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HOK
Talks with
Karl Mikolka
by Lelia Smith
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4
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5
Hans Irbinger:
Chief Rider Irbinger's love for working with the young stallions in a
group reflected in fun lessons enjoyed by riders and horses alike.
Photos used with
permission from the Karl Mikolka archives. To see and learn more about
Mr. Mikolka, visit www.karlmikolka.com
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Issue 4, 2003
HOK Talks with
Karl Mikolka
by Lelia Smith
Continued from page 2
Hans Irbinger:
Oberbereiter Hans Irbinger, one of my long-term mentors, was the last
rider trained in the cavalry to fight with pistol, saber and lance from
horseback. A practical horseman whose lessons were based on cavalry type
movements with interesting formations in all gaits and tempi, Mr. Irbinger
earned recognition as an expert on long reining. Chief Rider Irbinger's
love for working with the young stallions in a group reflected in fun
lessons enjoyed by riders and horses alike. He stressed the importance of
dismounting at certain intervals, walking the horses a few minutes to
stretch and bend them from the ground or asking for a
turn-on-the-forehand-in-motion, then to mount up again. This was done
three to four times during a lesson. The stallions learned to stand still
when being mounted, they learned that mounting or dismounting does not
signal the beginning and the end of a work session, but can be repeated
several times during a lesson. This training technique created relaxed and
attentive equine partners that developed good stamina and great trust in
their riders.
While well into his 50s, Irbinger was known for his demonstration of
vaulting exercises to the amazement of all the younger riders. He could
easily perform the scissors backwards and forward in all gaits, pick up a
handkerchief from the ground, jump down, up and over the horse in all
gaits thus earning the nickname: Hans the Cossack.
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Jaguar, Egon von
Neindorff 1966 Photographer: Diplom Ingenieur Ulrich Schnitzer |
Continued
on page 4
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