Betty Bolté

From the back of the book:

"Today more than ever the emphasis in horsemanship is on dressage, which provides a foundation training that enhances performance in any discipline, from show jumping to driving.... Learn which breeds excel at dressage, how dressage competitions work, and how you can use dressage to improve your riding skills and your horse's performance, whether it's on the trail or in the show ring."

I've included below a few paragraphs from the first chapter of the book, to give you more of an idea of how the book is written.

Chapter One: The History of Dressage

You might think that dressage is a new way of teaching a horse. Actually, the noted Greek historian and general, Xenophon, created the art of dressage in Greece in 400 B.C. According to Xenophon, “If the rider is not in harmony with the nature of the animal, then it will perform as a burden with no display of pleasure.” Dressage training increases the horse’s ability and desire to perform for the rider. Because dressage is excellent training for an equestrian discipline, it has grown in popularity. The classical form of dressage we use today was developed in the royal courts of Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Dressage is French for “training” and it is a way to teach the horse and rider to communicate and cooperate. The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) says “requiring thepower and precision of gymnastics, and the grace and subtlety of ballet, dressage challenges mental preparation as well as physical prowess.”

Dressage works to improve the horse’s build and suppleness. It also improves the natural gaits of walk, trot and canter. Improving the gaits makes riding the horse more fun. When a horse is trained properly, it allows the horse to be supple on both sides, to want to respond and do what is asked of him. The horse will move forward easily and with lots of energy to its stride.

Not only does dressage improve the horse’s abilities, it also works to better the rider’s seat, coordiantion, and feel of the horse. Through subtle weight shifts, leg pressure, and signals along the reins, the rider talks to the horse. The rider must remain in an upright posture with “independent” legs and hands (hands able to move separately from each other and from the legs) in order to be in harmony with the horse. These skills take many hours of proper training and practice to achieve and provide an on-going challenge to the rider. Once the skills are acquired, the rider has the immense satisfaction of riding in personal harmony with the horse, making the time in the saddle a true pleasure.