84
The Arabian Sport Horse Magazine DRESSAGE continued from page 83
skills required of the former.
never got a wrong feel, but I still had to
forms of collection in favor of the Italian
I consider myself very lucky to have
method after having studied in Italy. His
trained with a Ukrainian Cavalry Officer,
When he moved to the United States
reasons being, the forward seat method
Mykola (Nick) Pawlenko, who immigrated
after the war, he ended up in the Chi-
was easier to teach to the great numbers
to the United States in 1950 after the Sec-
cago area where he was first involved in
pay my dues!”
of cavalry officers and the meth-
the jumper world, when his
ods of high school dressage
children became interested
weren’t necessary.
in dressage; he converted
Chamberlin was a brilliant
his best moving jumpers to
jumper and won a silver medal
dressage and was instrumen-
in Show jumping at the Los
tal in starting dressage in the
Angeles Olympics in 1932. He
Chicago area. All his jumpers
went on to become the most
had a dressage foundation
sought after teacher at Fort Ri-
which is why they were so
ley Calvary School and was very
easily converted.
influential in the propagation
I trained with Mykola
of the forward seat and dispar-
for nearly a decade, he was
agement of collection and any
a master horseman for not
high school movements which
only dressage and jumping,
require the horse to engage and
but work in hand, lunging,
bring the hocks under. He en-
long lining and driving. My
couraged the development of
insatiable thirst for knowl-
the low sweeping stride close to the ground, the standard for today’s mod-
Col. Harry D. Chamberlin
edge was the spark for our student-master relationship. I never tired
ern hunter, discouraging any flexing of the
ond World War. He was trained in the tra-
of watching him supple his jumpers and
hocks, bending the knee or lowering of
ditional military way and fought in World
use gymnastic training techniques to
the croup which would be the result of a
War II on horseback. His father, Ivan, was
strengthen and teach his horse agility and
horse having been trained with dressage
a pupil of James Fillis, one of the most
balance in jumping. He also taught me how
methods. Chamberlin’s intent was to
to free jump horses to retrain them
separate the two disciplines and to
from bad habits or form over jumps.
insist that the techniques of one were
He was highly educated in the his-
not applicable for the other.
tory and theory of training horses and
Vladimir Littauer, a Russian cavalry
the methods of all the great masters,
officer and refugee, is highly credited
retaining many of his methods from
with the innovation of the Caprilli sys-
the German system. He understood
tem in the United States. He helped es-
how to apply dressage methods to
tablish a riding school in New York City,
each horse according to the conforma-
Boots and Saddles, where forward rid-
tion and character of the individual ani-
ing took its hold and prospered across
mal. Upon settling in the United States,
the East Coast.
he fell in love with the thoroughbred
Littauer is recognized today as one
horse although he was one of the first
of the most influential teachers, lec-
people to import warmbloods in the
turers and equestrian authors in the
1960’s. I spent years totally engulfed
country, his influence extending through
Vladimir Littauer
in learning the art of training horses with
many competitive riders and Olympic
influential dressage trainers of the cen-
a foundation of dressage methods, since
gold Medalists. Littauer’s background, like
tury from St Petersburg Cavalry School; he
then I have continued using my education
Chamberlin’s, included a formal education
graduated from Pinerola Italy and Saumur
to apply it to all the horses and varied dis-
in high school dressage, which he aban-
France cavalry Schools as well. Mykola’s
ciplines I have participated in.
doned for the forward system designed
first love was jumping even though he had
When the hunter/jumper world first
to make riding easy and natural, yet he
been brought up on the best trained dres-
starting recognizing the value of dressage
retained a respect and admiration for the
sage horses available, he would tell me “I
training, they couldn’t bring themselves to