Core Values of Classical Riding

The main element that separates classical riding is its core philosophy. All riding disciplines are (or should be) guided by a love for the horse, and all good horsemen/women are guided by that love. However, each discipline has a little different focus in its core values, some valuing grit and others valuing courage as their essence.

So what about classical riding? I think the two main ones are compassion, stewardship, and curiosity. That’s not to say there aren’t other values, such as integrity, steadfastness, courage, and others that are common to other disciplines, but the three that separate it the most from other disciplines are the three I listed above.

Compassion

Compassion is being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes so you can help them with kindness. This applies mainly to the rider’s approach to the horse. While other disciplines use compassion, it is essential in classical riding. Instead of just pushing a horse through something, demanding it do what is asked, an effort is made to rephrase the request or maybe even change it altogether. Horse gets stressed over an exercise? Maybe approach it differently so it’s less stressed. There are times we do have to push when an exercise is tough, but we push gently, maybe taking just a few steps before giving a break. We work through things with love combined with understanding, not just with demanding obedience.

However, this value should also be applied to the people who are learning to ride and who care for the horses. It would be terribly hypocritical to be harsh to the rider while asking the rider to have compassion and always be kind for the horse. Yes, compassion and kindness can sometimes feel a bit tough, as they are not the same as being “nice.” If a rider is consistently not doing something right, is it compassionate to leave them in the dark, wondering what they’re doing wrong? Or is it more compassionate to set them down and say “You’re not progressing because you’re doing x. Here’s what you need to do to fix that problem”? This is more loving and helpful than just saying, “Keep doing what you’re doing.”

I would also add that compassion also preserves dignity, both of the horse and of the rider. While we can preserve dignity by not tearing someone down, we can also preserve it by making room and giving tools for someone to help themselves. No one wants to be pitied, especially if they’re struggling (talk to anyone who is disabled; they’ll tell you they want to be treated as a human, not as their disability. There’s a difference between accommodating and over-coddling). Even horses have a sense of dignity; set them up for success, but then let them have that success by their own volition. So always work to not only have compassion, but couple it with a desire to preserve dignity.

Stewardship

Stewardship is the desire to leave things better than how you found them. It is tending to a garden so that when your time with it is over, the plants are healthier, bigger, and more productive than when you started. Same goes for the horse; we want to improve its life the best we can. Karl Mikolka used to say we turn them into something of “equine bodybuilders,” which is true. We work to leave the horse moving better and feeling better as training goes on. This is not only physical but mental as well. Their mental state should improve, their eyes coming alive with joy but still looking to the rider as a trusted companion. Orfeo, our Lusitano stallion who is 29 this year, brightens up so much when he knows he’s about to be ridden, and he plays with the rider in the warm up (small bounces and head tosses, just enough to express his joy).

However, stewardship should be universal. The rider should also find mental and physical improvement through their riding. They should be more comfortable in the saddle as they progress, so that they can ride comfortably even into their older years. They should also become more grounded and happier in their riding than before. If life outside of the arena is impacting their riding, care should be given to them to help them with those battles, even if solely for the reason of improving their riding!

I’d also argue that this stewardship should apply outside of the arena to the care of the horse and its environment. Stewardship doesn’t stop with just one species or one area; it is a universal value. So if stewardship stops in the arena, which only occupies an hour of a horse’s day, and doesn’t apply to helping the horse’s environment, which takes up the other 23 hours, what good does it do? If it stops with the horse and doesn’t apply to the pasture in which the horse lives, what good is the work? That doesn’t mean stewardship has to carry as far as we take it, but why shouldn’t it? Why shouldn’t stewardship carry from classical riding to regenerative agriculture? Why shouldn’t it keep going for the rider from inside the arena to helping their mental state for the rest of the day or week? Is classical riding doing someone or some horse any good if it ceases to apply outside of the arena?

Curiosity

Curiosity is the constant desire to learn more, and it should never end, especially in classical riding. Curious about classical riding and history? Dive in and learn! Curious about how to improve the shoulder-in? Look for new exercises, learn about the anatomy, dig into how to help your seat facilitate the horse. This constant thirst for knowledge is another core value that separates classical horsemanship from other disciplines; you can “finish” a horse in other styles, but in classical riding, there’s always more to do. If you approach it with, “I don’t care about knowing that, I just want to do x,” you’ll never progress beyond a certain point. We also must cultivate the horse’s curiosity about its body and its environment. It’s never-ending, but it’s ever-rewarding.

Putting it Together

While other disciplines use these, these are the main three values that define classical riding. We must use compassion to become better stewards, always staying curious about the why and the how we can do this. There’s always more room to learn and grow, no matter how far you think you’ve already come. But no matter what, one should always remember to start with the love for the horse.