The Undisciplined Horse

Ulrik Schramm.  Translated by Nicole Bartle.  Published by J.A. Allen.

The Undisciplined Horse

On the evidence of statistics, horse riding causes more serious injurieg than all other sports and one of the principal reasons is the incompetence of the majority of riders and the lack of docility of the majority of horses.  Yet horses, in general, are not basically vicious or obstreperous; they are trusting animals and make faithful servants to man if their trust is not abused.  It would however be naive to assume that their docility is innate.  It can only be the result of intelligent training, based on understanding of the mentality and the physical aptitudes of the individual animal.

It is Ulrik Schramm's theme that practically all latent or manifest opposition to the will of the rider, be it bucking, rearing, shying, jibbing, pulling or simply moving crookedly, is the consequence of human ignorance and incompetence.  A poor seat and unfeeling, uneducated handling of the reins will provoke a horse to misbehave as much as harsh punishment or excessive tolerance. Nevertheless Schramm does point out that some horses are not trainable and that no horse can be expected to behave angelically in all circumstances.

Any rider who claims to be a genuine animal lover or sportsman and feels that this book has little to teach must be very complacent indeed.  The author has trained more horses than most riders and has had to contend with every kind of resistance.  He analyses the root cause of all and describes not only the immediate measures which can be resorted to in case of overt rebelliousness, but also the longterm solution to the various problems.

The Undisciplined Horse is an eminently readable book, well illustrated by the author's own drawings, which combine an irrepressible impishness with an acutely observed understanding of horses and their riders.

Hardback, very good condition. Dust cover intact.