"New Method of Horsemanship: Including the Breaking and Training of Horses, with Instructions for Obtaining a Good Seat" by François Baucher| François Baucher was a French riding master whose methods are still debated by dressage enthusiasts today. His philosophy of training the horse changed dramatically over the course of his career. This book was written for natural horsemanship enthusiasts, learn where some of the methods came from. Precise descriptions are included to describe the methodology of classic dressage so the book can act as a sort of manual for learners.
A translation of Baucher's celebrated New Method of Horsemanship and the lesser-known Dialogues on Equitation, with a scholarly study of the controversies surrounding them.
Originally written and published in 1949, Academic Equitation was considered by dressage experts to be the most important contribution to classical training in the twentieth century. This book was intended as a preparation for international dressage competitions but is far more than this. It discusses the subjects of academic equitation, the riding master and the choice of horse before introducing the reader to the author's systematic program, covering the very early training right up to the most advanced movements. The appendix deals with lungeing, work in hand, long reins and pillar work. General Decarpentry was not only a distinguished scholar of artistic equitation but also equally versed in putting the theories into practice. He deals with the education of the young horse and the complications and details of advanced schooling with the hand of a master. Although he claims that nothing in the book is his—his training system is based on the methods of D'Aure, Baucher and L'Hotte—the General's wisdom and deep knowledge are manifest throughout. It was the General's great wish that traditional teachings on the art of equitation should not be lost to those who wished to study equitation. In this most important work he has succeeded in presenting these teachings in such a way that allows both layman and expert to obtain a deeper insight into this fascinating subject.
As commandant of the cavalry school Alexis-Francois L'Hotte (1825-1904) was obliged to use the methods of the Comte d'Aure, but with his own horses practised the teachings of Baucher. He became one of France's greatest riders.
First published in the late 19th century, this book is truly a work of remarkable coherence, comprehensiveness and depth of understanding. Steinbrecht's reputation as a master in the art of dressage makes The Gymnasium of the Horse a cornerstone of equestrian literature. Originally published in German; this translation from the 10th German edition by Helen K. Gibble, into English. Sections are: Rider's Seat and Aids; Purpose of Dressage; Systematic Training of the Horse; School Movements; Epilogue. Scarce title and long awaited for the many dressage enthusiasts who are familiar with the thoroughness with which Steinbrecht first addressed this topic.
Horses and horsemen played central roles in modern European warfare from the Renaissance to the Great War of 1914-1918, not only determining victory in battle, but also affecting the rise and fall of kingdoms and nations. When Shakespeare's Richard III cried, "A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!" he attested to the importance of the warhorse in history and embedded the image of the warhorse in the cultural memory of the West. In Riding to Arms: A History of Horsemanship and Mounted Warfare, Charles Caramello examines the evolution of horsemanship—the training of horses and riders—and its relationship to the evolution of mounted warfare over four centuries. He explains how theories of horsemanship, navigating between art and utility, eventually settled on formal manège equitation merged with outdoor hunting equitation as the ideal combination for modern cavalry. He also addresses how the evolution of firepower and the advent of mechanized warfare eventually led to the end of horse cavalry. Riding to Arms tracks the history of horsemanship and cavalry through scores of primary texts ranging from Federico Grisone's Rules of Riding (1550) to Lt.-Colonel E.G. French's Good-Bye to Boot and Saddle (1951). It offers not only a history of horsemen, horse soldiers, and horses, but also a survey of the seminal texts that shaped that history.
This book represents a fascinating compilation of conversations, notes from Nuno Oliveira's lessons, biographical material and observations about his teachings. Within these pages are pictures - including some never before published - that span the Master's career
The Science of Walking recounts the story of the growing interest and investment of Western scholars, physicians, and writers in the scientific study of an activity that seems utterly trivial in its everyday performance yet essential to our human nature: walking. Most people see walking as a natural and unremarkable activity of daily life, yet the mechanism has long puzzled scientists and doctors, who considered it an elusive, recalcitrant, and even mysterious act. In The Science of Walking, Andreas Mayer provides a history of investigations of the human gait that emerged at the intersection of a variety of disciplines, including physiology, neurology, orthopedic surgery, anthropology, and psychiatry. Looking back at more than a century of locomotion research, Mayer charts, for the first time, the rise of scientific endeavors to control and codify locomotion and analyzes their social, political, and aesthetic ramifications throughout the long nineteenth century. In an engaging narrative that weaves together science and history, Mayer sets the work of the most important representatives of the physiology of locomotion—including Wilhelm and Eduard Weber and Étienne-Jules Marey—in their proper medical, political, and artistic contexts. In tracing the effects of locomotion studies across other cultural domains, Mayer reframes the history of the science of walking and gives us a deeper understanding of human movement.
The world of modern dressage includes a broad canon of doctrines that are rarely if ever questioned. Despite their constant use, many riders are confused by the exact meanings and implications of numerous terms and approaches. What does it really mean, for instance, to drive the horse "onto the bit?" Does a stronger application of the rider s aids really encourage the horse to place its hind legs further under its body? Is the term collection really synonymous with the increased forward engagement of the hind legs under the center of balance? This complete review of every aspect of dressage provides a thorough investigation and a critical analysis of the anatomical and biomechanical aspects of riding. It offers a long-overdue explanation of the sense and nonsense of commonly-used training doctrines and reveals prejudices in order to support the art of horse-orientated equitation. "
