Ernst Friedrich Seidler was a civilian écuyer at the cavalry riding school in Schwedt a.d.Oder in Prussia, close to the Polish border. He had made a name for himself by successfully training difficult horses and retraining horses that had been ruined by poor training and handling. He wrote two books that are full of fascinating insights and great practical tips. One of his most important observations was that horses that are difficult to ride usually also have a difficult conformation, and that the saliva gland between the jowl and the neck is the root cause of many behavioral and training issues.
In the following excerpt, he gives an example of how a saliva gland can cause problems with the haunches-in, as well as how to overcome these problems by using counter-movements and lateral flexions at the halt.
Ernst Friedrich Seidler, 1846, 228f.:
“It often happens that a horse not only does not move away from the outside leg enough, but even opposes the leg or kicks against the spur, some on the right, others on the left. The reason for this lies in most cases in the lacking lateral flexibility of the poll on the opposite side (the side to which the horse is supposed to go). The first thing we need to do in order not to disturb the regularity of the footfall is to introduce the movement with very moderate flexion and partial position. Now, if we gradually increase these flexions to the horse’s limit and we encounter an opposition, we bend the horse in a counter-position, if the stronger effect of the outside rein does not suffice to contain it. For example, in the haunches-in right, we change the bend to counter-shoulder-in left, and to the regular shoulder-in left, for as many strides as is necessary to make the hindquarters follow appropriately. Once this is accomplished, we gradually introduce the original flexions again. With these counter-flexions which we repeat several times in these movements, and for a few days in a row, we suppress the pushing against the outside calf and the kicking against the spur.
However, since the lacking lateral flexibility in the poll was the main reason for the opposition against the calf, we must also try to remove the main reason by flexions at the halt and turns in place or in small voltes. This is how we can introduce them: We lead the horse into the middle of the arena, place him into our hand with good elevation and bend him in both directions, on the stiff side repeatedly. If he is stiff on the right side, we begin with a small shoulder-in volte left to draw his attention to the left calf. As soon as he obeys, we go straight and repeat a few strides. Then we assume the intended head position and lead him step by step into a small renvers volte. As soon as he refuses a stride, we halt and bend him again. Afterward, we continue the turn, and if there should still be resistance against the calf, we immediately change the bend into a shoulder-in volte for a few strides, and as soon as he goes away from the leg we return to the renvers position.”
The scenario Seidler describes is a horse that is hollow left and stiff right, with a tightness in the poll on the right side that is caused by the saliva gland. This tightness in the right poll and throat latch area shows up as a reluctance to perform a haunches-in right. The horse doesn’t “want” to bend right and yield to the left leg. In fact, he kicks against the left leg and spur.
Seidler recommends to begin the haunches-in right with a very shallow angle and very little bend, and then to increase the angle and the bend until the rider can feel the beginning of a resistance against the left leg. At this point, he changes the bend to the left, i.e. the haunches-in right becomes a counter shoulder-in. Or, if you were riding a renvers on the left rein, you change the bend to a shoulder-in left.
Seidler maintains the shoulder-in left or counter shoulder-in position on the right rein only as long as possible until both hind legs step properly underneath the body. Then he changes the bend again to haunches-in right or renvers on the left rein.
Alternating between haunches-in and counter shoulder-in or between renvers and shoulder-in will over time eliminate the resistance against the outside leg.
However, since the root cause of the resistance is the blockage in the poll, the rider has to address this area as well. For this purpose, Seidler halts in the middle of the arena and flexes the poll laterally in both directions, but more often in the stiffer direction than to the hollow side.
If the horse is stiff right, he rides a volte to the left in a shoulder-in position to bring the left hind leg more underneath the body and to draw the horse’s attention to the left leg. The text is not entirely clear as to what happens next. Seidler writes that he straightens the horse and repeats a few strides. He doesn’t specify what it is that he repeats for a few strides. Maybe shoulder-in again?
After a few strides of this Seidler rides a renvers volte to the left to test if the horse is now accepting the left leg and right rein. If he resists, Seidler stops and flexes the poll laterally again. Then he resumes the renvers volte, and if the horse resists, he changes the bend to shoulder-in. When the horse relaxes into the shoulder-in volte, Seidler changes the bend to renvers again.
So, it sounds like Seidler addresses this opposition to the leg on the hollow side that is caused by a tightness in the poll on the stiffer side, by changing the bend back and forth between haunches-in and counter shoulder-in as well as between renvers and shoulder-in. And in addition, he stops and mobilizes the poll with flexions at the halt.
In my own practical experience, I have often observed that resistances in the poll and resistances in the hindquarters tend to go hand in hand, so in order to overcome the problem we need to address the poll as well as the hip. I have had good success with alternating between an exercise that mobilizes the hindquarters through sidestepping, including counter-movements, and suppling the poll by flexing it laterally. When you play with this idea, you will find that when you can get the poll to relax a little more, the hips will relax as well, and when you can mobilize the hindquarters, the poll will relax as well.
