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The Elements of Dressage: A Guide to Training the Young Horse | 
| Author: K.a. Von Ziegner
Publisher: The Lyons Press
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $16.47
You Save: $8.48 (34%)
Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 116999
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1st
Pages: 128
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 9.6 x 6.7 x 0.7
ISBN: 1585747351
Dewey Decimal Number: 798.23
EAN: 9781585747351
ASIN: 1585747351
Publication Date: December 1, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Drawing on centuries of European practice, The Elements of Dressage will help any reader perfect the union between horse and rider. Dressage has been around since the time of the ancient Greeks, but reached its heights in Europe, and particularly in Germany. The German approach is now the preferred method in most countries, and the author has been teaching it for more than fifty years. There are ten principal elements in the German method, and they include: relaxation, regularity, freedom, contact, straightness, and Durchlassigkeit. Both beginning and advanced trainers and riders will learn why the ten elements exist, how to develop them in a horse, and even when not to use them. Starting with the basics, and moving on towards the most subtle aspects, The Elements of Dressage is the complete guide to the art of training and riding a horse. (7 x 9 3/4, 128 pages, diagrams) Kurd Albrecht von Ziegner has operated an internationally renowned riding school in Mechtersen, Germany, south of Hamburg, since 1971. Trained as an officer in the cavalry school in Hannover, he became a leading NATO officer in the 1950s and took over, among other things, the construction of the Turkish cavalry school in Ankara. He is also one of the most prominent and successful dressage trainers in the United States, where he developed a new judging system, the Prix St. James. Winner of the German Rider Cross in Gold, the author shares insights from more than fifty years of training. He is also the author of many articles and books, including The Basics: A Guideline for Successful Training.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
 Simply the best description of the training scale around January 9, 2009
Elizabeth A. Jacob (Darwin Australia)
As a relative new-comer to dressage I have struggled to understand the so-called 'training scale' and how I can apply it in my training program. This book was the "ah-hah" moment for me - it really explained what the training scale is about and how to obtain the qualities we are looking for by doing classical dressage.
What I really love about Von Ziegner is that he is prepared to subject the training scale to proper scrutiny and criticise it (or its manifestations) where it does not work. He has developed a 10 point 'training tree' which to my mind makes far more sense than the 5 level scale. It would take a more advanced rider than me to fully explain the differences, however this book is equally useful for advanced and novice riders who want to improve their riding and training.
This is a book to read and re-read, to gain more each time and revise your training program accordingly.
The Elements of Dressage June 9, 2008
Carla Wilson-leff (Spring Creek Nevada)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you are interested in Classical dressage.... buy this book! It is an excellent reference for working with a young horse. It is definitely all about the horse- as it should be.
Enjoyed the book May 27, 2008
S. Scurlock (Pollocksville NC)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Enjoyed the book. Not really for a beginner. I liked the way he covered the process with out going into overload on techniques you should already know about, like lunging your horse.
Worth reading.
Wow, dressage is understandable April 1, 2008
Eventer (NC)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I thought this was an excellent book. I bought it to help provide some guidance while training my young horse, and it not only gave me a nice guideline of what-to-train-when, but also made dressage much more understandable.
This book focuses on the German dressage training scale. The author explains the steps in training the horse, dividing it into stages (i.e. stage one you focus on A, B, and C elements, stage two you begin developing D and E). He gives some guidelines as to what your horse should be able to do before you push him for more. He then devotes a chapter to each element needed in dressage, in the order it should be developed in the horse (relaxation, regularity, freedom, contact, on the aids...). He finishes with a few miscellaneous chapters on the flying change, transitions, the inclined arena (great for eventers), Prix St. James test, and lateral movements.
This book mainly aims to discuss the development of the young horse, providing a correct foundation for all further work, including eventing and show jumping. It provides more detail about the early years of training, rather than say, development of the piaffe, passage, extensions, etc.
I would recommend this to all dressage riders (especially those just starting out or at the lower levels), to those people interested in putting a good foundation on a young horse (this applies to ALL disciplines!), or to those that just want a better understanding of how to ride a horse correctly. This book has great clarity, is an easy read, I even recommended it to my youngest sister (she's 12).
Don't get me wrong, this is not a book for novices just learning to post. You do need a basic understanding of riding. He's not going to explain how to ask your horse to shoulder-in or get on the bit. I read this with a good working knowledge of dressage. This just put everything into a clear format and made dressage, for once, seem simple to understand (even if its very difficult to perform!)
Great Book! February 12, 2007
C. McCulley
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Very helpful, great ideas on horsemanship and training. A must read for anyone serious about correct, empathetic horsemanship.
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