The American Riding System: Foundation for All Types of Riding

By Peggy Vurgason

The American Riding System is a basic foundation system for all types of riding. This book has been structured into grades to combine the flat work with the jumping at each level.
I started writing this manuscript for my own use to keep my lessons organized, systemized and categorized. In the mid 70s, my riding lessons were my life. I taught riding as well as continued with my riding education and kept a notebook on all of my lessons. My instructors were George Morris and his assistants, Frank Chapot and Major Dezo Szilagyi. For five years, George allowed me to sit in fields with him and take notes while watching him teach. This was a tremendous asset to my teaching skills

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 28, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465352170

Peggy Vurgason

Peggy DeForte Vurgason started riding at the age of two, under her father’s supervision. During the 1960’s, her family was active with the Delaware Valley Horseman’s Association in Lambertville NJ. Peggy started showing at the age of 9 with her pony Mitch. A few years later, she entered the show ring with her beloved horse Hootenanny, and won many ribbons including the Henry Bergh National Championship, sponsored by the ASPCA. During her teenage years, Peggy was a member of the Kingwood Fox Hounds Pony Club in Hunterdon County NJ and the Clover Club of Ewingville 4H Club in Mercer County NJ. At the age of fifteen, Peggy started giving riding lessons to children in her neighborhood. Other facilities where Peggy taught include Timberlane Horse Center, Patricelli’s Farm, Hunt Cap Farm and Weidel Boxwood Farm. The system that Peggy teaches is a foundation for all types of riding. Her students have branched into several different disciplines in the equine world, including hunters, jumpers, dressage, eventing, racing and breaking and training. Peggy and her husband George are active members of Delaware Valley Horseman’s Association. Peggy shows her horse, Homerun Joe and George rides and drives his draft mule Billy John. They live in Hopewell Twp NJ and have three sons, Aaron, Joe and Seb. Peggy is also the author of “Hootenanny’s Spirit” a novel about Hootenanny, the beloved horse she grew up with.

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Copyright © 2011 by Peggy Vurgason.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 06/24/2016

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CONTENTS

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Preface

Profile Of My Lesson Horses

Before We Begin

Grade One Outline

Grade One

First Grade Questions And Answers

Grade Two Outline

Grade Two

Questions And Answers

Grade Three Outline

Grade Three

Questions And Answers

Grade Four Outline

Grade Four

Questions And Answers

Grade Five Outline

Grade Five

Grade Five Questions And Answers

Fox Hunting

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated with love to my parents,

Carmen and Mary Jane DeForte.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to extend my gratitude to the following people who helped mold me into a good horseperson.

I thank my father, Carmen DeForte for putting me on a horse at the age of two and giving me a good foundation in horsemanship.

I thank my mother, Mary Jane DeForte for insisting that I switch from Western riding to English riding when I was eight years old and always being there for me.

I thank Floyd Pratt for being my first English riding instructor.

I thank Joanie Toigo for her love and dedication to helping the kids in Pony Club.

I thank Trish Towndrow Buckwalter for teaching me how to use my legs on a mare named Liquorish Stick.

I thank George H. Morris for teaching me his system, making me a better rider and teacher and giving me confidence.

I thank my dressage trainer, the late Major Deszo Szilagyi, who often said, Love your horse and train your horse with love.

I thank Frank Chapot for teaching me to understand my horse.

I thank the late John Patricelli for allowing me to use his property for my riding school.

I thank my parents and my husband for paying for all of my riding lessons.

I wish to extend my gratitude to the following people who helped me with this manuscript.

I thank my photographer Lesa Aldridge, who spent many long hours taking and retaking photos.

I thank my illustrators, Lana Bescript and Chrissy Smith for their drawings.

I thank my demonstrators, my niece Jenna Marie DeForte, Rachael Kafka, Quinn O’Leary, Carol Anne Bekus, Mara Tolas and Maria Katsamanis.

I thank the farms where the photos were taken, Weidel Boxwood Farm, Kafka Farm, Bekus Bunch, Timberlane Horse Center and Amwell Ridge Farm.

I thank the Mastro-Simone family for their support and contribution of photos.

PREFACE

T he American Riding System is a basic foundation system for all types of riding. This book has been structured into grades to combine the flat work with the jumping at each level.

I started writing this manuscript for my own use to keep my lessons organized, systemized and categorized. In the mid 70s, my riding lessons were my life. I taught riding as well as continued with my riding education and kept a notebook on all of my lessons. My instructors were George Morris and his assistants, Frank Chapot and Major Dezo Szilagyi. For five years, George allowed me to sit in fields with him and take notes while watching him teach. This was a tremendous asset to my teaching skills.

In the early 80s, I stopped riding and started raising my family. During this time, I put all of my notes together, broke them down into grades and wrote The American Riding System.

Every grade is broken down into various exercises and schooling movements to increase the rider’s sense of balance and feel of the horse. For every grade, the rider must have a suitable mount. Very few horses are capable of doing every grade. The old reliable first grade lesson horse may not be capable of doing a 3’ course of jumps, but worth his weight in gold over cross rails and little 2’ courses.

The more challenging fourth and fifth grade horses may be dangerous for the first and second grader.

Safety is always the first rule. This is emphasized in each grade progressing one step at a time. Equally important is the rider’s attitude. In each lesson the student must be completely under the instructor’s control, as riding horses is a dangerous sport. If the student does not completely believe in his instructor, then he should seek instruction elsewhere.

The lesson horse’s comfort is next to consider. Softness in all grades is strongly emphasized. In the early grades, I do very little with the rider’s hands. Developing the rider’s seat and legs first will save the horse’s mouth. Hands are last to be educated. In early stages, hands may only stop, turn and grab the mane. It is very cruel to teach a student to ride with contact of the horse’s mouth when the student’s leg and seat have not been developed enough to be independent. In such a case, the student will depend on the horse’s mouth for support.

Lesson horses should be sound and content. Sourness will cause the lesson horse to become nasty and possibly cause an accident.

After safety of the rider and comfort of the lesson horse, focus is placed on the education and enjoyment of the rider.

Not every one’s goals in riding are the same. Very few who begin to ride will indulge in competing at high levels. Some people are content to trail ride and others enjoy riding once a week at a lesson barn.

Not everyone will progress as quickly. Physical structure, attitude and coordination are three factors to be considered. Overweight athletes always have to work twice as hard. Some people are naturally very coordinated and talented on a horse while others are not and progress at a slower rate. Talent and coordination mean nothing if the rider does not have the attitude to progress.

For all goals, a good basic foundation is most essential. First, it is up to the student to apply himself and second, it is important to have a suitable mount. Choosing an instructor falls third in line. An elementary student must have an elementary teacher. Very few teachers are capable of teaching all grades and levels. Most often trainers who have competed very successfully at high levels find it very difficult to teach first and second graders. Elementary education is a specialized field in itself.

PROFILE OF MY LESSON HORSES

M y lesson horses were all family pets and secure in their relationship with people. They lived outside with a run—in shed and only came in the barn to eat. Turnout is especially important to a lesson horse, as it has a calming effect. Horses that spend too much time in their stall, tend to become excitable.

My horses were not always confined to riding in the ring. Kids rode them through the fields and on trail rides. Some of the horses went fox hunting and various types of competition and clinics. It is very important to keep the lesson horse happy. An unhappy horse is not always a safe horse. Proper nutrition and hoof care is a must. Good grooming is also important. I preferred keeping manes a little longer so students could grab a hold when they needed to.

STARLIGHT was the best beginner horse that I have ever known. He was pure white, stood 15.2 hands and always had a kind expression in his eyes. His gaits were slow and comfortable enough for a child to ride. He was trustworthy and always