24条实用骑乘与教学金律，你做到了几条？（一）

马的体格庞大，所以应该由它来承载你的重量。同时，你的骑坐越安静，马匹则越轻松。 ——Bill Steinkraus



1、确保你的备马程序准确、装备到位，之后你需要做的就是全神贯注地骑马。

Bill Steinkraus 是我见过的最注重细节的骑手，大到自己的服装、马匹装备，小到手套、头盔、马鞭、马刺，他都会严格要求其质量、样式，并且定期对它们进行修护及清理。他虽然会为不同的马匹选择不同的水勒，但他最常用的还是大勒。上马之前，他的装备以及马匹总是一尘不染，任何细微的小物件也都要井然有序，最后他需要做的就是全身心地骑马了！

2、马的体格庞大，所以应该由它来承载你的重量。同时，你的骑坐越安静，马匹则越轻松。

Bill 就马匹“自我承载”理论作出了示范。他骑在马上虽然看似什么都没做，但马匹却呈现出自我承载的状态。对此 Bill 的看法是，如果一匹马需要你使用过多的动力扶助和控制扶助（包括腿部扶助、缰绳扶助、重心及声音扶助）来做到自我承载，那么这只能说明这匹马还没有被调教好。

3、马匹的动力来自于后肢。因此，你必须让马匹的后肢工作起来，而不应该简单的将注意力集中在你能看到的马头和它的前肢。

下一次看马术比赛时，你可以注意观察一下，在平地骑乘时，有多少人是在“用手骑马”？我相信答案是大多数人。再看看有多少人是把马的后肢“骑”到自己的手中的？我相信答案是少数人。又有多少马是真正的受衔呢？答案依然是少数。

4、“拉”是双向力，不要拉，也不要推。

一匹难以控制的马一旦“接受”了你的腿和骑坐，它就不再难以控制了。同样的，一匹“重”的马一旦接受了你的腿和骑坐，它也不再“重”了。所有的马匹都应该学会接受你的向前扶助，只有这样它们的嘴才会变“轻”。

5、想要让你的马变得既敏捷又有服从性，那么首先它必须是安静的、直的、向前的。

安静是首要前提。你骑马时，马匹从始至终都需要是安静的，否则你无法进步。同时，马匹向前的动力不可或缺。一匹不愿向前的马，也无法做到向后、向左、向右的运动。“直”是控马精髓所在，也是让马收缩的第一步。所以要时刻让你的马保持“直”的状态。

6、当马匹弯曲时，弯进去的一侧就是有问题的一侧。

（在今天的比赛中你应该不止一次看到过这种现象。）马匹通过向一侧过度屈挠来逃避骑手在另一侧给的扶助。要记住，马是会用你教给它的“知识”来对付你的。

7、内方缰控制屈挠；外方缰控制速度。

现在我们能够看到太多的骑手过多地使用内方缰。骑马是从作为主导的内方腿开始，将马“骑”到同样具有主导性的外方缰上的。外方缰既是用来控制半减却的，也是控制马的。所以可以说一匹训练有素的马是不需要使用过多的内方缰来控制的。

8、永远不要失去与马嘴的联系。你要通过缰绳保持与马嘴的紧密联系，让马去承载自己的头部重量；你，作为骑手则去控制自己的手。

Bill 所有的课程中，让我印象最深的就是“如何让马低头”。比你的手和马的头哪个能抬得更高毫无意义。马匹会通过低头来逃避你的手。我看到过太多骑手将双手放低或张开或“搓缰”。马匹很讨厌骑手这样，这时它们就会向上或向下来避衔。

（待续）

Two Dozen of Bill Steinkraus’ Useful Aphorisms（1）

Bill Steinkraus wasn't one of my teachers as a young man. But I watched him school Maud Farrell's horses early on at Ox Ridge (Conn.), and I watched him at many horse shows, rode with him from time to time, and of course, later on became his teammate at the U.S. Equestrian Team. So Bill was one of my principal influences, my mentor. I grew up hearing, seeing and using many of Bill's aphorisms , and they always kept me in good stead . And so here are Two Dozen of Bill Steinkraus’ Useful Aphorisms.My comments are strictly from my own personal riding experience , not his.

No. 1. Get your tack and equipment just right, and then forget about it and concentrate on the horse.
Bill Steinkraus was the most meticulous man I have ever ridden with when it came to the quality ,make,repair,and cleanliness of his own personal attire and of his tack .Down to his gloves ,hat ,whip and spurs——it had to be just so.He was very particular in fitting a bridle to a particular horse and always preferred pelhams. His equipment,his tack ,and his horse were all scrupulously clean before he mounted.Everything down to the tiniest detail was in perfect order.Now all he to do was ride the horse！

No. 2. The horse is bigger than you are, and it should carry you. The quieter you sit, the easier this will be for the horse.
Bill exemplified this principle of self-carriage for the horse.He appeared to do nothing.If you haveto use your driving aids a great deal (legs,weight,voice),your horse hasn't been properly trained to them.If you have to use your restraining aids a great deal(hands,weight,voice),your horse hasn’t been properly trained to them.

No. 3. The horse's engine is in the rear. Thus, you must ride your horse front behind and not focus on the forehand simply because you can see it.
Go to the next horse show.How many people are hand-riding on the flat? (Most of them.) How many people are riding leg to hand?(Few of them.) How many horses are “connected” and truly on the bit?(Again,few.)

No. 4. It takes two to pull.Don't pull, push.
Once a hot,strong horse accepts your leg and seat,he’s no longer hot and strong.Once a cold horse really accepts your leg and is in front of the leg ,he’s no longer cold.All horses must be taught to accept your driving aids. Then their mouths will improve immeasurably.

No. 5. For your horse to be keen but submissive, it must be calm, straight and forward.
Calm is first. Calm must permeate everything when you work around a horse, or else you cannot proceed.Forwardness is absolutely indispensable. Once cannot go forward, backward, left or right without the horse "thinking" forward.Straightness is the essence of control ; it is the very first step of collection. Keep your horse tracking straight.

No. 6. When the horse isn't straight, the hollow side is the difficult side.
You see this a lot at the horse shows today. The horse escapes the aids by over bending to the inside.Remember, whatever you teach a horse, he'll use against you.

No. 7. The inside rein controls the bending ; the outside rein controls the speed.
We see too much inside rein today. Let's start with the dominant inside leg, which puts the horse to the dominant outside rein, which is the half-halt rein, which controls the horse. A well-ridden horse is very little on the inside rein.

No. 8. Never rest your hands on the horse's mouth. You make a contract with it : you carry your head and I'll carry my hands.
One of my most memorable riding lessons from Bill was how to get a horse's head down. Raise your hands!One's hands can always go higher than the horse's head. He'll seek to escape this pressure by going the other way-down. I see too many low hands, spread hands, and sawing hands. Horses hate this, and they either go above the bit or behind the bit.

（To Be Continued）

George H. Morris:美国著名的马术骑手、教练和裁判员，曾任美国场地障碍国家马术队领队及总教练。1960年罗马奥运会代表美国队获团体银牌。数十次国家冠军队成员，赢得过传统大赛德国亚琛及加拿大卡尔加里的冠军。14岁就成为最年轻的美国国家队冠军。2006年FEI世界马术大会个人和团体银牌，曾带领美国队获得2004年雅典奥运会和2008年北京奥运会团体金牌。他的学生遍及世界各地，取得过不计其数的世界马术障碍赛冠军，其中包括著名的美国骑手 Beezie Madden 和德国骑手 Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum。Morris 还曾被英国马术杂志《马术师实践》誉为世纪骑手，深受马术圈内人士的敬重。


Bill Steinkraus：担任了多年美国场地障碍国家马术队队长，可谓有史以来独具智慧的骑手之一，他的美式轻骑法广受褒奖。Bill 既是George Morris在美国国家队的队友，也是对他影响巨大的导师。


George Morris自述在成长过程中，曾听到、看到并多次运用到许多Bill的骑乘格言金律，这也一直帮助他，让他保持良好的骑马与教学状态。他记述了24条Bill非常实用的格言金律，并结合亲身实践经验写了这篇文章，希望对骑手们有所助益。




来源：天星调良马术