In Memory: The Swedish Way
#Free Reprinted Article# Hans von Blixen-Finecke is a former Commandant of the Swedish Cavalry School. He was a successful steeplechase, jumping, dressage and event rider, winning the Olympic Gold medal in eventing at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. He also trained the Gold medal winner Master Rufus of Henry St. Cyr. In this series, he will share with our readers his experiences acquired in a lifelong work with horses.
By Baron Hans von Blixen-Finecke
have been invited to bring to wider audience of those seriously interested in training and riding horses my views on the various aspects of this challenging and difficult task. These articles will, as far as possible, follow a logical build-up from the beginning toward higher performance so as to serve as a guide in day-to-day schooling. I will try to include everything my long life with horses and riders in the roles of trainer and rider has proved to me to be of value..
Reading can have only a limited effect on one's horsemanship. Only after acquiring several years of personal experience and through trail and error arriving at some sort of methodical procedure is one, in my opinion, in a position to really benefit from "comparing notes" and seeing problems from a different angle. On the other hand, there is an increasing number of young and comparatively inexperienced riders who show an interest in "seeking the truth," trying to find an acceptable "school of thought." Many are frustrated by the contradictions they experience from different instructors. This confuses them: they don't know where to turn. I think this is probably true in this country more than in Europe, as Americans never really developed a doctrine of their own in the same way the academies in Germany (Hanover), Italy (Pinerolo, Tor di Quinto), Austria (Vienna), France (Saumur), and Sweden (Stromsholm) did. I am sure the dedicated trainer of young horses would welcome something practical and logical, as far as possible based on facts, and expressed in plain, understandable, unambiguous language as a guide in the day-to-day work in which he or she will most of the time be on his or her own.
It is with this in mind that I may have something to contribute. I am, after all, one of the few still active rider/instructors who is a product of the old, comprehensive, and very thorough army training at one of these academies (Stromsholm), at which the approved methods as manifest in our riding manual were strictly adhered to and proved successful when put to the test in competition against other countries, particularly in eventing and dressage. I have basically been following these principles during my teaching over the last twenty odd years, observing, listening, experimenting, and modifying as I went along, and I think this long experience with riders and horses of all sorts and levels has led to a concept of riding and teaching that seems to give genuine results. I have arrived at a method. This is my case for writing it down while I am still active, in the hope it will help riders help themselves, and save a lot of horses from unnecessary suffering. If it has to have a name, I'll call it "The Swedish Way."
THE OBJECT OF SCHOOLING
The thinking behind all schooling must obviously depend on what kind of performer we mean to produce. The harness horse is meant to pull, not carry, weight. The polo pony is also a specialist, as is, to an extent, the exclusive show jumper; both perform intensively over short periods of time, the former mainly at a gallop and controlled with one hand, and both with emphasis on handiness and quick changes of direction. There are many others: the show horse (judges mainly on conformation), the racehorse (must reach his peak on the flat at the age of three), the circus horse, the trotter, etc. I would also like to include in the category of specialists the Lipizzans at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. They are a specialized breed who are trained for a specialized purpose of display-quadrille and airs above the ground. The officers and Bereiters are guardians of the classical school and rightly admired for their high standards of horsemanship, and the immaculate display they delight us with is a result of conscientious and methodical work.
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But it doesn't necessarily follow that their methods for a useful base for the all-around schooling of the kind of horse the average rider will have to work with. By accepting the "classical" lines (and what is the definition of the word, anyway?) as the only fundamental ones, it seems to me that we have failed to take into account that the circumstances in which horses work today are somewhat changed. The purposes of training are different, as are the horses we breed to achieve our goals. We have much to learn from the old masters, but it would be a mistake to sit down uncritically with them without thinking constructively for ourselves-unorthodox thought, sometimes, which might make yesterday's prophet turn in his grave. The searching mind must support the present day demand and, consequently, always be progressive. We have to be absolutely clear about the object of the exercise: what are we training our horse for?
BASIC TRAINING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT
My articles will deal mainly with the basic training of the young animal and go into methods of how to handle and communicate with him at this early stage of his education, which will prepare him for but not reach into specialization. I say this for two reasons. First, it is during these formative years that you have your best chance to achieve a mutual understanding with each other which makes further, more advanced work comparatively easy. Second, sadly, it is my experience that it is in this basic approach and attitudes on the part of the trainer that rapid and often irreparable harm is done to unsuspecting horses out of sheer lack of knowledge and/or the ambition to get instant results. I understand that some people are keen to reach success quickly, but I can find no excuse for lack of thought and knowledge. I feel we have a moral obligation to help our horses in their difficult task to carry us to, hopefully, ever-increasing glory and joy. And I think we owe them something in return beyond a well-strawn bed and goodies to eat: we must learn to teach them with sound and helpful methods.
So what should this training lead to? Out of a "normal riding horse type animal," we want to make an obedient and willing partner whom we build up systematically and gradually through disciplining, loosening, and strengthening exercises to a higher level of performance in the school or in the country, on the flat and over jumps. By teaching him to find his balance under the unnatural condition of having to carry a ride while maintaining and improving his action at all paces, we increase his ability to produce more controlled energy with better coordination and, consequently, less physical effort, which in turn will minimize wear and tear and make him last a greater number of years. It will also make him more comfortable to ride.
This education should be the same for all categories, whether they are meant to end up as sport horses in eventing, dressage, or other forms of equestrian contest or simply to give the rider the daily joy of breathing some fresh air in pleasant equine company. This training ought to be completed in two years (age three and a half to five and a half) and, in competition terms, (with a reasonably talented horse) to complete a Foxhunter jumping course, an AHSA/US equivalent novice event, and an Elementary or Medium dressage test.
THE DEMANDS ON THE RIDER
There is also the question of the rider. He has to develop a degree of technical skill so that he has sufficient ability to communicate and, consequently, have a consistent influence on his mount. We will have to discuss relevant parts of the human anatomy. One also has to take into account his feel, judgment and general attitude. This will inevitably lead to hard work-very educating for the serious rider, as he will, quite apart for the physical side, have to mobilize an immense amount of self-discipline, self-criticism, humility, and judgment.
To some people, this may come comparatively easy, but for many, the majority maybe, it will be achieved only through conscious effort. Success or failure is entirely up to you. You should ask yourself: how important is all this to me? Do I have enough dedication, patience, and ambition to see me through the inevitable ups and downs without losing sight of what I set out to do and have the courage of my conviction to stick to the methods I have accepted because I have found that they need work? If your answer to all this is yes, then maybe I can be of some help to you.
By Baron Hans von Blixen-Finecke
Part Two
For many, the least appealing aspect of learning to ride and train is the theoretical side: gathering knowledge, finding out about the structure and mechanics of things, tangible facts on which to base a methodical schooling, etc. To many, these are probably quite unimportant. They just get up and get on with it! But the more serious will want to know why as well as how.
HeartFire
Equestrian Quotes
Equestrian Quotes
Wynmalen: Intelligent Understanding
"To deal successfully with horses and their schooling we need patience and sympathy, and no opportunity should be missed to increase, simultaneously with our own understanding of the horse, his understanding of us and the amount of his confidence. Anything that it is in our power to do in order to further the horse's comfort and contentment will tend to increase his intelligent understanding and will assist materially in educating him into a lively and friendly creature who will be ready to give of his best, cheerfully and without constraint." Henry Wynmalen, from "Equitation" 1938
It's easy to find books on the anatomies and biophysics of movement of both man and beast, but little is written about the application to the training of horse and rider. There are few practical conclusions drawn from the scientific know-how regarding the effect horse and rider have on one another when brought together. The scientific side has been dealt with by vets and written for veterinarian consumption, and the practical side by equestrians. We rarely find someone sufficiently qualified on both counts and mad enough to want to put it down on paper! So we "horsey" people have to find in the veterinary works the relevant information we need. We should not clutter our minds with too many details, so it is important to sift out the parts which have a bearing on our constructive thinking. It is essential to simplify as much as possible, sometimes even to a degree at which the purist can question whether one's interpretation is strictly scientifically correct. The main thing is that it supports logical thinking and is borne out by observations over a long period of time.
The study of anatomy in this sense mainly covers two aspects: 1) the mechanics of movement and the influence the rider's weight and his efforts to control the horse have on it, and 2) the part of the nervous system which emphasizes communication through feel.
We have to know how a horse is built, be familiar with his bones and their articulations, and how they move in conjunction with each other. We also have to know about the strength of ligaments and the support they give the bony structure. Our knowledge of muscles should cover at least the ones which are, in one way or another, involved in the action: their origin (where they come from) and their insertion (where they go), as well as their function when they produce movement in a particular joint. We should be well acquainted with the mechanics of movement and understand how when one group of muscles contracts, another group, the antagonists, must relax. In order to keep the movement under control, there is a gradual handing over from one group to the other near the end of each phase. Some muscles, together with the ligaments, stabilize the joint, which not only gives it support, but also allows other muscles to achieve additional action.
But, again, we want to probe into what is, to us, really the crux of the matter: what effect does the rider have on the horse when he is sitting on it and tries to communicate with it through the aids?
Freedom in the Pasture by Dwain D Snyder
Without the inconvenience of having one of us on board, the horse usually moves in a natural and well-coordinated way, without any undue restraint. It is from the moment we decide, without asking for his consent, to make our way into the saddle, pick up the reins and start riding him about that things start to be less than natural-quite unnatural, in fact. We provoke him into taking protective measures, which involve mainly two areas: 1) the muscles along the spine (to protect the weak part of the back against the extra load) and 2) the muscles of the neck and shoulder as a result of changes in balance due to the rider's weight (in an effort the resist the restriction of the free use of his head and neck when the rider takes up contact with the reins or uses some of the many contraptions designed to bring the horse into a desired outline).
he protection of the weaker part of the back is mainly achieved by a prolonged
contraction of the longissimus dorsi on both sides of the spine. This has a restricting effect on the movement of the hind leg, which pivots round the hip joint. Its flexion, being brought forward, is achieved by the contraction of muscles situated between the pelvis and the femur, over the front of the hip joint and the stifle, and on the inside of the leg.
The extension, being moved backward, gives driving power when the foot is on the ground, mainly by a contraction of the gluteal muscles assisted by the final stage of extension by the hamstring group, etc.
We note then that the hind leg as a unit is dependent for its effortless movement of coordinated interplay between the muscles of the flank and those of the back and of the loin. They must not contract and slacken in alternating harmony. If we provoke the latter ones into protective contraction, the former will obviously have a harder task, as they not only have to move the weight of the leg forward but also overcome the resistance of their antagonists. This will be particularly noticeable on the onsides in corners and circles, where the hind leg has to compensate for the tilting of the body.
From this I draw the following practical conclusions: 1) with the young horse in the process of being backed and in its early stages under a rider, sit light, and on a long-back and sensitive horse, hardly touch the back at all; 2) in rising trot, come down on the outside diagonal, so as to be out of the saddle when the inside hind leg is brought forward; and 3) In all exercises where there is an inside (corners, circles, lateral work, etc.), avoid pressure on the inside of the horse's spine, mainly by keeping light on the inside seatbone and making sure the saddle does not slip outward to push longissimus dorsi against the spinal processes.
I will return to these points in the context of the rider's anatomy and position, but it gives the reasons for my instruction to riders to support themselves on their inside foot and outside buttock.
From this I draw the following practical conclusions: 1) with the young horse in the process of being backed and in its early stages under a rider, sit light, and on a long-back and sensitive horse, hardly touch the back at all; 2) in rising trot, come down on the outside diagonal, so as to be out of the saddle when the inside hind leg is brought forward; and 3) In all exercises where there is an inside (corners, circles, lateral work, etc.), avoid pressure on the inside of the horse's spine, mainly by keeping light on the inside seatbone and making sure the saddle does not slip outward to push longissimus dorsi against the spinal processes.
I will return to these points in the context of the rider's anatomy and position, but it gives the reasons for my instruction to riders to support themselves on their inside foot and outside buttock.
he foreleg has not ligaments attaching it to the shoulder joint, and the forelimb has no joints with the body, but hangs from the withers in a sling of muscles. The shoulders are secured to the thorax by several groups of strong muscles, some of which for part of the neck. A brief study of the mechanics of the movement of the forelimb will help an understanding of the problems.
In the forward, non-supporting phase, the foreleg will, when correctly coordinated, first flex in the elbow and the knee, and then, with the foot off the ground, be brought forward in line with the scapula (shoulder blade), the upper border (base) of which will be drawn back and down so that the limb can be extended well forward.
The weight of the limb is taken by muscles in the region of the withers (there is no bony joint, remember), which are attached to the scapula. The flexor and extensor muscles of the leg can't act efficiently without this support. When the extensor muscles of the leg and shoulder joint take the leg forward into line with the scapula, there must not be any restriction of the muscles over the withers, which includes prolongations of the back muscles. There should also be freedom of the head and neck, to allow the important brachycephalic muscle to draw the humerus (forearm), as well as the scapula, forward with minimal effort.
In the backward – supporting – phase, when the foot is put back on the ground, the weight of the body is taken by the strong pectoral muscles. The limb is pulled back by a long levered latissimus dorsi, while muscles over the front of the withers coordinate to draw the base of the scapula up and forward. As the foot is on the ground, the backward movement of the leg is also brought about by the forward thrust on the body from behind.
In the backward – supporting – phase, when the foot is put back on the ground, the weight of the body is taken by the strong pectoral muscles. The limb is pulled back by a long levered latissimus dorsi, while muscles over the front of the withers coordinate to draw the base of the scapula up and forward. As the foot is on the ground, the backward movement of the leg is also brought about by the forward thrust on the body from behind.
The forehand of the horse in motion is indeed a complicated system, with groups of muscles which have to be in perfect coordination in order to produce a sufficiently springy action and free to maintain a continuous, balanced support of the moving body. His performance will, to a great extent, depend on his ability to move his forelimb with ease. If provoked into resistance, prolonged contraction of any of these muscles when acting as antagonists, the muscles will delay the picking up and protraction of the leg; the foot will consequently have to be put back on the ground with the leg in a more vertical position and then picked up again at a more acute angle further back. This, in turn, will affect the bringing forward of the same-side hind leg, particularly in trot, a fact that will influence the overall coordination of the pace. This is particularly true when the horse is worked on a straight line.
Practical conclusions can be drawn from these rather simplified facts:
- Avoid as far as possible handling a young horse in ways that give the impression, real or imagined, that he is not allowed full freedom of his head and neck. This excludes all mechanical aids, such as draw reins, martingales, side reins, chambons, and balancing reins, as well as long reining before the horse learns to accept the bit. The dropped noseband, grackle, or flash is meant to prevent the horse from dropping his jaw and/or opening his mouth. They more often provoke him into this resistance, rather than curing it. Using them can easily create a problem which might otherwise never arise.
- There is no point in consciously working on lowering the horse's head and neck, as this will increase the proportion of weight carried by the forehand. I will, in early stages (as well as later, if things go wrong), let the horse suit himself according to his needs. A long-backed and narrow horse will lower his head and neck in order to compensate for lack of strength, lengthening the topline to stretch the supraspinous ligament. This must be allowed until the gymnastic training has given more power to his back muscles. A wider and more short-coupled animal will probably not have this difficulty and will not demand the same degree of lengthening the outline.
- Encourage the forelegs to leave the ground early and reach out forward by working the horse in a lively onward-bound tempo, particularly in trot, the pace in which there must be a moment of suspension at all times. This will be easier for him when he is able to move with his head and neck raised to the extent that the nose is on the horizontal line through the hip, and the head is at a forty-five degree angle with the ground. It will get the forefoot out of the way and give the hind foot room to reach further forward without overreaching.
- It helps to work in large circles and in lateral movement rather than on a straight line. It serves the same purpose of making the lateral leg pairs follow separate lines. On the circles, the inside hind leg steps just outside the forefoot, and in lateral work, the horse is on three or four tracks.
- Make sure that you work on your own position, whether rising or sitting, so that you are neither ahead of the movement, adding extra weight to the forehand, nor behind it, coming down too heavily on the weak part of the back and automatically using the reins to catch up.
My study of horses' anatomy, the mechanics of movement under rider, and the difficulties that arise from the demands we put on him has drawn my attention more and more to the forehand. It is by far the most complicated part of his structure. It carries the greater portion of our combined weight, and it is at this end of him that we try in out schooling to bring about the greatest changes. Consequently, it is here that we are most likely to meet with opposition and that things go wrong more easily. We all want lightness of the forehand. In order to achieve it, we work on more engagement of the hind legs. I invite people to think the other way around: work on lightness and submission of the forehand; the hind legs will engage as soon as there is room for them. The old instruction "Ride him up from behind" has led to a lot of confusion and aggravation!