Reflections on Equestrian Art

by Nuno Oliveira

Nuno Oliveira began his riding career with maestro Jonquin Gonzales de Miranda, Master of the Horse to the King of Portugal. In the 1940's he opened his own riding school and soon became an international name in the world of classical equitation. In the 1950s and 1960s he gave exhibitions in Geneva, Brussels, Paris and London, followed by clinics in Saumur, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Australia and the USA. His pupils include the most talented dressage...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0851314619
• ISBN13: 9780851314617
• Release Date: September 1999
• Publisher: Ja Allen
• Length: 118 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Experience the wisdom of a veritable ecuyer.

This book is an absolute delight to read and a source of inexhausitble inspiration for riders of any discipline. I'm sharing it with friends at the moment but can't wait to re-immerse myself in the "just-add-water" classical principles outlined by Sr. Oliveira. His descriptions of both horse and rider describe a state of kinetic beauty that can only be achieved through proper attention to the fundamentals.

How to think and ride

If you are looking for hands on exercises this book is not for you. But if you are looking for deeper understanding on how to think and feel when riding - this is one of the best ones. For many riders today riding is either sport or time to relax. Then there are a few serious students of equestrian art. The ones that ride to achieve unity with their horse, to submerse themselves in the beauty of deep understanding between their equine partner and the rider. If you are looking for a philosophical approach you just found it. A true jewel for the rider that wants to dig deeper and find meaning beyond the sport in his/her riding.

The heart of classical equitation!

Should be required reading for all modern-day dressage riders and anyone who truly believes in achieving harmony with his or her horse! Not a specific "how to" book, but rather the core of the master Oliveira's philosophy of classical horsemanship succinctly and powerfully stated. His was a school of horsemanship that expected and achieved a level of lightness and collection rarely attained in today's competitive dressage horse. As Sylvia Loch said in her book (also highly recommended) Dressage: The Art of Classical Riding, Nuno Oliveira was " . . .a man who could bring magical steps out of the most ordinary horse, a man who rode like a king, so that his horses carried him like a king."

Nuno Oliveira, The Master

This book is written by probably the greatest horse master in the 20th century. A book that every horse lover, and especially dressage rider, must have. It is a pity that only one (I believe) of six books is translated into English.

THE MASTER

THIS IS THE DISTILLED WISDOM OF THE GREATEST HORSEMAN OF THIS CENTURY. IT IS A WONDERFUL COMPANION