POINT OF VIEW
by manipulating the horse’s head position to affect body direction and get the legs to start crossing progressively with more ease. Lateral balance/uprightness: The untrained horse has
his own habitual asymmetrical balance that needs to be modified in order to carry a rider safely and comfortably, and eliminate the long-term risk of leg problems. To cre- ate symmetry in the loading of the legs, training must start with getting the horse to stand up- right. When picking the horse’s feet, simple observation of the resis- tance to pick one foot over another tells us which one is more loaded. This translates into the horse lean- ing in that direction, resulting in the muscles of that shoulder being chronically contracted and putting his suspensory apparatus eventu- ally at risk. If the horse is heavier on his right front, he will lift his head slightly toward the left to bal- ance himself, hence the difficulty in getting him “on the bit” on that left rein (stiff poll on that side) and to stop leaning downward on the right one. Standing next to that right
shoulder, place your fist on the bulge of the shoulder and press on it consistently (acupressure) until the horse stops leaning and bends that leg slightly because it no longer bears weight. It might take several attempts and it is wise not to fight it, just press, wait, stop and start again. Repeat the exercise over a few days on all four legs and you will notice an enormous relaxation effect on the horse. Uprightness is the first step to achieve symmetry
through progressive lateral flexions. Bend the neck by a lateral traction in one direction while lightly tapping the nose on the outside of the bend demanded, until the horse achieves that position easily and maintains it for a few seconds after being released. This demonstrates relax- ation in the new position. Rapid “carrot stretches” have no value because the horse does not keep the new position, so he does not relax in it (chew and lick to show a para- sympathetic state). Eventually, the horse needs to learn how to walk bent in the neck and straight in the body, on a straight line and a curved line in both directions. The deep- er lateral flexions of the neck (the head facing backward) push the withers to the other side, unjam the vertebrae of the withers (preventing kissing spines) and put the weight on the outside front leg, unloading one leg at a time. Flex- ions demanded higher and higher in the cervical region
62 May/June 2019
progressively unlocks the poll. Eventually, the jaw relaxes in the process, demonstrating that the vagus nerve activ- ity has been triggered and the horse has returned to the stress-free state indispensable for long-term health. Longitudinal posture: Once the horse is upright, he can
become more symmetrical by addressing his local contrac- tions through lateral gymnastic. The trainer can then prac- tice direct flexions of jaw, poll, neck and haunches back-to- front and front-to-back. These longi- tudinal flexions must be done with the horse always marching forward ”into the flexion” without losing impulsion. Lateral flexibility is the building block of collection. The alteration of cadence:
After the systematic release work to achieve sym- metry, Zensi’s withers are now fully upright. He no longer needs to balance himself by lifting his head. As a natural consequence of this transformation of his lateral balance, he can now easily release his topline in a full stretch.
Some horses resist by quickening their cadence (getting their feet back to the ground faster than they should), others by slowing it down (staying on the ground longer than they should), resisting the aids ei- ther way. Oliveira considered that impulsion is a horse that can be pushed forward (light to the legs) and remain in balance (light in the bridle) while maintaining his ca- dence through the transitions and
changes of directions (following the seat). Those three ele- ments demonstrate the absence of most resistances.
DIFFERENT TRAINING APPROACHES Various training systems deal differently with resistances. I’ve observed three methods: Ride around resistances by skill: Avoid problems by
lowering or modifying the level of exigence. It is a system based on compromise, skill and experience, exploiting the natural talent of the horse the way he wants to offer it. For decades, showjumpers were ridden that way: as long as they jumped, riders put up with crookedness, lack of col- lection or lack of bend, etc. and rode accordingly. Today, jumper courses are so technical that jumpers must be very well-trained in the basics of dressage. Ride against resistances by force: Some horses who
are flexible enough can submit to forceful aids and per- form, though not in the best way. For every ounce of effort from the rider, the horse needs one ounce of effort that he either does not produce or uses to neutralize the rider and stay balanced. Lameness eventually ensues. Resolve resistances one by one: Organize a progres-
sive training approach that deals with each resistance en- countered in turn. Sometimes it is best to deal with the
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