My favorite books about riding dressage horses

This book unlocks several secrets held by Nuno Oliveira not only in its text but also with the many photographs. The author studied with the master for over a decade and it shows in this book. A must for any aficionado of dressage. I have used the tips in this book to help me with some of the movements such as proper weighting of the rider during dressage movements such as half pass. There are scant videos of Nuno riding and performing so this book fills out my curiosity about this man. That is why I am glad I own it.

I rode with the late Colonel for many years when he traveled to America. He was classically trained in dressage and a judge of the sport in Europe. I own all of his books and DVDs. He was always about the horse first. He was still riding and training up through his eighties which is testimony enough as to why dressage, if done properly, helps not only the horse but the human rider as well with longevity and proper posture. 

This is a dense book but well worth the read. It goes into the history of how some decisions have been made about the regulation of dressage internationally. It gives an excellent analysis of how classical dressage became the goal and should always remain so. It is more of an “overview” book on dressage rather than a “how to” but I have enjoyed reading it for background. One particularly interesting segment explained how modern day dressage relegates the lower level riders to use snaffle bits and how this decision came to be. There are not many books out there that focus just on this aspect. That is why I appreciate this one in particular.

The author was a student of the renowned Egon von Neindorff. This book gives clear descriptions and a step-by-step guide on how to achieve the lightness and impulsion dressage riders seek. It explains how a younger horse’s exercises should differ from a more seasoned one. The explanation of an ideal seat is par none. I found the photos used as examples to be clear. The author uses bullet dots to make his key points and this enhances the importance and clarity of his descriptions. I can look at the short lists for critical pieces of info and use them as I work my own horses. 

I currently study under the Ritters. Dr. Ritter has published two books and this one is his master compendium. In it he explains the history of dressage plus offers a plethora of exercises and drills to help your horse become more supple and responsive. His explanation of stirrup stepping which has been known to be used at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna is extremely useful.