PrintOur columnist believes an early, structured focus on style, position and effective riding could benefit young eventers.
I’ve found that any discussion of the term “equitation” tends to create polar opposites of opinion. Advocates of creating a structure in which young riders are judged on style, position and effectiveness will argue that correct basics, instilled early, will lead to a lifetime of more effective riding. They point out how many of the U.S. Equestrian Team’s superstars have gotten their start in the equitation ranks, and they claim that correct form leads to effective function.
Detractors will argue with equal fervor that emphasis on style and “correct” position leads to a stilted, stylized and artificial posture, gained at the expense of feel and a natural harmony with the motion of the horse. Some claim that in recent years there has been an emphasis on equitation as an end in itself, with parents spending large sums on horses, which might be classified as “push button automatons.”
Although both viewpoints have validity, I suggest that U.S. eventing might want to consider creating some type of equitation class for eventers, similar to those already in place for young riders in the hunter/jumper ranks.
There are three distinct “seats” that top eventers have mastered—the dressage seat, the cross-country seat and the show jumping seat—and they are quite different from one another. Any equitation program should address at least the dressage seat and the show jumping seat. It’s probably too difficult logistically to address cross-country jumping.
Why Bother?
We’ve been muddling along for at least 100 years without putting specific emphasis on riding style, except as it may impact the scores in dressage, so “Why fix it if it ain’t broke?”
I think it’s “broke” in the respect that if we accept the premise that good form does correlate with better function, many eventers don’t ride with classic form and effectiveness.
If you go to any event and really study the riders, there will be plenty of lovely, balanced and secure performances by riders who are centered over the motion and whose horses are in control, rather than running flat and out of balance at the jumps.
But there will also be large numbers of riders who exhibit lots of faulty basics. Many ride with stirrups that are too long, with an insecure and swinging lower leg. Some look down, throw their bodies up the neck, allow their horses to run too fast and too flat at the jumps, miss their distances to the take-off point—the usual litany of jumping woes.
In an arena, on flat terrain, over jumps that knock down if hit, most of this is only penalized by loss of points. However, eventers don’t stay on flat footing in an arena over jumps that fall down if they get hit. There are at least five differences between cross-country jumping and show ring jumping, and it’s on cross-country that the lack of good basics has the potential to be lethally unsafe.
First, the speeds are faster. Second, the higher speeds and the open terrain cause many horses to become more aggressive. Third, there are usually hills, creating both uphill and downhill approaches. Fourth, there is greater likelihood of fatigue of both horse and rider. Fifth, all this takes place over solid obstacles.
