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QUOTES BY NUNO OLIVEIRA
on Contact
"Fixing the reins means establishing a soft contact. "
(tr: Thomas Ritter)
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"One has to have an immobile hand with mobile fingers."
(tr: Thomas Ritter)
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"The hands have to be like concrete when the horse resists and like butter when he yields. "
(tr: Thomas Ritter)
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"The descente de main is not a gesture, but it is simply a means to cease using the hand actively."
(tr: Thomas Ritter)
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"Descente de main: the rider opens his fingers and the horse has to maintain the same gait, the same posture, and the same cadence."
(tr: Thomas Ritter)
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"Every rein aid must be preceded by an action of the torso. Otherwise you only address the horse's head."
(tr: Thomas Ritter)
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"Don't let the horse fall asleep on the hand. Don't have a dead hand. "
(tr: Thomas Ritter)
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"The hand should be a filter, not a plug or an open faucet."
(tr: Thomas Ritter)
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"It is always better to risk losing the contact a little, than not to yield at all."
(tr: Thomas Ritter)
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"When your legs are hard, you risk a horse that is hard in your hand."
(tr: Thomas Ritter)
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"Mistakes of the legs show up in the mouth."
(tr: Thomas Ritter)
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"Don't lose sight of the fact that hip and legs drive the horse forward and the hands merely channel this power by gentle rein aids."
(tr: Thomas Ritter)
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"Follow the horse's mouth by means of a supple back."
(tr: Thomas Ritter)
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"Discontinuing the aids does not mean abandoning the horse, but to maintain the contact and to do as little as possible."
(tr: Thomas Ritter)
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"If you want to accompany the young horse's walk, do it with the lumbar back and not with the hand."
(tr: Thomas Ritter)
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"When the horse resists the left rein, try to replace the left rein aid with the left leg."
(tr: Thomas Ritter)
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"One must not begin riding by learning the rein aids, but by learning how to feel."
(tr: Thomas Ritter)
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"I was in a corner of a well known manège watching a Horse Master (an Écuyer) work. The latter stopped near me and gave me in the beautiful French language, academic French, an extremely knowledgeable and detailed explanation of the difficulties in the mechanics of the movements of his horse. He invited me to sit on the horse. I did and, at the end, finding that I had obtained results, he expected a long and detailed knowledgeable explanation. I simply said to him to try and relax his hands and have a lighter contact. I have been giving riding lessons for more than 40 years and it is this I repeat incessantly to all students and pupils who show me their difficulties in all corners of the world. Think of this and all will be easier and, what is more important, the horse will thank you. "
(tr: Thomas Ritter)
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Last Update: January 13, 2007