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Quotes of Paul Plinzner
"The forward driving quality of the calf aid rests in the pressure or stimulus it exercises on the abdominal muscles, which can be greatly increased by the painful touch of the spur. It causes these muscles to contract, which leads to an advancement of the respective hind leg.
This result can always be achieved when the horse is standing still, in other words, when he is able to support the weight with the grounded hind leg, while the other hind leg advances in response to the aid. It is self-evident that in motion the hind leg is not always able to obey this demand immediately. In those moments, e.g., when it is on the ground, supporting the load and transporting it forward by extending its joints, it is unable to comply. Only in those moments when it is in the air is it able to do so.
During these airborne moments, the natural contraction of the abdominal muscles is enhanced by the calf aid, inducing the hind leg to step more under. During the grounded moments, on the other hand, stimulating the abdominal muscles could only make the hind leg shorten the supporting and thrusting phase, which cannot necessarily be regarded as an advantage.
Experience teaches that the most effective calf aid is the one which stimulates the abdominal muscles exclusively during the airborne moments of the hind leg, while not disturbing the hind leg in its supporting and thrusting function when it is od. "(1876)
"The forward driving quality of the calf aid rests in the pressure or stimulus it exercises on the abdominal muscles, which can be greatly increased by the painful touch of the spur. It causes these muscles to contract, which leads to an advancement of the respective hind leg.
This result can always be achieved when the horse is standing still, in other words, when he is able to support the weight with the grounded hind leg, while the other hind leg advances in response to the aid. It is self-evident that in motion the hind leg is not always able to obey this demand immediately. In those moments, e.g., when it is on the ground, supporting the load and transporting it forward by extending its joints, it is unable to comply. Only in those moments when it is in the air is it able to do so.
During these airborne moments, the natural contraction of the abdominal muscles is enhanced by the calf aid, inducing the hind leg to step more under. During the grounded moments, on the other hand, stimulating the abdominal muscles could only make the hind leg shorten the supporting and thrusting phase, which cannot necessarily be regarded as an advantage.
Experience teaches that the most effective calf aid is the one which stimulates the abdominal muscles exclusively during the airborne moments of the hind leg, while not disturbing the hind leg in its supporting and thrusting function when it is on the ground. "
(1876)
"As far as the turning rein aid is concerned, there is no question that the soldier must guide his horse in the turns on the haunches, as in all turns, predominantly with the outside rein. The horse’s obedience will be the more secure the more he succeeds in maintaining the correct bend in spite of the dominant effect of the outside rein, and consequently in maintaining the inside hind leg underneath the load.
In the training of the soldier’s horse, the predominant activity of the inside calf and outside rein cannot be emphasized enough for the movements with a lateral bend, that serve the gymnasticization of the inside hind leg. It must therefore also be a main focus in the education of the rider to teach him a feel for controlling the bent horse with the outside rein, while the inside “rhythmic calf aid”, which can always be reduced to a passive feeling with the calf or the spur, loosens up the inside rein and maintains the softness of the inside, i.e. the bend."
(1876)
"The most important aspect of the transitions to the halt is that they are executed in a way that does not harm the horse’s legs. This can only be achieved consistently by accustoming horses to performing transitions to the halt with a releasing rein instead of a restraining rein aid. A collection that is proportionate to the vehemence of the gait, supported by a light seat with which the rider enables the horse to raise his back, round his neck, and to step more underneath this raised back with his hind legs, must make the horse want to halt before it is necessary, so that the reins can be released at the last moment. Only then will transitions to the halt be executed smoothly and without jarring."
(1876)
"It is not possible for the torso to follow the horse’s movements correctly, if its base, the seat bones, do not follow them elastically. If the seat bones slide backwards at every stride or jump, it will inevitably make the torso tip forward, which in turn leads to gripping legs. On the other hand, if the seat bones are pushed forward too much, the torso is left behind the movement, so that the rider has to pull on the reins.
The elasticity of the midsection must therefore be the teacher’s main focus in the training of the rider. Experience shows that it is developed most easily in a short, calm trot and a quiet canter with loose arms and legs."
"Horses who have a poor neck conformation, which makes poll flexion very difficult, in addition to a weak back will always need a rider who can be effective with a forward inclination of the torso. If these horses possess but little liveliness and joy of movement, they would eventually become leg movers without a swinging back, if they were ridden continuously with a seat that loads the hind legs and back, despite the advantages this seat has when it is applied temporarily on a horse like this. They need a rider who is able to drive energetically with a forward inclination of his torso. If these conformational problems are coupled with liveliness and irritability, as it is often the case, a seat that weights the hind legs and back would very soon increase the irritability to rebelliousness."
"In working the haunches, the rider will lean back if he wants to bend the hind legs more, and lean forward if he wants to activate them more. Horses whose hindquarters are so strong and energetic that they are capable of acting as springs even under a great load, can be worked while the rider is leaning back. However, horses with weak and soft haunches will have to be worked with a forward inclination of the torso, even when gymnasticizing the haunches.
In general, there is no doubt that an appropriate “relieving weight aid” is helpful in all increased demands that are made of the horse, because it facilitates the increased activity of the haunches and the back, which these demands automatically entail. This applies not only to increased demands in free gaits, but also in collected gaits. Although the horse’s “position on the haunches” requires leaning back in “soft passivity”, as we have seen, the rider will have to leave this passivity more and more the less ideal his horse’s conformation and disposition are, if he asks him to work vigorously in this position for longer periods of time, as is necessary for gymnasticizing the haunches. Among the aids, which maintain the horse’s impulsion in these movements, the relieving weight aid plays no small role. This makes it so much easier for the hind legs to push off again after they have stepped under that the weight shift towards the front end, which it causes, is irrelevant by comparison.
There is no question that the weight aids constitute an important addition to the active aids, which the rider applies directly with the legs and reins, and that the superiority of the better riders consists to a large extent in the ability to use these weight aids correctly. However, it is equally certain that at least the forward inclination of the torso must always remain a prerogative of the better riders, because experience shows that the majority of people cannot be taught to follow the horse correctly in this seat, much less to apply active forward driving aids with it while simultaneously energizing the hind legs with their calves. While the forward inclination of the torso holds the greatest advantages for the better riders, the average person rides his horse more and more onto the forehand that way, making him dull and causing him to stumble. "
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