Klaus Balkenhol: The Man and His Training Methods by Britta Schöffmann
Trafalgar Square Books is pleased to announce the publication of Klaus Balkenhol: The Man and His Training Methods by Britta Schöffmann. A celebrity of the international dressage world, Klaus Balkenhol has an impressive record at the highest levels of competition. With two Olympic golds and an individual bronze, along with innumerable German, European, and World Cup wins to his name, he was a legend long before he assumed his present role as Chef d’Equipe of the US Dressage Team. So involved is he in the sport, one cannot separate his personal story from his training and riding philosophies, which are grounded in the timeless art of classical riding.

Now, in this beautifully illustrated new book, you learn about both the man and his methods, as his biography is brilliantly intertwined with his views on training the dressage horse. From fascinating personal anecdotes and reminiscences of Balkenhol’s most famous mounts, to correcting specific upper level training problems, this book delivers both engaging memoir and relevant education. Among other things, Balkenhol discusses: training according to classical principles; errant trends in competitive dressage; choosing the right dressage horse; instilling trust in young horses; working horses without stress; employing the Training Scale in daily practice; and tips for schooling Grand Prix movements.

Balkenhol insists that a peaceful coexistence can indeed be forged between the human need for competition—and the corresponding thrill and passion that drives it—and preserving the horse’s natural grace, power, and well-being through proper classical training methodology. This book allows us all to join him in this worthy and admirable mission.

Britta Schöffmann is a dressage rider and Balkenhol student, and training with him has enabled her to learn his concepts inside and out. In addition, Schöffmann is a successful trainer herself, and has earned her German gold riding medal, competing up to Grand Prix level.   160 pp ∙ 7 ½ x 10 ∙ 175 color photos, 25 b/w illustrations ∙ 978 1 57076 378 6 ∙ $29.95 hc

Riding Logic: Transform Riding Skills into Art on Horseback with Classical Lessons in Flatwork and Jumping by Wilhelm Müseler
Trafalgar Square Books is pleased to announce the publication of Riding Logic by Wilhelm Müseler. Müseler’s text on riding and horsemanship is internationally revered, and it has now, for the first time, been completely modernized with color photos of the leading riders of the twenty-first century. An expert horseman, Müseler not only provides a wealth of practical knowledge and experience that will help readers attain and maintain the highest level of riding skill, he also offers the theoretical tools that can transform the experienced rider into the classical equestrian ideal—an “artist on horseback.” Learn to perfect your seat, hands, balance, and use of the back; master the three interdependent aspects of rider training—seat, feeling, and influence; school green horses through the training “stages,” from first backing to self-carriage; improve the trained horse’s suppleness, rhythm, and willingness to work; add variety with introductory exercises on the trail and over fences; correct common behavioral and training problems, and more.

Beginners and experts alike will find Müseler’s thorough, progressive instructions and meticulously clear drawings easy to follow, again proving the book timeless, insightful, and certain to educate any rider who strives to reach the coveted state of true horse-and-rider harmony.

“This book has accompanied me through my entire life, and its content is as relevant today as it has always been. Whoever studies Müseler will need no other mentor.”—Klaus Balkenhol, Chef d’Equipe of the US Dressage Team, 2001–Present  

Wilhelm Müseler was a highly respected and well-known rider and trainer in Berlin, Germany in the 1930s. Born in 1887, he received riding instruction in the German military, where he learned that proper gymnasticizing of the horse and “academic riding” was not only the basis for dressage, but for all disciplines. His book on the subject was first published in 1933.

176 pp ∙ 7 x 9 ½ ∙ 58 color photos, 44 drawings ∙ 978 1 57076 379 3 ∙ $29.95 hc   Note: Sections of these books may be appropriate for reprint as excerpts in print and online publications. High res jacket images are also available. For more information or to request a review copy, contact rdidier@sover.net. To order contact: Trafalgar Square Books, 388 Howe Hill Road, N. Pomfret, VT  05053 800.423.4525 www.horseandriderbooks.com