base of the neck (at the C6/C7 spinal segment). The visual effect called the “opening of the poll” must always start with the retraction and elevation of the base of the neck (underline) and the lengthening of the topline. If the flexion has been executed as described here,
the general posture will straighten, the horse will seek the bit forward and his balance will improve. The nature of flexions is osteopathic: place the horse in the position that is difficult for him, wait for his relax- ation and add vibrations to solicit the “letting go” of the muscle. This will result in unblocking of the vertebral con- nections by the muscles previously in spasm. The continuous force of the rider’s arms pulling
backward has no benefit whatsoever. Any constrained flexion does not create flexibility: the horse tightens his muscles against the demand, even if he yields to it briefly and “springs” out of it. The bracing of the front legs will in- crease, the engagement of the hind legs will decrease and the responsiveness to the aids will worsen. This is why we see riders with upper level horses manipulating the head and neck of their horses continuously in hope of a fugitive moment of balance and lightness that never lasts more than a few strides.
The German and French Versions Nineteenth century dressage master Gustav Steinbrecht practiced small flexions he called shoulder-fore, in which he made sure that each shoulder moved forward inside the slight lateral flexion of the neck and the dorsal spine. He did the same in the counter canter: the horse bent with the canter, nose to the wall, making sure that the leading shoulder of the canter went as forward as pos- sible. This work is a very effective way to establish the up- rightness of the torso (vertical axis of withers-sternum). In François Baucher’s book Second Manner, he states
the technique of the “ramener outre” (or deep flexion) only finds its full value when the rider practices it in tran- sitions from reinback into all three gaits, in half passes, trot extensions and piaffe. In other words, he made sure that even a deep flexion did not prevent any form of the forward movement of the shoulders or diminish the thrust of the hind legs. Even though both masters practiced a different form
of flexions, their techniques sought the same goal: arch- ing of the neck, lightness of the mouth by relaxation and forwardness of the gait with full range of motion of the shoulders. Steinbrecht increased his demand for flexibility in two small symmetrical, lateral flex- ions, going from shoulder-fore to shoulder-in. Baucher, who was regrettably not concerned with the lateral flexion of the back (he famously refused to use the shoulder-in), simply “fixed the base of the neck” by a deep verti- cal flexion alternating with mo- ments of elevation of the neck. That technique gave him the re- traction of C6/C7 which guaranties the horse’s balance in all circumstances. The great Beudant confirmed that this approach gave his horses a very stable position of the neck in complete lightness as shown in the photo at right. Portuguese master Nuno Oliveira said one must never
Beudant on Vallerine, an Anglo-Arab mare he trained when he was practically an invalid.
use “hands without legs, legs without hands. But the flex- ions [in place of the forehand] of Baucher do not lead to real lightness [on their own, yet] they are a precious means to school the horse without pulling on the reins. True lightness is achieved through all the exercises and move- ments executed with a maximum of impulsion and the
Unique photos where JP exhibits with his stallion (left) the ability of obtaining back flexion and no neck flexion and (right) the ability to flex his neck without the back flexing.
Warmbloods Today 73
Photos by Kim Taylor
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