The classical Art of Riding

The classical Art of Riding is not what we understand usually under “Dressage”. This way of riding has grown out of the Iberian herdsman culture and developed to the highly differentiated equestrian art at the French royal courts. It can most likely be compared with the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Both are based on the equitation school of the great French riding teacher Francois Robichon de la Guerinière. The goal of this school of equitation is to bring a horse, without wearing his physical and psychical capacities, to his utmost beauty and radiance. Unfortunately these aspects have to a large extent disappeared from nowadays dressage and equestrian sport. The result is often damage and harm for the horses, in favor of overambitious competition, money and a lot of ignorance of correct horse training.

With my “Alter Real” stallion Urgeiro and my Lusitano stallion Dourado I was lucky to be able to buy two especially beautiful and gifted horses in Portugal. With the help of competent instructors I was then able to train them to a high level of equitation. Some highlights of our common days were baroque art-of -riding competitions and shows with music and the appropriate costumes. Although there was a lot of work and resigning freedom, there was also and always the delight of living with those wonderful animals.