It has been thought and even affirmed in documentaries for many centuries, that the airs above the ground were movements developed for the combat purposes. It has bee said time and again that the capriole is a movement developed and performed in battle when a cavalry officer was surrounded by enemy troops, to kick out in combat and kill soldiers in this way. It has also been said in such documentaries similar stories and tall tales of the other school jumps.
For those of us who have trained horses to do airs above the ground know and understand that such movements are for exhibition. In battle a horse had to be light, supple, responsive, quick, submissive, and with great stamina. However, a school jump requires great talents that most horses DO NOT poses. Besides the latter requirements, horses trained to do airs above the ground must poses incredible talent, bravery, strength, and the right disposition. Any horse can be trained to rear as a form of tricks; few actually perform a correct Levade or Pesade. Horses can also be taught to leap in the air through forceful jerking in the mouth and unnecessary spurring, again as a form of tricks, or as a defense on the part of the horse because of the unnecessary punishment, but few can actually do a correct courvette, croupade, balloted or capriole.
Not only does the horse need to have such qualities, but also the rider/trainer himself must posses the ability and knowledge to train the horse, correctly and patiently to avoid all risks of ruining him. The rider must also have a clear understanding of his horse, and his horse’s abilities, mental and physical as well as the right time to commence the movements. In the past as in today’s time, there were only a hand full of riders that had such gifts, and abilities. Even today, not all riders at the Spanish Riding School and other such institutions develop the feel, ability or talent to ever train a horse to do airs above the ground.
Horses that have been trained in caprioles will not always kick out but will perform a balloted instead from time to time. A school jump, such as a levade and even more a capriole or courvette, is extremely tiring for the horse. A horse that had been in battle for hours moving about with extreme quickness would have been too tired to perform caprioles or levades etc. To perform a levade under saddle a rider must sit motionless to not disturb the horse’s natural balance, in battle this would have been impossible to do if there are soldiers attacking from all angles.
Finally, only certain horses of commanders, and officers were trained to high school level, and mostly those of royalty. Proof can be found in ancient paintings of ancient masters who were mostly commanding officers or royalty. The military horse was trained to be efficient in battle and usually nothing more, ending it’s training around what is known to many as third level dressage. Few horses were ever taken to the level of grand prix and even fewer beyond that to the airs above the ground, due to so many horses being sacrificed in battle, and for those horses that did survive and make it to high school would without doubt been very valuable just like today and would not likely been sent to the front lines. So, it is logic to think that such high school movements could not have been really used in the battlefield.
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