While Baucher in France and v. Rosenberg in Germany sought new ways to ride the modern horse, followed by Caprilli in Italy, Karl Benz in 1885 presented the first motor propelled automobile. Only three years later it was produced industrially. Technological development since has not ceased. Today it is difficult to imagine life without running water, electrical light, central heating, automobiles, air transport, cameras, films, telephones, mobiles, internet and GPS satelites. And yet these items are but the tip of a proverbial iceberg. They do not hint at the vast array of technology and the world of finance that does or does not support them.
Can modern equitation be safe? The general lack of human proprioception plus poor body control, progressive faults in the horses' genetic formation, inhospitable environments and missing information speak against it. And yet the human wishes to be in touch with the horse. Nothing has changed in view of the faster, more powerful modern horse.
One may wonder how the horse/rider alliance, which once was customary and today is rather unusual will act out and procreate in the future. With certainty the horse in equitation is a measure of man's posture. It provides information on how to sit, act and carry on correctly, i.e. according to the patterns the body's structures (bone and fascia) in the context of gravity suggest. But there is another aspect, which touches posture's core.
A sense of devotion sets in. No, not devotion to a particular horse or teacher. A larger dimension is at stake. The kids ride their horses, silently. They are in contact with something inside of themselves and thus tune into the horse's body. Only gradually the sense dissolves after dismounting. Sitting and acting accordingly they got in touch. It is not high elevation. Neither is it full control. It is a unity that exists for those who befriend their horses to share life.
Hello Christine,
I think you answered this last question in Article 10 when you referred to human upright posture as privileged and that "uprightness in the human speaks of static and denotes moral elements."
You also say that posture is "fleeting...eludes definitions....acts in the shadows of movement...the mind can't penetrate (it.)"
As a Christian, I am reminded of my duty and obligation to care for God's creation. I 'oversee' my world....or the world I come in contact with. I 'stand up' for what is right but I also 'lay down' my life for my brother. What does this say about me....or the body of man? That we are adjustable and accomodating....that we can come down to whatever level or shape just as God came down to us. Our 'intelligent' brain can direct our body into as many different positions as we need in order to care for ourselves, others and the world we live in.
The elusiveness of posture that you describe is exactly what confounds it's description when on a moving horse.
The modern horse you refer to is longer and taller. It's motion is much more difficult for it to manage than was the motion of the horse of the past. Man thus assumes greater responsibility for the animal he has created. Could this be man's subliminal struggle.....that he feels that he must 'behave' or 'carry' himself more uprightly and yet by doing so on the modern horse he makes himself more difficult to BE carried?!
The revelation of the Caprilli position is a clue that posture has a beneficial horizontal component! This latter component is not appreciated because of ignorance! Ideally then, the modern horse is better to be ridden with a special blend of horizontal and vertical energies. The vertical energies create lift and remind the horse that he is God's creation too! The horizontal energies allow man to move forward harmoniously with the pride of the horse.
Posted by: Margaret Kunz | 04/10/2010 at 12:59 AM