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QUOTES BY E. F. SEIDLER:
On Training
"The hind leg that is on the ground behind the line of the hip joint is always the one who resists against the hand. The one that is approaching the center of gravity in front of the vertical line below the hip joint is always the one that yields to the hand. We therefore have to try to bring the horse's hind legs into our hands and to induce them to submit to our hands by appropriate aids and by placing the horse correctly."
(1837, translation: TR)
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"The horse does not execute down transitions by pulling the forehand backwards, but by stepping under with his hind legs."
(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 know that all forward motion comes exclusively from the action of the hind legs. In the halt transition it is therefore necessary not only to moderate it, but to stop it temporarily. We know furthermore that the hind leg that has touched down in front of the vertical, underneath the center of gravity, and that is flexed in its hip and hock joints, yields to the hand. The hind leg behind the vertical, that is extending, resists against the hand. Every horse halts softly and pleasantly as soon as we resist firmly and steadily with our fist during the moment when one hind leg has touched down underneath the center of gravity (Tab. V, fig. 6a) and the other, extended, hind leg has lifted off . We suppress the forward thrust of the grounded hind leg and allow the opposite hind leg only to step down next to it. On the other hand, if we resist when one hind leg is still swinging forward in the air (Tab. V, fig. 7a), while the extending one (b) is thrusting with full force, every horse will go against the hand.
Only the tactful rider will find the right moment for the down transition. The tactless rider will in most cases be the cause of a bad transition, rather than the horse's unwillingness. Only too often, one has to say: "It is not the horse who does poor down transitions, but the rider."
"
(1846, translation: TR)
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"In order to accomplish the correct education of the horse with certainty, it is necessary to follow the training schedule step by step, and not to move on to more advanced movements before the horse is sufficiently confirmed in the previous ones. If someone has attempted to proceed and finds the horse unable to satisfy the new demands, he shall return to the preceding exercise again and strive to confirm him even more in the latter. Perfection in a previous exercise is the foundation and introduction to the immediately following one.
As long as the horse does not go forward freely and fearlessly without putting him together, our aids cannot therefore go through, and we cannot attempt to give him rein contact, elevation, and a better posture. First he has to show a desire to go forward.
Once the horse tolerates us on his back without fear or shyness and carries us freely in the walk and trot, we try to give him a good contact, so that he is on the bit and approaching the reins.
By good contact we mean that the horse goes forward trustingly, that he lets the bit rest evenly on both bars without impeding its effects by pushing against it or resisting it; that he trustingly looks to the bit as a temporary support, when he loses his balance forward; that he follows the release into a lengthened gait and stays regular in it; that he does not resist the backward action of the bit in down transitions; that he does not suddenly hold himself back more than the bit's action demanded, but that he merely compresses himself more and shortens his gait in correspondence to the rein aid."
(1837, translation: TR)
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"Deviations from the good rein contact are:
When the horse leans onto the reins, trying to support the entire load of the forehand merely by leaning onto the hand.
This happens when nature has made the forehand too heavy due to a strong, wide neck and head; when the hindquarters are weak and unable to help carry its share of the load; when the rider has placed the saddle too far forward, thus adding his own weight disproportionately to the forehand.
When the horse bears down onto the reins and runs away.
This happens when the rider has elevated the head and neck too early and too much, so that the horse suffers pain in his neck muscles; or when a young horse's back is burdened too early and too much by elevating too high and by sitting too heavily and too far back. Consequently, too much weight is placed onto the hindquarters and the horse tries to rid himself of the constraint by pushing his head down and running away.
Likewise with tight backed horses a who experience back pain as a result of having been elevated too early and too high, because they cannot yield in their back yet, and with horses who are tight in their throat latch and poll.
All these horses work against the bit, bearing down onto the hand, trying to push the bit away and render it ineffective. They will continue with it until the rider brings them into a lower, more relaxed position that is not painful, or until they have assumed it on their own.
When the horse goes behind the bit
This happens when the horse is constricted in his throat latch and poll, when the rider flexes the poll too early and too much, not allowing enough freedom to ride forward. Then the horse withholds himself with short strides of the front legs; he pushes the load of the forehand to a disproportionately large degree onto the hind legs, so that the reins have no contact; he clacks his teeth on the bit and tosses it up and down. Instead of flexing the poll, he flexes his haunches, thus evading the influence of the bit.
If the haunches are weak, and the horse has by nature a highly elevated neck, carrying himself too high, and the load shifts too much toward the hindquarters, then the hind legs lower and flex too much without possessing the strength to push the body mass forward into the reins. Likewise when the rider's weight acts too much on the haunches of a horse with a weak back and weak hindquarters, because the rider is sitting too far back, thus stifling the ability of the hind legs to follow appropriately and of the front legs to move out freely."
(1837, translation: TR)
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"Appropriate head position for regulating the horse's balance and achieving his regular movement:
If we want to regulate this natural balance for the horse's further training and gather the horse's more, we need to find a biomechanical starting point in the head and neck position from which we can introduce our work without interrupting the horse's even movement. We find this in every horse. As long as we maintain him in an appropriate posture, he will maintain a regular gait. Any deviation from it causes irregular movements. The head is in the right biomechanical position, when the horse answers the rein aid neither by yielding with his head alone, merely lowering his head, nor by raising his nose, tossing his head out of the position. In the center, where deviations are possible in both directions, we find the biomechanical point in which the head is steady and from which our aids enter the horse.
We must therefore seek and find this biomechanical point, starting our work from here, instead of trying to force the horse into a desirable shape and expecting secure movements in it. At first we tune ourselves down to the horse's natural posture and movement. From there we work upward. When we increase our demands and the horse's movement becomes disorderly, we immediately return him to the posture in which he is calm, and then renew our demands again from here. We proceed likewise with each progressive lesson. - On hot, unsteady horses many riders have trouble finding this biomechanical point. But if the rider works a hot, high headed, rushy horse attentively, there will be movements in which he makes 10 to 15 or more calm, regular strides. The rider has to take notice of these moments, find out in which head and neck carriage the horse is doing it, how his reins and legs are aiding, how he is sitting in these moments, and try to maintain himself and the horse within these parameters. One begins the next in this fashion right away, so that calmness is gained. In observing this posture, which corresponds to the horse's nature and which the horse himself indicates to us, lies the rider's advantage."
(1837, 1f., translation: TR)
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"One of the main demands to be made of a good rider is being able to distribute the weight of his own body appropriately, be it to protect the horse or to engage it more and to support his own physical strength. This improves the dressage training. Therefore, we often see a small, seemingly weak, rider control a powerful horse, if not to say bend him to his will, with ease, while a stronger but unskilled rider is unable to do so."
(1837, translation: TR)
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"All of our attempts to place demands upon the horse's forces and flexions must only be increased in a way that does not create irregularities in the gaits, nor disadvantages for the soundness or the lungs. On the other hand, we will also have to try and distinguish whether the reason is the horse's lack of willingness or lack of ability, so that we do not yield immediately to every horse, as soon as he resists, which the practically experienced rider will be able to recognize."
(1837, 258, translation: TR)
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"Only an appropriate posture of the horse's limbs depending on their strength and shape leads to a positive success of the training, as well as the horse's unconditional obedience. The experienced rider should be able to determine with certainty which posture is appropriate for the horse's conformation, without having to search for it in vain. When looking at a green horse, the experienced rider should be able to see in his mind's eye the posture which the horse will assume gradually as a result of his training, depending upon his strength and conformation.
Since the strength and conformation varies so much from horse to horse, one can only choose different postures as a goal, instead of trying to make all horses conform to the same ideal frame. This appropriate posture can only be found, if the rider has studied the conformation of the skeleton, the joints, muscles, and their biomechanics, if he is familiar with the parts of the body that he works with and wants to stretch, flex, and collect. Then he will make himself useful not only through his own work, but also through the lessons he teaches."
(1837, translation: TR)
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"The rider must utilize the terrain at hand to improve the horse’s education according to the current goals; the horse who does not like to yield his back, nor to flex the haunches, who bears onto the reins, has to be well engaged uphill in the collected walk with good elevation and collection. If he is advanced enough to canter, canter him uphill. Downhill trot in a short tempo, sitting well back with good elevation and engagement of the hind legs."
(1837, translation: TR)
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"Balance, suppleness, posture, and obedience are the qualities of a well trained horse."
(1837, translation: TR)
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"The swinging of the horse's back in motion brings the rider into the center of gravity, where he has to remain and from where he has to apply his aids.
On a green horse we find the center of gravity initially closer to the forehand. By elevating the forehand and by bringing the hindquarters closer we shift it towards the true center of the horse's back. The precise point to which we have to shift the center of gravity and where we have to confirm it by the placement of the saddle and our own posture is determined by the lighter or heavier forehand, the weaker or stronger hindquarters, and the horse's overall conformation as a whole.
Choosing the position of the saddle as well as one's own body posture correctly, a little more forward or backward, contributes most significantly to helping the horse find his balance sooner or later.
On a horse with a strong forehand and weak hindquarters, as well as on young breeding stallions we will find this position to be closer to the forehand. On mares with strong hindquarters, often with a high croup, we will find it closer to the haunches. If we bring the saddle and our own body weight too close to the weak body part on a horse with a weak forehand or weak haunches, it will most definitely suffer damage.
If we don't bring the saddle and our own weight far enough back on a horse with a short neck, or on a croup high horse, we make the work difficult for ourselves and for the horse."
(1837, translation: TR)
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"We call a horse obedient, when, upon completion of his education, he responds immediately to the rider’s rein and leg aids, and, if necessary, surrenders all of his strength to the rider’s will, without holding anything back, provided that the latter’s demands do not exceed the horse’s possibilities. We achieve this obedience: if we proceed in the education step by step, corresponding to the horse’s strength and abilities: never ask more than the horse is able to give, do not try to bend by force what can only yield in due time; if we do not confuse the horse’s lack of understanding with lack of cooperation, nor freshness with malice; if we do not punish unfairly, nor administer excessive punishment, if he deserves a light punishment, but always match the punishment to the disobedience. On the other hand, we must be able to determine the correct intensity of the sharper aid or punishment, if the horse should really show bad character, so that he respects the former. Unconditional obedience arises only out of the horse’s complete trust in his rider that the latter will never demand more than the former can give, that nothing unfair will ever happen to him, but that, on the other hand, the rider does not tolerate disobedience."
(1837, translation: TR)
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"Any type of work that the horse does when he is tired brings disadvantages. When the horse becomes tired, the rider would have to apply heavier aids that border on punishments in order to get more energy out of the horse. This makes the horse afraid of the aid, it dulls him to finer aids, and makes him sullen towards the work. One of the main goals must be to awaken love, eagerness and freshness for his work in the horse. The horse must like his work. Therefore, our demands must always match his strength and conformation; better more moderate than too much."
(1837; translation: T. Ritter)
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"One of the main demands to be made of a good rider is being able to distribute the weight of his own body appropriately, be it to protect the horse or to engage it more and to support his own physical strength. This improves the dressage training. Therefore, we often see a small, seemingly weak, rider control a powerful horse, if not to say bend him to his will, with ease, while a stronger but unskilled rider is unable to do so."
(1837; translation: T. Ritter)
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"'We are therefore often unable to achieve our goal with normal snaffle work alone, or we reach it after a long detour and much more time.
'A horse with a weak neck that is carried too high, with a raised nose that is poked out, bends the neck incorrectly right in front of the withers. The neck evolves into a ewe neck. The poll flexion and the snug position of the saliva glands against the neck muscles is omitted. A horse with a stiff, high neck and head exercises his strength against the haunches immediately and oppresses them. Individual body parts suffer therefore even when the rider is just cruising around, without working the horse. The modest and correct application of an auxiliary rein, on the other hand, will soon lead the horse to assume an appropriate posture.
'The auxiliary reins must in no case be used to force horses into frames. They are merely supposed to give the horse a limit that he is not allowed to exceed in trying to get out of postures he is already able to assume. And they are supposed to improve these postures gradually. They should teach the horse that the posture within this limit makes it easier for him to move.
'The horses are easily convinced and obey modest and correct demands that we can increase according to the progression in the training.
'Some riders train difficult horses without auxiliary reins. They expect and achieve success in part through time, and in part through their rein conduct and their seat. E.g. in the case of horses who raise the neck and stick their nose out, they carry their hands very low on either side of the neck and lean forward very much, trotting this way with the weight on the forehand until the horse drops his head and neck, trying to find support for the forehand in the reins. Then they lead them back into balance.
'Why weight one part more for a time, cause an incorrect saddle position, why assume an incorrect seat (which is not applicable in military formations, anyway), if we can reach our goal more easily and quickly with the appropriate use of an auxiliary rein.
'Auxiliary reins must be used with great care and tact. Applied appropriately, they have multiple advantages. Applied ignorantly, tremendous disadvantages.
'Auxiliary reins serve the rider not only as a support in improving the horse's posture. But they briefly lend the horse a support that he could not find in the rider's hand alone in many cases, when the neck is weak and limp, or when the haunches are weak, and he would otherwise lose his posture entirely.'"
(1837; translation: T. Ritter)
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"There are horses on whom we need an auxiliary rein only for a few moments during a lesson. If it is there, we benefit from it tremendously. If it is lacking in this moment, and the horse consequently evades the rider's demands, the training is set back several days."
(1837; translation: T. Ritter)
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"With the double bridle, we follow the same sequence of exercises, from the very beginning through the perfection of dressage, as with the snaffle, although in a shorter time span. At first walk, trot, straight and without head position. Only when the horse goes confidently into the bit on straight lines, we collect more, demand a head position. Flex the horse, go onto the circle, work in shoulder-in, travers, renvers, canter, and narrower turns.
It would be detrimental for the horse's entire training, if the rider immediately wanted to ride everything he used to ride in a snaffle as soon as the horse has been introduced to the curb. For a few days he would go out of habit, but then he would become disobedient and withdraw behind the reins. The first task is to quietly get the horse used to the new bit. We must not start any lateral movements before the horse trustingly approaches the bit on a straight line. Otherwise we would give him a hint how to coil up behind the reins. Forward is the first demand made of a soldier's and utility horse. In the previous work with the snaffle we could convince ourselves that he is capable of performing lateral movements. If they should require further improvement, it cannot be addressed until we have the horse on the bit."
(1837; translation: T. Ritter)
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"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."
(1846; translation: T. Ritter)
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Last Update: January 13, 2007