E.F.Seidler is one of the most useful authors, because his books contain a great deal of practical advice and descriptions that explain the reciprocal relationships between the horse's forehand and hindquarters. He also discusses how different conformation types affect the training. For this edition of the classical quotes I have selected a chapter from Seidler's book on the training of difficult horses, in which he describes the elevation of the neck. This subject is intimately connected to the poll flexion which was the subject of the last edition of classical quotes.
E.F.Seidler, Die Dressur diffiziler Pferde, 1846, reprint Olms 1990, pp. 110-117.
"The followers of the 'high elevation' lift the horse's nose high above the back, right at the very beginning of the training. With a horizontal head position, they use the back of the head to push the upper neck vertebrae and the entire neck backward until the back drops. It is not until later on that they try to lower the horse's nose and to give the horse poll flexion. However, not all horses tolerate this procedure. The disadvantages of this method have already been covered.
"The followers of the 'elevation from a low neck position' ride the horse in his natural carriage at first. Then they try to achieve a moderate poll flexion right from the start, with the nose in a horizontal line with the horse's body. They increase the elevation of the neck by letting the jowl touch the neck and flexing the poll more. Back and hindquarters are addressed later on. They wait with the high elevation almost until the very end. - The horses are very content with this gradual increase, and their legs remain sound.
"Both systems follow opposite procedures - although the goal is the same. We, however, choose the path on which we have to expect the least problems, and that is the elevation from a low neck position. The disadvantages of the high elevation for the training of the Campaign Horse caused me to publish the first volume of this book. There, I already proved the advantages of a moderate elevation - and I want to go over the main points again in this volume, as the appropriate elevation is the main key for the entire training. Even if the unfavorable connection of parts of the body other than the neck - such as the back or the hindquarters - gives rise to resistances, an appropriate elevation of the neck can make the work easier for the horse, protect weak parts without losing control over the horse. An inappropriate elevation, on the other hand, makes work difficult for the horse and ruins his legs.
"The difficult art of elevation does not consist in raising the neck as high as possible, but in finding a steady position and shape for each horse's neck that matches his overall conformation.
"The form of the elevation must follow its function.
"The basis for a stable neck position is that we place the lowest three or four neck vertebrase on top of each other first. As the training advances, we add the fifth and sixth vertebra. However, the position of the fifth and sixth vertebrae is determined by the size of the jowls, over which the poll is flexed. Large jowls allow a smaller degree of elevation than little ones, because they require a greater degree of poll flexion. The degree of the overall elevation is determined by the stronger or weaker back and by the haunches.
"We can not only protect the back by a lower neck position, we can even support it in its carrying function. We can make it work harder by a higher elevation, and we can weaken it by an inappropriately high elevation.
"There is no height indicator for elevation, only an indicator of the degree or the leverage, and for this purpose the strength of the back and the haunches must be our road sign.
"Any rein aid that is applied while the bit is below the middle of the horse's back (below the rider's seat) protects the back and the haunches. Any rein aid that is applied while the bit is on the same level with the horse's back, lets the horse work evenly on all four legs, with easy demands on the back, that are no greater than the rider's weight. Any rein aid that is applied while the bit is above the line of the back places demands on the back, relative to its height and the degree of its backward action, since it slackens the back muscles and makes the back drop. The weight of the rider is now added to the lowering of the back, which was induced by the raising of the neck. In other words, in addition to the strength or weakness of the back, the greater or smaller weight of the rider enters into the consideration (with a heavier rider the elevation has to remain lower, with a lighter rider it can be higher).
"The rider must not ignore these three degrees of elevation, because any deviation from the appropriate elevation leads to unrest and disobedience. We find horses, especially those with thick necks and weak backs, who lose their balance if the elevation is one inch below the back. They fall on the forehand and lean onto the bit. If the elevation is one inch too high, they cannot carry themselves and consequently run through the hand. With the appropriate elevation, on the other hand, they are perfectly light and perform as well as their conformation permits.
"Experience has taught that the vertical head position is the most effective one to control the horse, as it allows us to give all muscles of the forehand a coordinated tone, which is the foundation for a steady head and neck position. We do not want to force the vertical head position. Neither should we demand that the horse perform all gaits, or later on all services, with a vertical head position. We should, however, try over time to endow the horse with the dexterity to assume the vertical head position with an appropriately elevated neck.
"During the work with the snaffle, in free gaits, and later on during the service we will allow the horse a head position slightly in front of the vertical. During the transitions into collected gaits, however, during the reinback, and in the canter (especially in the canter with a double bridle) the vertical head position, or at least a close approximation, is quite necessary, provided the shape of the horse's jowls allows it.
"When we ride the horse in his natural posture, he will carry his head and neck at a moderate height, often somewhat hanging. Yet his nose is but little in front of the vertical. If we apply the rein aids with a low or moderately raised hand, not in a raising fashion, but merely with a backward resistance, the horse will assume the vertical head position. If we increase the elevation for shorter or longer periods of time, depending on the shape of the neck, the appropriate degree of elevation will in most cases also allow the vertical head position.
"We will now have to ask ourselves: What is it that permits the vertical head position even with a raised neck? It is the appropriate poll flexion that matches the size of the jowls, in other words, bending the upper neck vertebrae around the jowls. -
"If we want to bend the neck vertebrae around the jowls, the jowls must be able to make contact with the stronger neck muscles without hindrance. However, between the two there are the ear muscles on either side, which we have to push aside first. It is these ear muscles that cause the horse unrest when we ask for poll flexion, bending, collection, and down transitions, as they are squeezed by the jowls. When the head and neck are held low, they are relaxed. They stretch and mold themselves around the rim of the jowls. According to their elasticity, one proceeds with elevation while maintaining the vertical head position as much as possible. In high elevation, the ear muscles are stretched more and are usually squeezed by the jowls when the poll is flexed. This causes the horse pain, which leads to the unsteadiness of the head.
"When they are ridden with a double bridle upon completion of the snaffle work, the majority of horses who have been worked in high elevation right from the start either push their nose out again immediately or drop their neck and curl up, as soon as they are asked to flex the poll and their nose approaches the vertical, where the jowl rim must have an unimpeded contact with the neck muscles.
"The art of reliably sculpting the poll is primarily based on the art of stretching the ear muscles, softening them and pushing them aside first. The jowls serve as our tool here. Using them appropriately through correct positioning is the success of a great deal of practical work.
"The disciples of the high elevation think that one has to work in high elevation right from the start, throughout the entire snaffle work, while reserving the poll flexion for the double bridle, which is more suitable for this. - I maintain that one must lead the head and neck towards the appropriate position that the horse has to assume with the double bridle, while still riding with the snaffle. Then every horse will go boldly forward when he is ridden in the double bridle for the first time.
"When we elevate from a low neck position, we work the horse through all gradations, from the lowest all the way to the highest neck position. When we drop the reins after the elevation has been achieved, the horse will lower his neck, yet he will continue the gait with regularity without losing his balance. Let's try this on a horse who has been ridden in high elevation right from the beginning! If we yield the reins on this horse, to let him move more freely with less constraint, he starts fidgeting, because he is lacking the rein support for his neck. Quite a few horses who were highly elevated in the arena are then useless in or in front of the front row of the regiment, because they have never had a natural posture.
"In immediate high elevation, the regulation of the gait, the higher position of the head, the backward pressure of the neck, the yielding of the back and even the a priori flexion of the haunches, which some people consider the foundation of the training, are condensed into one single exercise. However, nobody will miss how much the horses resist against this. Every rider knows how difficult it is with many horses to regulate individual limbs. Even if well conformed horses can be trained this way, it will never succeed with horses with difficult conformation. Those must absolutely be elevated gradually from a low neck position. In these cases, the elevation (the gymnasticization of the forehand until the back yields) must be subdivided into three phases. These are:
- "Obtaining moderate poll flexion, pushing the jowls underneath the ear muscles, and bringing the jowls in touch with the firmer neck muscles.
- "More elevated position of the neck, i.e. the increased elevation of the neck muscles and increase of the previously introduced poll flexion. But the elevation of the neck must not go so far that the back starts to drop.
- "Increased elevation of head and neck and raising of the entire forehand until the back yields.
"The procedure of the last phase is similar to the so-called high elevation. But the elevation from a low neck position has the advantage that we prepare the horse for the vertical head position during the first phase. In the second phase, we maintain the vertical head position after we have removed certain obstacles that were brought out by the secure contact between jowls and neck muscles. During the third phase we can confirm the vertical head position even in high elevation while still protecting the back and haunches from flexion, which is necessary for young horses, as flexing the haunches is part of the gymnasticization of the hindquarters and not part of the elevation.
"If the high elevation is introduced right away, it is not easy to obtain the vertical head position, because the tightly stretched ear muscles stays directly underneath the rim of the jowls and the other neck muscles are not always elastic enough to obtain the appropriate poll flexion without great strain, if the neck is highly elevated."
