Rai riding
Rai riding is a riding style developed by the western singer, entertainer, rider and horse expert Fred Rai , which is primarily used for leisure and trail riding . It is characterized by the absence of bits , spurs and whip and takes into account the psyche and behavior of the horses . Rai riding is based on the knowledge that horses are flight animals and do not have a cry of pain. Fred Rai also taught his knowledge of how humans become the lead animal of his horse as a guest lecturer at the universities of Munich-Weihenstephan and Stuttgart-Hohenheim .
Riding style
Rai riding is similar to western riding, an impulse riding style in which the horse is only acted on to correct direction, position and speed. It is desirable that the horse "thinks for itself" and makes its own decisions. It should run in a manner that is comfortable and relaxed for the horse. Assembly is not aimed at.
The rider strives for a deep seat in order to disturb the natural balance of the horse as little as possible. The upper body is in a slight back position in all gaits.
The rider's legs remain in extension of the upper body without tension and without constant contact with the horse's body. The legs are long and the heel is deep. To give help, they are led around 30 cm behind the saddle girth, since the horse is particularly susceptible to driving aids here due to the opening of the rib arch. The thigh aid is only given until the horse shows the desired reaction.
The reins of the bitless Rai bridle, the so-called "Bändele", are used only rarely and only for correction. A Rai-trained horse is steered, stopped and driven solely by rotating the body and shifting weight.
Groundwork
Prerequisite for the Rai-riding is based on the natural herding ground work . Through various exercises, the rider should become the leader of his horse. In this way the horse gives the rider the safety-consciousness like a high-ranking horse and seeks protection and security from the rider in case of danger. It trusts its decisions. This relationship of dominance is maintained and reinforced by clear rules, consistency and reliability of the rider. In general, great emphasis is placed on positive reinforcement through reward and reward tone in the training of the horse and in daily handling. This is similar to the so-called clicker training for dogs or dolphins, but has the advantage of being always available thanks to a low-pitched "Hoho". The opposite - a sharp hissing sound to acknowledge undesirable behavior - is also part of this riding lesson.
In addition to the usual ground-level train figures, a Rai horse is trained primarily in and for the terrain. Ground work also includes serenity training, which makes the animals a reliable leisure partner.
Bridle
In Rai riding, a halter developed by Fred Rai is used . The so-called Bändele consists of tear-resistant, non - slip , thin braided nylon and is similar to a Bosal . It should lie loosely and about a hand's breadth above the horse's nostrils so as not to press on the airways. With this bridle, fine signals can be given to the bridge of the horse's nose. It is also possible to assert yourself in an emergency without exceeding the pain threshold.
master thesis
A master's thesis by Korbinian Arzberger, a student of agricultural sciences at the Technical University of Munich-Weihenstephan, showed in 2014 that the training method according to Fred Rai is horse-friendly and lowers the proportion of stress hormones. He confirmed Fred Rai's work of domination. In his 200-page paper, he examined why the Fred Rai training method for horses is low-stress. The work was supervised by Margit Zeitler-Feicht, behavioral researcher for horses. Ten horses were considered, from the good school horse to the dangerous steiger. Arzberger took saliva samples from all horses and measured the change in heart rate over time. These measurements were taken before, during and after the work of the horses with Fred Rai and on rest days. Arzberger documented the expression of the horses - from relaxation to attention, irritation and fear to panic - with video recordings. He evaluated facial expressions, posture, tail position. As a result, all horses showed all external signs of relaxation after the dominance work, i.e. ears hanging down to the side, relaxed mouth and chin area, loose muscles and a loosely swinging tail. The observations were related to the physiological data collected. This included salivary cortisol, a stress hormone that fell by around a third on average in all horses after the work unit, which confirms the observation. Initial heart rates in the range of 106 beats per minute (problem horse) to 65 beats in calm horses fell to the resting value of an average of 44 beats per minute after work. All test horses showed comparable results. Zeitler-Feicht writes: “Fred Rai's floor work is particularly animal-friendly. What is special about this master’s thesis are the four pillars on which the results are based: In addition to the pure observations, the student also substantiated them with the help of physiological data. "
criticism
The reclined seat puts the rider in a position that requires the use of a saddle with a high pommel on which the rider can lean.
The bridle is not very suitable for the graduated effects that are required in any higher form of dressage. Rai riding is intended as a riding style for leisure and trail riding anyway.
literature
- Fred Rai: Natural riding . Nessos, Augsburg 1986, ISBN 978-3934343016
- Fred Rai: We have feelings too . Nessos, Augsburg 2002, ISBN 978-3000025075
- Fred Rai: Become the leader of your horse . Nessos, Augsburg 2008, ISBN 978-3934343092 (The book also has its own DVD)
- Fred Rai: The art of talking to the horses. Gentle riding without a whip and without spurs . Cormoran, Munich 2002, ISBN 978-3517090443 (This book was also published under the title Ohne Peitsche, ohne Sporen )