Horse riding and dressage
In terms of equestrian education, it is important to specify the practical bases on which to train the rider and the horse. La Guérinière, the "Father of French horse riding", does not separate the education of the horse from the instruction of the rider, as they seem to him to be intertwined. What then can we learn from the marriage of "horse riding and dressage"?
Horse riding and dressage, what Gustave Le Bon, the philosopher of horse riding, thinks about it
If we are to believe Gustave Le Bon, this philosopher of horse riding, in the English cavalry regiments all men without exception had to train their own horses and take them to the high school! This is certainly the best training, but what was possible in the 18th century or in a professional army is only exceptionally practicable in the conditions of modern life, if only because of the lack of instructors. Does this mean that it is necessary, by necessity or by choice, to separate horse riding from dressage, the equestrian world being divided into riders and horse trainers, on the one hand, and a majority of practitioners, on the other?
To this, Le Bon replies: "By the mere fact of being on a horse, one unconsciously does dressage or de-dressage." The Sunday rider who faithfully follows the horse in front of him and would be well prevented from straying from his companions perhaps learns, and to a modest extent, to "ride a horse for himself", but he is certainly closer to de-dressage than to dressage!
On the other hand, someone who, while being only moderately gifted, rides as many horses as possible, works, thinks, compares and tries to put into practice what he has learned in theory, will engage, at first unconsciously, then consciously, in the beginnings of training.
Horse riding and dressage, difficult to separate for the rider
Riding and dressage are always confused with the rider who has a certain amount of experience. Progress will reward the knowledge that he will nourish with his work, it being understood that he will possess, at the base, sound principles. If, with a seat, then a correct position, he seeks above all the impulsion in a horse, and that this one obeys exclusively correct aids: then, but only then, will he be able to begin to seek to regulate its gaits, to make it supple, to place it, to modify a defective balance.
If he succeeds correctly, already, for him, riding and dressage will begin to merge. He will undoubtedly experience disappointments and failures, but work and perseverance pay off, without him even expecting it, and he will feel joy from it, his smallest progress will give him the desire to accomplish more.
He is well on his way to becoming a true "rider" and, perhaps, one day he will become a "squire".
Horse riding, a science or an art?
There has been some discussion about whether horse riding is a science or an art. In fact, it is part of both. Knowledge, later science, supported by experience and practice, are essential to anyone who wants to take advantage of a horse in all circumstances; the finesse of tact, intuition in the choice of means, speed, accuracy, discreet perfection of actions imply science, but are part of art. Here, we enter the exceptional domain to which only a few privileged people have access, because "not everyone can go to Corinth"!