Divide and Conquer Book 1: Fundamental Dressage Techniques

DIVIDE and CONQUER

Book 1

BY François Lemaire de Ruffieu

© 2015 by François Lemaire de Ruffieu

TXu 1-958-885 © 2015

François Lemaire de Ruffieu

Edited by Richard F. Williams

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or by any information storage or retrieval system except by a written permission from the publisher.

Published by Xenophon Press LLC

7518 Bayside Road, Franktown, Virginia 23354-2106, U.S.A.

ISBN-10: 0-933316-89-5

ISBN-13: 978-0-933316-89-8

ISBN-13: 978-0-933316-91-1 (e-book)

Cover design by Naia Poyer. Cover painting by François Lemaire de Ruffieu.

All drawings, diagrams and paintings in this book are the copyrighted works of the author, François Lemaire de Ruffieu.

DIVIDE and CONQUER

Book 1

BY François Lemaire de Ruffieu

These pages are dedicated to all my Students

and Riders I have yet to meet.

AVANT PROPOS

Times have changed. Today, many modern riders have ignored the discoveries of the great riding Masters. Many of those Masters were members of the military. For centuries, the military, for obvious as well as practical reasons, codified guidelines to physically and psychologically train horses.

I have spent several years in the Cavalry. I earned the privilege and was proud to wear the black uniform and golden spurs that are trademarks of the Cadre Noir Riding Masters of Saumur, France. The classical military background that I acquired has always helped me to successfully conduct clinics in the Americas and Europe.

In the following pages, I have transcribed my equestrian teaching into print. To complete this work-study, I have sharpened my pencils to add a few explicit drawings. I have asked my long-time friend, Beverly Pellegrini, to review and retype my prose once again.

Figure 1 – Back to basics

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Avant Propos

Preface

Introduction

Important Instruction Review

Initiation to Dressage Principles - The Rider’s Aids

Advice for Trainers and Riders before Beginning the Training Study

The Rider’s Position

Seat

How does the rider obtain a good seat?

Where should the rider sit in the saddle?

How to place the seat in the saddle

Holding the Reins

The Aids

Exercises for the Rider

Lower Body Exercises for the Cox-Femoral Joints and Lower Back while Mounted

Exercises for the Ankles

Upper Body Exercises or the Shoulders and Lower Back while Mounted

Concepts in Training of the Horse

Impulsion - Flexibility

Impulsion

Flexibility

Obedience to the Rider’s Leg Actions

Longitudinal and Lateral Movements

Lesson One – The Learning Phase—Initiation Period (Equi-robic Exercises)

Learning Phase

A. Transitions Walk-Stop-Walk

Adjusting the Reins

Transition from Stop to Walk

Teaching a Lazy Horse to be Obedient to the Legs

B. Zigzag (Serpentine or Slalom)

Rein Actions

Direct Rein

Direct Rein of Opposition

Indirect Rein

Indirect Rein of Opposition in Front of the Withers

Indirect Rein of Opposition Behind the Withers

C. Lengthening and Shortening the Walk

D. Moving the Haunches

E. Rein Back

F. Changing Directions

Lesson Two – The Working Phase, Beginning of Dressage, Low School Dressage

The Trot

A. Longitudinal Exercise: Transitions Trot-Walk-Trot

B. Lateral Exercise: Zigzags

C. Longitudinal Exercise: Lengthening and Shortening the Strides at the Trot

D. Lateral Exercise: Moving the Haunches

Lesson Three -- Further Study

The Canter

Progression to generate the right lead canter by applying the outside lateral aids

Progression to generate the right lead canter by applying the inside diagonal aids

Progression to generate the right lead canter by applying the inside lateral aids

Progression to obtain the right lead canter from the walk

Progression for the downward transition from the canter to the walk

Phase One. Steady the Pace

Phase Two. Shorten the Canter Strides

Phase Three. Lengthening the Canter Strides

Exercises to Improve the Canter

Counter-canter

Lesson Four -- Exercises

Exercise One. Transitions, Changing Gaits

Exercise Two. Zigzags

Exercise Three. Lengthening and Shortening the Gaits

Exercise Four. Moving the Haunches

Lesson Five—On the Bit

A. Lateral Flexion

B. Direct Flexion

C. Placing the Horse on the Bit

D. Placing the Horse on the Bit While Moving Laterally

Lesson Six—Practical Exercises

A. To unlock the horse’s poll and spine

B. To prepare for the rotation of the shoulders around the haunches

C. To stretch and compress the horse’s entire body

D. To further unlock the horse’s shoulders

E. To further unlock the horse’s haunches

F. To coordinate both extremities of the horse

G. To individually and then simultaneously move the horse’s body parts

H. To coordinate the rider’s aids by displacing the horse’s body parts

I. To supple the horse’s spinal column and teach the rider to coordinate the aids

J. To develop instantaneous response to the rider’s aids

K. To further develop obedience and spontaneity to the rider’s aids

L. To improve the mobility of the horse’s hindquarters

M. To improve the suppleness of the horse’s spinal column in both directions

N. To prepare for the outside half pirouette

O. To prepare for the outside half counter pirouette

P. To prepare for the inside half pirouette

Q. To prepare for the inside half counter pirouette

R. To develop instantaneous obedience to the rider’s aids and instill the idea of full pirouettes

S. To prepare for the instantaneous obedience to the rider’s aids and eventually to perform full counter pirouettes

T. Test longitudinal obedience

U. Lengthening the trot on the diagonals across the arena

V. Improve canter departures

W. Spiral in and out at the canter

X. To improve and perfect the counter-canter

Y. To prepare for the future flying changes of lead at the canter

Z. Exercises blending longitudinal and lateral movements to verify the promptness of the horse’s obedience and the rider’s accuracy

Friendly Advice

Epilogue

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure 1 – Back to Basics

Plate 1 – Louis Cazeau de Nestier (1684-1754)

Figure 2 – Dress Code

Figure 3 – Hand and Leg effects

Figure 4 – Rider’s Position

Figure 5 – The Chair

Figure 6 – The Fork

Figure 7 – Classic way

Figure 8 – Modern way

Figure 9 – Holding the reins

Figure 10 – Coordination

Figure 11 – Stretching from the ground

Figure 12 – Lower body exercises

Figure 13 – Toes

Figure 14 – Upper body

Figure 15 – Volte, ½ Volte, Circle

Plate 2 – Marquis de Poyanne, founder of the Cavalerie de Saumur

Figure 16 – No point in fighting

Figure 17 – Serpentine – Slalom Zigzag

Figure 18 – Supination

Figure 19 – Supinate indirect rein

Figure 20 – Direct rein

Figure 21 – Direct rein

Figure 22 – Indirect rein of opposition

Figure 23 – Indirect rein – neck rein

Figure 24 – In front of the withers

Figure 25 – Behind the withers

Figure 26 – School walk (pas d’école)

Figure 27 – Six bipeds

Figure 28 – Foot prints good and bad

Figure 29 – Hexagon, square, triangle

Figure 30 – Moving the haunches

Figure 31 – This not That

Figure 32 – Rein back

Figure 33 – Changing directions

Plate 3 – Gala uniform of the Colonel, Écuyer en Chef of the Cadre Noir of Saumur

Figure 34 – Cardinal points

Figure 35 – Zigzag

Figure 36 – Loops left indirect rein

Figure 37 – Indirect rein

Figure 38 – Moving the haunches

Figure 39 – Outside lateral aids

Figure 40 – Inside diagonal aids

Figure 41 – Inside lateral aids

Figure 42 – Canter outside lateral aids

Figure 43 – Diagonal aids

Figure 44 – Inside lateral aids

Figure 45 – Canter longer

Figure 46 – Activity of the posterior

Figure 47 – 24 strides

Figure 48 – The classroom

Figure 49 – Trot walk stop

Figure 50 – Zigzag on straight line

Figure 51 – Lengthen shorten

Figure 52 – Haunches in and out work on a figure 8

Figure 53 – On the bit

Figure 54 – Lateral flexion

Figure 55 – Direct flexion

Figure 56 – Is my horse on the bit?

Figure 57 – Dressage arenas

Figure 58 – Nose in

Figure 59 – Nose out

Figure 60 – Nose in and out

Figure 61 – Preparing for rotation around the haunches

Figure 62 – Counter change

Figure 63 – Unlocking the shoulders

Figure 64 – Pushing the haunches

Figure 65 – Moving shoulders and haunches

Figure 66 – Serpentine

Figure 67 – Nose inside

Figure 68 – Nose outside

Figure 69 – Nose inside haunches outside

Figure 70 – Nose outside haunches inside

Figure 71 – Nose outside haunches outside

Figure 72 – Nose inside haunches inside

Figure 73 – Coordinating the rider’s aids

Figure 74 – Suppling the horse’s spinal column

Figure 75 – Developing instantaneous response to the rider’s aids

Figure 76 – Further developing obedience and spontaneity to the rider’s aids

Figure 77 – Improving the mobility of the horse’s hindquarters, strengthen stifle joints

Figure 78 – Improving the suppleness of the horse’s spinal column

Figure 79 – Moving the haunches outside

Figure 80 – Moving the haunches

Figure 81 – Moving the shoulders inside

Figure 82 – Moving the haunches inside

Figure 83 – Pushing the shoulders

Figure 84 – Pushing the haunches

Figure 85 – Test on longitudinal obedience

Figure 86 – (a) Lengthening the trot on the diagonals

Figure 87 – (b) Lengthening the trot on the diagonals

Figure 88 – (c) Lengthening the trot on the diagonals

Figure 89 – (d) Lengthening the trot on the diagonals

Figure 90 – Improving the canter departure

Figure 91 – Spiraling in and out at the canter

Figure 92 – Improving the counter-canter

Figure 93 – Preparing for future flying changes of lead

Figure 94 – Exercises blending longitudinal and lateral movements

All drawings, diagrams and paintings in this book are the work of the author, François Lemaire de Ruffieu.

Plate 1 – Louis Cazeau de Nestier (1684-1754)

PREFACE

"Theory is knowledge, practice is savoir faire but knowledge must always precede the action. Action must be defined through both knowledge and practice."

—Anonymous

Educating and training a