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QUOTES BY E. F. SEIDLER: (page three)
On the Rider's Seat & Aids
"Everybody will agree that a rider who wants to train horses, and especially horses with poor conformation, must be completely in control of his own posture. His seat, his rein and leg aids must be independent of the horse's gait under any circumstances, because the rider who lacks this quality will sooner or later cause the horse to behave unpleasantly. When a horse misbehaves the rider should ask himself first: "Am I the cause or is it the horse?" Otherwise he will make the problem worse through in appropriate actions.
Every rider must ask himself: "What do I want the horse to do? Are my aids conducive to this end?" Then he must think about which means to choose to accomplish his objective. This inquiry will enable the rider to nip many difficulties in the bud."
(1837, translation: TR)
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"It is self-evident that the intensity of the calf aid has to match the horse's temperament and his ability to step under, and that he can be led into balance only by a gradual process. This is a matter of correct equestrian tact. Those who ride with their legs off the horse will never collect their horse. Those who use their calf and spur only periodically and in a kicking manner will make their horse nervous and drive him into the hand for brief moments, but he will never place him pleasantly and lightly into his hand. The calves must always be in light contact with the horse's belly as a starting point for any aid. "
(1846, translation: TR)
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"When the rider utilizes the right moment of the hind leg's touching down for the resistance with the hand, he must not be too rigid with it. The hand has to be so soft in the down transition that the extended hind leg (b) can touch down next to the other hind leg, in order to support the lowered croup. The hind legs have to step up to the vertical (c), or in front of it, depending on their strength. The rider communicates the right degree to the horse through the leg aid on the side of the airborne hind leg. A leg aid that is too strong drives the hind leg too far forward and makes the haunches sink. A leg aid that is too weak allows the hind leg to lag behind, so that it pushes against the hand."
(1846, translation: TR)
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"We see, therefore, that in down transitions the hand only needs to resist without working backwards, if the horse was in a collected gait. The legs have to ensure that the hind legs step under sufficiently. In addition to these aids, a seat that is well placed in the saddle plays the main role, as it suppresses the thrust of the supporting hind leg the most."
(1846, translation: TR)
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"After each down transition that was well absorbed by the hindquarters the rider's hand has to yield by uncoiling the wrist so that the front legs can advance by a foot in order to relieve the haunches of their acute flexion, which they cannot maintain, and to reduce the weight that is placed on them. If the rider does not allow that, the horse is forced to take a step backwards with his hind legs in order to keep his balance, and that is a mistake."
(1846, translation: TR)
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"On a horse who opposes the spur, one has to apply the spur at the moment when the hind leg is raised and reaching forward. This spur pressure must be accompanied by a rein pressure on the same side. If the horse defends himself against the inside calf, we bend the head and neck more to the inside when we apply the spur pressure. If he defends himself against the outside calf, we not only frame with the outside rein, but we even position the horse to the outside temporarily. By bending the head and neck towards the side where the horse is inclined to kick, one can not only prevent a kick, but one can reduce an ongoing kick considerably by a strong bending rein aid, as the strong bend makes it necessary to put the foot down immediately."
(1846, translation: TR)
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"The more active calf pressure consists not in a stronger gripping of the calves, but in a moderate and repeated stronger touching of the calf. The horse becomes as used to rigidly gripping legs, which are called dead calves, as to the tight saddle girth to which he does not pay any attention."
(1837, translation: TR)
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"The rider's appropriate posture supports all of the horse's gaits advantageously. Especially the canter and the transitions to a lower gait and the parade (full halt, TR) benefit from it. Those who do not maintain a correct position at all times should at least take care to fix their seat first in these moments, to bring their seat bones well into the saddle, to take the horse well between their calves, to keep their shoulders a little back and to lower them, to bring the horse back to the lower gait or the halt in this seat, this position. Otherwise, the down transition will never be executed on the haunches. However, suddenly throwing the torso back has to be carefully avoided so that the load is not thrown onto the hindquarters all of a sudden. The same thing applies to stretching the calves forward, pulling up the heels and lowering the toes, because the latter transmits the load to the forehand via the stirrups."
(1837, translation: TR)
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"Every horse must learn to tolerate the leg, no matter how sensitive he may be.
Leg aids are the soul of the entire horsemanship. They are the means by which we communicate with our horse and let him know what we want. Therefore, every horse must be taught to understand and obey this communication - but also to trust it and not to be afraid of it."
(1837, translation: TR)
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"I am assuming that a rider who wants to train a horse has received regular riding lessons, that he has acquired a good seat with which he does not have to struggle any more, that he is not only able to ride a trained horse in every respect, but that he also possesses knowledge in the training of green horses, and that he has some familiarity with the necessary movements and their aids. "
(1837, translation: TR)
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"Those who want to train green horses must possess the necessary qualities. Among them are:
A good, quiet, firm, yet unconstrained seat, equestrian tact in the seat and hand, appropriately coordinated leg and rein aids that always begin with the lowest possible intensity and can be increased as much as necessary.
Deviations from these qualities are immediately reflected by the horse's behavior. An unsteady seat and noisy hands make the horse's head and neck carriage unsteady and unreliable in all gaits. A stiff seat and hard hands makes the horse stiff in his poll and all his limbs. Sudden, abrasive movements make the horse nervous and spooky. Good qualities of the rider make the horse soft, supple, trusting, and obedient.
Suppleness, flexibility of the body, which leads to the decent, unconstrained posture and which enables the rider to follow quick, irregular movements and lateral leaps of the horse, or to resist when necessary, without losing the stability of the seat. It allows the rider above all to influence individual body parts of the horse more or less with his body weight without losing his seat or visibly altering his posture."
(1837, 1f., translation: TR)
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"The seat of the rider is the pivotal point around which the horse is raised in front and lowered in the back."
(1837, 7, translation: TR)
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"A natural, straight seat, naturally hanging calves with the foot resting in the stirrup, will occupy the center of the horse with regular conformation.
Pushing out the chest a little, tucking in the abdomen, a slight lowering of the head, stepping into the stirrup which causes the seat to lift somewhat, will relieve the hind legs.
An imperceptible retracting of the head, flexing the shoulder muscles, bracing the back, lowering the seatbones, calves hanging longer and more passively, will load the hind legs considerably more."
(1837, 106, translation: TR)
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"The more active calf pressure consists not in a stronger gripping of the calves, but in a moderate and repeated stronger touching of the calf. The horse becomes as used to rigidly gripping legs, which are called dead calves, as to the tight saddle girth to which he does not pay any attention."
(1837, 106, translation: TR)
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"The rider's appropriate posture supports all of the horse's gaits advantageously. Especially the canter and the transitions to a lower gait and the parade (full halt, TR) benefit from it. Those who do not maintain a correct position at all times should at least take care to fix their seat first in these moments, to bring their seat bones well into the saddle, to take the horse well between their calves, to keep their shoulders a little back and to lower them, to bring the horse back to the lower gait or the halt in this seat, this position. Otherwise, the down transition will never be executed on the haunches. However, suddenly throwing the torso back has to be carefully avoided so that the load is not thrown onto the hindquarters all of a sudden. The same thing applies to stretching the calves forward, pulling up the heels and lowering the toes, because the latter transmits the load to the forehand via the stirrups."
(1837, 270, translation: TR)
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"The seat of the rider is the pivotal point around which the horse is raised in front and lowered in the back."
(1837, 7, translation: TR)
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Last Update: January 13, 2007