page_title: Antoine de Pluvinel
section_title: Riding theories
hierarchical_section_title: Antoine de Pluvinel / Riding theories
caption_attribution_description: Planches de l'Encyclopédie de Diderot et d'Alembert, volume 6
context_page_description: Antoine de Pluvinel was the first of the French riding masters, and has had great influence on modern dressage. He wrote L’Instruction du Roy en l’exercice de monter à cheval, was tutor to King Louis XIII, and is credited with the invention of using two pillars, as well as using shoulder-in to increase suppleness.
context_section_description: Pluvinel is perhaps most well known for his kind, humane training methods. Unlike his Italian teacher Pignatelli, who often used harsh methods to gain obedience from the horse, Pluvinel used praise, careful use of aids, and softer bits (simple curb bits) to get the horse to work with him.
  He is also credited with the use of the pillars (wrongly, for La Noue also has record of using them, as does the Greek Eumenes), and he used them extensively in his training of collection and levade. Additionally, he employed the three-track movement, such as shoulder-in, and voltes to supple the horse.
  His theories include that the horse must take pleasure in work, due to gentle, understanding riding, and that such a horse will move much more gracefully if he enjoys being ridden.
caption: The piaffe between the pillars (below)
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