Lessons in Lightness: The Art of Educating the Horse

Mark Russell (1951-2016) explains the theories and methods of the Old Masters in his easy-to-implement progression suitable for educating the riding horse in all disciplines.

Lessons in Lightness offers the rider the concept of educating rather than training the horse using relaxation as the cornerstone. A tense horse has difficulty assimilating new information, yet relaxation often can be a difficult state to achieve. Mark Russell demonstrates not only how to attain relaxation but also how to maintain it throughout the horse's education.

Following Mark's well-illustrated advice, energy is created in the horse without tension; the resultant free-flowing energy can be merely directed instead of forced. The progression of obtaining relaxation is fully explained by first accessing the horse's jaw, then working down the entire spine to the hind feet. The method incorporates all lateral movements, in-hand work and under-saddle work in all gaits. Educated using this progression, the horse will develop flexion and strength in a bio-mechanically beneficial way while avoiding emotional stress and physical strain. In this vein, Lessons in Lightness is written with the horse's perspective in mind.

After working with horses in a variety of capacities, Mark studied with Master Nuno Oliveira and, according to Mark, this "changed everything." Mark enriched his horsemanship with his practice of Tai Chi, Chi Gung, and Natural Horsemanship. Mark was a popular clinician who was uniquely able to assist all horses and riders, regardless of their experience level in their chosen discipline.

Mark Russell was tragically killed in a riding accident on June 12, 2016. Mark's wife, Hela is committed to preserving his life's work. For more information visit www.naturaldressage.com.

I discovered my affinity for horses at the age of eight when my mother placed me on the back of a quiet draft horse and left us to graze for an entire afternoon. As soon as I was old enough I went to work at a sales barn and assisted in training and presenting horses. Noticing that my efforts were frequently hampered by poorly shod horses I enrolled in farrier school. For the next decade, my work consisted of a variety of endeavors: training Thoroughbred race horses, training western performance horses and Arabians, and continuing to shoe to improve my horses' movement and comfort. By the late 1970s my business was split equally between shoeing and training. The fact that I was shoeing most of the horses I trained gave me a personal perspective into the unique way each horse traveled. It allowed me to feel from the saddle the effects of any corrective measures I had made to the hoof. As my client list grew, I gained exposure to other riding disciplines outside the western sphere. An introduction to dressage inspired me to examine the origins of classical horsemanship and the writings of the "old masters." As a result, I came to view dressage as essential to all horse training and incorporated its fundamental exercises into my own program regardless of riding discipline. In the 1980s, while pleased with my success in horse training and the direction of my career overall, I wasn't content. There was an ever-present sense that something was absent from my work, some yet-to-be-discovered secret. When a client invited me to attend a clinic with the Portuguese trainer Nuno Oliveira (1925-1989), who was touring the United States at the time, I agreed to join her though I had no particular knowledge of Oliveira or his work. The moment I saw Master Oliveira ride, I knew the secret that had eluded me was right before my eyes. I saw not only lightness, balance, and harmony, but a horse that was happy and proud in his work. Oliveira's humanity spoke to me through the movement of his horse-this was my revelation. After attending that clinic for three days I decided to travel to Portugal to ride at Oliveira's school. While there, my perception of horse training changed dramatically: all of what I had known about the process collided with Oliveira's way of interpreting the horse. Through Master Oliveira's instruction, I learned the principles of riding in lightness, principles that had their roots in the teachings of the old masters, methods now referred to as classical dressage. In my lessons I learned to feel the horse as never before. That was Master Oliveira's gift to me. He taught me to learn from the horse every single day, to listen to the horse, and to feel from the horse, on the horse's terms, not mine. He taught me to focus on the nuances of communication, nuances that had eluded me in the past. I came away from that experience with a deep sense of understanding and purpose. Since then I've worked with students and horses of all abilities and every background. Training in lightness gives the rider insight into an educational process whose goal is to achieve optimal unity between horse and rider. No matter how well you ride or how talented your horse may be, he can only do what you prepare him for and then ask for correctly. That is why a successful training program must work the horse and rider together as a unit.

Bettina Drummond is highly regarded in both the United States and Europe. She teaches the French Classical method of dressage, along with some of the principles of Baucher when appropriate for the horse's development. She is a practicing Baucheriste trainer, following the tradition of the Portuguese Master Nuno Oliveira, who achieved his phenomenal results by grafting the principles of Baucher onto a classical foundation. Bettina spent 17 years in training with Master Oliveira, beginning at age seven. She earned the coveted spurs awarded to instructors at 17, and was recognized as a master trainer at 21. She was also influenced and coached by some of Europe's finest trainers, including General Durand, Ecuyer en Chef and Commandant of the French National Equestrian School in Samur, and Lieutenant Colonel Paolo Angioni of the Italian Cavalry. Based in Washington, CT, Bettina travels across the U.S. and to France to teach and train. She can occasionally be found performing exhibitions with fabulous horses, many of which are her own Lusitanos. Currently, Bettina is actively working to preserve the art of horsemanship through a variety of educational programs. She is a founding member of the new Association for the Promotion of the Art of Horsemanship in America (www.apaha.us). This non-profit organization is dedicated to providing opportunities for people to experience the beauty of the art of horsemanship. But more importantly, APAHA is dedicated to educating the next generation of riders, trainers and teachers. To this end, APAHA provides educational opportunities that are free to participants. These include summer clinics for young riders and symposiums for trainers and teachers. To support the goals of APAHA click here. Bettina has often said that one of the greatest benefits she had in her own equestrian education was having access to the Oliveira's trained horses. Hence, she has been committed to providing that same opportunity to other riders and trainers and has provided several of her own classically-trained stallions to APAHA's educational programs.