Reply by Philippe KARL to the article "MAIN HAUTE, MAIN BASSE" (High hand, low
hand) by Michel HENRIQUET in "CHEVAL MAGAZINE" July 2005
Taking over equestrian culture
Dear Sir,
Allow me to summarize your words: the use of a high hand is "inept.... distressing... stupid";
while a low hand is something akin to an equestrian panacea.
As a person used to being described by those who like restrictive concepts and quick
judgements as an "apostle of the high hand", I consider it my duty to enlighten you on this
matter.
So let's substitute the simplistic arguments and disparaging adjectives by technical rigour and
calm analysis.
· The End and the Means
Deliberately restricted to a selective and biased study of the Great Masters, unaware of equine
realities ( anatomy, physiology, balance, locomotion, psychology, etc.) and obsessed by its
competitive objectives, official dressage consistently confuses the end and the means.
" En dressage, le grand écueil est la manie de s'en prendre aux effets au lieu de rechercher
leurs causes pour les modifier. " (E. BEUDANT) ( In dressage, the biggest mistake is the
tendency to correct the effects rather than searching and acting on the causes)
The finished horse, with perfectly educated mouth (mise-en-main) can be presented by a rider
with fixed and low hands (anyway, relative to the horse's attitude). This is a
PRESENTATION situation (cf. FEI).
The true question is: how to educate the horse to the rider's hand, and achieve a true mise-enmain1, without using tricks? Here we are finally talking about DRESSAGE.
And you don't need a degree in logic to understand that something perfectly valid as an end,
cannot necessarily also be used as a means.
· Educating the horse to the hand
Let's start with an untouched horse, that has never been constrained with any gadgets and let's
begin his training.
The snaffle can act either on the tongue (low hands) or on the corner of the lips (high hands).
Depending on their conformation or their temperament, horses try to avoid the hand, either by
opening the poll to pull, by leaning on the bit or by inverting the neck. Not everyone can
afford horses that are born already half-trained.
The HIGH HAND option
1. The horse that pulls by opening the poll.
1
complete ramener : the raising of the neck + flexion of the poll + mobility of the jaw
Firstly, ensure that raising both hands gently, slightly raising the corner of the lips, mobilizes
the tongue and the jaw ( swallowing leading to the RELAXATION of the whole forehand)
Then, raise the inside hand to combine a marked lateral flexion of the neck with the yielding
of the jaw (under these conditions, two fingers are enough).
Anatomically incompatible with the blocking of the poll, this lateral flexion leads to an
extension of the neck which brings the nose closer to the vertical ( provided that the rider
knows how to release)
Methodically, first in hand, then ridden, at halt then walk, trot and lastly canter.... the rider
successively relaxes, supples, lengthens and then rounds his horse. He lengthens the topline
and is therefore able to manage the forward movement.
Drawing n° 1
The horse answers "yes"
Drawing n° 2
Raises
Lowers
Drawing n° 3
2. The horse that leans on the bit
Again acting on the corners of the lips, use half-halts to raise the base of the neck to rebalance
the horse, and counteract the pressure on the reins and cause a yielding of the jaw.
Then, using lateral flexions, seek an extension of the neck carefully maintaining a simple
contact with a soft mouth.
Go back to raising the neck whenever necessary. It is impossible to try to educate the mouth if
the horse is not in balance.
Drawing n° 4
3. The horse that refuses the contact by inverting his neck (drawing n° 5)
If he raises his mouth above the hand, bring the hands higher than the mouth to establish a
frank contact on the corners of the lips (which does not cause pain).
Going beyond the yielding of the jaw, if the rider increases the tension of the reins gradually
upwards, it will cause the horse to gradually take them forwards and down. The rider releases
proportionally, while maintaining the contact (as he would over a jump).
By the controlled extension of the neck, the horse learns to stretch into his reins and round his
topline in another way. Once confirmed in this first step, the horse will be worked as in case
n° 1.
Drawing n° 5
Nota Bene
In all cases, whenever the horse yields this is followed by a DESCENTE DE MAIN (lowering
of the hand). The contact then becomes light with a tongue that is mobile and a mouth that is
alive.
How can we lower the hand without previously RAISING the hand? Let us note that
etymologically, TO DOMINATE means: to place oneself above. Any linguist can therefore
confirm to a rider that dominating the horse with low hands is an offence to the tongue in
both linguistic and anatomic terms (for once the spirit and the letter go hand in hand, how
reassuring!)
As the mise-en-main progresses, the rider's actions become smaller, until they become
invisible. It is thus the stability of the head which allows the fixity of the hand, not the
hand which forces the stability of the head.
In practice
By referring to these principles for initially working on the mise-en-main, the rider is being
consistent with the brilliant definition by General L'HOTTE: "Le ramener ne se concentre pas
dans la position de la tête, il réside tout d'abord dans la soumission de la mâchoire, qui est le
premier ressort recevant l'action de la main. Si ce ressort cède avec moelleux, à l'action qui
sollicite son jeu, il entraînera la flexibilité de l'encolure et provoquera le liant des autres
ressort". ("ramener is not limited to the position of the head, it resides first of all in the
submission of, the first "spring" that receives the action of the hand: the jaw. If this "spring"
yields softly when asked, it will lead to a flexible neck and cause the other "springs" to also
soften")
This reasonable application of Baucher's contributions is both effective and gentle because it
respects the nature of the horse, and educates it instead of constraining it.
I have seen this with 200 to 300 horses of all kinds every year in lessons, for many years with
quiet and rapid results. It is very successful with pupils in cases where many defenders of the
official system (including professionals) had given up.
Admittedly, there are a number of riders who use these processes clumsily or inappropriately,
seeing them only as simple tricks. But don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. They at
least have the merit and the elegance to try to find ways of not using means of constraint (side
reins etc.). And no method has the monopoly on inappropriate use, I think you would agree?
What does official dressage impose on us? Sacrosanct "low hands".
The "LOW HANDS" option
By virtue of a simplistic concept of the mise-en-main, limited to the unconditional ramener
(end and means), the rider sets his hands low (some even hunch themselves up on the horse to
put their hands at knee level).
This gives a crude action on the tongue (a hypersensitive organ). The horse
tries to escape this pain by going above the hand. The rider resists (when he doesn't pull) and
pushes to overcome the perverse effects of this hand brake. A vicious cycle ensues. We all
know what follows... palliatives of all kinds.
This approach condemns itself simply by the fact that it requires the systematic use of
instruments of coercion (side reins on the lunge, draw reins, specially designed crank
nosebands, tight curb chains, etc.)
What worth the child psychiatrist who, without blaming the parents, prescribes the control of
a turbulent child by muzzling him and tying him to his chair? He is a dangerous charlatan....
Especially if he is supported by the Faculty!
A shame, because dressage is ennobled each time it leads to more knowledge of the horse and
less instruments of coercion, more equestrian intelligence and less force.
The systematic recourse to low hands in the training of the horse is not supported by any
intelligible explanation. This fashionable dogma has only one rationale, the sum of its
ambitions: to reproduce and prolong the effect of the fixed reins to close the poll, while
neglecting all the rest.
In the end, virtually all these horses end up overbent (unanimously considered by the great
masters as a major fault). For want of anything better, official dressage has transformed this
into a system.
All in all, the panacea of "low hands" proves itself a deadly poison for equestrian art.
But all is well, because as Paul VALERY said: "The man considered qualified is he who is
mistaken according to the rules".
Drawing n° 6
Drawing n° 7
Drawing n° 8
Drawing n° 9
La GUÉRINIÈRE to the rescue!
In search of historical legitimacy and artistic endorsement, "dressage people" readily assert
that this classical monument is part of their heritage. Unfortunately when they study him, they
use a pair of scissors rather than spectacles and only keep what seems to be useful to their
point of view. At best this shows a lack of thought and at worst it is intellectual dishonesty.
"Fixed and low hands"... he supposedly says?
Let us read the Master:
"The bridoon presses only on the lips and very little on the bars...
it is good to use it for horses who lean on the hand, who carry their neck low to resist,
TO RAISE them"
"the first effect, which is to release the hand to move forward is a movement which is done by
LOWERING it at the same time as turning it a little, nails down. The second action which is
TO SUPPORT the hand, is done by bringing the hand closer to the stomach at the same time
as RAISING it, nails slightly up. This last aid is TO STOP a horse or to perform a HALF
HALT, or TO MOVE IT BACK... "
"the third effect of the hand, is to turn right WHILE BRINGING the HAND TO THAT
SIDE... the fourth effect is to turn left WHILE BRINGING the HAND there..."
"It is easy to notice that a horse obedient to the hand is one who FOLLOWS IT IN ALL ITS
MOVEMENTS..."
And the good Master drives home the nail: "Any rider who does not know the use of the reins,
works without rule and principle". From this point of view, western riding is much closer to
La GUÉRINIÈRE than official dressage.
They are also similarities between La GUÉRINIÈRE and BAUCHER's second manner which,
due to sectarianism, are kept in the dark!
And there are many others:
- the search for the descente de main (yielding by lowering the hand) and descente de
jambes (yielding by draping of the legs)
- the rejection of any gadgets: Baucher wants nothing to do with these
"machinations", La GUÉRINIÈRE denies that these "straps" have "any utility"
It is relevant that General DURAND stated that by grafting a rational approach to Baucherism
on the school of La GUÉRINÈRE, one arrives at the very best that French horsemanship has
to offer.
Unfortunately, through intellectual idleness and blind conformity, our teaching disavows the
best of its roots and aligns itself with the worst, just to be "fashionable".
Drawing n° 10
MISE EN MAIN and COLLECTION
Linking the concept of mise-en-main and the state of balance of the horse: now there is an
excellent idea!
But let us seriously examine the question. Not by using the esoteric and mundane statements
which are the specialty of the dressage world, but by again getting our feet back on the ground
(which would certainly not harm our balance!)
Let us study this article in "Cheval Magazine" November 2004, published under the title
"legereté, from mise-en-main to collection" and illustrated with the photo shown above
(which is not the result of an unfortunate choice, since they were many other similar photos).
The following analysis results from simple calculations based on well-known experimental
data (General MORRIS - Captain SAINT PHALLE):
* * Free standing and in natural carriage, the extra loading of the forehand is on average
1/9 of the mass.
* 2/3 of the weight of the seated rider is borne by the forelimbs.
* From this natural attitude, if the neck is lowered or raised, it transfers 1/20th to 1/25th of
the horse's weight towards the shoulders or towards the haunches.
Drawing n° 11
(-20 kg) correct ramener
(zero point) - Natural attitude
(+10 kg) - overbent
(+20 kg) - extension of the neck
For a horse of 450 kg and a rider of 75 kg, the figures are as follows:
Horse alone free
Standing
Mounted
Forelegs
Hindlegs
250
200
Overload on the
forelegs
1/9 :
50 kg
300 (+50)
225 (+25)
75 kg :
1/7
NB: Weight on the forehand (P ant) = 4/7 of the total weight
Weight on the hind quarters (P post) = 3/7 of the total weight.
P ant
Thus-------P post
4
= ------3
That means that in the base of support, the centre of gravity falls at a point 3 units from the
forelegs (L ant) and 4 units from the hindlegs (L post).
P ant
L post
Knowing that ------ = --------- .....
P post
L ant
And that for "piaffer", your horse shortens his base by 1 unit for the hind limbs and 1.5 units
for the forelimbs... it is easy to quantify his state of balance:
P ant =
P total x L post
525kg x 3
------------------ = ------------ = 350 kg
L ant + L post
4,5
Knowing in addition that, being located halfway between the natural attitude and the
extension of the neck, overbending transfers approximately 10 kg towards the forehand...
leads to the following:
Piaffer on the photo
(limb position)
+ overbending
Forelegs
Hindlegs
350
175
Overload on the
forelegs
+175
355
170
+185 kg
NB: photo n° 12 shows what would be a true piaffer (green silhouette).
THE TRUE PIAFFER
The requirements of balance are:
* Maximum raising of the base of the neck, poll the highest point.
* Verticality of the grounded foreleg.
* Active engagement of the hind legs under the mass, by lowering of the haunches and
increased flexion of all joints.
EXAMPLE (green silhouette)
Engagement of the hindlegs
= 1.5 units
Raising of the neck (-20 kg)
Forelegs
Hindlegs
238
287
228 (-10)
297 (+10)
In this case, the haunches carry almost 70 kg extra weight. In this balance, everything
becomes possible.
ASSESSMENT
Your photo shows a piaffer (or so-called piaffer, because this air is supposed to put the horse
on the haunches) which multiplies the natural overloading of the forelegs of the ridden horse
by a factor of almost 2.5 (from 75 to 185 kg). Here is an erudite dressage, which places
more than 2/3 of the total mass (355/525) on the shoulders!
This is “anti-collection”, backwards dressage.... One of the direct consequences of this miseen-main imposed by your famous "LOW HANDS".
Since classical horsemanship is meant to be a coherent whole, ask yourself if the piaffer
shown in the photo, would prepare for a pesade... or indeed if the horse could move out of it
and jump a small one metre high jump, placed three metres in front of him.
The answer is NO.
Quiéla, 7 year old Lusitano stallion
Photos Alain Laurioux
SO, LET'S SUMMARIZE THE SITUATION
* LEGERETÉ ? The horse is ridden on tight curb reins and a seriously adjusted curbchain!
* MISE-EN-MAIN?... the horse has a low poll, and is overbent!
* COLLECTION?... the horse is more on the shoulders than ever!
Knowing that any salesman is asked for samples: the title of your article should have been:
"FALSE LEGERETÉ, FROM OVERBENDING TO PERVERTED BALANCE".
No wonder that "dressage specialists" need exceptional horses to create an illusion under such
disastrous conditions.
The worst is that by ignorance or complacency toward this business, judges give 7's, 8's, even
9's, to such rough approximations. In addition, they also turn a blind eye to walks which turn
to ambling and passagey trots.... a sad state of affairs.
The day when official dressage leads to collection worthy of the name (and without various
tricks) for ordinary horses, instead of devoting itself to these parodies requiring enormous
budgets and fabulous horses of which two thirds disappear prematurely, it will be able to
show the way and train quality teachers. "The cynic is one who knows the price of everything
but the value of nothing" (Oscar WILDE).
TO CONCLUDE
Educational Game
5 Piaffers
Spot the difference!
Photo // F. Chenu
Photo // Duarte Delgado
Photo // C. Slawik
A little game is sometimes worth a long speech: compare these five pictures of a piaffer:
* one of Nuño OLIVEIRA,
* that of your article,
* one of Joao TRIGUEIRO D‘ARAGAO,
* one of your's truly,
* that of the young pupil, a 20 year old, on a modest cross Haflinger, which she trained
while following my lessons.
.
Aim of the game: FIND THE ODD ONE OUT?
You write a lot, always as an advocate of classical horsemanship of course, and what's more
in the name of the heritage of Nuño OLIVEIRA.
When one knows a little behind the scenes of the story, one knows that in the last years of his
life, he distanced himself a little from your equestrian direction, which is easily understood...
and was not only the result of his stormy character! Indeed, you are a good example of the
tragic slide to which the dogmas of official dressage lead.
In addition, you contribute to an association named "ALLÈGE-IDÉAL".
It should be said in passing, that when properly understood (in other words firstly as a means),
legereté obviously already constitutes an equestrian ideal. Which makes this quite a
revealing... and crushing tautology!
LEGERETÉ is definitely much more in need of clear ideas and experts without vanity than
high profile opportunism and untruths.
In all sincerity, and in memory of what one could see in your manege during the Seventies.
Philippe KARL
PS: Initially interested in an article in reply to Mr HENRIQUET, after three months "Cheval
Magazine" replied: "No thanks, we don't want a polemic!' Long live freedom of expression!
Misinformation and political silence are alive and well!
LONG LIVE THE INTERNET