Obedience to the rider

15.08.2013 01:13

"Horseback riding is the art of command and execution of the slightest expression of will" Napoleon Bonaparte

A conditional language of communication between a rider and a horse is called the command when an animal is trained, otherwise it is called impact. Each type of communication corresponds to certain means.

Means are specific ways of impact used by a rider to transfer his/her command to a horse. It is logical to assume that obedience of a horse is secured by command means that inspire fear of punishment in a horse - acute pain - in case of failure to fulfill a rider’s will. It is necessary to remember when breaking a horse that pain does not guarantee absolute obedience. The best guarantee of the correctness of performing the requirements is turning it into a habit, that is, practicing the acquired skill to until it becomes automatic.

A horse dressage criterion is its hyper-sensitivity to subtle means of command. A viewer might think that an animal guesses its rider’s thoughts and immediately fulfills his/her will. While under the threat of using spurs, a horse, with a barely noticeable light pressure of a twister, can stand in the most difficult position; with a barely noticeable move of a finger it is readily entering in the most complex turn compromising its balance. The means of command are divided into:

• impulse (for any level of dressage)
• control (for any level of dressage)
• support (for horses dressed almost at the high school level).

According to l. Artamonova, A. Evdokimov, Tutorial on Sport Horse Dressage

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