Introduction
My understanding of the training scale is constantly evolving and changing, based on my practical experiences and observations. The first time I heard about the Training Scale (Skala der Ausbildung) was during theory lessons for the German Bronze medal, which is the prerequisite for participating in recognised shows. For the exam we had to memorize the terms Takt (rhythm), Losgelassenheit (relaxation/suppleness), Anlehnung (rein contact), Geraderichten (straightness), Schwung (impulsion), and Versammlung (collection). - And that was pretty much it. There wasn’t really any explanation for what these terms or concepts were about, or what the relationship between them was. We only had to be able to name them and to tell how to recognise them.
My Own Journey
Then I picked up a book by Alfred Knopfhart, with the title “Elemente der Reitkunst” (Elements of Equestrian Art). Each chapter was dedicated to one of these elements of the training scale. In addition, he included a chapter on balance, which is not part of the traditional training scale. When I read the book, I found it very interesting, but I thought that I would never ride well enough to actually implement anything the author discussed. It seemed to be way over my head.
I kept riding and taking lessons. Some of my teachers explained the concepts of the training scale, and as I became a better rider, I thought that the training scale was brilliant. Absolutely right on.
But I kept riding, reading the classical authors, and thinking about my experiences with horses. One thing that the old masters said really resonated with me, but it seemed to be at odds with the training scale: “Balance and Suppleness are the corner stones of dressage.” That made a lot of sense to me, and it explained much of what I was seeing and feeling. Balance seems to play a role in every training issue. The only problem was that Balance is not in the training scale, despite its great importance in training. I found this puzzling, and it made me start to question the training scale.
As I kept riding and studying equestrian art and teaching riding lessons, I noticed that many people seemed to think of the training scale as a linear progression: First you work on rhythm, then on relaxation, then on rein contact, etc. But that was not how I experienced the elements of the training scale. To me, everything seemed interconnected and mutually interdependent. Alois Podhajsky , the former director of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, wrote (1965, 38f.): “The more balanced the horse is the better the rein contact will be; the correct rein contact, on the other hand, will further enhance balance and flexibility.” And our teacher at the time, Karl Mikolka, who had spent 14 years at the SRS under Alois Podhajsky and Hans Handler, told us in clinic lessons: “Once the milk and the sugar are in the coffee, you can’t separate them any more,” meaning that all the elements of the training scale are interrelated.
Based on these observations, I developed a vision of the training scale as a wheel with spokes, or a 3D network, which I included in my 2010 book “Dressage Principles Based on Biomechanics”. All elements of the training scale are connected to all others. Whenever there is an improvement in one of these elements, you will find an improvement in all of them. And if there is a problem with one of these elements, you will notice the repercussions in all the other elements as well.
I also decided that Balance is so important that it needs to be included in the training scale at a very basic level, because Balance is a prerequisite for Relaxation. An unbalanced horse will always brace in order to avoid falling down, which makes it impossible for him to relax, or to develop a light, steady, and even rein contact (Miguel Tavora, 2018, 17: “Balance, relaxation, impulsion and lightness are interconnected.”).
Only a balanced horse can relax, and only a relaxed horse can develop Impulsion and Collection (Nuno Oliveira, 1988, 24: “Impulsion stems from the physical and mental relaxation of the horse.” Otto v.Monteton, 1877, 71: “Any kind of collection requires the utmost relaxation, before the work on collection proper can begin.”)
Working with many horses and processing the observations I made with them, I discovered that Balance has 2 main aspects: lateral balance and longitudinal balance.
Lateral balance is created by selecting an arena pattern and aligning the horse’s body with it. The left pair of legs needs to be on the left side of the line, the right pair of legs needs to be on the right side of the line, so that his spine forms a segment of the line. This enables the horse to distribute his weight evenly between the legs on the left and the legs on the right side of his body. (Manoel Carlos de Andrade, 1790, 189: “In all gaits and in all arena patterns the horse has to align himself according to the rider’s aids and move in accordance with them, because that’s the only way he can be balanced in the correct posture and bend with a short reaction time”.) It also prevents him from overloading one shoulder on a permanent basis, while the diagonal hind leg hardly participates in the work.
Longitudinal balance is created by walking, trotting, or cantering in a steady rhythm that is neither too quick nor too slow (Ludwig Hünersdorf, 1800, 347f.: “The horse would never develop any balance in any gait, if he were allowed to go sometimes faster and sometimes slower in the beginning”).
Aligning the horse’s feet on the line of travel and designing circles that are truly round and straight lines that are truly straight is the first step towards Straightness. This means that Straightness is as basic as a steady rhythm for the development of Balance and all the other concepts of the training scale and should therefore occur at the bottom of the training pyramid, not close to the top. (Waldemar Seunig, 1949, 137: “Without straightness, which is the key to perfect balance and therefore to secure self-carriage, there is no impulsion sweeping freely through the body from back to front, and therefore no true permeability, let alone collection.”).
Now, 10 years later, my views on the training scale have evolved further. I think this is probably the most important takeaway. As your experience and skill grows and as your understanding deepens, your views on training and certain theoretical aspects, such as the training scale, will change and evolve, too.
There may not be a “correct” or “definitive” training scale, but only stages in our education as riders. Everyone may have their own training scale in mind, and that training scale may change over time. That’s perfectly ok. These training scales are simply attempts at systematising our observations and our understanding at the present time, and we shouldn’t hesitate to change them, as new evidence presents itself, and as we connect new dots.
For me, my theoretical understanding forms a framework into which I integrate everything I observe. It helps me make sense of the “raw data”, i.e. what I see and feel. It is like a map that helps me determine where I am in the training of the horse, where I want to go, and which roads to choose to reach my goal.
Summary
The physical-athletic training of the horse starts with establishing Balance by choosing an arena pattern and aligning the horse’s feet on this pattern (Straightness), and by establishing a steady tempo (Rhythm). This leads to Relaxation and a steady, light, and even Rein Contact.
Relaxation has to be developed further into true Suppleness through gymnastic exercises that scan the horse’s body for tight muscles and then remove them.
Balance (including Straightness), Suppleness, and Groundedness (the connection of the horse’s legs to the ground and the weight) lead to elastic, powerful gaits (Impulsion).
They also enable the horse to increase the range of motion of the hind legs over time, which leads to an increase in Collection.
Groundedness develops out of the horse’s awareness for where his feet are.
Perhaps the training scale should be expanded by adding Balance, Body Awareness, Groundedness, and Suppleness because they are gymnastic categories that are of central importance in the athletic development of the horse.
Dr. Thomas Ritter
