Rereading Xenophon’s “On Horsemanship”
Whatever one’s discipline or its tutelary giants, rereading Xenophon of Athens, the celebrated horseman from classical antiquity, always repays the effort.
Read more
Author: Charles Caramello
Horses, historians, and early modern England
Two new volumes offer an insight into Britain’s social history through horse racing and the breeding ventures of a famous aristocratic.
Read more
The Franco-German (dressage) war
French and German master equestrians clashed in mid to late-century over the proper theory and practice of dressage and equitation, particularly as they pertained to the training of military horses and riders.
Read more
Equines and the Empire: British war horses revealed
Both “Real War Horses: The Experiences of the British Cavalry, 1814-1914” and “Horses in the British Army, 1750-1950” add value to the critical literatures on cavalry and warhorses.
Read more
Revisiting equestrian classics: Outdoor Baucherists
General François Faverot de Kerbrech’s “Methodical Dressage of the Riding Horse” (1891), with “Dressage of the Outdoor Horse” (1907), and Étienne Beudant’s “Horse Training, Outdoor and High School”.
Read more
Posthumous Santini: Horseman’s Dictionary and Caprilli Papers
The latest in the Santini series features two posthumous works from the man known as Caprilli’s “intermediary and interpreter”.
Read more
Picturing horses in the Great War
“Horses of the Great War” offers a very engaging and edifying overview essay to non-specialist readers interested in horses, modern warfare, or art depicting them.
Read more
Santini’s first foray: Riding Reflections
In the opening chapter, Santini briefly invokes Caprilli as the founder of a system of horsemanship based on “the principles that a horse should be interfered with as little as possible.”
Read more
Royal Equerries: Pluvinel and de la Guérinière
We read Pluvinel and de la Guérinière today not only to learn technique, but also to understand history, and reading them is well worth the time and effort that they demand and deserve.
Read more
Santini redux: Caprilli’s disciple and the forward riding revolution
Santini offers clear technical guidelines on “how to balance the horse through engagement of the haunches, enlightened use of the seat, and conscientious elasticity of the rein contact”.
Read more
The Greater Santini
Major Piero Santini, arguably Federico Caprilli’s most ardent disciple, achieved recognition and praise as an equestrian, instructor, author, and tireless advocate for forward riding,
Read more
The Austrian Connection
Two new offerings give both a historical and modern look at Austrian equitation.
Read more
Equines in the Anglo-Boer and Great Wars
How a major imperial power outfitted its military up to WW1.
Read more
Horseman as Bookman: The Library of Johan Dejager
A glimpse inside a collection of horse books spanning nearly four centuries.
Read moreThe perks of being a dressage scribe
Charles Caramello sharpens his pencil and gets to work as a dressage writer for horse trials competitions.
Read more
Dressage Italian Style
A look at Grisone’s Rules of Riding and Tomassini’s The Italian Tradition.
Read moreHow German is it – H Dv 12 cavalry manual
Rich intellectual and practical resource and a very good “read.”
Read moreLives of the Saint: Nuno Oliveira and his disciples
“A horseman not only must ride, but also must observe, study, and think deeply.”
Read moreA tale of two masters
Similarities end as de Bragança and de Oliveira volumes compared.
Read moreXenophon to Zettl: a look at classics of horsemanship
Literature on the horse and training and usage represents a rich and distinguished tradition.
Read more