Back to the Book Club...

(I've decided to revisit The Gymnasium of the Horse now that I'm back on track with my riding. I'm still on the notes I took while going to Portland, but will start reading and adding to them again this week. Once again, my comments will be in lavender.)

The rider needs to keep the parts of his body that meet with the horse soft and natural. If this is done with the seat "he will soon feel the movement of the horse's legs and will be able to distinguish each individual one; he will thus have the means at his disposal with which to control them as if they were his own."
(This is something that I've just started really focusing on, softening my legs and keeping them soft. I think my focus between now and next lesson will be softening my legs and keeping them soft, sitting up straight, keeping my shoulders back, and looking up. Emphasizing all of them, but especially soft legs and look up.)

Knee Pressure-lighter than calf pressure, only effective on highly trained horses

Other driving influences are the whip, long training whip, and click of the tongue.

Soft spur contact=Bite of insect=bringing that hind leg up quickly and flexing as if to bite; it cannot be used as a driving aid

A jab of both spurs=only driving aid that can be given with spurs

"Forward is the motto in the equestrian art, as anywhere else in the world."

(This reminds me, the thing I'm really going to work on for Sophie is staying *forward* while I work on me. Because I can perfect it all I want when she's plodding, but it won't do me any good when I do ride her forward.)

The rein hand determins direction as well as the tempo of its various gaits.

Good hands are "the result of a perfect seat and fine feeling."

"A person can be a master of riding if they only have good hands; but can't be a good rider with bad hands."

(Note to self: work on softening legs and improving seat!)

"The influence of the hands becomes a guiding aid only by correct coaction and interaction with the aids of the legs and seat."

The graduations of contact-light, soft, and firm

Light contact-directed toward the haunches in upper level riding

Soft contact-directed toward balanced or military riding

Firm contact-directed toward the shoulders in hunt and race riding

Light hand-when the fist is half open so only the thumb and forefinger hold the ends of the reins, used for light contact; rider is slightly behind the vertical, reins slightly longer and hands are closer to the body

Soft hand-closed so that the last joint of the fingers is extended and a hollow fist is formed; used with soft contact; rein tension is greater, body is vertical, hands are a hands width from body; only good for military horses

Firm hand-closed fist so that all of the fingers help keep the reins at the required length; body is in front of the vertical, hands are at greater distance from the body to accomodate stronger pulls

"Contact is correct...as long as the horse reacts or responds to the action of the hand."

"The main task of the outside rein is to maintain the required elevation of the forehand."

"The alternating slight yielding and taking of the reins which is so necessary for maintaining a sensitive, lively mouth is produce in a fine way by repeated opening and closing and softly raising and lowering of the hands, and by a twist in the wrist so that the little finger alternately faces the rider's body or the horse's neck."

(This is what I was talking about with the new releasing or giving that Kim had me doing in my last lesson. We never did it with Jessie, but she likened it to acting as if I'm going to shorten the reins, but just in the hand motion, to help me get the idea of the give rather than the big inside rein give I'm used to doing.)

The Supporting Aids-weight in the stirrups, open seat, and the proper distribution of the weight of the upper body

The Gymnasium of the Horse...

I mentioned that I read this book on the way to/from Portland. I've also been taking notes and thought I'd share some here in my blog. Quotes/notes from the book will be in white. My comments will be in purple!

The Gymnasium of the Horse
by: Gustav Steinbrecht

(pg 2)
"Whoever understands that beauty and lightness of seat do not depend only on the posture of the rider, but just as much on the correct carriage and the regular gaits of the horse, will find it quite natural that I recommend directing the student, as soon as he has become somewhat secure, to work on his horse's carriage, although this might once in a while occur at the expense of his normal position."

"There can be nothing worse than to put a beginning rider on a worn-out or poorly trained horse"
(I thought that this was a very important quote, as I have seen many riders struggling with unsuitable horses. Yes, the regular type of horse that destroys a rider's confidence. But even horses that are dead sided and hard mouthed wreak havoc on a rider's learning. So much that they don't realize the horse is dead sided/hard mouthed. Take Jessie for example, we could canter from a walk, side pass, turn on the forehand, etc. But he was dead sided. He could give at the poll with the best of them, but he was hard mouthed. Amazing. I never would have believed it if you told me until I really started riding him and we got to the point where he wasn't dead sided or hard mouthed)

(pg 9)
There are 3 types of aids-driving aids, restraining aids, and supporting aids.

Driving aids-those given with the lower leg are of greatest importance because they are the most effective and most natural

Aids from the lower leg-are given with the spurs, calves, and knees
(My biggest struggle here is remember the knees. I tend to grip with them and have made an effort to relax, especially since starting this book. When I started dressage lessons I had the bad habit of cueing with the *back* of my calf, instead of the inside. I've gotten better, but I'm still not there yet)

Aids given with the spurs-aid the activity of the hindquarters which gives a stimulating, electrifying effect

• Jab-given as punishment
• Prick-"serves as a reminder"
• Flat Touch-uses the side of the spur
• Spur Pressure-a "prick" used with a restraining hand

(I'm reading all of the spur information especially closely, because while I've ridden in them, they were just kind of thrown on, and I'd like to know as much as I can about their use before putting them on again.)

The lighter the touch of the spur the more support needed from the stirrup

(I found this statement very interesting, because as I strive to educate myself further in dressage I mainly get the impression that stirrups=evil; if we want to be true horsemen we would never ride with stirrups. Steinbrecht does say that it's good to do stirrupless work, but also emphasizes the importance of stirrups and the role they play in supporting the rider.)

Calf Aids-steady barriers within which the hindquarters must work; this contact will establish itself naturally