“We ride them very deep and low but you always have to control the neck and the head. If you can’t control the neck – that it is long, that it is short, that it is up and it is down – you have problems. Many people ride with the head down and that is okay, but most riders are not able to control it. You have to be able to control it up, down and to the right and to the left. The riders see down with the neck down with the neck, and they pull the neck, pulling the head between the front legs of the poor horse, and the hindlegs are out behind, far behind.”
“It is good to put the horse’s head down to strengthen his back, to make him loose, this is the way I train Rusty in the week where he has no competition, with a long neck, so then he takes the bit and the muscles are very loose and he feels good.”
Is this a huge responsibility of German riders and trainers to maintain this tradition for riders all over the world to draw on?
“It is necessary, the other countries have to learn it, this is why Germany is so successful because this is our tradition and we want to give it to the next generation. The other countries they have no tradition. They know that there is a tradition, but they don’t ask for it, only a few people think, oh they have to come to Germany to train, to learn what is behind it, but most are not interested. ‘Give me a horse and I will ride”.”
“When I am riding Rusty if I am somewhere else with my head, then suddenly he sees things and starts to react. For me working with the horse is a mental thing, it gets stronger when you have the horse for longer because you have to know them, and they have to know you. I always get the feeling with Rusty that he knows exactly how I feel. If I am very tired, Rusty knows, and he is like me, if she is tired, then I am tired also, that’s fantastic, and when I get a little bit wound up then he is with me all the way. There will be other great horses I hope, but there can never be another Rusty.”
https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2017/09/at-home-with-ulla-salzgeber/
Yes Rusty won me from the crowd in 2000 Sydney Australia where absolutely no doubt he won the gold although not to the judges. Where I was sitting even people who knew bot horses said oh wow that one rusty he definitely was best . My friend who was very involved politically said the other one had to win he is retiring . Rusty gets it next time. Then I learnt it’s not about competition. Great to always hear and see rusty success on amd off the competition . I also like to hear more about deep and long. I think most people think deep and short 🤔 more photos of what Ulli sees as deep and long please