03/24/2026
Thank you Bob Woods for another great article. Can't wait to see you he podcast.
I am planning to do a podcast with Catherine Hunter, who like me was trained from childhood in the modern military Forward Seat. The difference in our training is that Catherine came up through the method that Littauer learned as a Russian Hussar at the Czar's St. Petersburg Cavalry School. Both of our cavalry schools' curriculums, mine the Fort Riley KS and Catherine's St. Petersburg, are based in the Cadre Noir, Saumur France Cavalry School method.
Together these two very similar methods established the high point of riding in America in the early 20th century. This was the US highest standard of horsemanship from the 1920s to the 1970s. Today, Catherine and I teach this method, and I write about it on my page. During this period, US equestrian athletes dominated international competition using the US version of military Forward Seat method.
Vladimir Littauer came to America in 1921, which means both Littauer and Harry Chamberlin were both alive and working in America for 23 years. It has been long rumored that during those 23 years Chamberlin and Littauer carried on a correspondence. This would have been the time when Chamberlin was rewriting the Fort Riley Cavalry Manuals and Littauer was running his riding school in New York.
It makes sense that they communicated because they both had receive similar training as cavalrymen and both were elevating American horsemanship at the same time. However, their correspondence has never been found. After the death of Littauer's wife in the 1990s, all hope of discovering any possible correspondence was lost.
Along with other topics, Catherine and I will imagine in some of our podcasts what this correspondence might have been like. Because Chamberlin's audience was military and Littauer's was civilian, there are differences we will explore.
Chamberlin was a graduate of the US Cavalry School at Fort Riley that taught the Cadre Noir French Cavalry School method. Chamberlin was also a graduate of the Saumur School, as well as the Italian Cavalry School at Pinerolo, Italy. Littauer graduated from the St. Petersburg Cavalry School that trained based on riders using the curriculum developed by James Fillis (of Fillis stirrup iron fame) who had been nominated to be écuyer en chef at the Cadre Noir School at Saumur.
Upon arriving in the US Littauer, along with two other Russian Cavalry expats, founded the Saddles Riding School outside NYC where they taught the principles of dressage they had learned at the St. Petersburg Cavalry School. Their New York riding school began experimenting with the then radical, progressive Caprilli Forward Seat method that was taught at the Italian Cavalry School at Pinerolo, Italy.
The point of relaying this history is that Chamberlin and Littauer both were advocates of leading edge principles of modern horsemanship during the same period of American horsemanship development. They had studied, been trained in and were both teaching the highest level of riding in America between WW1 and WW2. They set the standard for American quality horsemanship that was carried on in civilian riding well after WW2 by horsemen like Gordon Wright.
Our podcast will compare and contrast the work of these to giants of horsemanship as well and have high standard guest horsewomen and men who are active today. We will also invite modern trendy social media types to the podcast who advocate for today's new methods that are contrary to Chamberlin's and Littauer's principles, if they have the guts to show up. We will also have Q & A podcasts, tell meaningful stories and teach specific important techniques that are being lost in podcast episodes.
To make this podcast the best it can be, we are in search of a podcast producer who can assist in the establishment of this venture in technical ways and finding guests. Familiarity with Goggle Meet is important.
In the beginning, we can offer the producer personal riding instruction as compensation for their work. We can offer instruction by remote real time PIVO lessons or in person instruction in my area, south central PA/northern MD, or in Catherine's northern western NC and upstate SC area.
Eventually, when the podcast grows and makes money, the producer will become a paid position. Please contact me if interested. My contact info is on the front page of his page.
