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2005 USDF National Symposium by Gerd Heuschmann DVM, Klaus Balkenhol with guests Brigitte Schulte and Heinz Baumann from Herm Sprenger, GmbH Stainless steel is completely neutral. It has no taste or smell, and so no salivation properties. German silver contains copper, which stimulates salivation, but its nickel content can be problematic for horses. Copper alone is too soft a compound for bits, and so Herm Sprenger set out to find an alternative. The result was Aurigan. Traditional single-jointed bits place pressure on the tongue and jaw, and can also apply pressure to the palate, particularly if the bit is too large. With the double-jointed bit, direct pressure only occurs if the horse puts the tongue over the bit. When this happens, the rider has lost all control of the horse. Otherwise, communication with the horse occurs by way of the tongue primarily, and secondarily with the cheeks. The bridoon should be 3/8” larger than the curb. A high port in the curb will place pressure on the palate, and also may allow the tongue to roll into the port, removing protection of the lower jaw [from the tongue]. The curb should not sit on the jaw, but rather be padded from it by the tongue. Dr Gerd Heuschmann The horse can be thought of as 2 pillars in front, and 2 pillars in back, with a bridge (the thoracic and lumbar vertebra) suspended in between. This bridge must carry a very large weight—both the horse’s own, and the rider’s. How to deal with that weight without damage? If we look at the horse’s anatomy, we see a ligament system running the length of the neck, and that when the horse stretches forward and down, this puts tension on it, lifting the horse’s back up. The horse’s topline (the muscles just in front of the withers) also provide support). The horse is a flight animal. Sitting on the horse produces changes. The horse needs to have a supple back. The topline muscles are not developed in a young horse. Therefore, he must use his nuchal ligament to lift his back—the rider must allow him to stretch his cervical spine forward and down so that he can bring his back up. There is no absolute answer for how deep, since it depends on the horse, the weight of the rider, and the height and strength of the horse’s withers. The rider must develop the sensitivity to feel the horse’s position of comfort. The long back muscles are muscles of propulsion (i.e., creating the jump in canter) and not for purpose of supporting the rider. If they are called into use for the latter purpose, they will become hard and stiff, and will lose their suppleness. The topline muscles, the muscles in front of the withers at the base of the neck, are used to lift the neck. We ask these muscles to pull the spines of the withers forward and to lift the back of the horse. Asking the horse to work beyond the point of fatigue causes the muscle to become hard. This muscle requires rest and cannot be framed for more than 20 minutes in one piece. If a rider asks the horse to work with the neck too high (or too tight), he takes support away from the nuchal ligaments, forcing the horse to draw support elsewhere, in many cases the long back muscles, resulting in a lateral walk and disturbed trots. Impressive photos were shown. The importance of riding horses forward in rhythm was discussed. The haunches must flex in the weightbearing phase and accept weight to allow more power in extension. A horse can only show real collection if they are first given the change to develop the extensor muscle system. If a horse is “collected” too soon (held in an artificial frame), there is piaffe without flexion of the haunches—the neck is up, the back is hollow, and the horse is simply trotting on the spot. The gait is not classical. It is anatomically impossible to make the horse loose and supple through the hands. Flexion at the poll should only involve the eye—the head should only move a few centimeters in either direction—greater movement would involve the neck, and result in loss of the connection from the hind leg to the bit if the horse is up in front of the rider. |
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