Irrwege der modernen Dressur

Philippe Karl, a trained breeder and versatile rider, is active in all areas of equestrianism. For thirteen years, he worked as a rider in the Cadre Noir, the French elite riding school in Saumur. As an enthusiastic riding instructor, Karl, who lives in southern France, teaches students at clinics primarily in Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. His previous book publications "High School on the Lunge" and "Art of Riding" have been translated into several languages and have gained international significance.

Philippe Karl, one of the boldest critics of a dressage world that treats a horse as "material" and whose training methods aim solely to get a horse to compete as quickly as possible in high-stakes competitions, addresses the issue head-on with this book. Based on the psychological, anatomical, and physiological prerequisites of the horse, the author analyzes the principles of modern dressage as outlined in the guidelines of the German Equestrian Federation. By juxtaposing the views of the greatest masters of equestrian literature from La Guérinière to Baucher, he uncovers dogmas and misdirections and presents a way out of the dead end in which contemporary competitive dressage finds itself. Illustrative drawings created by Philippe Karl himself and numerous photos complement this extensive work.