E.F.Seidler: Poll Flexion - with commentary by Thomas Ritter
Born in 1798, E.F.Seidler joined the Prussian cavalry at an early age and participated in the Napoleonic wars in 1813 and 1814. When peace in Europe was restored, he took over the management of a riding school in Königsberg before being called to Berlin as a civilian Stallmeister at the Lehreskadron (cavalry training squadron), which had been created in 1820 for the commissioned and non-commissioned officers of the Prussian cavalry and field artillery. This institution was part of the Militär-Reithanstalt (cavalry riding school), which had been reopened in 1817 under the command of colonel von Sohr and later on under major von Sydow. Seidler was still working at the Lehreskadron in 1849, the year it was moved to Schwedt an der Oder in eastern Brandenburg and renamed Militär-Reitschule (military riding school). Two years after Seidler's death (1865), the school is moved again to Hannover in 1867.
Seidler was famous during the 19th century for his ability to train difficult, spoilt and vicious horses. He was valued as a teacher as well. He has been criticized for his use of auxiliary reins along the lines of Newcastle or Weyrother - to which he apparently resorted for a lack of time, due to his busy schedule.
He was also criticized for his supposedly too positive views on Baucher, although in the foreword to his book on the training of difficult horses he writes that while Baucher was an extremely talented rider, his methods were of very limited usefulness for the Campaign School rider. Seidler also wrote a critique of Baucher's first method, which is now out of print and very difficult to obtain.
He shared with Baucher the application of certain mounted and dismounted flexions at the halt in order to supple difficult necks and polls. But he differed from Baucher's first method, e.g., in that he placed great value in riding forward. Impulsion and straightness were important focal points in his work, which led him to trot all his horses cross country twice a week, time permitting. He was probably familiar with Baucher's second manner, but since his own books predate its publication, we don't know what Seidler thought about it.
Seidler wrote three books:
- Leitfaden zur systematischen Bearbeitung des Campagne- und Gebrauchspferdes, Berlin 1837, reprint Olms 1977.
- Die Dressur diffiziler Pferde, Berlin 1846, reprint Olms 1990.
- Unparteiische Ansichten über das Baucher'sche System, without year.
I have chosen a chapter that explains how the horse's neck and jowl conformation affects his training and the shape of his poll flexion. Relating the horse's individual conformation to specific training methods used to be common knowledge among the good trainers of the past, whereas nowadays it seems to be a lost art.
E.F.Seidler, Leitfaden zur systematischen Bearbeitung des Campagne- und Gebrauchspferdes, 1837, reprint Olms 1977, pp. 57-61.
"Beginning the gymnastic work on the neck
"The first thing that has to be accomplished in working the neck is to let the horse's jowls touch this underneck muscles without contraction.
"We achieve this by starting with the neck position in which the head hangs as vertical as possible without resistance (pl. IV, fig. 1), even if this position appears too low at first.
"We increase the elevation along with this contact, this pressure of the jowl rim against the underneck muscles, and with the poll flexion.
"When the elevation increases, we have to allow the appropriate number of neck vertebrae to participate in the poll flexion, depending on the size of the jowl (pl. V, fig. 6, 7, 8). The shape of the jowl must find its reflection in the shape of the poll flexion and in the shape of the upper neck muscles later on as well.
"In the case of small, round jowls, the flexion takes place between the first and second neck vertebrae, fig. 6. When the jowl is larger, the second one participates in the flexion, fig. 7. In the case of very large, narrow, deeply embedded jowls, the flexion has to take place between the second and third neck vertebrae, and if the head is very heavy and coarse, it is sometimes necessary to allow the entire third neck vertebra to participate in the flexion, fig. 8.
"However, even when we have to include several neck vertebrae in this flexion, it must never happen that one of these vertebrae is higher than the poll. This would be the case if the head were to come behind the vertical, pl. V, fig. 2. If we find that a horse is inclined to do so, we increase the elevation.
"It is not the jowl (a) alone (pl. VI, fig.1) that determines the shape of the poll flexion, but it is also the shape of the first neck vertebra (b), particularly its lateral protruberances.
"We find horses whose lateral protruberances are very long and narrow, and extend far down. These protruberances (b) and the jowls (a) then get too close to each other, causing mutual pressing and pinching. In between these two parts is located the saliva gland (c), which we see protruding in the shape of a sausage. When it gets pinched in between jowl and vertebra, it can cause the horse considerable pain.
"If (pl. IV, fig. 1) a well conformed jowl (a) only necessitated the flexion of the first neck vertebra joint, while at the same time the first neck vertebra (b) had such large lateral protruberances, we would still be forced to allow the flexion behind the second neck vertebra as well, giving the horse a larger poll flexion. For the yielding of the second neck vertebra (d) enables the rear end of the first vertebra (b) to rise a little, which keeps the protruberances (b) and the jowl (a) at a moderate distance. The demands cannot be moderated often enough. The flexion cannot be careful enough.
"Large lateral protruberances and large jowls (pl. VI, fig. 2) do not present major difficulties for the rider, as long as they are far enough apart. Their heavier weight merely increases the rein contact, so that a frequent renewal of the elevation is necessary.
"When large jowls (pl. VI, fig. 3) are narrow, on the other hand, they squeeze the saliva glands against the neck, causing pain. The saliva glands do not have a good position for gymnastic work on the neck yet. Through exercise they stretch, so that they come to lie on the outside of the jowls, when the poll is flexed. The pressure of the jowls against the underneck pushes them out.
"The increased elevation of the neck can only take place to the degree that the gradually more stretched poll ligaments and the stretching and placement of the saliva glands permit it.
"Shaping the poll and stabilizing the neck often requires stronger aids during the progression of the training, but never forceful flexion. Large, narrow jowls often constrict the windpipe, which makes the inhalation of air more difficult when the neck is more arched in higher elevation. The horses snort and whistle through their throat, and are sometimes even provoked to cough. Working the neck of these horses for some time in lower elevation with a flexed poll, so that the poll flexion is larger, reduces the pressure of the jowls against the throat.
"The more these horses find their balance, the less they whistle. Later on, when they gain their posture on the haunches, and they are ridden in a double bridle, this snorting ceases in most cases. The haunches reduce the pressure of the jowls against the neck muscles and windpipe by their flexion and elasticity. When this happens, we try to choose a tighter poll flexion and to bring head and neck into an appropriate position.
"Wide jowls surround the saliva glands, which remain inside. Small jowls squeeze the saliva glands, but not in a painful way. When the jowls are large and narrow, the saliva glands drape themselves around them.
"Medium sized jowls are often the most difficult ones, because the saliva glands go sometimes above them, sometimes below them. In these cases, the rider has to determine the appropriate position of the saliva glands, either above or below the jowl. If the jowl is wide enough, the saliva glands remain underneath them. If the jowl appears to be narrow while the saliva gland is elastic enough, the gland is kept above, but not occasionally above and occasionally below.
"Both saliva glands have to have the same position, not one above and the other one below, as this would result in an irregular head position. This is very often the reason why some very advanced horses show one perfect and one insufficient head position.
"The same considerations apply to bending.
"When we have obtained some poll flexion and shaped the upper and middle neck vertebrae into an arc, we bring the horse's nose forward and higher for a few moments (pl. VI, fig. 4) so that the majority of the lower neck vertebrae rest as vertically as possible on top of each other. We increase the elevation of the neck and squeeze the elevated neck backwards without creating an inverted ewe neck. As soon as the neck has reached the necessary height, we flex the poll again immediately (pl. VI, fig. 5), in order to tone the muscles of the underneck, the top line, and the side of the neck evenly, so that the neck receives the necessary stability.
"This coordinated tone of the neck muscles not only lends the neck stability, it also creates the elastic, springy motion of the entire horse. The underneck and lateral neck muscles are connected to those of the scapula and the upper arm, and connect to the tendons of the canon bone and pastern (pl. II).
"The top line muscles are connected to those of the forehand and hindquarters. The nuchal ligament (pl. I) runs along the entire spine, from head to tail. The top line muscles (pl. II) harmonize with those of the scapula. Those in turn harmonize with the long back muscles, which are connected throughout the entire back to the hind legs.
"If we merely raise the neck, the front legs are only drawn up. But the nuchal ligament of the back muscles remains slack. The trot has a high knee action, but it does not cover ground, because the hind legs are lacking the necessary tone and elasticity. The hind legs do not follow. Only the combination of elevation and poll flexion creates the elasticity of the entire horse.
"Those who know how to elevate the neck with the necessary poll flexion and to squeeze it backwards, will give the horse a powerful, shoulder-free movement. Without the appropriate poll flexion there is no powerful, regular movement, nor unconditional obedience of the horse.
"Those who think they can produce a free trot by surrendering the reins are mistaken, because any posture, any muscle tone is absent.
"Since the position of the neck can have a positive or negative effect on the entire horse, it follows clearly that we have to match the elevation of the forehand precisely to the strength of the hindquarters. It is therefore a difficult task to work a strong, stiff, poorly conformed neck, if it comes with a weak back, weak hindquarters, or no hindquarters at all, as you might say."
