Your favorite dressage books

[StraightForward]

MIL sent me an Amazon gift card for Christmas this year. I've been telling myself that I have tons of info to mine in my current collection before I go off and buy more, but with a GC, why not add to the collection, amiright?

What would you buy? I'll consider DVDs too.

[PaulaO]

Not strictly dressage, but Centered Riding is my bible. Do you have any of deKunffy's books? I also like Sylvia Loch's The Classical Seat.

[StraightForward]

I have both Centered Riding books; practically wore out the copy I had as a teen. I think I still have The Athletic Development of the Dressage Horse. I do have Sylvia Loch's Rider's Balance (which I have not read much of yet) and Dressage in Lightness (one of my favorites).

[khall]

Anja Beran hands down. Any of them

[Chisamba]

Alois Podhajski, The complete training of horse and rider

[demi]

Alois Podhajski, The complete training of horse and rider

This one came instantly to mind when I saw the thread title! But I have lots of favorites. After I do chores and make dinner , I’ll sit down with a glass of wine and read some. Then I’ll add more favs to the thread...

[Sue B]

As I said earlier, i just reread Kyra Kyrklund's book, I love her simplification of training and I've used her ABC's ever since a USDF Symposium she did. I also like Artur Kottas's book (can't remember the title) because it has a lot of in-hand work and young horse work in it. I've often though about getting Anja's stuff but haven't yet. Klimke's stuff was good and Henry Wynmulen.

[demi]

Henry Wynmalen’s “Dressage” was my first dressage book. I got it in college in the mid 70’s . The cover price was $3! It’s worn out and falling apart but I’m going to start on it again tonight.

I have all the old favorites, but the most recent ones I got were Anja Beran’s “Classical Sdhooling with the Horse in MInd”, and “The Dressage Seat”. Very nice pictures that make me feel relaxed just looking at them.

Also, Belasik’s “Nature, Nurture and Horses”. It’s really a great, almost scientific comparison of horse personalities. I was attracted to what Belasik says on the back cover, ... “The young horse, and the emotional and physical trainsitions to which he must adjust in the course of classical dressage training—and quite simply, in ‘growing up’—will forever be a complex equation with many variables and no one ‘solution’...just infinite possibility”...I also totally loved the pictures Andrea’s riding in that book.

[StraightForward]

Thanks all, keep the suggestions coming! I'll have to take an inventory and see which books might best complement the ones I already have.

I'm looking at some that aren't really dressage specific as well, like Posture and Performance, and Horse Brain, Human Brain. I really love using science to inform my riding and training approaches!

[Flight]

I really liked Gustav Steinbrecht, gymnasium of the horse. Its an old book but I got some good stuff out of it.
Anja Beran's is good too, lovely pics etc.
Other stuff - I'm reading the Talent Code. I really like it. Not horsey but about learning.

[Lipsmackerpony88]

I like the Alois Podhajski book Chisamba mentioned. Also Steinbrecht has some good stuff (and some that raises eyebrows lol)

I also like Walter Zettl's books.

I need to pick up Henry Wynmalen's book. I keep hearing great things.

[Moutaineer]

Wynmalen, "Dressage" certainly. I think I've had my copy for nearly 40 years

Kyra Kyrlund's book--always a good one to go back to and refresh.

Carl Hester's book where he talks about the different temperaments, training methodologies and lifestyles of his horses is interesting.

[Kyra's Mom]

My favorite is Dressage Naturally by Karen Rolhf.
You can go by all the NH stuff (especially the forward by LP--soon to be ex) but it is loaded with exercises. Sorry but I like her minimalist approach and everything is well illustrated so as not to make my head spin. She breaks it down into 3 simple constructs...Relaxation, energy and balance. Easy to dissect during your ride to figure out what needs to be addressed.

I have a bunch of books that I don't know the last time I cracked any of them. I did really like the newsletter series (Inspiration) that Karl Mikolka did back in the 2000's. I am going to start reading those again. I kept them all . Also lots of exercises...why and when to do them and well illustrated.

Susan

[mari]

I love 101 Dressage Exercises. So many practical things. I love picking a few exercises, giving it a try by myself and then having my instructor help me in the next lesson.

[piedmontfields]

I just got the new Beth Baumert book, How Two Minds Meet. I did really enjoy her earlier book When Two Spines Align.

I'm also a fan of Suzanne von Dietze 's books, but I admit that they really came together for me after watching her teach a few times.

I also love Charles de Kunffy's Dressage Principles Illuminated and Athletic Development of the Horse.

Obviously, I'm a better reader than dressage trainer/rider as I have a bookcase full of good training books!

[StraightForward]

I just got the new Beth Baumert book, How Two Minds Meet. I did really enjoy her earlier book When Two Spines Align.

Oh cool, I just ordered that one too!

I ended up ordering two of Sylvia Loch's books, The Dressage Horse Optimized with the Masterson Method, Horse Gaits Balance and Movement, Posture and Performance, and the Horse Anatomy Workbook. I'll be taking Jillian Kreinbring's Functional Anatomy workshop via Zoom in January and thought some of these would be useful to study at the same time.

Many of the books I've had on my wish list for a while are out of print and used copies are $$$, so I will have to watch and work on grabbing copies when the prices are more reasonable.

[galopp]

For sure, Seunig, Horsemanship. Inexpensive if old, and the most complete book of all.

[Moutaineer]

Hi Galopp, Meery Christmas! I'd forgotten about that one. A good one to pull out for a Christmas read.

[Lipsmackerpony88]

I'm currently reading Miguel Tavora's book and I'm really enjoying it so far. It's very clear and to the point.