POINT OF VIEW
riding, training and competition, we often see the oppo- site. What I do is not new. But it is a renewal of the classi- cal approach.” Speaking figuratively, he continues, “There are many people who cannot do a correct rising trot, but they do piaffe. I call this the “piaffe generation.” They want to do Ph.D. work before they have kindergarten. Nobody learns to ride as it takes 25 years to learn the basics, but they want to have the piaffe first.” “The first step is to convince people in their minds and their hearts that there is a different ideology to horse training,” he explains. “Riding is an art, and art needs edu- cation. Training takes many decades to learn. There is no quick fix. The well-being of the horse comes first. It takes years and years to become a horseman! Only then you can start to examine the back, the mouth, the mind of the horse.” When questioned as to whether competing is good or
bad, he responds, “Competition itself is not bad. People like to compete. Eighty years ago Oskar Maria Stensbeck [1858-1939] said, ‘The motivation to ride should be the love for your horses. And if you are at a certain level, go and take your horse to a show. If the love for your horse is the motivation to compete, then that is good. But if the
motivation is just simply to win, and they do not care about training, only winning—that is not good.’” Dr. Heuschmann
again compares rid- ing to art. “Painters paint because they love to paint, not to ‘win.’ Similarly peo- ple love their horses and for some the goal is not competi- tion. They ride be- cause they love their horses.” Kurt Albrecht
Von Ziegner, a re- nowned dressage trainer and author of The Elements of Dressage, says of Dr. Heuschmann’s work (printed on the back cover of Balanc- ing Act), “Horses have served humans for thousands of years with their blood and sweat. They have earned being treated with respect and fair- ness. We should keep watch that their health and well- being always stand ahead of other con- siderations—both in daily work and in competition.”
Above photos were taken at a clinic in North Carolina this past May. In the bottom photo Dr. Heuschmann helps a rider release a braced neck and poll.
Dr. Gerd Heuschmann will be appearing October 21- 23, 2017 in Wellborn, Florida, where he will present his Equine BioMechanics lecture and demonstra- tions and conduct a teaching clinic. Other clinic loca- tions this year are Washington, Colorado and North Carolina. Contact Andrea for further information on the Florida symposium at
andreajhaller@gmail.com.
50 July/August 2017
Photos by Andrea Haller
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