Alexis Francois L Hotte

As commandant of the cavalry school Alexis-Francois L'Hotte (1825-1904) was obliged to use the methods of the Comte d'Aure, but with his own horses practised the teachings of Baucher. He became one of France's greatest riders.

This well-researched book offers a look at the life of the great French general, Alexis-Francois L'Hotte and includes Hilda Nelson's complete translation of his much-quoted Questions Equestres, here entitled Equestrian Questions. Alexis-François L'Hotte (1825-1904) was sent to the Ecole de Cavalerie at Saumur to pursue his equestrian talent. He became the pupil of both François Baucher and comte d'Aure. He returned to Saint-Cyr as commandant of the reopened cavalry section. In 1864 he became écuyer en chef of the Ecole de Cavalerie. In 1875 he returned to Saumur as commandant of the Ecole de Cavalerie there. He was considered by all to be the most outstanding écuyer of the period. It was on his personal horses that L'Hotte practiced the teachings of Baucher. But as écuyer en chef and commandant at Saumur, he was obliged to follow the teachings and rules of a military establishment. In this respect he was more in the d' Auriste idiom, practicing primarily exterior and military equitation. It was his quest to produce answers to the equestrian challenges that he faced that prompted his writing of Questions équestres where he provides complete, precise, and definitive answers.

First published in the late 19th century, this book is truly a work of remarkable coherence, comprehensiveness and depth of understanding. Steinbrecht's reputation as a master in the art of dressage makes The Gymnasium of the Horse a cornerstone of equestrian literature. Originally published in German; this translation from the 10th German edition by Helen K. Gibble, into English. Sections are: Rider's Seat and Aids; Purpose of Dressage; Systematic Training of the Horse; School Movements; Epilogue. Scarce title and long awaited for the many dressage enthusiasts who are familiar with the thoroughness with which Steinbrecht first addressed this topic.

"When you ask your horse to do something it should be his idea ... he wants to do it, he understands how to do it, and he does it." These words are typical of the way Ray Hunt expresses his philosophy of the ideal relationship between horse and man. That philosophy is discussed in this book, in a manner that makes the reader feel as if he is listening to Ray talk. It is persuasive talk - gently persuasive; this man's ideas make a lot of sense, and the success he has achieved with those ideas is impressive. Ray Hunt traveled around the country working with groups of riders who were interested in his philosophy of harmony with horses. As Gene Lewis says in his forward to the book, Ray's theory is "to unite the horse and rider into one working unit of both mind and body. He has developed a language and has become a wonderful teacher and demonstrator." Included in this book is an interpretation of the "Ray Hunt method of schooling a horse" written by Vincent W. Carpenter, who attended one of Ray's clinics. He tells amazing stories that Ray might not tell about himself and summarizes the whole philosophy in a clear and objective way. Also included is a question and answer section, in which a number of the most commonly asked questions are answered in detail. And throughout the entire book runs the simple, basic idea: think harmony."--Publisher's description.

For over a quarter of a century, Colonel Alois Podhajsky was the Director of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, home of the famous white Lipizzaner stallions whose remarkable performances have thrilled audiences throughout the world. Now for the first time, Col. Podhajsky has set forth explicitly and in practical, instructive fashion the step-by-step methods of training both horse and rider that are used at the School and that are the applicable foundations of all good horsemanship, for their purpose is to develop the natural abilities of the horse and to make riding a graceful, pleasurable experience.

Horses and horsemen played central roles in modern European warfare from the Renaissance to the Great War of 1914-1918, not only determining victory in battle, but also affecting the rise and fall of kingdoms and nations. When Shakespeare's Richard III cried, "A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!" he attested to the importance of the warhorse in history and embedded the image of the warhorse in the cultural memory of the West. In Riding to Arms: A History of Horsemanship and Mounted Warfare, Charles Caramello examines the evolution of horsemanship—the training of horses and riders—and its relationship to the evolution of mounted warfare over four centuries. He explains how theories of horsemanship, navigating between art and utility, eventually settled on formal manège equitation merged with outdoor hunting equitation as the ideal combination for modern cavalry. He also addresses how the evolution of firepower and the advent of mechanized warfare eventually led to the end of horse cavalry. Riding to Arms tracks the history of horsemanship and cavalry through scores of primary texts ranging from Federico Grisone's Rules of Riding (1550) to Lt.-Colonel E.G. French's Good-Bye to Boot and Saddle (1951). It offers not only a history of horsemen, horse soldiers, and horses, but also a survey of the seminal texts that shaped that history.