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My Horses, My Teachers Author: Alois Podhajsky |
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Virtually Horses |
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This book is principally an autobiography of the Author's riding life, told by way of the horse's he has known and worked with. Colonel Alois Podhajsky has spent most of his life with horses - with the cavalry, competing in show jumping and dressage, including an Olympic bronze medal and at the Spanish Riding School as pupil, instructor and eventually Director. Along the way we gain an insight into his methods, principles, the mistakes and discoveries and his deep respect for the animals he has known. However, this is not some long loose list of every horse that the master has ever ridden or trained but instead it is, as per its title a collection of stories about his favourite horses, those who taught him during his long equestrian career.
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The book follows a relaxed chronology. From his first experiences learning to ride, as 12 year old, on a cavalry school horse, through his Olympic and competitive career and finally on to his life at the Spanish Riding School, first as pupil and rider and then as Director.
The book is therefore split into sections which discuss the various types of horses in his life; hunters and jumpers, school horses, dressage horses and the lipizzaners, since the type of horse also roughly describes the progress of the author's career.The book follows a relaxed chronology. From his first experiences learning to ride, as 12 year old, on a cavalry school horse, through his Olympic and competitive career and finally on to his life at the Spanish Riding School, first as pupil and rider and then as Director. The book is therefore split into sections which discuss the various types of horses in his life; hunters and jumpers, school horses, dressage horses and the lipizzaners, since the type of horse also roughly describes the progress of the author's career. |
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" As it is vital for correct and successful work to know one's partner intimately I adopted the habit, later, of eliminating difficult exercises when first riding a new horse. We are indulging our human vanity if we produce difficult airs and figures with an unknown horse." |
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Although this an autobiography and not a riding instruction manual there is plenty to learn. Much of the book discusses the various and numerous training methods and strategies used. Throughout his years with many horses, he dealt with the full gamut of 'vices' everything from a horse who insists on poking its tongue out, to the many behaviours that can result from nervousness or fear is covered. Whenever faced with a new challenge the Colonel tried first to understand why the horse behaved as it did. He then looked for a suitable answer, rather than expecting that every horse could be trained, or every problem solved, in the same way as had worked on the previous horse. In relating the story of each experience, each horse there are many valuable lessons in horsemanship to be learned. He writes with great frankness about his own experiences, providing wonderful insights for all riders into the continuing process of improving one's horsemanship and riding skills. Its also an opportunity for those of us who are relatively new to riding to get a better understanding of the continual cycle of improvement - no matter how good you are, there's always room for improvement. |
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Riding one of the Lipizanners for the first time -
"Riding without stirrups, my seat, I admit ran into trouble, especially because the stallion was rather small and my legs long...When I tried to re-establish my balance, he struck off into the canter or worse moved into a passage like hovering trot which disconcerted me even more. I almost had the impression that I was on a horse for the first time in my life"
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| There are also great accounts of his life with the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, the many great lipizzaner stallions that he worked with there, and some of the performances and tours. Amongst these is a story of the time that the young Queen Elizabeth rode one of his stallions, Pluto Theodorosta, during a tour of Great Britain in 1953. |
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On the Lipizanner stallion Nero -
"One day when I rode along on a loose rein, my mind wandering, he unseated me by a sudden jump. Horrified by his own deed he stood immobilized on the spot of his misbehaviour and stared down with embarrassment at his rider in the dust as if he wanted to say: "I am sorry, I cenrtainly did not mean to!".
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| If you are interested in autobiographies, history, equestrianism or the Spanish Riding School you will probably enjoy this book. I know I did. I find something disarming about the frankness of Colonel Podhajsky's writings. There is never any pretence and he recalls his mistakes and failures as easily as his great triumphs. Its refreshing and encouraging to know that even the great masters have had their problems!
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