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The Complete Training of Horse and Rider - In the principles of Classical Horsemanship
Author:Alois Podhadjsky
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I'm a great fan of Colonel Podhajsky's books and the advice and principles in this book first published in 1967 are as true today as they were then. " When training his horse, the rider must repeat over and over again: ' I have time'. It takes time- a great deal of it - for a horse to develop and to understand what is required of him. Nowadays, when everyone seems to strive for quick success, this cannot be repeated too often." Although the book is undoubtedly of more interest to the intermediate to advanced riders, there are many concepts and explainations that are valuable to anyone dealing with horses. The book covers all aspects of the training of horse and rider including chapters on rewards and punishments, tack and the advanced training of the Spanish Riding School.
Aids and movements are covered in great detail, including many common faults and their corrections. There is also discussion of the progression required from one movement to another and the pitfalls of moving on to quickly without truly mastering the basics or a required preceeding movement. |
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" With the flying change, the rider must be warned that on no account should he try to obtain it by throwing the horse from side to side with the weight of the body, a method often seen, and not a very attractive sight." |
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As always the Colonel's empathy and understanding of the horse and how to produce the best possible performance is present. For all who have heard the saying 'it is always the riders fault' you will find a true exponent of this way of thinking in Colonel Podhajsky. There is also empathy for the pupil, with discussions and ideas for both instructor and learner rider alike. |
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" A good instructor will not try to correct more than one fault at a time; otherwise he will confuse his pupil and create mental and physical tension. It is the complete relaxation of both horse and rider that develops riding into an art. Nor should the instructor shout at his pupil, but quietly try to make him understand what is required of him."
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There are particularly helpful discussions of some of the riding terminology which has fallen into misuse or misinterpretation through the ages. I found it very interesting that the 'triangle of the seat' was described as the area formed by the 2 seat bones to the end of the coccyx (the
tailbone*). This is a great departure from the more common descriptions provided in books or by many other instructors in which this triangle or seat is described either as the 2 seat bones to the pubic bone or as the 2 seat bones to the inner thighs. When you start to think about this, it presents answers to some fairly common riding problems, especially in the canter.
It is also a very interesting concept when you look at the
physiological differences between men and women. A man's coccyx is
much longer than a woman's and can actually be used as a driving aid or
stabiliser - for women this is impossible. *it is not inferred that the tailbone actually touch the saddle! |
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While it is unlikely that anyone (in New Zealand at least) will be able to follow the practise of training on the lunge for 6 months, or indeed will have the advantages of a true 'school horse' , especially not one of the fabulous lippizaners, this does not mean that these chapters are not valuable since many of the instructions can be adapted to your own learning situation. As I have already said I really enjoyed this book and thought that the descriptions given were clear and helpful and that I took a great deal from the book to practice and work on. Intermediate to Advanced riders should definitely read this book, not only if they are interested in dressage but also to gain an insight into the methods and ideas of one of the truely great horseman of this century. There are only a few photos and illustrations in the edition that I have, but I found that the 300 pages of instruction, comments and critique were more than sufficient to provide an excellent manual of riding and horsemanship.
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