlock joints. The gait, instead of having a spring-like quality, is somewhat related to a stepping gait. The old French masters described that as "traîner le derriére" as opposed to the correct training: "chasser le devant."

The rider should need almost only the use of the hand to collect the horse and no visible leg aids. The leg aids, which are called the fine or the secret aids, are knee pressure and stirrup stepping. Knee pressure is a foreward driving aid, stirrup stepping is a collecting aid.

In the Classical collected canter, the horse has strong stifle flexion because of an even sitting position, which not only gives him greater security, but also because the center of gravity stays toward the back longer than Baucher is able. The horse is freer and easier to steer.

D. Turns

Baucher just uses outside rein and leg to turn his horse in an irregular way. While Seeger prepared the horse with inner rein and leg, letting the horse lift his front into the turn, Baucher waited and suddenly threw his body to the side.

Because the hindlegs did not reach under much, not enough carrying power was developed in the haunches. This resulted in the loss of much pushing power, and the majority of the weight was thrown onto the forehand.

Through proper rib flexion, the horse is almost automatically inclined to turn to step in with the forehand. The weight of the rider causes this through a stirrup step, making an unnoticeable inclination to the inner side. He then makes the turn with the inner leading rein fixing the inner hind foot, while the outer rein lifts the forehand around; the outer leg drives foreward the outer hindfoot in front of the inner to the degree of the turn. In a Classical turn, the rider makes the inner hindfoot of the horse a mobile turning point, around which the body of the horse is moved.

Pirouettes - If the stifles bend correctly, one can induce the horse to lift himself around on the inner hind leg while remaining on the spot by means of the spring-like action in the hocks. This can only happen without painfully straining the lower joints because of the elasticity in the hocks. If prepared and executed correctly, the horse should not seek to evade the rider's aids. Baucher pulled the horse around to execute his "pirouette." The horse showed no flexion in the haunches, which will lead to a weakening of the hocks.

E. Reinback

Instead of the haunches lowering and shifting weight to the back the fetlocks are stiffened and the over-weighted forehand pounds the ground. As a reaction against flexing the hips, the fetlock stiffens and becomes unduly strained. On Baucher's schooled horses, the weakening of these hock joints becomes noticeable and the lessened pushing power becomes tangible.

The effect of the hip on the fetlock, which is very energetic and strenuous when direct, is lessened through the bending of the stifle and the hock, which acts to preserve the forward motion.

Baucher tied this turning of the horse on the spot to the movement of rein-back and put hope in this for increasing the flexibility of the hindquarters. He put great emphasis on racing backwards in an almost trot-like motion in his training. This was Baucher's main method of attaining a tiny amount of bend in the stifles.

In this halting and rushed rein-back, one could see that every horse was forced to go faster than in regular steps. Even the horse that had not been properly prepared for this movement must flex itself in the stifles. The usual stiffening of the stifles was counteracted by the hurried motion, because the strength necessary for resistance was exhausted sooner.

Seeger used the rein-back only once the horse strove foreward without special use of the usual driving aids and accepted the alternating pressure on each individual snaffle rein (unilateral half-halts). Then the time had come to collect it through rein-back or to practice flexion of his haunches. If one uses the rein-back earlier, the main objective of this exercise fails, that is to unlock the pushing power in the haunches.

F. Lateral Work

The shoulder-in has no other purpose than to flex the inner hind leg, mainly in the stifle.

With premature schooling of movements on two tracks, the horse is brought behind the bit and comes, as one sometimes says, on the wrong end. This also occurs through the Baucheristic "assouplissements." Through this turning of the hindend around the stationary forehand, the foundation is laid for a stiffening of the haunches.

V. Phase II. The second is the dressage phase where Seeger raised the head and neck, thereby balancing the forehand

A. Engagement

The right time to begin the dressage work, i.e. the raising of the head and neck, is when the horse takes a more constant contact on the rider's hands. This is a result of a steadier neck position akin to his natural neck position. In other words, when the horse finds his main point of support on the forelegs when in a lengthened frame.

The hocks act as natural springs. They move in the opposite direction of the burden that is put on them but with equal power. The forehand places weight on the hock in the moment when the horse's hind foot steps into the front foot's hoofprint (tracks up) or is just about to in an energetic and powerful trot. At this moment, the hock, acting as a coiled spring, is in the position to push back against the weight coming upon it from the ground and can, therefore, engage.

This opposing effect takes place in the direction of back to front and from down to up (the hocks push forward and up). It is easy to see that the natural foreward impulsion not only causes a strengthening of the haunches, but also raises the forehand so that the forelegs do not hit the ground so hard.

1. Half-halts

Before one tries to set the weight of the forehand down onto the corresponding hind foot, one must accustom the horse not only to the constant contact on the reins, but also to short alternating aids on one rein of the snaffle (unilateral half-halts) without holding the other rein.

The appropriate time to begin with the unilateral half-halts is when the rider feels he can leave his body to the natural movement of the horse, and the horse does not show any signs of dangerously irregular gaits. At the moment when the left hind leg pushes off of the ground, one cannot half-halt with the right rein because such a rein-aid works on the diagonal hind foot, thereby restricting the pushing power of that hind leg. A half-halt on the left rein is more appropriate because it works on the already airborne diagonal right hind foot, which increases the pushing power of the hock. According to the laws of animal locomotion, the horse lifts his head and neck forward and back while walking and in the first step out of the halt. It goes forwards after the hind leg touches the ground, and back when it touches the ground. Be careful not to make these "arretes" painful see-saws; they must be light, elastic and tactfully done.

If the horse trots in a regular tempo and accepts the usual driving aids of leg, spur, whip, etc., and even the change from continuous pressure on the bit to the movement of the snaffle from one side to the other, and the subsequent simultaneous giving and taking of both reins does not cause the horse to stop anymore, but rather it keeps moving forward regularly, without looking for support in the rider's hands, then the time has come for the rider to introduce another type of half-halt aid, one that also raises the head and neck.

          2. Arrets

The rider half-halts on one rein, while the other rein is kept taut. It has a different effect than the previously mentioned one, in that it is not diagonal, but rather works straight from the hand to the hind foot on the same side. If the arrete occurs in the moment when this hind foot steps down, a measurable pressure from the weight of the forehand onto the hind foot will take place, assuming that this foot really steps into the hoofprint of the forefoot.

If the half-halt happens when the foot that is stepping under is still in the air, the stifle will be flexed by the horse's weight and as a result of the hip joint lowering towards the fetlock, therefore, no stiffening can take place in these two joints. Only then can the spring-like action of the hock be used to its full capacity, the strength of which does not just swing forwards but also pushes forward.

However, if the lever-like arrete results in insufficient stepping-under of the hindfoot and not enough bending in the stifle, the hip joint stiffens against the lower foot joints and leads to pulled tendons, bruises, etc, and is the cause of many injuries.

Combined with the usual driving aids, the rider can achieve with this arret what he cannot with only a directly driving aid, i.e. the indirect driving aids, which act both from front to back and back to front.

After explaining the indirect driving aids called in riding terminology the half Arrets, it is clear why the leg aid in reference to its fore-, after- and simultaneous use cannot always remain the same, but rather must be adjusted according to the horse's stage of training. If one demands in the first stage that the still undeveloped hindlegs alone assume the action of the direct driving aids, namely the calves, the horse can be made to develop his pushing power in accordance to the Classical rider's purpose to ever higher degrees. The dressage training for the most part allows for the simultaneous use of hand and leg, because one can determine the flexion of the stifle to some degree with the half-halts.

If the horse develops too much impulsion, Seeger made use of the full Arrets. One must think of this as a result of the use of the half-halt. If one hindleg is out behind during the transition, the rider drives the other one forward and holds it by half-halting on the other rein simultaneously as it comes to step under. The even pressure working on both hindlegs causes flexion in both stifles and keeps the impulsion in check momentarily.

As for the raising of the head and neck, the differing half-halts are either direct or indirect. Directly raising ones are the checks on the single rein, without a corresponding steady hold on the other rein. In this way, it works less on the entire body and more on the head and neck, and even across to the diagonal hindleg, which can cause a crooked body position. As the holding happens, the half-halt affects the horse such that the ribs, the spine, and the bones in the hindlegs on that side are comressed. The resulting lifting motion of the head and neck is the indirect result of the use of the raising half-halt.

The direct half-halts are not enough for the raising of the head and neck when the horse holds himself in the gaits in resistance. One must regain the pushing power and the necessary tempo in the forward movement before using the indirect half-halts, in order to raise the forehand with the unilateral half-halts. If the hindlegs stiffen in resistance, one should make use of the full Arrets.

The raising of the forehand of a green horse must only occur gradually and to the degree allowed by its conformation and gaits.

As soon as the horse reaches the desired tempo, the rider puts pressure evenly on both hindlegs with both reins until the horse either brings its neck back or until it hits its mouth on the rider's hands. If the horse does not decrease the impulsion anymore, then the most difficult part of the dressage training has been achieved.

The horse will soon shove his body so powerfully on to the rider's firmly held hands that it finally becomes possible to drive the hindlegs under the horse as far as possible with the spurs. One can communicate to him through a full Arret to either shorten or lengthen the strides. The result is the lifting and balancing of the forehand to the highest degree.

To futher confirm the highest lifting of the forehand possible, and at the same time test to which degree the proceeding dressage training is possible, Seeger first put the horse on the bit. From this position, the rider supples the head to each side, which is called bending the jaw. The purpose is to allow the horse to lower his head and neck as much as it wants with the even working of both reins (also called "chewing the reins out of the hand"). After finishing the dressage lesson, all horses are allowed to do this because this lowering of the head relaxes the back.

In this position, it is possible to give the horse the correct jaw flexion through half-halt aids at the halt. The head is directed a little more to the side than in the neck-bending exercise. This allows the on-the-bit position to be preserved differently than usual, that is by a perpendicular headset or through bending the neck from side to side.

An important result of the Classical balancing of the forehand is the change in movement of the horse. It does not travel downhill as in the beginning stage anymore (that is lower in front), but rather more parallel with the ground and lighter in front. Through this, the horse gains the most impulsion allowed by his conformation and abilities.

The only difficulty in this task is correctly estimating the suitable timing of the aids.

     B. Corrections

In dealing with a made horse that resists the raising of the forehand and refuses to go forward (perhaps because of incorrectly introduced raising of the forehand), when even the severest beating does not convince it to move forward, but rather spin around or retreat from the spur either sideways or backwards, or runs away, Seeger made use of either the "windmill," the continuous rein-back, full halts, or even the school jumps, if the horse is able.

          1. Windmill

In the "windmill," the hindlegs of the horse step as quickly as possible sideways around the forelegs, while the forelegs make a circular turning point.

The Classical School used the windmill to the right, for example, by directing the head and neck of the horse to the right with the right rein as far as possible. The rider then places the right hand against the right knee, which aims the rein aid toward the right hindhoof of the horse. Then the rider presses the left rein against the neck and gives alternating half-halts on it, which is also directed toward the right hind foot. At the same time, the rider uses the right spur and whip (also on the right side) to encourage the horse to step to the left with the hindfeet in a controlled manner. Seeger wanted the horse to step around slowly in the beginning, but asked for progressively faster steps.

He who knows how to follow the movement of the horse in this manner with his body, so that his and the horse's center of gravity stay balanced over the same point, can eventually ask the horse to pivot around the forelegs. Such an exercise is especially impressive to the horse that refused to go forward, because it punishes it on the very parts which it had used to oppose us, that is, on the hindlegs, which one is duty bound to give the impulse of the forward motion. It also affects the character of the horse because the dizzying condition in which it is put by this very fast and constant turning, induces in him fear and resignation to the rider's will. Afterwards, the horse gladly obeys encouragement to go forward.

          2. Reinback

The reinback is a means of correction for the horse that resists the spurs by going to the side or backwards and also for the rushing horse. In the reinback, it must bend the stifle of each hindleg more than usual with every backwards step. The rider first tries to feel the moment the hind foot is put down, to which the so-called chair seat is suitable. At the same time, the chairseat makes it more difficult for the horse to rush backwards, which for some, can occasionally degenerate into a "trot" backwards.

If the hindend is too weak to be burdened in such a manner without worrying about the horse falling backwards in the reinback, the rider should switch to using the windmill, which is suitable for even the weakest horse. This transition is also in order when the horse leans against one spur in the reinback. In this case, the rider should turn it around towards the side of that spur.

The windmill, however, does not demand the same degree of stifle flexion as the reinback, so the reinback is to be preferred. Leg injuries can also result from the too frequent use of the windmill, which is less common in the reinback because the rider knows to keep the horse's body as straight as possible.

This is a most difficult task because the horse tries to avoid the stifle flexion by stepping sideways with the croup with almost every step. One has to try to prevent this from the beginning. If the horse, for example, throws his croup to the right, one positions the weight of his upper body from the hips to the right and back and throws the forehand of the horse around to the right for a few steps. One does this by giving a couple of short half-halts on the left rein before and and at the same time as with the right rein. In this way, one changes the direction of the croup each time a hindleg wants to escape.

As long as the horse still rushes back and is not on the bit, it is not advisable to force a contact on the bit by steadily holding the reins. It is better to give quickly after each short half-halt and actually play with the reins, especially at the beginning of the correction, because when the horse finds a point of support in the rider's hands, it can stiffen the stifles more. The point of the exercise is then lost. Worse still is that the hocks and fetlocks can suffer damage that can easily lead to the horse's falling down.

Every horse will eventually express the desire to shift its center of gravity to the front and to go foreward in general as soon as it is made straight in this way. The reinback results in flexed stifles and puts to effect the springy quality of the hocks. The rider should be careful to allow this desire because now, for the first time, the correct moment has come to use the reinback intensively as a means of correction.

The rider demands only that the horse stand still for this purpose. He then makes a couple of steps of the windmill and guides the horse into reinback. He makes individual half-halts with the horse's body straight while the hindfeet move to the side. The rider puts his entire weight onto the hindfoot that is being set down and afterwards gives a short half-halt with the diagonal rein so strong that it seems as though he wants to throw the horse around on purpose. That this can really happen prevents the obtainment of the stifle flexion; it mostly raises the horse's forehand a little from the ground and increases the flexion of the haunches and with that his desire to move foreward.

The halts and the jumps forcing flexion in the haunches are similar to the Arrets and the reinback, but demand a higher degree of stifle flexion, the latter being the most forceable and long-lasting of all of the punishments that are available. The half-halt is the increased bending of one stifle; the full halt is the even bending of both stifles.

          3. Halt

The halts serve as corrections if the horse uses his impulsion against the rider, that is, if it leans itself on one or on both of the reins. If the horse leans on one rein, give half-halts. If it leans on both, use the full halts. As far as the order of the rein and leg aids go, the rein aids are used first, as a rule of thumb.

The reins are used, followed by the appropriate use of leg and spur, until the horse reaches the line of the center of gravity (tracks up) with either the one hindleg in the half halt or with both hindlegs in the full halt. The rein aids must become stronger when the hind hoof has left the ground and is reaching forward. This is different from the Arret, where the reins are first used when the hind hoof is already on the ground.

To execute the half-halt, the rider must hold the rein against the hindleg that he primarily wants to flex in the stifle. To this end, he should use the leg and spur more strongly on this side than on the other. For the full halt, one holds against both hind legs evenly, and after the horse has been perfectly straightened, drive with both legs evenly.

After a well executed halt, as after every successful stifle flexion, the arms and hands of the rider can remain in their strong position and do not need to assume a position of lesser strength after the horse has responded, as is the case with the Arret. This is not because they should continue holding, but rather because after such a halt, the weight of the forehand which shortly beforehand burdened the hands, is now transferred to the hindquarters. The transition automatically results in the diminished affect of the reins from a hard contact to a soft and light one.

          4. Hankensprung

An even higher degree of punishment can be attained from the jump-like exercises and especially from the real school jumps.

Seeger used this punishment especially with horses which defended themselves through rearing or leaping. By doing this, they throw themselves heavily onto the forehand. The intention is to induce the horse to flex in his stifles evenly and at the same time more than is possible in the full halt.

The main difference between this action and the halt is the greater degree of distance from the ground that the hind feet find themselves, after the horse pushes itself off of the ground and has tucked them in order to gain ground. This distance is more pronounced in the jump-like movements than in the halt.

In order to induce the school horse to make these jumps, in case it does not seem inclined to do this, Seeger usually began out of a brisk trot with the full halt to preserve the straightness of the horse. If one keeps holding the reins after the halt or uses them more strongly, the horse will lift its front legs off of the ground. If no jump results, but rather the horse merely rears, one yields on the reins and at precisely the moment when the forelegs start to return to the ground the rider takes back on the reins again, keeps them taut, and leans back with the upper-body. He then encourages the horse to reach under with the hindlegs through hearty use of both spurs, whereby the horse brings them closer to the body than in the halt. This is then the most appropriate time to cause the horse to push himself off of the ground with the hind feet by means of lever-like, even pulling on both reins.

Then the rider holds the forehand so strongly with both reins in the moment where the horse's body is at the highest point from the ground that the horse, after being driven to reach farther under with the spurs, lands with the hindfeet first.

          5. Gadgets

In reference to the process of raising the head and neck in the dressage training of the green horse, Seeger needed no other bridling than the loose-ring snaffle. He considered the work with the short martingale, draw reins, etc, which are so popular with the majority of dressage riders, to be disadvantageous, because these gadgets only prevent the horse, for as long as they are effective, from making use of his natural strengths, which for weak riders is dangerous, but as soon as they are set aside, the horse has only become more resistant. On the other hand, a long standing martingale can be condoned, which, when used on a so-called star-gazer, simply prevents the raising of the head and neck. It also keeps the horse from ducking his head under one of the reins so that both reins are then on one side of the neck

     C. Baucher's Attaquen

Attaquen have the purpose of making the horse tolerate the constant, even pressure of both spurs on both sides, without moving from its place, while one little by little increases the degree of spur pressure to the strongest possible spur pressure, so that it finally accepts the strongest spur pressure without opposing it in the slightest. All this happens not only while standing still, but also in the already mentioned exercises in motion.

The Classical School has the purpose to instill such a fear of the spur in the horse that the spurs are no longer needed, but rather calf, thigh, knee pressure and stirrup-stepping suffice. If the long-pointed roweled spurs seem dangerous to the layperson, their effect is of the type that later the horse no longer has to be tormented with them, because the memory of them is sufficient.

It is true that Baucher's spurs are blunt, but for that he has to use them constantly.

     D. Baucher's Rassembler (collection)

The old French master of the art of riding understood the rassembler of the horse to be the transfer of the weight of the forehand with ease to the haunches. Through the rassembler, the forehand is the guide and the hind end is flexible; the carrying strength of the shoulders and haunches are more equal, or the haunches are required to carry the body mass to a greater degree.

The German riders preserved this sense of rassembler in that they normally spoke of the horse collecting itself. Therefore, they thought less of the actions of the rider than that of the horse. The rider has only to set the stage, the horse has to carry the weight himself.

No one ever hears anything about the horse collecting himself, but rather the expression "put together." This describes the greater activity of the rider, while the horse behaves more passively.

Baucher chooses the moment for rassembler in the square halt. With an almost rigid fist and tightly pressing legs he guards carefully the fixed postion of the head and neck and the position of the croup of the horse. Through very skilfully calculated forward driving of the leg and spurs, the hind feet step forward to the line of the haunches, then the forefeet move either on the same spot or only a little foreward and very close to the ground. Baucher intends for there to be very little activity of the hindend.

When Baucher's horse is collected to the highest degree, it makes the impression that it has pulled itself together in order to lie down. It makes an almost circular figure from the tip of the nose to the hind hooves. The stronger the curb reins are held, the more the chin is held to the chest or the neck, and the more the hindfeet approach the middle of the horse.

The rein effect does not go then from the back of the head to the first neck vertebra and from this to the next, but rather from the mouth directly to the third vertebra, often to the fourth vertebra according to the lesser or greater degree of the deep head and neck position, the first two remain out of his control. This is the reason why Baucher has less control over these first two vertebrae. He must therefore "play the piano."

The spur or leg pressure induces the stepping under of the hind legs, which as everywhere in the Baucheristic experience, happens before the rein aid.

In the behind-the-bit position of the horse, however, the pulls on the reins cannot act lever-like from the first vertebra in the neck to further down from vertebra to vertebra to the sacrum and from there to the hocks, but rather the entire forehand is formed into a compact mass, on which one pulls, so the effect of the rein aids goes from the mouth to a close to horizontal direction directly to the hindend.

Because the deep head position causes the rein aid to act horizontally against the hindend below the stifles directly on the hocks, and is then able to work of the fetlocks, which are primarily stressed as a result. This is a very great mistake, as the fetlock is obviously weaker.

The disadvantage is not just that the fetlock is over-stressed, but that the impulsion is weakened through such an effect against the hindend.

The impulsion rests in the entire hind end of the horse and can only be developed in an energetic way, through corresponding flexion of both hips and opposing pressure of the fetlocks and the coffin joints, forced together in the hocks.

Because Baucher does not flex the stifles enough in the rassembler, the hock makes too shallow of an angle for it to express its springiness. Every rein-aid from such a position must bring the already weak gaits to faltering, rather than encouraging the impulsion. Therefore, Baucher is forced, and holds strictly to it, that after every rein aid, he immediately gives, in order to not restrict the forward motion. Through this giving he has again achieved no other effect, than that the lowered forehand pulls the hindend along after it, instead of the hind end creating the impulsion and lifting the forehand in front of it.

Those of the Old School understood his rassembler very well, but rather than finding the need to teach it, they considered it a grave mistake. One has been long familiar with this flawed work, even before Baucher existed, and described it with the expression: "To bring the horse onto the false haunch."

Baucher pays the price in his rassembler for refraining from raising the head and neck as in the Classical dressage method. Every horse that is not subjected to this method resists the rider in the stifle flexion. Without this, one cannot collect the horse so that it is unhindered in preserving its desire to move forward.

VI. Phase III.

The third is the real training, which consists of the balancing of the forehand and haunches, and the honing of the horse's skills.

Through the collected movement, the pushing power is in no way disturbed, but it works no longer directly in a straight line foreward, nor relies mainly on the carrying capacity of the shoulders, but rather in that one mainly makes use of the carrying power of the haunches, and indeed in a direction from the forehand out of the height toward the back under, the springs of the hocks are pressed together, and the pushing power is developed from the other, in that the pressure on the hock comes from behind and under to upwards to the front. Through such a motion, every jarring and jolting is lessened and overcome, the highest precision of the gait is achieved, and at the same time, the parts of the horse are more evenly and therefore less strenuously used as related to performance.

In every necessary preparatory dressage reprise there come moments in which the rider either raises the horse's head or puts it in the bridle and takes a steady support, that is with the reins held firmly. If he needs the horse to reach foreward with the hindlegs, he uses leg and spur, so that the hind legs take over weight from the forehand by flexing in the stifles, so they balance in a springy position against the supported part of the horse's body.

From this position, the horse is able to distribute his and the rider's weight from the hind end equally on four legs and to be able to collect himself for a greater or lesser time period. Then the hocks develop now for a time the springiness by the alternating stepping down and raising up of the hindlegs almost without the rider having to do anything. When this strength slacks off, one needs only to induce the horse to collect himself again.

Without spring-like positioning of the stepping hindle,g the horse cannot collect himself correctly. The degree of this position is determined by how close the rider has come to the balanced positioning of the forehand and how well he can keep it in this position, to induce the horse with the legs and spurs to lift and reach foreward with the hindlegs, or as one says, so that the horse possesses leg feeling.

To induce a horse to perfect collection when the highest degree of willingness is achieved, first bring the hindlegs into the spring-like position with the influence of the leg and spurs. Also bring its center of gravity behind the middle simply through the use of the hand, used in even, gradually increasing effect of both reins, causing the horse to flex in the stifles, the croup to lower, and carry the head with a raised, swan-like arched neck in the bridle

In such a position, the center of gravity of the horse moves to the back, the effect of the previously taut reins is achieved now almost only through the weight of the leather, and it is now up to the horse, to place the center of gravity during the forward motion to the middle, where the rider then through a cooperative effort of hand and leg must seek to preserve the balance of the horse.

How differently Baucher trains his rassembler. He can set the center of gravity to the front, skip over the middle, then momentarily transfer it to the back, a circumstance that forces him to almost incessant "piano-playing" and to the uninterrupted use of the legs.

Now the Classical rider uses the forehand against the hindend more often and for a longer time than before. He works the horse therefore in reprises in the third degree of riding. He seeks to hold in check the impulsion of the haunches through shortened forewards movemen, and to develop the carrying capacity of the hindquarters, and to finally equalize this with the carrying power of the shoulders.

Only now did Seeger make use of the curb, which because of its lever-like effect is a more suitable means of training than the working snaffle, which was used until now.

Seeger's way to induce the horse to perfect collection is best explained through the description of the highest degree of shank effect. One thinks of perfectly prepared horse (through dressage) as carrying himself under the rider in a position of peace, with head and neck raised, and the hind legs springlike. Through even pressure on the reins, the head comes back and both joint areas of the first neck vertebra are pressed, the result is the horse bends the neck in a swan-like manner and frames himself up. The strength of the continual pressure works in the same way along the entire spinal column to the sacrum, and from there to the haunches and hocks, where its effect has reached its goal if it causes the flexion of the haunches.

This is the moment in which the horse is perfectly inclined to collection. It develops then as a result of the effect of the weight of the forehand shifting onto the spring-like hocks.

Through such a perfect collection, the rider gets his horse completely under control while preserving his strength, and can achieve the most important results in harmony with subtle aids, which Baucher in no way attained.

Only in the Old School are found the means to balance the entire body of the horse, mainly through correct suppleness and improved agility of the horse.

The perfect suppleness and agility is based upon the perfect balance of all parts of the horse's body, brought about by putting weight as needed on one or the other hind foot.

Conclusion

The entire Classical methodology consists of first getting the horse to take contact on the reins through lengthened gaits so that it energetically steps into the hand, and then perfecting the flexion of the hind end, which are brought about through the halts from lengthened walk, in the collected trot on a straight line, in the turns, and half-halts. From rein contact and flexion of the haunches, one is in the position to perfect the movement, namely the gaits, which must be the only goal, while everything else is only a means to an end.

The methods of the Old School consist of the correct stifle flexion, which is only brought about through raising the head and neck, so that a balanced position of the forehand of the horse can be achieved.

The extraordinary success one can credit to the stifle bending consists of the effect on the gaits in general and in the doing away of resistance, for example, over-bending of the under jaw, stiffening the poll, incorrect bending of the head and neck, tossing the head, stiffening the back, and uncomfortable movement with the croup or hindlegs. If one gets the horse used to the forward, down and out exercise, it breaks the habit of too audible breathing and preserves it from dizziness, stiffness in the shoulders, from galls, bursitis in the hock, infection of the hocks [spavins], and of all the lamenesses of the lower foot joints, which often arise from the current training methods.

Source

Seeger, Louis. Herr Baucher und seine Kuenste. Ein ernstes Wort an Deutschlands Reiter. Verlag von Friedr. Aug. Herbig. Berlin, 1852.

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