Is classical riding actually based on natural movements?

Classical riding scholars and masters frequently repeat that the art is based on only natural movements, but is that true? Where do we see horses perform a half-pass or shoulder-in in nature? Or airs above the ground? Surely these are just things that humans have fabricated?

The fascinating thing is all of the classical exercises are observable in nature; you just have to be watching. Foals demonstrate the movements the most frequently and most easily; they love to make canter pirouettes around their dam and then leap up into a capriole. Stallions come next; if you haven’t watched a piaffe or passage in nature, just watch a stallion strut for a mare. Some breeds are more prone to show off than others, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t seen some lovely levades in the cross-ties from warmbloods or beautiful piaffe steps from drafts.

However, something most people don’t realize is some of the simpler movements are much more present in almost daily life.

The other day, I was turning horses out when the wind closed a door, changing the look of the normal path for turnout. Bella immediately arched her neck and went into a perfect travers as we approached.

You see, the lateral movements are used all the time by horses in spooks. Frequently, horses will immediately retreat in shoulder-in and approach in travers. This is fairly normal behavior. The reason is that the horse is monocular, so it gets the widest view of something from the side, but they can focus best looking at the object as well. So the bend of shoulder-in or travers gives them a better view of the scary thing. Likewise, if their haunches are offset, they a) can collect themselves to have better reaction time to flee, b) can fight with their haunches if needed, c) can basically see behind themselves, albeit while sacrificing some of their side view that’s on the side away from the scary object. Most horses will go into shoulder-in because they are fleeing while getting the best view and collecting. Braver individuals will continue to approach but with the caveat of travers. Horses will also often approach each other in travers when meeting new herdmates. This way, they can approach but kick out if the new herdmate is perceived rude/a threat/whatever.

Turn on the forehand and turn on the haunches also are based on quick getaways from scary things. If horses only moved forward without examining first or in the process, they risk exposing their haunches to a predator or wasting energy fleeing from nothing. Some horses, like people, are more reactive than others and won’t use the lateral movements as much, but you can still see them if you watch carefully.

Different natural movements also have different energies behind them, just as human postures have different energies. The reason is based in neurology. Certain postures are reflections of our internal state, but we can also influence our internal state by using the postures. For example, if we’re nervous or entering fight/flight, we tend to tighten our hip flexors, flex our torsos, and adopt a sort of “fetal position.” This posture protects us from threats. An open chest with a tall posture exudes confidence, and it can help the body go out of fight/flight. Lateral movements too can either allow the horse to feel free to escape a “threat” while still being contained or can trigger that “confidence” posture. In fencing, we use these very movements for these purposes: shoulder-in to retreat, travers to attack, pirouette to evade, low airs for quick stops, “on the spot” movements like piaffe and terre a terre for keeping momentum and energy up. Likely, horsemen noticed horses using the movements in those situations and copied what they observed in nature.

On the flip side, is it truly unnatural if it’s possible? What qualifies as an “unnatural” movement?

This is where some classicists draw the line between “modern” dressage and “classical.” However, some “classical” riders created movements that are by and large “unnatural.” Baucher is especially called out for this with three-legged canters and other exercises. However, a lame horse will attempt to canter on only three legs, so how is that unnatural?

The line is drawn where force or pain begins and damage is the result. A healthy horse won’t canter on three legs but will spook in shoulder-in. On the other hand, some movements based on natural movements become distorted by force and discomfort. I’ve seen a few posts on social media recently about the difference in a classical passage versus what is commonly (but not always) seen in the competitive world. One looks basically the same without the rider, the other does not. There are a few telltale signs already covered in those posts, but the cause is constraint caused by the rider. Constraint can be in the hand or even in the seat itself, but it can also be from improper progressive training, whether that’s due to an over-enthusiasm to get to the movements or whether it’s due to ensuring the horse doesn’t have the correct mechanics established first (such as not clearing out compensation patterns first before adding more of a strength load).

What about gaited horses? A gaited horse will gait in the pasture without a rider. Maybe not as extravagantly (when it becomes “unnatural”), but if they have the gene, they will gait. If they don’t, they shouldn’t be taught, but if they do, there’s no reason not to teach proper biomechanics. This will improve how they gait to maintain health and soundness for as long as possible. However, since it is genetic, and the gene is very old and does not appear to cause harm (unlike hypermobility or muscle disorder genes), it’s not “unnatural.”

In essence, all of the mainstream “dressage” movements and classical exercises are indeed natural because they’re based on what the horse will do of its free will in the field, but they can be distorted into something unnatural if care isn’t taken to create a healthy biomechanical foundation and avoid causing harm. So next time you work with your horse, watch what happens when it reacts to something in its environment and see if it shows off some of these movements. You’ll be fascinated by what you see if you slow down and really watch.

-Emily Wright

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