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“I have always preferred people who have no idea how incredible they are. I believe they’re the world’s best kept secrets.” (ek)

When it became obvious, with the advancement of research studies, that the equestrian art was about forces and energy, I wondered how many riders would be able to refine their thinking and skill and match the horse’s subtle mastery of forces. With each generation, a few Maters came close but without the support of advanced research studies, they explain their feeling through paraphrases which do not precisely explicate the phenomenon of physics that they have intuitively discovered. “An impression of motion can be achieved and photographic representation of various phases of motion can be done without any knowledge of anatomy and the details of function, but the situation is completely different when it comes to an understanding of the mechanisms involved. This can only be done through careful analysis based on morphology, physics and physiology. Each of these branches contributes to the concepts of biomechanics, an essential part of which is the relation of structures to each other which determines the distribution of forces and consequent actions”. (Richard Tucker, Acta Theriologica. Vol. IX, 13: 171-192. Bialowieza. 30. XI. 1964) As pertinent researches furthered the ability to understand and explain the relation of structures to each other and forces interactions, it became obvious that many riders and horses “have no idea how incredible they are.”

Sophistication engenders sophistication and given a chance, both horses and riders, show awareness, sensitivity, and intelligence far above the alertness stimulated by traditional academic equitation. Ernest Rutherford, Nobel Price on Astrophysics wrote, “Physics is the only science; all else is stamp collecting.” The statement applies to the equestrian world. Riding is physics, it is about forces and energy. The studious application of the correct aids is stamp collecting. It is the vocabulary of a language. Knowing the words is necessary but does not permit the subtlety and nuances that are the essence of our conversation with the horse. The principles of academic equitation are as ineffective to teach academic equitation than the academic education of a language. One cans learn a language four or five years at school and is only capable to use a few usual sentences.

Unable to entertain refines and precise sentences, riders resort to formulas, expecting that the horse will fill the blanks of the clichés. I always wondered how, peoples showing intelligence in life and business can, when immersed in the equestrian world, buy ludicrous theories such as the “one rein stop.” I always wondered how, peoples who know about the complexity of things, could buy theories promising that the metameric structure of the horse vertebral column, counting 186 synovial articulation and associated muscles, could be straightened between the rider inside leg and the outside rein. There are enormous blanks in the clichés that are accepted without questioning. The horse upper neck muscles are designed and constructed to resist attraction of gravity that is pulling the head down to earth. The burden of the head and neck is about 10% of the horse body weight. The lower the neck the greater the resistance of the upper neck muscles. How can anyone believe that lowering the neck would stretch the upper neck muscles?

Thomas Paine, explained the source of most equestrian principles. “A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right.” (Thomas Paine) Repeated enough, apparently right principles became one’s core belief and new knowledge is judges in respect of one’s core belief instead of intelligent curiosity. “Sometimes peoples hold a core belief that is very strong. When they are presented with evidences that works against that belief, the new evidence cannot be accepted. It would create a feeling that is extremely uncomfortable, called cognitive dissonance. And because it is so important to protect the core belief, they will rationalize, ignore and even deny anything that doesn’t fit in with the core belief.” (Frantz Fanan)

Opposition to new knowledge is common but even more common is embracing new knowledge. “In science, it often happens that scientists say, ‘You know that’s really a good argument; my position is mistaken’ and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It does not happen as often as it should, because scientists are humans and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.” (Carl Sagan) I was skeptical at first, thinking that the equestrian world was not different than politics and that dogmas are often accepted and protected, based on faith instead of facts. I realized than that quite often, riders, trainers and also therapists are stuck into a system because this is what they have been told, but they know intuitively that the system is wrong. They accept the system not due to lack on intelligence but because this is all that is offered to them. They embrace new knowledge and wonder how they have remained blind for so long.

While it is comfortable for the conductor of a large orchestra to turn his back to the crowd. It demands an extraordinary courage for an individual rider to question tradition. Great Masters encouraged upgrading the wisdom of our predecessors to available knowledge. “It does not demean an art to try to maintain it in agreement with science”  Colonel Danloux – 1939) Instead, not so great masters brandish the umbrella of classical education to resist evolution. Albert Einstein wrote, “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction.” (Albert Einstein) It take incredible persons to move in the opposite direction and more and more incredible persons are moving in the opposite direction. They are intuitively fed up by the dogmas which do not prepare their horse’s physique for the effort. They don’t believe “poor behavior” theories but do not know why the horse resist. They don’t surrender to the system; they protect instead their horse from the system. They ask pertinent questions and realize that the “principles” of their instructors are Graucho Marx type of principles. "Those are my principles, and if you don't like them...well, I have others" (Graucho Marx)

“Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future.” (Deepak Chopra) Actually, in the equestrian art, the future is the present; knowledge is actual. The problem is that, perpetuating antiquated theories, academic equitation keeps riders, prisoners of the past. The “stretchy trot” for instance, that is rewarded in the show ring, is not a progress, this is a regress. The concept of the “stretchy trot” exploits a very strong core belief. Instead of evolving with knowledge and explaining that the relation between a longer neck posture and the work of the back muscles is a dynamic phenomenon that presents advantages, but has nothing to do with any stretching, elongation or relaxation of the upper neck and back muscles, stretching theories flatter human nature cultivating false core beliefs. Instead, the ones who have the courage to move in the opposite direction, trot at the horse natural cadence with a coordination of the back muscles enhanced by efficient use of the nuchal ligament. The neck is long but respecting the laws of physics, and therefore not low.

Every time we complete the science of motion lecture, ”Long and law of physics,” the large majority of auditors are comfortable with the explanation. They never felt comfortable with long and low. They did it because they have been told to do it but intuitively felt some advantages but also strong disadvantages. They were intuitively right and are intellectually and intuitively comfortable with the fact that the dynamic advantage of a long neck posture is real and the disadvantages of a low neck posture are dramatically damaging.

Carl Sagan is right; many riders are capable to evolve and happy to have done it once they have taken the step.  Bill Bradley wrote, “Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to became better.” (Bill Bradley) but to help others, a leader must have upgrade his principles to actual knowledge. Instead, the ones who follow the crowd head down, don’t help their students and their horses and allow their rear end to become a target. “A leader who keep his ear to the ground allows his rear end to become a target” (Angie Papadakis)

Jean Luc Cornille