There are three fundamental movements that are used in schooling the horse. The first is moving with the horse straight. Straightness seems simple but it is the hardest to achieve. The horse moves like an iceskater, pushing off with first one, then the other hind leg. Forward movement comes as a result of the balancing of those two thrusts. Every horse, like every human, has habitual ways of carrying him or herself that protect stiff joints, or favor dominant limbs.

The inherent crookedness of the horse leads to erratic, rather than graceful movement, and this leads to wear on the joints, muscle tension, and discomfort. The schooling movements are used to help the horse supple tight muscles, work out arthritic tensions, and strengthen weaker limbs in order to permit straightness in forward motion. The horse must move freely to achieve suppling benefits.

Balancing the shoulder in with half pass, when the movements are ridden with the horse in self carriage, creates a suppling effect which leads to straightness and good, athletic posture. Learning to allow the horse to move in self carriage is the first and last exercise for the rider.

From Craig's forthcoming book on Classical Equitation...

The Shoulder In (The You-Tube Version)

"Shoulder in is first mentioned in La Guérinière’s “École de Cavalerie”, and he called it the first and the last exercise in the training of the horse. The movement that preceded the shoulder-in was called “haunches-out”, and was devieloped by William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle. This is why in École de Cavalerie La Guérinière gives Newcastle credit for the invention of the shoulder-in, though in execution and in effect it is a different movement. 

The Half Pass (You-Tube version)

The Half pass, or haunches-in type of movement, is the antagonist of the shoulder-in. Whereas the shoulder-in has a submissive aspect to it, the haunches in is a position in which the movement is more of a dominating posture. The difference between haunches-in and half-pass, as well as renvers, travers, tail-to-the-wall, head-to-the-wall, counter haunches in, and haunches out...are simply where the movement is made in the ring. That is, each of these movements use the same aids, but happen in a different place or along a different trajectory-- a circle, vs a straight line, along the rail with the nose to the wall or with the tail to the wall... or along the rail at a more or less acute angle. The principle idea is that the horse is moving into the bend.

When you ride the horse, it is always moving either straight, shoulder in, or haunches in. The suppling and placing effects of the shoulder in support the suppling effect of the haunches in movements, and these supple the horse to permit true straightness.

Those pesky schooling movements...the one everyone complains about:

The Reverse Demi Volte Haunches out (The You-Tube Version) Reverse Demi Volte, haunches out, is a schooling figure that turns the horse around, and oh by the way...supples his hind end in the process.

email any questions or comments to Mary Anne