The Art of Classical Horsemanship

Egon von Neindorff: A servant to the pure teachings of classical horsemanship

A man who devoted his life to the pure teachings of classical horsemanship; an oracle enlightening his followers about the classical riding tradition that for him was the only path he could ever walk. A man who created an inspirational setting in which he worked untiringly to further the equestrian art, a man who was never at a loss for the correct thought or pertinent word: this was Egon von Neindorff.

Egon von Neindorff was born in Dobeln-Saxon, Germany on November 1, 1923, the second son to the later General Egon von Neindorff, who was a passionate and enthusiastic rider. For young Egon, horses were naturally a way of life. He could remember being led around on them; the color of their coats, form of their necks as well as the shape of their heads. These were very special and formative moments. For example, a mare named "Karin" was one of the horses that he still spoke of even when he was 80 years old: "A soft brown and very beautiful horse, as my father's horses often were." Even as a very young boy, Egon von Neindorff's only thoughts and dreams were about horses, whether as toys or in the cavalry stable, and if he would disappear, his parents always knew where he could be found.

"Therefore, it was a natural occurrence that I asked specifically for permission to ride when I was nine years old. Of course, my father as the commander in charge was not to know that I had already been indulging in my passion, albeit rather secretly with the help of the stable grooms and my mother, and by the time he heard of my request I was already to some extent sitting passably. After approximately two years I was allowed to ride my father's horses. These horses were temperamental and not always easy. My education began on the lunge line, which never became boring to me. At this time my father owned two horses: Libelle [Dragonfly] was a dark brown mare who was a well-schooled dressage and teaching horse. The second horse was Orpheus, which I called Seppel. He was not as well trained as Libelle, but possessed an enormous jumping talent, and as a young boy I happily obtained the permission to ride him over large obstacles.

Naturally, as a young child I was allowed to accompany my father into the stable when he was visiting the horses, and observed his offerings of a lump of sugar or other treat, thereby experiencing the close contact of these partnership-friendships. Through observation and first-hand experience I was able to become thoroughly acquainted with and understand the horse. Because I grew up in a world with horses within a military context, I became accustomed to the strict rules and regulations concerning the respect for their everyday care, surely similar to the children of breeding farm directors or veterinarians. There was only one direction to take, and I learned very early which behaviors were acceptable and which were not - while as a child I saw or heard how someone else would be reprimanded or praised."

Egon von Neindorff grew up amidst classical horsemanship and its accompanying traditions. In the surroundings in which he lived, the military offered the only direction which he never doubted; there were no other choices. In his own personal estimation, his father was a good rider, although not "a high school dressage rider." After being stationed in Dobeln and Leipzig, his father was transferred in the mid-1930s for four years to the city of Altenburg, where the family had accommodation near the Duke of Altenburg's royal stables. There, young Egon von Neindorff was introduced to classical riding and stable master Kunze, who was to place his indelible stamp on the boy:

"Mr Kunze, was at this time thirty-six years old, someone who I already considered older and he was a rather exceptional man. He was stable master for the Duke Ernst von Sachsen-Altenberg and had traveled extensively. He was extraordinary in his field and schooled horses that would later be sent to competitions in Berlin's 'Green Week' (a festival involving farming techniques, animals and innovative processes occurring in the industry.) When we lived there I went to school, but would often escape during the midday break and run to the stables, as I knew where to find the key. I was always around the stalls or the riding hall and would watch the riders and listen to Mr Kunze's riding lessons. After a time I became his go-getter 'Eggon. go get me the long whip.' I did not hear this sentence just once. With his unconventional accent it seemed to me that he was saying 'Eggon' when he was giving his orders. In this vein, he once said to me, as an important person of rank and office was riding: 'Eggon, this is a dumb person.' I knew that I was not allowed to ask why, and would have to somehow try to decipher the message myself. Nonetheless, the experience assisted me greatly later in my life when I also became an instructor."

Egon's first large tournament was in 1938 in Chemnitz, when the fifteen-year-old boy won the fourth level dressage examination on Dragonfly. The judges were involved in a discussion as to whether it was appropriate to allow the "little squirt" to triumph over the other older riders in uniform, who were already accustomed to winning. His expected triumphal homecoming was somewhat dampened by parents who, although having heard of his victory, were waiting at home and already in bed. After briefly acknowledging his achievement, the laurels were laid to rest, as there were still horses to care for, and in the von Neindorff house, healthy, correctly cared for horses were far more important than any blue ribbon.

First Lieutenant Heinz Pollay, who had been the Olympic winner in dressage in 1936, was in Chemnitz on that day performing a Kur program with his well-known horse Kronos. After observing the young boy's triumph he approached him and gesturing to Kronos said, "If you would like to try the tall brown one in the piaffe 'in hand', he will show you how it should be done!" Needless to say it was a glorious moment for young Egon von Neindorff.

The young boy was always more interested in dressage schooling than in stadium or cross-country jumping. "The number of lessons and their intricacies are much more scintillating. A jump can be either high or wide. For me, the contact and complexity of dressage was much more fascinating." Furthermore, you should not forget that horse breeding techniques at that time had produced much heavier animals that were not nearly as agile as those today.

The "pure teachings" of classical horsemanship and Egon von Neindorff were virtually cradle companions. He expresses it this way: "If a person has learned to do something then he was clearly educated, or when he makes an educated and polished impression, then he has been taught. However, I grew up in an atmosphere where there were no other directions available. As a child I was neither educated nor taught, as my path simply did not allow for the possibility of choices or the discussion of another direction. Then came the military service years when I was required to put on a uniform and was sent to the state riding schools where I was promoted correspondingly. Eventually I arrived in Elmshorn for a driving and carriage education that I completed, receiving my instructor's certification. One could say that from birth, there has never been a single day in my life that I have experienced without a horse by my side. This remained the case during the war, when I was in the cavalry, and so my entire life has been a permanent arrangement, compromise and partnership with the horse."

Thus, a clear direction had been established regarding his total equestrian development. Older officers repeatedly noticed his enthusiasm, and he was entrusted with responsibilities that normally would have been the tasks of more experienced riders. It was not just by chance that Egon von Neindorff became the youngest cavalry instructor during the war.

As the Second World War came to an end in Germany, he managed to leave Halle, with his two dressage horses hitched to wagons packed with his belongings, and made his way to Bad Kosen, where his mother was still living. Egon's father had fallen at the battle of Tarnopol, in Russia in 1944. Times were difficult and in order to survive he made use of his only commodities, which were the two horses and wagons employed as both a courier service and a hearse. Somewhere, a distant rumor came to his attention that people were beginning to ride again in the west, and perhaps realizing that Eastern Germany, that had once been his home, was never going to be the same again, he made the decision to pack his wagons and harness his horses for the journey. After many unsuccessful attempts to cross the border he finally had a little luck, and found temporary employment giving the officers riding instruction at the British military border crossing in northern Hanover. However he was warned by the stable master who had befriended him that the chances were very good that his horses could be stolen or taken from him. And so, he packed once more and left in the night to continue south to the next occupied zone, which happened to be American. There, he was befriended by an American, Major Steffi, about whom he later often spoke with respect and affection. This officer, having been familiar with the name von Neindorff, and that General von Neindorff had...