We may have Monty Roberts, the Parellis, and John Lyons to guide us to perfect equestrian enlightenment. But, before they existed, who did we have to turn to? It seems there have always been horse gurus and whisperers. But, some have withstood the test of time, and their teachings and writings have been classic literature.
One book I often refer to when schooling my horse is “Equitation” by Henry Wynmalen. It’s a book that’s out of print now, but still has some value, even though it was written back in the 1940s. In some respects it is out of date. Wynmalen appears to be riding chair seat in many pictures, but the basics are sound. Wynmalen wrote many books about horses, dressage and breeding. Wynmalen was involved in organizing the Olympic equestrian events after WW2, and his books are considered classics.
Alois Podjhosky was the director of the Spanish Riding School, an Olympic equestrian medalist and of course, writer. He wrote several books on the art of riding, about the stallions of the Spanish Riding school, an autobiography and about the riding school itself. His best known books are “The Complete Training of Horse and Rider” and “My Horses, My Teachers”. Not only did Podjhosky leave us with writings that we can still use today, he was responsible for saving the Lippizaners of the Spanish Riding Schools during WW2.
The French were largely responsible for the type of dressage we are familiar with today and one of the most influential dressage masters was Francois Robichon de la Gueriniere. Gueriniere wrote “School of Horsemanship” and described things like flying changes of lead and other common dressage movements. His book covers everything from stable management to classical dressage riding.
An item on my bucket list is to read James Fillis’ “Principes de dressage et d'équitation” or “Principles of dressage and of riding” in French. So far, I’ve translated the title. Fillis was a student of Francois Baucher, who, if you know your bits, was responsible for creating the Baucher snaffle bit and the dubious distinction of defending the use of spurring and extreme bending of the horse’s neck, that today we would call rollkur. Fillis, did not however employ all the same methods that his instructor did, and his work on classical dressage is still respected today. This book can be downloaded for free. Fillis is also credited with creating the well known Fillis stirrup.
J.S. Rarey is probably the forerunner of what has been called natural horsemanship. His “Art of Taming Horses” is another book you can download for free from Project Gutenberg. Many modern natural horsemanship trainers base their methods on Rarey’s work. Rehabilitating abused horses was his forte was and Rarey was famous for being able to quiet vicious and untrainable horses within a day. He traveled throughout Europe, entertaining and amazing crowds and was called upon to demonstrate his skills to Queen Victoria and her consort. Rarey’s methods were the basis of the book and movie, The Horse Whisperer. His descendants maintain a small website in his honor, where his book can be read.
3P *Starring Ruth* has captured two spots on the leaderboard joining * Queen Of Hearts. Starring Ruth is a 17.1 hand Friesian mare out of the PythonPonyPalaces stable and was foaled September 7, 2023. She not only was #1 ranked ho ...
DNA testing can tell you a number of things about a horse’s risk of developing a hereditary disease, coat color, genetic markers for speed, temperament and gait and can give some insight into a horse’s breed. In this video, The Cl ...
Here is a story of how a passion for horses led one woman to a life of secrecy and dishonesty. Over twenty years she built a life of glamor and competitive success. But many people asked how she funded her extravagant lifestyle th ...
One of the world’s rarest breeds is the Suffolk Punch. Native to Britain, these stocky draft horses once had pride of place in agricultural work, hauling artillery, pulling public transportation vehicles like busses and towing bar ...
*V For Victory* is entrenched on the leaderboard and still holds the Best Streak with an 18,792 run and a jumpoff record of 29,444 - 19. But two mares have taken over the Top Rank and Highest Jump records. At 16, the 17-hand Crown ...
Get your daily dose of nature with this 49-minute video of wild horses travelling to a water hole in Sand Wash Basin, a BLM managed area in Colorado. The small herd drinks, grazes and swish's flies in the semi-arid desert environm ...
Halloween is just around the corner and it's time to consider costumes for you and your four-legged friends. A recent viral trend is dressing your pet as a ghost. Some sheets and paint are the basis of this costume, and you can se ...
Good riders do what they can to make their horse’s job easier. Especially when jumping, your position can help or hinder your horse as it adjusts its strides and balance between and over obstacles. Here’s a video with good suggest ...