Classical riding

Classical riding is a concept that is used to describe a variety of different styles of riding: competition dressage, what goes on at the Spanish Riding School as well as in Swedish riding schools and so on.

But what does classical really stand for?

Classical riding has its roots in ancient Greece. That culture was different from our modern culture in many ways . René Descartes had not yet put forth his theory about dualism that among other things included the idea that animals do not have a soul and therefore cannot feel pain.

Isaac Newton had not yet defined the law of universal gravitation and the three universal laws of motion that enabled many of the advances of the industrial revolution.

Modern culture is influenced in many ways by these thoughts and concepts, but it is difficult for us who live in this modern culture to really understand to what extent we are influenced by them.

Classical antiquity is, according to Wikipedia, ”a long period of history centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. This period is conventionally taken to stretch from roughly the 7th or 8th century BC to the 5th century AD. It is often seen as a golden age of Western civilisation, preceding the Dark Ages of the early medieval period.”

Classical riding has its roots in ancient Greece, not juts because we want to call a certain type of riding “classical”, but because Xenophon lived there.

He wrote one of the first books about horses and riding. Here he described the vertical seat and that one should never be angry when handling horses. In ancient Greece body and mind were seen as one unit which according to Loots (Loots, Johannes Marchand (2006) Classical horse riding: a systems theory approach. Doctorial Thesis at Tshwane Technical University, South Africa) meant that how something was achieved was just as important as that it actually was achieved .

Xenophon himself trained horses to be ridden in parades and in battle. For this the horses needed to be accustomed to weapons, sounds of trumpets, flying flags, large crowds of people. The horse also needed to be trained to respond to light signals, to go fast on straight lines and to turn easily in any direction.

Classicism in art refers, again according to Wikipeida, to a high regard for classical antiquity. “It was particularly strong during the Renaissance and from the mid 18th into the 19th century.”

It was during the 18th century that the art of riding reached its zenith and the airs above the ground were developed.

Today something strange, or sad, has happened, at least here in Sweden. Today classical riding is thought to be based on military riding from the beginning of the 20th century.

What happened to the previous history and ideals? Are they completely forgotten?

Classical riding, according to the common opinion here in Sweden, is believed to based on riding from an era that in no other context is defined as either classical or championing the ideals of classicism. The main argument for deviation from the original classical ideas about unity and lightness is that riding has to be allowed to progress. When René Descartes in the 17th century put forth the idea that animals can't feel pain he paved the way for a culture where the ends do justify the means. In the 19th century the military modernised riding further by equating the horse to a steam engine where the riders legs pumped up the steam and the hand directed it.

But the old ideals are not completely lost. Military riding from the 19th and 20th century contains both the old classical ideals as well as the simplified modernised version. Since it takes time to school both horse and rider according to the classical tradition that relies on a high degree of body control and awareness from the rider, it was only the officers that were taught these ideals. The common soldier was taught a simplified and modernised version. I find it dismal that it is this latter, simplified, way of riding that is taught in Swedish riding schools and displayed in competition.

I want something more, what do you want?