The “Schaukel” used to be included in the Dressage Grand Prix and was considered the summum of balance and impulsion control. It was traditionally perfected at the end of the training progression, hence its inclusion in the highest-level dressage test, just like piaffe and passage.
This is an exercise of coordination and suppleness that does not require any particular muscular effort, so there is no need for a long athletic conditioning. Since the invention of the Zentora Com’Along that helps the horse understand and accept the guidance of the handler’s hand without resistance, the Schaukel exercise can be practiced with a horse of any age that accepts to be haltered. Its benefits for the harmonious development of the horse skeletomuscular structure is immense and immediate, without any downside whatsoever.
It also has a profound effect on the horse’s behavior, as it creates an immediate willingness to cooperate. It is associated with developing a feeling of safety and trust that reflects a perfect parasympathetic mode, obtained immediately by the trainer. The particular sensation created by the Zentora Com’Along Halter carries over to
all the situations it is used in: leading, loading, tying, lunging and simply “being” with the trainer. Horses who have learned this work manifest a great level of affection of this person within a few minutes of its practice. They will frequently stand very close and rest their mouth on the trainer’s shoulder and stand there calmly as they would with their oldest friend.
The Sshaukel (meaning “swing”) consists in a sequence of continuous forward and backward steps.
- For instance: 6 back, 4 forward, 5 back, 8 forward, etc.
- The key to its value is in the immediacy of the changes of direction back and forth.
It is designed to alternate the activity of the active propulsive muscles (forward reach of the front legs and engagement of the hind legs coming under the body) and their passive stretch in the backing (when the body weight comes over the legs). Backing is the maximum control over the weight distribution as the horse is willing to bring all his weight into the dynamic opposite to his natural locomotion. Its practice translates into an improved balance in all the forward gaits. To do this movement correctly (and practice makes perfect) the horse must relax his topline and eliminate all forms of inversion (contraction) along the spine. It encourages the diagonal reflex of the horse, which is the basis for all the collected work. It must be noted that diagonal exercises and backward motion have a considerable value for brain function. They are used in rehab for patients with neurological dysfunctions (stroke, Parkinson, etc.) as “brain resets.”
This work, with the addition of the lateral swing (opening front and back legs to each side by simply moving the nose left and right) give the horse a degree of balance (the “variable geometry equilibrium”) unequalled in the entire equestrian written corpus.
Protocol Under saddle, the lesson goes as follow:
Begin in a square halt, then ride 4 to 6 steps backwards (do not rush).
Immediately close your legs and walk the horse forward four steps, then halt again.
Repeat this sequence until it feels like you are smoothly rocking your horse forward and backwards over the same spot, balancing over whichever diagonal you chose to engage.
- First practice frequent halts with a lifted hand to change the horse’s balance toward his rear. You can use a few taps on the front legs or feet or chest, or even the underneath of the neck to be better understood.
Combine the following signals:
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Visual: raising the whip toward the horse’s eye, as high as needed at first, then simply moving the (left
hand (if you are holding the horse from his left with the right hand) slightly upward, forward and right to
place the whip square in front of his face. The advantage is that the horse stops in one piece without any
change in neck posture -
Verbal: Whoa!! Should come just before the hand action to warn the horse of what his coming and
eventually to work as an “anticipator” to all other actions. It is rarely helpful to rise the voice at the
beginning of training because the voice signal only works as an association with other signals. The
advantage is that verbal signals transfer to lunging and riding. -
Mechanical: raise the head by raising the hand to change the horse’s balance. The advantage is that verbal
signals transfer to lunging and riding - Mimetic: Stop your forward step and lean back to entice the horse into acting like you. This will transfer to the saddle IF a handler on the ground uses it, while the rider uses other signals (seat motion for instance).
- Touch: press the training stick to any part of the horse, starting by the chest, underline of the neck, front of the front leg(s), withers, back and hind leg(s). The advantage is that touch transfers to every situation and can be applied with the stick, the hand, the legs or the seat. It is easily associated with verbal commands.
- For memory: steady touch is stopping movement and emotional reassurance, quick tapping is relaxation, stronger tapping is for activity (trot depart), moving caress is for soft movement.
- Dominance: if the signals are ignored and the horse keep walking on, tap him under the chin with the handle of the whip until his head is high enough to report weight on the hind legs, flex the haunches and stop their forward drive. The advantage is that the horse will tend to obey his effective/benevolent leader without asking questions in all circumstances.
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Visual: raising the whip toward the horse’s eye, as high as needed at first, then simply moving the (left
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REMINDERS:
- Make sure not to pull back, down or left to prevent the horse from stopping crooked (or not stopping at all)
- Little by little, separate the signals (a main one and one reinforcer), such as: Verbal and Mimetic, Visual and Mechanical, Mimetic and Mechanical, Verbal and Touch, then separate further until each signal works entirely on its own. A horse that understands, accepts and comply to many signals is like a multilingual individual: more agile brain and more nuances, as each vocabulary has a slightly different effect that can correct what is lacking in other forms of communication.
2. Practice strike-offs (departs) After a rein-back, departs are the maximum expression of the desire to go forward. Ask by clearly pulling the lead line forward with a firm and constant force (it needs very little). The first step must happen with the nose out and the arched neck stretched. If the horse resists by inverting the neck (poll up and
back), separate the lessons:
- Hold the horse in place with the training stick holding the chest or the front leg in a passive pressure and a WHOA!!.
- Pull the lead line forward until the head advances and the neck stretches in a forward arch.
- Then ask the horse to go forward in the relaxed posture by using a more active touch and a cluck.
- If the horse always strikes off with the same leg, use the stick to keep that leg down on the ground while asking to starts with the other one.
3. Go forward and get a square halt by any of the previous means but square off the horse’s front legs with a little tap on the chest or on the withers for a half-step.
4. Practice rein back by using all the same signals used for the halt, but move your steps in his direction to back him off.
5. To increase the backward range of motion, push the horse on turns and backward circles. This will make the step of the outside lateral pair increase its reach, until the front foot comes close to landing just in front of the hind foot on the ground.
6. The forward transitions achieve a high degree of suppleness of the whole body and no blockage of the topline. If the topline is inverted in any way, the translation of weight back to front will not happen.