Dressage Principles Illuminated Expanded Edition by Charles de Kunffy

Product Description

New Expanded Edition!

In this beautifully written and richly illustrated book, Charles de Kunffy advocates for uncompromising devotion to the well-being of horses. He insists that riding must be restorative and therapeutic before it can successfully school horses to gymnastic excellence. Riders must be schooled appropriately in developing riding skills and acquiring the virtues that can earn their place in the equestrian arts.

With great lucidity, Charles de Kunffy explains the rationale and methodology for training horses correctly. Suppleness and collection are the principles ever-present and pursued by classical schooling of the horse. Classical horsemanship is so named because it is based on the enduring triumph toward the correct athletic development of horses. By following the enlightened baroque ideology, human intellect can lead toward pragmatic and scientific equestrian scholarship. The understanding that by improving the functions of random nature by benevolently grooming and developing its latent talents, one can elevate nature to the level of art. Therefore, riders often triumph in advancing horses to perform movements of great eloquence by minimum energy.

This Xenophon Press Expanded Edition of Dressage Principles Illuminated expands on his earlier edition with expanded text and additional illustrative photographic material.

“Horses form their riders from within and foster the development of courage, humility, quickness of judgment, self-discipline, self-control, and focus. They reward the wondrous attitude of empathy, so averse to the selfishness in mankind.”
– Charles de Kunffy

Gift-quality hardback edition, 144 pages. ISBN: 978-1948717250

About the Author
Mr. de Kunffy has a six-decade career as a lecturer, judge, author, and riding teacher. He is well-known for his cogent and passionate method of educating riders and training horses. He represents that rare combination of scholastic depth, practice-born expertise, and impeccable communication abilities, all of which allow for an effortless transfer of his knowledge.

Charles de Kunffy has been riding since childhood and had a privileged education in the theory and practice of classical horsemanship. He has competed successfully in three-day eventing, jumping, and dressage. Mr. de Kunffy is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and still makes California his home. He taught various social sciences, mainly philosophy and psychology, prior to devoting all of his energy to the equestrian arts.

He has judged in America, Europe, Africa, and Australia, and has taught college courses as well as conducted seminars and courses for dressage judges and riding instructors on all of these continents.

Mr. de Kunffy has authored many magazine articles, inspired the ratings of books by other authors, and been academically observed and emulated. He has conducted highly popular, nationally broadcast radio and television programs. He leaves a written legacy in his books: Creative Horsemanship; Dressage Questions Answered; The Athletic Development of the Dressage Horse; The Ethics and Passions of Dressage Expanded Edition, Training Strategies for Dressage Riders, A Rider’s Survival from Tyranny, and now, Dressage Principles Illuminated Expanded Edition. He has also produced the DVD: The Art of Traditional Dressage.