The Gruss Dynasty

Alexis Gruss, one of Europe's great horse trainers.

Lucian Gruss

Chris, note the horse's above in harness strung together with assistant's on the outside's to aid in teaching the horses to rear/hindleg walk. Note the horse in the picture just above, completely "free" and unencumbered by "man's restraints." How much time do you want to bet that "Steel Heart" spent in surcingle and check reins before the day came when he could be "free."




Lucian Gruss in 2010 at SICAB(Salon Internacional del Caballo en Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones de Sevilla)

John Milton and I have debated the environment of the American 3 ring circus, often hotly :) in the past on the "history channel" for liberty horses, and the esteemed Col. finally alluded to it the other day in a remark about a "living roundpen." I don't think folks fully appreciate the additional skill it takes to present a liberty act properly in a three ring building show. The major obstacles not faced by trainers in a European one ring circus, or an American one ring circus are the large area of a coliseum in which a horse can jump the ring and flee if frightened and hardest obstacle of all, the surface. Imagine the Spanish Riding School doing their famed quadrille's on the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center, or at Madison Square Garden at halftime of a Ranger's hockey game. That's what an American liberty horse trainer faces in a three ring American building show. In the clip above we see that Lucian has been able to eliminate those two major disadvantages with the use of a fence and great surface footing selected especially for the comfort and ease of a working horse. That's why they can race at breakneck speed, although I personally like a more regimented, controlled and quite liberty presentation, these are sure magnificent looking animals. What do you think, are they Lusitano's which have become popular in Europe as liberty horses?