Dressage for the 21st CenturyA major work which covers all aspects of riding and training and marries a genuine adherence to classical principles with modern thinking.
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Paul Belasik has already gained a large and appreciative international following in response to the publication of his trilogy, Riding Towards the Light, Exploring Dressage Technique and The Songs of Horses. In these books he proved himself unique amongst equestrian writers in that he has the ability to weave the academic, the artistic, the spiritual and the physical into an enthralling narrative with a universal appeal. Whether the reader was a novice one-horse owner or an international trainer there was something to think about, something to be gained from every page.
Now this charismatic trainer, rider and philosopher has produced a major work which covers all aspects of riding and training and marries a genuine adherence to classical principles with modern thinking. Drawing analogies from a wide range of arts, science and philosophies and firmly grounded in the works of the equestrian masters, this is nevertheless an extremely practical book which takes the reader from early work with the young horse to the airs above the ground. The beautiful photographs demonstrate that not only is Paul Belasik someone who can teach it, he can do it as well.
For a limited edition, signed copy of Dressage for the 21st Century, contact us for ordering details.
Dressage for the 21st Century has been translated into German and is available through CADMOS publishing.
Very recently it has been translated into Polish and is being published in Poland. For a translation of the Polish publisher’s note and the forward by Maria Iwanowska, please see below.
From the Publisher
You are holding in your hands a very unique book. Dressage for the 21st Century contains knowledge about schooling a horse according to the classical school principles (from working with a young horse to Heute ecole). It contains a lot of technical guidance for the rider. You will also find a brief history outline of dressage there. But that’s not all. This is a book with a character and a soul, that will enable you to realize and feel how special your relationship and work with a horse can be, making you grow in many areas. You are holding in your hands a book that inspires not only to be a better rider, but a better human being.
Forward for the Polish Edition
When I was asked to write a foreword to Paul Belasik’s book “Dressage for the 21st Century, my first reaction was, ‘what an honour’ and then, I was jolted back to reality! However was I going to write something meaningful to describe what I felt as I read this marvelous book.Not only is it technically explained in a clear classical manner, but it is beautifully written in a way that allows ones imagination to live through each movement of the horse, and delight in its light and joyful execution.
Can you learn the ART of dressage from books? Well of course , the answer is NO. However, this book is such, that for those with a certain experience in dressage, the path to a greater understanding broadens, not only from the technical and sentient point of view but, also the real spirit and artistic side of dressage are revealed. This complete understanding is essential in order to attain success, which will not only procure much satisfaction in your everyday training and contact with your horse, but also, those engaged in competitive riding will have a better chance of top performance, which can be obtained while remaining truly respectful of the horse’s well being. The beginning rider will be encouraged to start on the path of classical equitation, which is a logical and progressive system and learn its principles.
I am sure that everyone reading this book, regardless of whatever level of equitation they have already attained, will find it most enlightening, and a great help in progressing towards greater satisfaction.
-Maria Iwanowska
Praise
A fantastic book with some magnificent pictures. Extremely educational for the equine world…
Michael Gooding | Canberra, Australia
This book is an instant classic… Beautifully written, it is a masterpiece that belongs in every dressage rider’s library.
Amazon.com Review | FL, USA
If you intend on buying just one dressage book this year, I really can’t recommend this book more highly.
Wendy Stevenson | The Kenilworth Press | United Kingdom
Paul Belasik’s superb Dressage for the 21st Century is a book to own, not to borrow…Belasik’s intention was to produce a training manual, which could not exist without a consensus of the early studies. Right from the first chapter on longeing and in-hand work, the book describes not only ‘how’ but also ‘why’… All this is so easy to read, as parallels are drawn between other activities to prove the point… As I said before: don’t borrow it, buy it.
Joan Matheson | New Zealand Horse and Pony
This has to be the most complete book on Equitation to the highest levels, ever to be written. It is quite simply, a masterpiece—highly readable, yet totally scholarly, as would be expected from an author such as Paul Belasik, whose previous books have gained him a worldwide, and well-deserved, following. The photographs which lavishly illustrate the book are exemplary in every way—Belasik’s seat is impeccable and the horses look at ease in their work—real harmony between horse and rider. Paul Belasik’s vast knowledge of Classical Equitation is woven effortlessly with his own conclusions, arrived at through the odyssey of research that he undertook, and chronicled in his book Riding Towards the Light. This book is a must for anyone who sees dressage first and foremost as an Art, and only secondarily as a sport.
Heather Moffet | Devon, United Kingdom
