|
Absolutely so which goes back to your first
point which was you need to ride
the horse underneath you. The "cookbook" must not be too
cut and dry
because every horse *is* different. Different
conformations, personalities,
life experiences make for a unique situation
with every horse every day! sf/cr
+++++
Assuming that the trainer in question is
skilled <g> I would say that precision plays a very
important role in the German approach. They use specific
precision oriented techniques, to obtain very specific
outcomes, in a fairly specific order, each building (in
theory) one upon the other. So in that sense I'd say the
argument for molding rather than lumping still stands.
>> From a training perspective... what are the pros and cons
of the two
> systems... balance before movement vs. movement before
balance?
Well here is where stuff like the trainer's skills and
knowledge plus the horse at hand's build, attitude, past
training and so on will influence the choices one makes.
You can't really lay out the pros and cons without saying
'it depends' on the horse the situation, etc etc.
The worst thing we can do, IMO, as horse trainers is to
isolate ourselves and get all divisionary about schools. I
think the smart thing is to be fully educated about all the
tools and techniques without judgment. Then you are free to
draw as needed from a wide array of options depending on
what the horse is presenting.
Having said that I'd say that the cons of any approach are
about the mistakes most often made by beginners. I'd say
that the German approach is more likely to result in horses
running along tumbling about on their forehands, over-bent
and behind the bit. They think they have the horse
'forward'.
Where as the French approach is more likely to result in
horses who are short necked, dropped in their backs, and out
behind with the rider believing they have the horse
'collected'.
Again these aren't flaws in the system so much as a 'flaw'
in the rider. The flaw being insufficiently educated. And
well yes even riders who are supposedly advanced because
they are riding in upper level competition can be
insufficiently educated. They can be very stuck in their
thinking.
Personally my approach is the one that the horse needs at
the moment. :-) Sometimes they need more activity and figure
work (German) and sometimes they need more balancing work
(French). The 'sometimes' will not be 'today' or in a week,
but this second. IOW I will shift the priorities around on
a moment to moment basis.
I'm a long way away from feeling like I have all the answers
or am as good as I'd like to be one day. But I'm glad that
I've been exposed to a lot of different ideas. From clicker
work to the Western horsemanship of Harry, Bill and Mark, to
JC Racinet and Philippe Karl (French) to Karl Mikolka
(Austria/Hungarian) to Nuno Olivierva (Portuguese) to Reiner
Klimke and modern competitors like Lisa Wilcox, Guenter
Seidel (German) and so many others who I've encountered
through reading or watching on video, in clinics and
competition.
The sad truth is we have to make a lot of mistakes as we
explore the vast and varied world of horse training. The
old saying is true:
Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from
bad judgment. :-)
All we can do is get out there, start studying and start
experimenting. In the end we all have to carve out our own
road.
sf/cr
|
