Speaking of the rider's posture typically the traditional upright position comes to mind. However, this thought lacks coherence. In the late 1800s the Italian officer Frederico Caprilli discovered the forward seat and fully convinced the world equestrian community of this other way to ride the new fast modern horse. Since then the upright seat is out of fashion. It is considered old-fogyish. In jumping and racing it is to this day no longer practised. A great number of equestrians think it superfluous. Many are unable to learn leave alone teach it.
And few today master the seat, which Caprilli discovered. It rests on the functions of the Yoga movements cobra and reverse cobra and permitted him to ride horses towards jumps of unheard of dimensions. Unfortunately he fell victim of his experiments and the research he began to this day remains unfinished. Caprilli's seat features a complete control of the horse's balance and a full release of its forward locomotion. It does not allow for lateral movements, the development of the gaits and/or the airs above the ground. It is not useful on the working horse.
Taking the traditional upright seat's demise and the relative obscurity of Caprilli's work one may wonder how riders today ride their horses. Common accidents as well as wide-spread fear attest to a surmise which is confirm by any day to day observation of equitation today. Modern man is out of touch. He no longer naturally knows how to communicate with the horse; on the ground, or in the saddle. The small number in proxy of world population who do attest to this fact. Equitation today is a synonym for mishaps, fear and frustration. No schools are open to an interested general public. Traditions are lost. It is given to manipulations of doubtful reputation.
And yet, the horse's kindness remains. And moments of bliss for those who upright and judiciously address the modern horse with knowledge accordant to its dual nature and the changes that characterize the modern horse.
Comments