Federico Caprilli

The old jumping seat involved the rider using long stirrups, keeping his legs pushed out in front of him, and his body leaning back, pulling the reins, as the horse took the fence.

Caprilli examined horses free jumping (without tack or rider), using photographs to document their shape over fences, and found that they always landed on their forelegs.

However, his "rebellion" against the "classic" position earned him the hostility of the Italian Royal Army establishment, so that when rumours of his turbulent sentimental life with women of the high aristocracy spread out, he was transferred to a cavalry regiment in southern Italy where he nonetheless continued his experimentations with great success in equestrian competitions.

Due to such developments, the Italian cavalry began to dominate international competition, and riders came from countries around the world to study Caprilli's system.

Caprilli died in Turin, Italy in 1907, after inexplicably losing consciousness while riding at pass a horse he was testing, thus falling and hitting his head on the sharp edge of the footpath.