Here’s a great article by William Micklem that appeared in the Chronicle of the horse: Bert, Jack and Herbert: Classical Principles and a Classic Partnership. It’s part 3 in a series and the first two are good as well.
I particularly like these two quotes which to me, embody the partnership that should exist between the horse and rider and fly in the face of Rollkur and other harsh training techniques.
“A happy cooperation should exist between rider and horse,” said de Néméthy, “without the horse having to sacrifice its alertness, personality or interest.”
“Henry was an impressive horse, with a trot that had all four feet off the ground, and a gallop that took a young man to enjoy. He was disdainful of dressage but tolerated it because of his strong desire to please. He took a fierce hold cross-country, but I rode him throughout his career in a snaffle, because I then held the belief that my horse’s affection is the strongest bridle of all and believe that to this moment,” from Jimmy Wofford about his Olympic mount Kilkenny
LOVE this post. 😀
Oooh, the Jimmy Wofford quote makes me shiver!