The Art of Riding: Classical Dressage to High School: Odin at Saumur

 

French riding master Philippe Karl writes about training horses from a very personal perspective, documenting the training and development of the Lusitano stallion, Odin, according to traditional French classical principles, from young horse all the way up to high school. Through this case study, he teaches readers the requirements of balance, including collection and conformation; the philosophy of Academic Equitation, including the language of the aids—seat, hands, legs; exercises for lateral flexibility, including work on one and two tracks. He also covers work at the canter—counter-canter, flying lead changes, tempi changes; collection—piaffe, passage, pesade; and canter pirouettes—preparation and development.