The fascination of Working Equitation
Where did Stefan Baumgartner first meet vaqueros and what does this have to do with an adventure playground for horse and rider? In this video and the foreword to his book, we would like to tell you how and where Stefan Baumgartner discovered working equitation and how he is still fascinated by it today.
Working Equitation
"Working Equitation - a term that is conquering the world of riders and horses. But what is behind it? I'll try to explain it to you as concisely and briefly as possible: Most of us only know the so-called "western riding" as a working riding style. Few people know that autonomous work riding has survived here in Europe to this day, at least regionally...
...In the Camargue it is the Gardians, in Tuscany the Butterie, in Spain the Vaqueros and in Portugal the Campesinos. All these regional riding styles are strongly national in character and so a common set of rules was drawn up in order to be able to compete with each other and make the riding styles known nationwide. Each nation renounced some traditional specialities and idiosyncrasies, so that a common denominator was found. Working Equitation was born...
...But for many, including me, there is much more to this equestrian discipline. The casual elegance and seemingly effortless way of riding, yet with precision and charisma - a fascination that few can resist...
... I still remember the years when I roamed the fields and meadows with my horse as a "wannabe western rider" and looked down on dressage riders (especially) with disdain. A cool saddle, smart boots, sitting crookedly but casually on the horse - that was enough to sell yourself as a horseman and an "alternative"...
...Sometime during a holiday in Spain it happened: I saw them, manoeuvring the horse with one hand, a glass of sherry in the other. And the horses....These horses, they looked like they were exploding with power and energy and yet they stood chewing contentedly with loose reins at the entrance to a pub. I was fascinated and couldn't take my eyes off them. In a dusty car park next door, colleagues showed what their way of riding looked like. It was actually really cool and didn't look as cramped as the riders in our riding club...
...This day of my first encounter with vaqueros was deeply engraved in my memory and never left me. Even when everyday life at home had me firmly in its grip again, I still had these images in my head. This self-image in dealing with the horse still fascinates me today...
...It was only by chance that on one of my trips to the Iberian Peninsula I ended up at a "vaquero show" that wasn't one. This was to be my first contact with working equitation. It was the first time I had seen a show to my liking: well-trained horses, creative obstacles and top riders. It seemed like a kind of adventure playground for horse and rider...
After I had been able to improve my own riding skills to a tolerable level, the desire to introduce these competitions in my home country grew stronger and stronger. And so began the "working equitation adventure" in Germany...
Today, I see the working equitation show scene with a smile and a tear in my eye, and not just in Germany. Gone are the days when the course was worked out the night before and nobody could prepare in detail. It is probably in the nature of the competition that the rules, regulations and standards get out of hand. However, the many riders who have opted for this equestrian discipline in recent years and their handling of their horses shows me that this was the right way to go....
... Because as the saying goes: the journey is the reward. And if, on the way to becoming a working equitation horse, a luxurious riding horse"emerges", what higher goal could a rider have? Or can you imagine a better feeling than when a 500 kg creature willingly places itself at your disposal, melts into a single unit with you and responds to the finest of aids?
... Dancing with your horse will evoke a longing that no horse lover can resist. I hope to be able to accompany you on part of this journey."
Stefan Baumgartner, quoted from the foreword to"Fun with Working Equitation - The successful introduction"
