THE FINER POINTS OF DRESSAGE

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: PIAFFE AND PASSAGE

By Gerhard Polltz adherence to these maxims will enhance The only areswer to this is more education for dressage as sport. It would be unwise to all concerned. Sound judging based on a The recent discussion about the importance throw overboard the rules of classical profound knowledge of the classical prin- of pia lie and passage at the highest levels of equitation simply because some of its ex- ciples will in the long run benefit and guide the FE! tests has prompted me to do some ponents have used these methods badly. the sport of dressage in the right direction. research into the writings of the European Should we reject [change] the rules of the It is particularly important that these prin- masters and experts on the subject. As most FEI because we only saw caricatures of ciples be observed at the lower levels as well. of the material is not available in English, I piaffe in Helsinki? Quite the reverse, we Felix Barkner (German officer, 1883-1957, have done some translating to provide food should adhere to the classical principles rode in the first Equestrian Olympic Games for thought for those concerned with train- even more un)ieldingly in order to benefit in Stockholm in 1912, competed successfully ing, teaching, and judging at the FEI dressage in the long run. at Grand Prix level until early 1950s, author The maximum points obtainable at Grand of the German School Quadrille, Head of Prix and Grand Prix Special is 410, out of The importance of the piaffe is further em- the Army Riding and Driving School which the possible total for piaffe and pas- phasized in an essay by Gustav von Krampnitz_ Ile was, next to Otto LOrke, sage related scores is 130--barely one third Dreyhausen entitled "Basic Principles of the perhaps the most prominent German horse- (31.7%) of the test. Those who suggest that Art of Dressage": man of this century. In 1950 he was the first there is a preponderance of piaffe and pas- ea-a: German to compete abroad after World sage in the Grand Prix test should refocus The correct or incorrect fu net toning of War H, when he rode Zigermerbaron in Lon- their attention on the totally illogical omis- the back becomes evident in the pialle. don. —Ed.) has this to say in an essay entitled sion in the collective marks of the coef The piaffe is the most obvious test of the "How Does the Dressage Judge Recognize dents for a) freedom and regularity of the correct schooling in the horse. If it is a Horse Correctly Schooled in the Basics?": gaits, and b) seat and position of the rider developed with case and into the rider's and correctness of the aids. It would be con- hands, the basic training of the horse has It takes years of careful education siderably more to the purpose of dressage if been correct. If this doesn't happen, the even with a talented horse until a correct those coefficients were reinstated. training has been faulty. Apparent collec- and artistically perfect result in piaffe and If a horse performs adequately in all the tion, even though the horse is elevated, on passage can be obtained. Premature other movements but is lacking in the execu- the bit, and Lord kncraes what else, is practicing of piaffe and passage with in- tion of piaffc and passage, this can be at- pseudo-collection lithe hind end does not sufficiently prepared younger horses is tributed to several causes, some of which come under in such a fashion as to make detrimental to the whole schooling pro- arc: 1) the horse isn't ready (lack of talent?), the back stretch into the hands. gram and will result in irregularities in the 2) lack of ability in the rider, and 3) gaps in basic gaits, a tense back, arid disturbances the horse's training. If these defaults cannot General Albert Eugene Edouard Decar- In the horses mouth...The judge should be overcome, then such horses should be pentry in his book, Philter and Passage, not degrade himself by merely registering shown at Prix St. Georges and Intermediate points me ,, mistakes in the execution of the program, 1, and in Europe that's where they remain but must reward correct basics. Other- often for their entire show career, winning Certain irregularities of diagonal gaits, wise his function is detrimental to the Large sums of money into the bargain! often nearly imperceptible at the trot, are nature of the art. The problem of showing High School move- still difficult to discern in the passage, ments had already been a matter of con- event hough they always become veorse in All the authors seem to agree that there is a troversy as early as 1952, as evidenced by an that MOVCMCIII, only appear clearly in the direct connection between correctly address given by Alois Podhajsky (then the piaffer. schooled basics and the positive result this Director of the Spanish Riding School in has on piaffe and passage and that, conver- Vienna, bronze medalist in the 1936 Olym- There is absolutely no doubt that the highest sely, forced and faulty training of piaffe and pic Games, and 7th in the 1948 Olympics. priority should be given to the permeability passage always has a detrimental effect on —Ed.) to the German Judges Association (Durchlassigkeit), suppleness, and the basics. Gustav Steinbrecht (German shortly after the Helsinki Olympics: regularity (not just quality!) of the gaits. equestrian, 1808-1885, studied under Louis However, many judges either do not recog- Seeger, a pupil of the famous Oberbereiter I contend that the principles of classi- nize shortcomings in this regard or are reluc- in Vienna, Max sort Werother. His posthu- cal dressage need be fully applied to dres- tant to score appropriately. Unfortunately mous book, Das Gymnasium des Prerdes, sage tests and only the consequential this is true in Europe as well as in America. goes directly back Iota Gueriniare arid is still

16 DRESSAGE & CT/FEBRUARY 1990 considered to be the fount of Germanic some of the better horses showing at the the most sophisticated form of collection equitation. —Ed.) in his The Gymnasium of highest levels who, in spite of talent and and is a manifestation of the horses true the Horse, makes this point: willingness, are only able to perform a few brilliance. Mere diagonal stepping does in piaffe steps under apparent duress and by no way fulfill these criteria.. .Because the True collection has its foundation in visible efforts from their riders, so that the correct transition from pialle to passage schooling the horse to go securely for- inherent ease and elegance of this great- [how these should look is described in • ward and in aligning the haunches to the est of all school movements is totally lack- detail in previous paragraphs] demands forehand [Straightness]. Those who truly ing. Merely diagonal steps in no way such an enormously powerful use of the understand bending the horse and grasp constitute a correct piaffe! haunches, it displays the ultimate perfec- the essence of lateral work, especially the tion of a top level dressage horse. shoulder-in, do not need much advice Talking about true collection in the clas- about piaffe and passage...Continuing sical sense as opposed to horses that can just Why the FEI has decided to give addi- the schooling according to these guide- do tricks, Albrecht has this to say in his book, tional scores for the transitions at the highest lines will inevitably lead to passage as a Guidelines to High School Dressage: levels may be explained by the following natural result which in turn carries the translation from Waldemar Seunig's book, seed of piaffe. A horse that has merely been taught Von der Koppel bis zur Kapriole (Publish- the tricks will always go differently from a ed in the USA as Horsemanship. —Ed.): Brigadier Kurt Albrecht, the some years horse which has been correctly schooled! ago retired Director of the Spanish Riding In particular that level of dressage The transition from piaffe to passage School in Vienna, talking about Kimnasticiz- formerly called Haute Ecole should be and vice versa have to happenwithout any Ing the horse's hindquarters in relatively characterized by refinement and perfec- loss of rhythm whatsoever. A further ab- early stages of training, has this to say in his tion in each movement and tempo so that solute test of permeability are the fluid book, Dogmas of Classical Equitation: it becomes truly art, and not merely the transitions between passage and ex- showing of raw talent.„It is therefore tended or collected trot. They prove Omissions in this field are always very easily explicable that the piaffe is a crucial whether the elastic contracting of the difficult to rectify. This is evident even in test of this level because it demonstrates horse's back is the result of correct riding. And again in an excerpt from Prof. increased ability to balance and to be Alfred Knopfbart's book, The Foundations more permeable will add more brilliance of Dressage: and expression to all the other move- ments. The piaffe will create more power- Impulsion and permeability in a dres- ful haunches, thus benefiting the basic sage test cannot only be judged by the gaits. different tempi and movements (ex- tended trot, rein back, lateral work. etc.) If we are going to make claims to dres- but even more so by the quality of the sage as a form of art, why should we seek to various transitions, which is why in some minimize that in which the truly artistic ul- of the FE' tests the more difficult transi- timately manifests itself: piaffe and passage? tions are given extra scores. Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special are not only tests of correct basics and the Cam- How much importance the masters at- pagne School, but also of Haute Ecole, and tach to the schooling of piaffe and passage therefore totally comprehensive. Before we to enhance the horse's way of going becomes consider ourselves artists, we should con- obvious from some comments in Podhaj- template a very true German saying: Kunst sky's book, Classical Equitation: komint von KOnnen (art develops from ability)! ...neither should the elasticity in the Richard Watjen has this to say in his activity of the legs fade, nor should the book, Dressage Riding: movement lose fluidity. These demands can only be fulfilled lithe gymnastic form- One often hears that the practice of ing of the horse is perfected.. .The piaffe Haute tcole is senseless as it does not will improve the subsequent training. The serve any practical purpose. One can only reply by saying, why do human beings practice the arts such as music, painting, sculpture, and so on? The desire and en- more, a Powerful deavor to reach complete harmony be- tween horse and rider—who must both be naturally gifted to it and by hard work med British firm, and long systematic training—should be the ideal aim of every rider who intends :lipping & Shearing, to practice riding as an art. is proud to introduce If more riding academies existed like the one in Vienna, the understanding of this art would be greater and more widely known. Furthermore, the oft-practiced wrong methods which lead to erroneous conceptions would be avoided.

Gerhard Politz, German Reitkhrer FN and • • British Horse Society humidor, trains and teaches in Glendale, California. Showman Clipper