On the Bit 4.0

©Thomas Ritter 2009



Paul Plinzner is best known today for finishing and publishing the notes of his teacher, Gustav Steinbrecht, under the title “The Gymnasium of the Horse”. He was also the écuyer to the last German emperor, William II. Plinzner rode with Steinbrecht in 1877 and 1878, and subsequently made Steinbrecht’s lessons into his own system of gymnastic training. I find a lot of valid and intelligent explanations in Plinzner’s own publications, although he… Continue

On the Bit 3.0

©Thomas Ritter 2009



After discussing a couple of paragraphs from Gustav Steinbrecht’s “Gymnasium of the Horse”, I would like to share a very interesting account of his own personal riding. It’s very rare to find eyewitness reports on the way the old masters rode. We usually only have their books, but no way of finding out how they actually rode themselves. We are lucky that Paul Plinzner wrote a brief characterization of Steinbrecht’s riding in a short homage to… Continue

On the Bit 2.0

©Thomas Ritter 2009



Gustav Steinbrecht (1884):



“The steadiness of the neck, that is, the secure connection of the individual cervical vertebrae with one another and their correct position relative to one another can be ensured only by unweakened and well developed thrust. The flexibility of the neck, however, can be ensured only by the carrying capacity of the hindquarters. Forehand and hindquarters can therefore be worked only alternatingly against one… Continue

On the Bit 1.0

©Thomas Ritter 2009



I want to explore the notion of riding the horse “on the bit” in the next few entries. It is something that most riders struggle with for a long time. It is something that is considered to be of central importance in dressage. Yet, it is not as well defined as one should think. Opinions on what being on the bit is or looks like diverge. A posture that is considered to be on the bit by rider A may be considered to be above the bit by rider B.… Continue

Work Space

©Thomas Ritter 2009



I want to say a couple of things about the proper work space for the training of a dressage horse. It is very important that the arena footing has the right consistency, neither too deep, nor too hard. Footing that is too deep can easily lead to suspensory ligament and other soft tissue injuries. Excessively hard footing will eventually contribute… Continue

Turn on the Forehand in Motion



©Thomas Ritter 2009



The turn on the forehand in motion is an excellent suppling exercise for the horse’s hips. It also has a suppling effect on the abdominal muscles and the neck, if the rider applies bending rein aids. It is a basic exercise that can be ridden with relatively young horses, and it remains useful throughout the entire rest of the horse’s career.



The turn on the forehand in motion goes back to Pluvinel’s work around… Continue

©Thomas Ritter 2009



The term “accepting the bit” is frequently encountered these days. It usually refers to a quiet mouth and steady head and neck carriage. The Old Masters didn’t really mention the “acceptance of the bit” very often – probably because these qualities have very little to do with the bit or the horse’s attitude towards the bit. Instead, they have everything to do with suppleness, balance, and straightness. The rein contact in general is a reflection of the posture of… Continue