Dressage Solutions - Kottas Heldenberg

Dressage Solutions offers advice on the correct way to introduce work on the gaits, exercises and movements, together with in-depth analysis of common problems and the ways to correct them. The author makes the point that many errors are rooted in faulty posture or aiding on the rider's part. Constant emphasis is placed on the need to be mindful of the horse's mental and physical ability to cope with what is being asked for him. Dressage Solutions takes the reader through many stages of training, from ensuring that the basic gaits are correct, through introducing the lateral exercises, developing the canter, rein-back, piaffe and passage, to a final chapter that explains some of the long-established movements of the High School. This is a journey that will provide much food for thought, and a great deal of invaluable advice, for all riders who have progress and their horse's well-being at heart.

THE AUTHOR

Arthur Kottas - accepted as an Eleve (trainee) in the Spanish Riding School of Vienna in 1960, he rose rapidly under the tutelage of Colonel Alois Podhajsky to become the youngest ever First Chief Rider in 1981 and in 1983 Riding Master. From 1995 until retiring from the School in 2002 he was First Chief Rider. Kottas is a ride and trainer of the highest international repute and has successfully trained many horses and riders up to Olympic standard.

Andrew Fitzpatrick has ridden and trained for over 30 years worldwide. He was both a BSJA course builder and joint organiser of horse trials. He became involved with Training the Teachers of Tomorrow (TTT) Trust in 1988 and through the Trust began training with Arthur Kottas. Since then he has worked with Arthur Kottas regularly including on the text of Kottas on Dressage.

Reviews:

'This book is quite amazing! It is full of superb photographs and illustrations and is so obviously a product of a lifetime of experience and expertise written and presented in such an easy-to-read way...Even if you don't compete in dressage competitions, there are many pages in this book which are relevant to just riding, showing or flatwork for jumping.'  
 
'This is a journey that will provide much food for thought, and a great deal of invaluable advice, for all riders who have progress and their horse's well-being at heart.' 
 
'This book will be inspirational to all classicists and those aspiring to the art...The book is set out in a very clear, concise way. As the title suggests it deals with problems often encountered at most stages of training, in most cases giving a blueprint of how things should be; how they can go wrong; followed by solutions.'  

'Simple, clear, and unfussy, Dressage Solutions is the reference i'll be turning to for advice in tackling all those little (or not-so-little) training quandaries.'