Falling for Fallacies

Modern dressage has an entire canon of doctrinal assumptions, which are never questioned, either indi-vidually or as a system, but which tend to be accepted in their entirety. Everybody seems to have a clear and complete comprehension of their meaning. Certain be-liefs are widespread, such as that the horse should be driven 'onto the bit', that the horse should be 'bent by the rider's inside leg', or that the out-side rein should always be tauter- however, what is the true value of such beliefs?

Jean-Claude Racinet subjects these and other com-mon assumptions, which are commonly regarded as self-evident truths, to a critical analysis, with particu-lar emphasis on their anatomical and biomechanical effects on the horse. Using detailed observation, he uncovers many contradictions: among others, he shows how different muscle groups actually work together, and he provides mathematical proof of how far the centre of gravity of a collected horse really moves towards the hind legs. In the course of his analysis, several tenets of faith are exposed as simply wrong.

This book, a summary of decades of extensive experiences as a rider, is a long-overdue contribution to the discussion concerning the sense (and nonsense) of the training doctrines commonly used and applied In the modern form of dressage. It deals effectively with prejudices and is aimed at supporting the art of horse-orientated equitation. It is a book for the thoughtful and critical reader, who is willing to question some of the discipline's long-held beliefs, sometimes seen as self-evident.

Jean-Claude Racinet.  Cadmos edition.

Hardback, as new condition.