The Training Scale

It goes by a few names; "Training Tree", "Training Scale", "Training Pyramid". The Training Scale was developed in Germany as a guidlines for training horses in dressage. I personally believe that the first quality needed in achieving the stages of the training system is based on UNCONSTRAINED.

UNCONSTRAINED - with out it you will never get any thing true from the horse. It is the yielding of his body and will to the will of the rider, but this submission is achieved VOLUNTARILY by the horse. It is GIVEN, and can not be taken. The horse does not become lazy, but he softens his temperament and body to the rider, in total trust the rider will not do harm, will not ask of the horse what the horse can not do, or what the horse does not yet understand. Nothing else in training will develop honestly and truly but through the horse being in a state of unconstrained. This is where there is a general acceptance of the rider in the saddle, and a total tolerance for the aids being applied.

Waldemar Suenig spent his learning years at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, spent two years at the Cadre Noir in France and from 1922 - 1930 was the Master of Horse at the Court of King ALexander of Yugoslavia, and in 1030 became the Riding Master of the Yugoslavian Cavalry School, coached a successful German Olympic Team. This is what he has to say about some of these traits:

"Unconstraint is the psychological and physical state of the horse in which it flexes and relaxes its muscles elastically only as much as it is required for uniform locomotion under its own weight increased by that of the rider, thus avoiding all unnecessary expenditure of energy.

In contrast to suppleness, unconstraint alone, without the addition of other factors, such as driving and the resultant increased thrust and stretching of the entire spinal column towards the horses head, is (one might say) a purely passive matter in which the horses legs swing back and forth expression-lessly.

A horse that is psychologically and bodily cramped will find it hard to flex and relax its muscles elastically and in a relaxed state. On the contrary the horse will flex and relax them convulsively (tighten) in order to resist the unpleasant, painful constraint of the weight of the rider, thus losing the freedom of its gait and its naturally ability to balance itself. Or the constraint of an inner tightness, such as fear or over excitement, will be manifested in the same way and will become perceptible to the rider. External and internal causes, such as pain and fear, often act in concert to produce a tensed, cramped motion. It is up to EQUESTRIAN TACT and feeling to make the correct diagnosis and to act accordingly.

Unsonstraint is attained when the horse allows the rider to take his place in the saddle without tightening its back and begins its natural, well timed trot with out any action of the reins. The correct oscillation of all its body muscles is also apparent to the observer in the relaxed, satisfied expression on the hoses face, the ears half erect, attentive only to the path and the rider, and the natural carriage of the tail, which softly swings from the base to tip in time with the hind leg that happens to be grounded.

As unconstrained and well timed ground covering strides are the basis of all equestrian work, it is obvious that these two interdependent PRE-REQUSITES must exist before further gymnastic training can be undertaken.

Even in subsequent training the rider must always be able to return to this, one might say, primitive, original form of striding in time at the unconstrained, natural trot whenever difficulties arise, the trot that is the foundation for the dressage of the tournament jumper as well as for the haute ecole (high school)."

SUMMARY OF THE TRAINING
SCALE COMPONENTS

• Rhythm: The horse travels with steady foot falls in each gait showing fluidity and forwardness.
• Submission: The translation from the German term literally means "let go ability". The confidence and understanding of the horse to submit and trust the aids of the rider.
• Contact: The horse is willing to meet the riders contact with a soft elastic connection. This requires that he carry the riders weight through his back and reaches into the bridle.
• Impulsion: The horse willingly produces thrust from the riders aids. The haunches engage with power and push through the back and neck to the bit.
• Straightness: The horse responds to the positioning aids to maintain his haunches under him (whether on straight or curved lines) to provide thrust.
• Collection: The horse bends his joints, lowers his croup and carries itself in balance with thrust available on demand of the riders aids.