Straightening
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Straightening in equestrian sport means that the horse walks “ covering the hoofs ”, that is, putting the hind hooves into the track of the front hooves in the position and bending of the foot (“covering the track”). Straightening is the fifth point on the horse's training scale.
Goal setting
The aim is to achieve an even load on the front and rear legs with the straight direction:
"Every horse that fulfills this condition of an even load on the inner and outer legs, whether it is placed in a straight line or with a certain bend in the ribs, is straightened."
In this respect, straightening is u. a. a prerequisite for maintaining "swing and purity of the gait also in the side aisles". Only a straightened horse can reach the next step of training, the assembly .
Straightening has nothing to do with straight-ahead riding , but is mainly promoted by riding on curved lines on both sides ("straightening bending work "). The natural crookedness of the horse should be balanced out in order to prevent premature, one-sided wear.
In the untrained condition, the horse can balance itself better on two hoofbeats. Four fifths of all horses are lopsided to the right, i.e. H. the horse steps with the right hind foot to the right next to the track of the right forefoot. The thrust developed by the right hind leg thus acts diagonally across the horse's left shoulder and places increased stress on the left forefoot. There is a risk of premature wear and tear on the left front leg.
According to an interpretation given by Peter Spohr , straightening the horse also means that the lowering of one side of the hip when stepping forward on this side is compensated for by a corresponding compensation movement in the thighs of the other side so that the lateral oscillation of the horse is reduced and the Rider can sit more comfortably.
Characteristics of the straightened horse
- Hindquarters and forehand are aligned
- The thrust of the hindquarters works fully in the direction below the center of gravity of the horse
Dressage of straightening
Straightening a horse begins with the young horse training its balance on both hands before riding on the lunge . Here we are already working against the natural leaning, as the horse must also walk on the "fixed" side on a circle.
The "straightening bending work" begins with the simple turns (riding through corners, serpentine lines , compasses , voltes ). More demanding exercises are shoulder -in- front and riding-in-position , which eventually lead to shoulder- in. The real lateral movements further promote the horse's mobility and increasingly achieve, through a bend on both sides , that the horse is straightened. The straightening bending work on your part is essential for the assembly , as this is the only way for the hindquarters to bear an equal amount of load on both hind legs without one side breaking away instead of stepping under the center of gravity.
The riding regulation H.Dv.12 explains the straight direction:
“The straightened horse walking on a hoofbeat should always adapt to the hoofbeat line with the longitudinal axis of its body, regardless of whether it is straight or curved. The thrust of the hindquarters only works in a straight direction and fully against the forehand. "
In Gustav Steinbrecht's work The Gymnasium of the Horse is the motto:
"Ride your horse forward and straighten it!"
literature
- Riding regulations: (RV); August 18, 1937; H. Dv. 12 . Mittler, Herford 1983, ISBN 3-8132-0171-6 .
- Guidelines for riding and driving. Vol. 1: Basic training for rider and horse . Published by the German Equestrian Association (FNverlag) Warendorf 26th edition 1994
- Waldemar Seunig : From the paddock to the caper. The training of the riding horse . With an afterword by Bertold Schirg, 2nd reprint of the Berlin 1943 edition, Hildesheim etc. 2001 ( Documenta Hippologica )
- Gustav Steinbrecht: The horse high school . Cadmos, Lüneburg 1998, ISBN 3-86127-328-4 .