Many people think that the
term “Classical Equitation” means old fashioned
dressage – well nothing could be further from the truth!!
Modern riding has been based on Military riding which was developed
for horses in a high adrenalin state going into battle. With
this in mind, going was not a problem, but stopping was, so
everything was holding and pressure towards the body aimed at
preventing the horse from bolting or becoming uncontrollable
in a very scary situation.
Classical riding, on the
other hand, developed from the Italian and French nobility,
who rode finely bred, more sensitive horses, and they did not
go to war, so they had the whole day to practice how to look
good on a horse! Indeed, if you wanted to be in the King’s
elite group – mastering equitation was a must! This type
of riding was based on the natural physiology of the horse,
as they found over time, that the horses stayed sound and looked
more beautiful if the training fitted the bodily way of moving.
Everything was trained in complete softness, and the aids were
of letting go, instead of increasing pressure. Elevation of
the forehand was paramount, as the old masters discovered that
only then was the horse in autonomy – or in charge of
his own body mass, and the rider could have more control by
having good posture in the horse. Riders in turn were trained
to be fluid in their own bodies, and the focus was on relaxation
so as not to inhibit the natural movement of the horse. For
both horse and human, the base for this riding was relaxation
and balance.
What got in the way was the French Revolution, where the nobles
who knew how to ride this way were killed by the uprising. Thus
a long lost art was truly almost lost, and Craig Stevens has
devoted his life to rediscovering the history of Classical Equitation,
and what it really means in terms of riding. As a horsewoman
who came up through the ranks of modern riding, I have to say
that I have completely re –written the way I ride after
5 years with Craig, as we pay him large amounts of money to
teach us to do nothing!! It is amazing what you can achieve
with the art of doing nothing! The horses relax, they come into
self – carriage very quickly, and the relationship becomes
a conversation that both parties are enjoying together, instead
of a pitched battle.
In our last clinic, Craig
told us of a wonderful trip to the Island of Sicily, where he
had the chance to study for a while with an Italian Classical
master who has kept alive a very old technique of resistance
Free training for horses, starting with foals. The whole concept
is to accustom the horse to the human touch, with very gentle
pressure, asking for acceptance. There is no goal, except your
patience. The horse is handled head to foot with very slight
pressure, as it is asked to move one leg then another, shift
the weight, and even perform lateral movements with no equipment
whatsoever except your hands and maybe a dressage whip. Sound
amazing? It is – believe me, and for all horses who have
fear and trust issues – this work is amazing for relaxing
them and getting them to drop their tensions and resistance
both physical and emotional.
I believe if we all started
our horses this way, we would end up with horses like Master
“Pucci” in Sicily, whose horses are not ridden until
they are 4 years old, but by that time, they are totally trained
and receptive to the aids, and being ridden is not a fearful
experience. Craig was fascinated with this method, and christened
it “Mediterranean horsemanship”. He is looking forward
to visiting Sicily again soon and honing his skills with Master
Pucci! It has filled in some gaps in the history for him, and
this is exciting, as Sicily is a melting pot between East and
West, being centrally located between two continents. I would
encourage everyone who owns a horse to come and watch a clinic
where Craig is doing some of this stuff, and also to check his
website for future clinics at his Snohomish, Washington location.
The Website is: www.classical-equitation.com
