Book Recommendation

"Nate"

I’ve recently finished reading one of the most instructive and comprehensive books on working with a horse on the longe.  This book delves into each aspect of *longeing * long lines * long and short reins* when working with your horse.  What I liked about this book is the way each step is taken and dissected into specific easy to follow instruction.  There is also a detailed list of all the equipment needed to accomplish your training. 

Properly longeing a horse is a great asset not only to the horse but also to his human counterpart.  In my opinion there are too many people who don’t take the time to learn the proper way to longe a horse.  I’ve seen many riders in barns and at shows simply put the horse on a longe and let them “get the bucks out.”  This isn’t fair to the horse because it doesn’t teach them anything but to run around irrationally with no goal in mind.  There is a real chance for injury too.  Not just to the horse but to the handler. 

Teaching a horse to longe properly can be used in so many constructive ways:

Starting a young horse, restarting a horse who needs corrective training, keeping an older horse strong and fit, maintaining training and fitness when riding isn’t possible, therapeutic work for a horse that can’t be ridden, evaluating a medical or training problem or warming up a horse prior to a lesson.  I could go on and on but I won’t. 

Longeing correctly is an art form unto itself and should be taught to everyone involved with training horses. To me it comes under the category of   “what I wish I knew back then.”  It’s never too late to learn something new or the proper way of doing things.  I find it fun and rewarding and it keeps me thinking on my feet.

The book is: HORSE TRAINING IN – HAND

By Ellen Schuthof-Lesmeister and Kip Mistral

Forward by Sylvia Loch

I found it on Amazon for $20 down from its original price of $31.  I think it’s a good price for a book packed with invaluable information.  Check it out if you’re interested.

Until next time

Quote for Today

In training horses, one trains himself     - Antoine De Pluvinet-

Book Review - Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage

‘Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage’

By

Philippe Karl

A search for a classical alternative

The following statements are reproduced directly from the back cover of this book:

A critical and revolutionary book about dressage and what it has become today.

Philippe Karl, one of the most outspoken critics of the modern dressage world which aims purely at competing a horse as early as possible in well-paid high-level competitions, reveals some disturbing facts in this book. The author analyses the physical, anatomical and mental condition of a horse with regard to the official dressage guideline issued by the German Equestrian Federation (FN). By comparing theses with the doctrines of such masters of classical riding as La Gueriniere or Baucher, he illustrates beliefs and mistakes and shows us solutions to the dire situation of modern competitive dressage.

From the content:

· Key problems of dressage” physical aspects, straightness, balance, exercises

· The hand, leg and seat

· A system and its effects: dressage, breeding and business

· Suggestion of a “ classical” alternative” the philosophy of “legerete”

About the author

Philippe Karl, a breeder and rider, is involved in all areas of equine sport. He was an active member of the Cadre Noir, the French elite riding school in Saumur, for thirteen years.

Karl lives in Southern France and teaches riding students all over Europe. His previous publications “Hohe Schule der Doppellonge” and “Reitkunst”” have been translated into several languages and achieved international recognition.

Philippe Karl is also a talented artist whose detailed and often satirical drawings complement this book.

***

Philippe Karl is one of the few truly classical voices still out there in the dressage world, so I have been looking forward to reading this book for a long time. I really enjoyed this informative and well written book and think everyone interested in dressage and good horsemanship in general should read it more than once. It’s not a ponderous tome, but is an easy read with many clear and precise illustrations. What I liked most about it is the author’s sarcastic wit; he is not afraid to apply it to what is clearly wrong with modern training practices that are so popular nowadays, such as rollkur. Are you listening Anky?

He also recognizes that not all riders have expensive horses with perfect conformation and shows the average person how to deal effectively with the horse they have, and not just some hypothetical ideal horse. For instance, he provides insights on how best to work with a ewe-necked horse with a hollow back or an over-bent horse, etc.. Some are lucky enough to have the horse of their dreams with perfect conformation and manners; however, most of us have ordinary horses and must train the horse we have. Mr. Karl assures us that all horses can do dressage and explains in detail how to work with different types of horses to achieve balance and correct way of going through illustrations and clear descriptions.

There are many points in this book that are helpful in starting the young horse or working with any horse correctly. I especially liked the sections on proper use of the double bridle and use of hands. Truthfully, it is just too hard to pick any one section of the book because they are all informative, witty and clear to understand, even for a novice. Some of the highlights are the author’s own drawings, illustrations and caricatures which are very amusing.

This book is obviously geared more toward the dressage rider; however, I think there is information here that is universal and would be helpful to riders in all disciplines, english and western. If you want to do yourself and your horse a favor, I would suggest trying this book. I read the book first before I watched the four videos that complement it. Again, in my opinion, I think reading the book first and then viewing the videos gave me more of a feel for what was happening.

The videos are absolutely wonderful and easy to learn the correct way of doing things. I bet if you watched them, you would be surprised to see how much you can learn and simplify the training of your horse. There is even a section where he has the horses longeing and ridden over jumps, explaining that one of the best ways to stretch the horse’s topline is over a jump. I know, I know, some dressage queen’s head just imploded when I mentioned jumping!

The videos are:

Classical Dressage – Philippe Karl

· # 1 – The School of Aids

· # 2 - The School of Gymnastics

· # 3 - The School of Dance

· # 4 - Training Progress “one year later”

As you can see, I wholeheartedly recommend this book and these videos. We never stop learning in our journeys with our horses and this book and videos are a wonderful way to make the journey more rewarding for both horse and rider.

Until next time

Quote for Today

If one induces the horse to assume that carriage which it would adopt of its own accord when displaying its beauty, then one directs the horse to appear joyous and magnificent, proud and remarkable for having been ridden.
- Xenophon

Tug Of War: Classical Versus " Modern " Dressage

I have just finished reading the book, Tug of War: Classical Versus “Modern” Dressage, by Dr.Gerd Heuschmann. This book is a “must read” for anyone who owns or rides a horse, and will serve as a wakeup call to any rider or trainer who believes that: if it wins, it must be right. Many readers will be shocked to discover that the methods used and promoted by some of riding’s top trainers and competitors are doing untold harm to horses.

The author, Dr.Gerd Heuschmann, is an equine veterinarian who also trained as a Bereiter (master rider) in Germany. He is an internationally recognized authority on issues of equine health in dressage competition. Along with Klaus Balkenhol and other prominent figures in the dressage community, Dr. Heuschmann is a founding member of “Xenophon,” an organization dedicated to “fighting hard against serious mistakes in equestrian sport” (www.xenophon-classical-riding.org).

In the book, the author outlines his beliefs that training should mirror the mental and physical development of the horses to allow them time to achieve optimal performance without physical or psychological stress. More importantly, perhaps, he has the hard scientific evidence to back this up. As a veterinarian specializing in equine sports medicine, he has seen firsthand the positive effects of correct training and the detrimental effects of incorrect training, which he illustrates through a series of clear and instructive photographs and illustrations.

Armed with a doctor’s understanding of functional anatomy and a master horseman’s understanding of equine training, he is a unique and important resource for riders and trainers trying to better understand the training methods we see and use, and make informed judgments about their value and effectiveness. To his credit, he is not intimidated in the least by the powers that be in the upper echelon of the horse world. Because he is not concerned about the politics of competition or with offending those who are endangering the health of their horses, he is able to be very outspoken about what is wrong in the sport, and willing to lay the blame firmly on those responsible. More importantly, he makes clear that there is an alternative to these harmful methods, and conclusively spells out what the correct method is and why it works.

From the back cover of the book, this is his appeal to:

v Riders – to only use gentle, progressive training methods in accordance with the time-tested principles of classical riding.

v Judges – to sharpen their eyes and recognize unnatural postures or forced movements and evaluate them accordingly in competition, while rewarding classically trained, correctly gymnasticized horses.

v Governing organizations – to review their regulations and uphold stipulated “ideals” on both national and international levels.

v Spectators – to reject sensational performances and flashy tests when the methods used to obtain them have not had the health and welfare of the horse in mind.

For those of you who don’t like to read much, it is a very short book with many informative pictures and, as I have said before, this is a necessary book if you own or ride a horse. If you are not a Dressage rider, don’t let the title put you off the book; it contains much information that applies not only to dressage, but also hunters, jumpers, eventing, western pleasure, etc...

Whatever your chosen discipline may be, this book will be very helpful in demonstrating incorrect or harmful riding and training methods and how to avoid them, as well helping you to develop a critical eye, so that you can recognize when incorrect training methods are being used.

Give it a try! You might be surprised at what you thought you knew about riding and training horses. And you might be even more surprised to discover that even those at the top of their sport aren’t perfect. We’ve all got a lot to learn when it comes to doing our best for our horses.

Until next time

Quote for Today

Riders who force their horses by the use of the whip only increase their fear for they then associate the pain with the thing that frightens them. - Xenophon