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Riding Schools: Where are the differences?
by
Jean-Claude Racinet
To understand the gist of the matter, three systems of riding have to be analyzed and compared:
1) La Guérinière's (XVIIIth century) system, that is the so called "classical" or "baroque" system.
2) Baucher's (XIXth century) system.
3) FEI's (XXth century) system.
Two fields of reflection have also to be distinguished: the riding style of the riders on the one hand, the training of the horse on the other hand.
The reader will soon discover that:
Baucher's system and La Guérinière's concur as for the riding style (lightness, permanent release of the aids, horses constantly poised on the haunches, delicacy of the interventions; this could be called the French style, had it not been abandoned by the majority of the contemporary French riders). But they clash as concerns the training of the horse.
La Guérinière's system and the FEI's concur on the training of the horse. But they clash on the riding style of the riders.
Baucher's system and the FEI's clash on both matters.
Let's go down to the brass tacks and start with Baucher.
1) Baucher.
Baucher put forth a set of principles
a. For the rider's style (Baucher's "second manner");
b. For the training of the horse (Baucher's constant underlying philosophy).
a) Rider's style:
Four principles stand out of Baucher's second manner: release of the aids - separation of the aids - moderation of the aids - optimization of orders.
Release of the aids: the aids have to quit being implemented as soon as the horse is obeying them. In other words, they are used only for transitions, never for maintenance. They bring about, restore, transform, they never maintain.
This principle has to be proposed to the horse, by the rider, as a working contract. It is obvious that in the beginning, the horse will not understand, and take advantage of the release of the aids to modify the speed, balance, gait, rhythm, etc... on his own accord. Then the aids set him back into the proper speed, balance, etc.... They restore.
Rapidly, the horse will understand that the maintenance of the impulsion, balance, rhythm, is his job. He will display self impulsion and self carriage.
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